Xbox President Sarah Bond Confirms Development on Next-Gen Hardware; CEO Phil Spencer Teases Handheld Device and More
Also, CEO Phil Spencer suggests that players would get to play their games locally on the yet-to-be-officially-confirmed Xbox handheld device.
Microsoft’s Xbox division held a packed showcase, full of upcoming games that are arriving on the platform, with most of them playable for free on launch day with Xbox Game Pass. The overall reception from the fans has been positive for Xbox post the showcase, and with so many games on display, one key information seems to have gone unnoticed.
To close out the Xbox Games Showcase 2024, Xbox President Sarah Bond took the stage. After announcing the new console options for Xbox Series X and S, Bond confirmed that Xbox is working on the next generation of Xbox consoles. Bond said that Xbox's mission is to make Xbox the best platform to play games by bringing titles on launch day to Game Pass, bringing the games to future consoles through game preservation, and pushing the technical boundaries in future hardware. Then, Bond added that Xbox is “hard at work on the next-generation (of hardware)”.
Phil Spencer teases Xbox handheld gaming device
Xbox CEO Phil Spencer has teased the Xbox handheld gaming device in an interview during IGN Live. When quizzed about the handheld, Spencer said, "So we should have handheld? I think we should have a handheld, too!"
While Spencer said he does not "want to say anything" and that more information about this is likely to arrive from Sarah Bond, he did touch upon the future of Xbox hardware. He said that the future looks "pretty awesome" and the work that the team is doing around "different form factors" is something he is "incredibly excited about."
The Xbox boss also hinted that if an Xbox handheld were to exist, it would support playing games locally on the device. "I’ll put it this way: I like my ROG Ally, my Lenovo Legion Go - fantastic - my Steam Deck. I think being able to play games locally is really important," said Spencer.
The Xbox handheld sounds all but confirmed, and the hint from Spencer suggests that players would get to play their games locally on the yet-to-be-officially-confirmed Xbox handheld device.
