Microsoft is developing a prototype of its own portable gaming console and is considering different options for promoting the device on the market. The head of the Xbox division, Phil Spencer, has repeatedly hinted at plans to create such a product. Now, in an interview with Bloomberg, he said that “we are expected to do something” in this category.
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Spencer confirmed that Microsoft is working on prototypes and considering options, and also asked his hardware development team to analyze the market and “develop our vision based on the data obtained.” According to Spencer, development of any device will take several years.
In the near future, the Xbox division will focus on improving its mobile app for existing handheld devices and partnering with hardware manufacturers to ensure their products are synchronized. “Long term, I like that we are creating devices. I think our team can do innovative work, but we want to be informed by studying and learning what’s happening now,” Spencer said during a call with reporters.
In March, media reported that Microsoft was working on prototypes of “fully native Xbox portable devices.” A little later, Phil Spencer told reporters about what he would like to see in a potential portable console. The Xbox boss returned to the topic during an interview with IGN after the summer’s Xbox Games Showcase, hinting that a portable console could be in the works.
When Spencer was reminded that Xbox builds its business on a strategy of being where players are, be it PC or more recently other console platforms, he responded, “So we need a handheld console? I think we should have a portable console too.”