Leaked Microsoft documents have revealed plans to create an official Xbox Series Portable as well as a dedicated box for Xbox Cloud Gaming. Revealed in confidential files used during the company’s FTC battle to acquire Activision Blizzard, numerous Xbox plans have been revealed.
Alongside the Xbox Series handheld leak, files revealing remakes of The Elder Scrolls IV Oblivion and Fallout 3, plans for a new Xbox controller with updated tech, and the next Xbox console have all been published online.
In one document, Xbox outlined its approach to the console industry and its plans for peripherals in the future. In this confidential slideshow, Microsoft’s proposed plans for an official Xbox Series handheld in the vein of Valve’s Steam Deck was unveiled.
Shown alongside mockups for the now-released Xbox Series S and Series X, two new devices are shown. One is a white box without fan grills and a single USB port on the front labelled “Cloud Device”. The other is a sleek handheld with flush controls and a bezel-less screen labelled “handheld”.
Rumours of an Xbox Series handheld have existed since the early days of leaks claiming that Microsoft were planning two launch models: Lockhart and Anaconda. These eventually became the current Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X.
With the rise of popularity in handheld gaming found in the likes of Steam Deck, the ROG Ally and, of course, the Nintendo Switch, a true Xbox handheld wouldn’t be an awful idea. With the Nintendo Switch 2 bringing ray-tracing and DLSS to handhelds in 2024, it makes sense for Microsoft to enter the market.
Additionally, PlayStation manufacturer Sony has seemingly abandoned the dedicated handheld market. The company is planning a new portable machine, the disappointing PlayStation Portal, but the device will only stream games, not play native titles.
For Microsoft, a streaming handheld wouldn’t make much sense, as Xbox Cloud Gaming is available on all smartphones, PCs and most modern SmartTVs. Therefore, it Microsoft is planning a handheld, it will likely be one that natively plays Xbox UWP titles.
We’re still covering the Microsoft leaks, so stay tuned to our news page and social media.