Xbox boss Phil Spencer has added fuel to the fire surrounding rumours of an upcoming handheld console from Microsoft by claiming that there is some "pretty awesome" hardware in the works.
How Phil Spencer Let Us Down and Ruined Xbox
During Xbox's Summer Game Fest event, three new Xbox consoles were revealed for release later this year, including an all-digital Xbox Series X. No handheld device has been revealed yet, though rumors of a potential release or announcement are still swirling.
Rumors of an Xbox handheld device have been spreading like wildfire for months following a trove of leaked Microsoft documents last year during the FTC litigation surrounding its acquisition of Activision Blizzard – and it appears the rumors are here to stay. While Spencer responded to those leaks by claiming that "so much has changed" in regards to those previous plans, the Xbox handheld rumors have shown no sign of dying down, and Spencer may have given us our biggest hint yet.
Speaking on IGN Live at Summer Game Fest, Spencer was asked to discuss the rumors and noted that Microsoft's hardware is "pretty awesome" and something he's "incredibly excited about" – with more details on the hardware to come in the future. When asked whether a potential Xbox handheld would be a cloud-streaming device or a dedicated gaming platform to compete with the likes of the Steam Deck and Nintendo Switch, the Xbox boss leaned toward the latter, saying that he thinks "being able to play games locally is really important."
