Xbox Handheld: Rumors, leaks and specs – all the info at a glance

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We have summarized all the important information about the Xbox handheld for you

The rumor mill is churning and a handheld console from Xbox seems more and more likely. Even Microsoft is no longer making a secret of the fact that they are interested in such a device. We have summarized all the rumors, leaks and confirmed information for you

Information that comes from Microsoft

We know from Microsoft itself that a handheld is at least on the company’s radar and could be in the pipeline:

  • In last year’s FTC leak, a handheld is on the company’s roadmap
  • An operating system codenamed “ThinOS” is to be developed for handhelds
  • Sarah Bond, President of Xbox, has revealed in the Xbox Podcast that new Xbox hardware will be unveiled this year. However, this doesn’t necessarily have to involve a handheld.
(A handheld is on the Xbox developer's radar. (Image: Microsoft / FTC))
(A handheld is on the Xbox developer’s radar. (Image: Microsoft / FTC))

What does the Xbox boss say? In addition, Phil Spencer has commented on a possible Xbox handheld. According to a interview with Polygon he would like to see an experience similar to that on the Xbox on the currently available Windows handhelds.

He is said to already have a detailed to-do list of things that can be improved on Windows to optimize it for handheld consoles. 

Aside from that, he revealed to Polygon that he sees the same creativity he sees on the Xbox software team on the hardware team. Spencer adds that this team is also looking at other Xbox form factors  

Handheld with cloud and native rendering: The FTC leak reveals that Microsoft is considering a device that will combine native computing with cloud streaming. Similar functionality is already used in games such as Microsoft Flight Simulator.

(This slide from the FTC documents even reveals initial technical details or at least a general idea of the hardware installed. (Image: Microsoft / FTC))
(This slide from the FTC documents even reveals initial technical details or at least a general idea of the hardware installed. (Image: Microsoft / FTC))

According to this data, the new device should even be able to display power-hungry graphics features such as ray tracing and dynamic global illumination. A combination of AI upscaling, native rendering and the aforementioned cloud streaming is to be used for this.

The rumor mill

Prototypes have already been developed: Jez Corden, one of the hosts of the Xbox Two Podcast, reportedly already knows that Microsoft has developed and tested several actual handheld prototypes. According to him, these are supposed to be native Xbox consoles and not Windows devices.

New developer kit emerges: A new Xbox developer kit has been registered in South Korea. In the country, a certificate is required for the use of electronic devices to ensure that they do not interfere with the radio network. Before the last Xbox consoles came onto the market, they were also certified in South Korea around six months earlier.

Price and release

Price: The slide above shows that ThinOS is also intended for devices that will cost less than 100 euros. Whether the native Xbox handheld will also fall into this category is currently unclear. 

Release: If Microsoft continues to stick to the leaked plans, the launch could not take place until 2028.

(A new Xbox generation is planned for 2028 at the latest.)
(A new Xbox generation is planned for 2028 at the latest.)

It mentions that “cloud hybrid games” are planned for this year. If the developer kit certified in Korea really is for an Xbox handheld, the console could even be unveiled this year.

This article will be continuously updated as soon as there is new information on the handheld from Microsoft. So check back regularly if you want to stay up to date! In the meantime, let us know what you would want from such a console and whether you would buy it.