It seems like Microsoft might actually be doing something to extend the life of the Xbox brand this year. With Nintendo almost certainly releasing the Switch 2 within the next six months, Microsoft might be joining them with a handheld console of its own. According to a report from Windows Central yesterday, Microsoft will be releasing an Xbox-branded handheld in late 2025 to compete in the growing handheld PC market. The Verge then chimed in a few hours later to clarify some details, namely that Microsoft won’t be the one manufacturing the device.
If you’ve been living under a rock for the past few years, you may have missed the current craze in PC gaming. Due to the success of Valve’s Steam Deck, a ridiculous number of manufacturers have been releasing handheld PCs with varying levels of hardware specifications. Next to the Steam Deck, Asus with its ROG Ally and ROG Ally X have been popular while Lenovo has jumped into the fray with the Legion Go and Ayaneo has been producing mini-PCs since before the Steam Deck launched. Microsoft might not want to make a specific Xbox handheld, but it seems ready to launch a custom variant of the ROG Ally that has a front end that resembles the Xbox dashboard.
Image source: Windows Central
Seemingly, this first device will be a test to see if gamers latch onto the idea of a portable Xbox. As Windows Central later reported, Microsoft will have an official Xbox handheld hit the market in 2027. That could actually be the next generation of Xbox that Microsoft has been teasing for a few years and which ultimately supplants the Series X and S as a successor. I’m not sure how much I believe all of this, but going handheld would give Microsoft something that Sony currently does not have.
Article banner image source: Rebecca Spear at Windows Central
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Written by Peter Glagowski
Peter has been a freelance gaming and film critic for over seven years. His passion for Nintendo is only matched by the size of his collection.
