In December 2024, Microsoft promises to showcase new gaming hardware, both consoles and controllers. Phil Spencer, the leader of the gaming business, shared his plans, discussing further (multi-platform) strategy of Xbox, which includes the release of some Xbox ecosystem exclusives on PS5 and Nintendo Switch.
On the Xbox podcast on February 15, the president of the gaming division, Sarah Bond she assured that the next Xbox is already in development and is set to make the biggest technological leap between console generations.
*What we’re really focused on is delivering the biggest technological leap you’ve ever seen between console generations, making Xbox better for players and better for creators and the games they make».
Sarah Bond, President, Xbox
Microsoft’s gaming business leader Phil Spencer went even further in .interview with The Verge — and directly hinted that the Xbox development team is considering the creation of various hardware. Microsoft is expected to introduce, among other things, a portable Xbox in the style of Steam Deck and its competitors.
*I’m incredibly proud of the development team, both for this year’s results and for the future. We really think about creating hardware that gamers will buy because of the unique aspects of the hardware. It’s kind of an unleashing of the creativity of our development team, and I’m really looking forward to sharing all of that. We see a lot of opportunities across different types of devices and will share details of future hardware plans as soon as we are ready».
Phil Spencer, head of Microsoft’s gaming division
Rumors of a portable Xbox console have been circulating online for a while now, and Spencer has been favoriting posts on X/Twitter that mention the possibility of a potential Xbox Portable.
*”I’m a big fan of portables, but I have nothing to announce,” Spencer admitted in a conversation with The Verge. At the same time, he admitted that Windows is currently one of the weakest points of portable gaming PCs, such as ROG or Lenovo’s [Legion Go]. Currently, the OS is not well optimized for such devices, but developers are actively working on improving various aspects to provide a better experience.
It remains to mention .2TB Xbox Series X cylindrical 2TB without a disk drive and a new controller, which are likely to come before the next-gen Xbox and a potential Xbox Portable. «We have robust and innovative multi-year hardware development plans that include more console and controller options for the Christmas holiday (December 2024)», — Microsoft writes in a blog post. «Xbox players will know that the games they play take full advantage of our hardware and services».