According to reports, the next generation of Xbox consoles may include consoles and handheld devices.
According to a report from Windows Central, Microsoft is taking another two-pronged approach to entering the Xbox hardware market, just like it did with Series X and S. Steam Deck-like options.
It’s unclear what this approach will ultimately look like, but if the handheld had something like a Steam Deck, players would likely be able to play the digital games they purchased and switch between the handheld and console. There probably won’t be independent ecosystems like 3DS and Wii U or Vita and PS3. It might also look more like the Switch, with the console and handheld components working together.
Alongside this report, Microsoft also confirmed that it plans to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Xbox and Halo, with both games set to arrive in 2026. Developers are still making games for last-gen consoles, and the backlash over the PS5 Pro price puts the traditional console generation cycle in an awkward position.
Last year, documents were leaked about the Xbox mid-generation update plan, which is expected to be released in October 2024. Microsoft claimed that the plan was outdated, but still did release a digital-only version of the Xbox Series X.
