Microsoft Gaming boss Phil Spencer has revealed what he wants in an Xbox handheld amid rumors.
Speaking in a recent interview with Polygon during the Game Developers Conference 2024 (GDC), Spencer discussed the many PC gaming handhelds available on the market right now, like the Lenovo Legion Go and Steam Deck, and explained that there are many features he is considering and would like to see implemented if Microsoft were to make a handheld of its own.
Spencer said that he wants his Lenovo Legion Go - which he brought to GDC - "to feel like an Xbox" and he has "this list of everything that makes it not feel like an Xbox."
"Forget about the brand," he said. "More like: Are all of my games there? Do all my games show up with the save [files] that I want? I’ll tell you one [game] that doesn’t right now - it’s driving me crazy - is Fallout 76. It doesn’t have cross-save.
"I want to be able to boot into the Xbox app in a full screen, but in a compact mode. And all of my social [experience] is there. Like I want it to feel like the dash of my Xbox when I turn on the television. [Except I want it] on those devices."
Microsoft hasn't officially confirmed that a mobile or handheld Xbox hybrid is in development at this time. However, Spencer says that the Xbox hardware team is considering "different hardware form factors and things that [they] could go do" as it looks to the future.
"What should we build that will find new players?” Spencer said. "That will allow people to play at times when they couldn’t go play [in the past]?"
The Xbox gaming boss goes on to say that he admires Valve, Lenovo, and Asus's handheld innovation, adding that while playing on those devices they feel more like a console than a PC to him.
When thinking of Xbox's hypothetical device, he explains that the most frustrating aspects are "more Windows-based than device-based," adding that he wants to "be able log in with a controller. I’ve got my list of things we should go do."
Last month, Xbox president Sarah Bond confirmed that the company is aiming to deliver “the largest technical leap you will have ever seen in a hardware generation” as it looks toward the next generation of consoles.
There's no official word on the next Xbox just yet, however, it seems Sony could already be gearing up for its next console launch as the alleged specs for the PS5 Pro have leaked.
