Guide: Xbox Handheld: Everything We Know So Far, Including The Latest Rumours

What’s going on with the Xbox handheld?! For quite a while now, we’ve been hearing about plans for Xbox to develop such a device, and even Xbox boss Phil Spencer has talked about it on a series of occasions. There’s definitely something happening behind the scenes at Microsoft right now, even though it hasn’t been officially unveiled yet.

In this all-in-one guide, you’ll find everything we know so far about the Xbox handheld, including all the information that’s been shared by Microsoft as well as the most intriguing rumours that have cropped up along the way. Just like our next Xbox console guide, we’ll be continuing to update this article with the latest details on a regular basis.

Here’s everything we know so far about the upcoming Xbox handheld:

What Is The Name Of The Xbox Handheld?
Microsoft has yet to confirm what the Xbox handheld will be called. We’re not expecting to learn anything like this until the device gets properly unveiled, so ignore anything you might have heard – it doesn’t have a name at all yet!

What’s The Latest News About The Xbox Handheld?
The Xbox handheld was first mentioned in a Windows Central report back in 2021, which noted that Microsoft had been “dabbling” with prototypes for a while. It wasn’t until 2024 that Xbox boss Phil Spencer hinted an interest in such a device though, highlighting that his team had been investigating “different hardware form factors”.

Things began to ramp up throughout 2024 in regards to the Xbox handheld, with Microsoft pushing out a survey about “handheld gaming devices” and Phil Spencer again teasing an “awesome” future in hardware in an interview with IGN.

And then, finally, Phil confirmed to Bloomberg in November 2024 that he “loved” the idea of making an Xbox handheld, but with the caveat that it’s a longer-term goal – with the focus for now being on improving existing Windows handhelds.

“Longer term, I love us building devices. And I think our team could do some real innovative work, but we want to be informed by learning and what’s happening now.”

Since then, it’s been reported that Sony also might be working on a handheld to compete alongside the Xbox device in the future, although everything on both sides still seems to be in the early stages as things stand.

In 2025, all we’ve heard about the Xbox handheld so far is that Team Xbox wants to bring a console-like experience over to Windows handhelds during the year, and naturally that would extend to the dedicated Xbox handheld in the future.

What Are The Rumours Saying About The Xbox Handheld?
There have been plenty of rumours going around about the Xbox handheld as of late, some of which are more interesting than others! A lot of them have been focused around exactly when we’re going to see the device for the first time, with some believing it could even be as soon as this year – albeit perhaps as a tease rather than a full reveal.

It’s also been rumoured a couple of times that the Xbox handheld may launch alongside the next Xbox console, which itself has been rumoured to arrive anywhere from 2026 onwards. It seems the plan, at least as things stand right now, is for Xbox to go into the next generation with some seriously cool new hardware for fans to enjoy.

If you’re wondering whether the Xbox handheld will allow you to download games natively (rather than serving as a dedicated cloud streaming device), it’s believed that it almost certainly will – but this hasn’t been fully confirmed yet.

What Games Will The Xbox Handheld Support?
There’s no way of knowing exactly which games the Xbox handheld will support until Microsoft confirms them, but considering it’s likely to be a Windows PC-style device, the focus will probably be around the Xbox App on PC.

If you can download a game via PC Game Pass, you’ll almost certainly be able to play it on the Xbox handheld as well, and then more compatibility may be added on top. Don’t forget about the likes of Xbox Cloud Gaming and Xbox Remote Play that will enable more console titles to be streamed to the Xbox handheld too!

Will The Xbox Handheld Get A 2025 Release Date?
We’re not expecting the Xbox handheld to release in 2025, although there’s a chance it may be teased for the first time. As mentioned earlier in the guide, a rumour from last year did hint at the possibility of a reveal at some point in 2025.

However, Xbox boss Phil Spencer has insisted that making the Xbox App and UI more suitable for existing Windows handhelds is the priority right now, which obviously will benefit the Xbox handheld when it eventually launches. Based on that, we think the Xbox handheld won’t release until at least 2026, and possibly much later than that.

How Much Will The Xbox Handheld Cost?
It’s really hard to know how much the Xbox handheld will cost right now, as we really need more details to form an educated opinion. If it takes the form of a Windows handheld PC as expected, it’s almost certainly not going to be cheap – as evidenced by the likes of the ASUS ROG Ally and Lenovo Legion Go that are currently on the market.

If we had to make a guess, we’d say the Xbox handheld may cost around $500 at launch. Phil Spencer has highlighted in the past how pricing things too highly won’t grow the market, but devices like these are expensive to build!

There we go! That’s everything we know about the upcoming Xbox handheld so far, and we’ll continue to update this guide with all the important information as it’s revealed throughout 2025 and beyond. We’ll add the latest rumours too!

What else would you like to know about the Xbox handheld? Ask us down in the comments section below!