Summary
- In the past year, Xbox has been surprisingly open about its plans for the next generation of the system.
- This includes a handheld device, which has been confirmed to be in the works for quite some time.
- While attending CES, Microsoft’s VP of Next Generation shared a few more details about the Xbox handheld and its goals.
Microsoft‘s VP of Next Generation, Jason Ronald, has recently shared some more details about the unrevealed Xbox handheld and stated that it aims to combine the “best of Xbox and Windows“.
Over the past year or so, Xbox has very publicly shifted its focus towards hardware and being able to play Xbox games anywhere instead of putting all of its efforts into first-party releases like Nintendo and PlayStation. This approach has garnered a very mixed reception from fans, but it has at least meant that Microsoft has been rather open about its plans for future consoles.
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Beyond the next generation of Xbox (which seemingly isn’t titled Xbox Prime like so many recently believed), Microsoft has also confirmed that it’s developing an Xbox handheld similar to Nintendo’s efforts with the Switch and Valve with the Steam Deck. That handheld hasn’t been formally announced or shown off, but it seems that the company isn’t shying away from sharing new details.
Xbox VP Of Next Generation Shares Details About Xbox Handheld
As pointed out by VGC and originally reported by The Verge, Microsoft’s VP of “Next Generation”, Jason Ronald, recently attended CES 2025 and took part in a roundtable called “The Future of Gaming Handhelds”, where he revealed a bit more about the unannounced Xbox handheld console.
Ronald pointed out that Xbox has been innovating for a long time when it comes to consoles, and that the studio is now thinking about how to bring those innovations over from consoles to PC and then to the world of handheld gaming. The Verge then spoke to Ronald at the event, where he was more specific about Xbox’s goals with its portable console.
In regards to Xbox’s handheld. Ronald said that it’s aiming to bring the best of Xbox and Windows together, something that’s quite a challenge due to everything currently being locked to Xbox consoles. The team is currently focused on bringing that experience to the Windows ecosystem for both players and developers.
I would say it’s bringing the best of Xbox and Windows together, because we have spent the last 20 years building a world-class operating system, but it’s really locked to the console. What we’re doing is we’re really focused on how do we bring those experiences for both players and developers to the broader Windows ecosystem. – Jason Ronald
Beyond being surprisingly open about the fact that there’s an Xbox handheld in development, Ronald’s comments do give us a good idea of where Microsoft is at currently with the portable device’s progress.
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