While the company has not announced concrete plans for a dedicated handheld device, presumably like the Steam Deck or ASUS ROG Ally, Spencer confirmed that Microsoft is actively prototyping and researching the market. So, some prototypes for an Xbox ...

Xbox chief Phil Spencer elaborates on the often rumored Xbox handheld, as Steam Deck and Windows PC gaming devices boom in popularity.

Case in point: the Xbox handheld. Rumors of some kind of Microsoft-made competitor to the Game Boy have been floating around since the original Xbox launched more than 20 years ago. And for even longer, anyone who tries to step up to Nintendo on its stomping ground — including Sega, Sony, and Nokia — gets, well, stomped.

Microsoft has confirmed prototypes are being developed for an Xbox handheld, as it seeks to rival the Nintendo Switch and Steam Deck.

Microsoft Gaming boss Phil Spencer has confirmed the company’s plan to release an Xbox handheld, but stressed it’s years away from release. In an interview with Bloomberg, Spencer said the “expectation is that we would do something” in the handheld game devices category,