- Xbox might be planning to enter the handheld market during the next generation.
- A reliable insider suggests that Microsoft won’t offer a hybrid device like the Nintendo Switch.
- He states that Microsoft will also release a traditional console along with the handheld.
The current generation of Xbox hasn’t been doing great, as sales have constantly been declining, and the company is now relying more on Game Pass.
Following the poor sales of the consoles, Microsoft has recently decided to go multiplatform and released four of its titles on Nintendo and PlayStation platforms. However, it appears that Microsoft is working hard on its next-gen consoles.
As rumors suggested, Xbox seems to be planning a separate handheld and a home console for the next generation.
Why it matters: The company has already performed poorly during the last two generations, and if things go like this, Xbox might end up repeating the pattern. Therefore, it needs to make a change in order to improve this situation.
During the recent XB2+1 podcast, Jez Corden talked about Xbox’s plans to go with a handheld next generation. Phil Spencer has already teased a handheld recently. He hinted that the company intends to make a completely different one since this market is already quite saturated.
This led to speculation that Xbox would potentially try to merge the console and handheld market to go the Nintendo Switch route since the hybrid model is still somewhat underused.
However, Jez Corde believes the handheld will replace the Xbox Series S, while Microsoft will also offer a traditional Xbox Series X successor.
I’ll tell you now there’s going to be a separate handheld, and there’s going to be a series X successor.
-Jez Corden
All in all, it appears that Xbox might be planning to release both a traditional console and also plans to enter the handheld market.
However, fans can still expect close integration of the two pieces of hardware. This will likely lead to Game Pass support, cross-saves, and more.
Based on the rumors, the future seems exciting for Xbox hardware. The first handheld from Microsoft could hold a lot of promise, while the Xbox Series X successor should prove to be yet another formidable hardware release.
Leakers have pointed to a 2026 launch for the latter, though it remains to be seen if Microsoft will launch its hardware before rivals like Sony.
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[News Reporter]
Abiyan is on track to complete his Computer Science bachelor’s degree. His enthusiasm for writing and gaming motivates him to keep readers and gamers updated with the latest information from the industry. In his free time, Abiyan enjoys playing Dota 2 and Rocket League. Abiyan has also been cited in reputed websites such as Kitguru, Comicbook, GamingBible, Eurogamer and Gamingbolt.