Latest news with #PhilSpencer
Digital Trends
a day ago
- Business
- Digital Trends
You'll have to wait a bit longer for Xbox's Steam Deck competitor
For months, the rumor mill has worked overtime regarding the supposed Xbox handheld device. Now it seems like the wait could be even longer, with Windows Central reporting that Xbox has paused its own handheld in favor of improving the Windows 11 experience on third-party devices. There's been no official announcement regarding the handheld, although numerous codenames have leaked. To be clear, Xbox's Project Kennan with ASUS isn't delayed. It's the company's own internal handheld that has been placed on the back burner. While an explicit reason wasn't given, it's speculated that Microsoft wants to streamline Windows 11 performance on handhelds, especially since SteamOS outperforms Windows in most tests. Recommended Videos Windows Central's own sources reportedly indicate that Microsoft is still interested in developing a handheld, so the project hasn't been canned — just delayed for a bit. Phil Spencer first mentioned the idea of a handheld in November 2024, but he suggested it could be a while before a device landed in players' hands. The Xbox handheld had a tentative release date of 2027, but it may now be later than that. On the other hand, Project Kennan is still expected to launch later this year. Believed to be a variant of the ROG Ally, images of this handheld leaked earlier this month. The leaks showed a device with a layout similar to that of an Xbox controller, alongside a dedicated Xbox button. Alongside the images, a few specs also leaked. The handheld will reportedly use AMD's Ryzen Z2 Extreme CPU, boast a 7-inch 120Hz display, and come with 64GB of RAM. The non-Xbox variant is said to have reduced specs, featuring a weaker CPU. There's no word yet on how much storage capacity the handhelds might have or whether the device will feature an SD card slot for optional expanded memory.
Scottish Sun
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Secret Xbox ‘put on hold' in launch cancellation for console that would've rivalled new Nintendo & PlayStation machines
But another Xbox machine is still on the horizon BOXED UP Secret Xbox 'put on hold' in launch cancellation for console that would've rivalled new Nintendo & PlayStation machines Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A TOP-SECRET Xbox console that was potentially due out in just two years has been shelved. New reports suggest the unannounced Microsoft machine has been paused indefinitely – with its planned launch cancelled entirely. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 5 The rumoured Xbox console would've been a rival to Sony's PlayStation Portal Credit: Sony PlayStation 5 Microsoft's most recent console was the Xbox Series X, which came out in 2020 Credit: Microsoft Xbox 5 A future Microsoft handheld device would've allowed Xbox fans to easily play games on the go Credit: Microsoft Xbox Rumours of a handheld Xbox console have been circulating for years.. And in 2024, Microsoft's Xbox gaming boss Phil Spencer confirmed that the company was prototyping the machine. It would've lived alongside the plug-in-to-your-telly Xbox Series X as a more portable option for gamers. But a new report from Windows Central warns that Microsoft has "shifted priorities" and is pausing work on the gadget entirely. Instead, the report notes, Microsoft will pour its efforts into boosting Windows 11 gaming performance. That will help Microsoft boost the Asus partner gadget Project Kennan, which is a handheld gaming machine instead built by the Taiwanese tech giant. It notes that Microsoft would still like to produce a gaming handheld in the future, but is going to spend its time RIVAL MACHINES Microsoft will be feeling the pressure from gamers to compete with its industry rivals. Back in November 2023, Sony released the handheld PlayStation Portal. This portable gadget device streams video games from your PS5 over the internet – and has a built-in controller. Hands-on with the Nintendo Switch 2 Japanese gaming giant Nintendo is also nearly ready to debut its next big handheld. The new Nintendo Switch 2 is expected to land in stores on June 5. It'll plug into televisions – but can also work undocked as a portable gaming device for when you're out and about. And Nintendo saw runaway success with its original Switch console, which launched back in 2017. 5 This year marks the launch of the new Nintendo Switch 2 Credit: Nintendo Also worrying Microsoft will be the Steam Deck, which is a handheld gaming device built by Valve. The gaming giant is responsible for the virtual Steam store, which is one of the main ways PC gamers buy and play titles on their computers. Valve's Steam Deck lets players enjoy PC games on the go, and has been available since 2022. To fend off these rivals, Microsoft has partnered with Asus to help with its upcoming Project Kennan portable device. 5 Valve's Steam Deck is a hit with PC gamers looking to play titles on the move Credit: Valve / Steam This will be an official Xbox partnership, but it's not an in-house Microsoft product like the paused handheld machine would've been. Microsoft is still expected to release a major new at-home console in the next few years. This will be a sequel to the Xbox Series X, and could land in 2027 or 2028 – as a direct rival to the rumoured Sony PlayStation 6. The Sun has asked Microsoft for comment and will update this story with any response.
The Irish Sun
a day ago
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Secret Xbox ‘put on hold' in launch cancellation for console that would've rivalled new Nintendo & PlayStation machines
A TOP-SECRET Xbox console that was potentially due out in just two years has been shelved. New reports suggest the unannounced Microsoft machine has been paused indefinitely – with its planned launch cancelled entirely. Advertisement 5 The rumoured Xbox console would've been a rival to Sony's PlayStation Portal Credit: Sony PlayStation 5 Microsoft's most recent console was the Xbox Series X, which came out in 2020 Credit: Microsoft Xbox 5 A future Microsoft handheld device would've allowed Xbox fans to easily play games on the go Credit: Microsoft Xbox Rumours of a handheld Xbox console have been circulating for years.. And in 2024, Microsoft's Xbox gaming boss Phil Spencer confirmed that the company was prototyping the machine. It would've lived alongside the plug-in-to-your-telly Xbox Series X as a more portable option for gamers. But a new report from Advertisement Read more on PlayStation Instead, the report notes, Microsoft will pour its efforts into boosting Windows 11 gaming performance. That will help Microsoft boost the Asus partner gadget Project Kennan, which is a handheld gaming machine instead built by the Taiwanese tech giant. It notes that Microsoft would still like to produce a gaming handheld in the future , but is going to spend its time RIVAL MACHINES Microsoft will be feeling the pressure from gamers to compete with its industry rivals. Advertisement Most read in Gaming Back in November 2023, Sony released the handheld PlayStation Portal. This portable gadget device streams video games from your PS5 over the internet – and has a built-in controller. Hands-on with the Nintendo Switch 2 Japanese gaming giant Nintendo is also nearly ready to debut The new Nintendo Switch 2 is expected to land in stores on June 5. Advertisement It'll plug into televisions – but can also work undocked as a And Nintendo saw runaway success with its 5 This year marks the launch of the new Nintendo Switch 2 Credit: Nintendo Also worrying Microsoft will be the Steam Deck, which is a handheld gaming device built by Valve. Advertisement The gaming giant is responsible for the virtual Steam store, which is one of the main ways PC gamers buy and play titles on their computers. Valve's Steam Deck lets players enjoy PC games on the go, and has been available since 2022. To fend off these rivals, Microsoft has partnered with Asus to help with its upcoming Project Kennan portable device. 5 Valve's Steam Deck is a hit with PC gamers looking to play titles on the move Credit: Valve / Steam Advertisement This will be an official Xbox partnership, but it's not an in-house Microsoft product like the paused handheld machine would've been. Microsoft is still expected to release a major new at-home console in the next few years. This will be a sequel to the Xbox Series X, and could land in 2027 or 2028 – as a direct rival to the rumoured Sony PlayStation 6. The Sun has asked Microsoft for comment and will update this story with any response. Advertisement A HISTORY OF XBOX CONSOLE RELEASES Here's when previous Xbox consoles came out... Xbox – November 2001 Xbox 360 – November 2005 Xbox One – November 2013 Xbox Series X / S – November 2020 Picture Credit: Microsoft Xbox
The Sun
a day ago
- Business
- The Sun
Secret Xbox ‘put on hold' in launch cancellation for console that would've rivalled new Nintendo & PlayStation machines
A TOP-SECRET Xbox console that was potentially due out in just two years has been shelved. New reports suggest the unannounced Microsoft machine has been paused indefinitely – with its planned launch cancelled entirely. 5 5 5 Rumours of a handheld Xbox console have been circulating for years.. And in 2024, Microsoft's Xbox gaming boss Phil Spencer confirmed that the company was prototyping the machine. It would've lived alongside the plug-in-to-your-telly Xbox Series X as a more portable option for gamers. But a new report from Windows Central warns that Microsoft has "shifted priorities" and is pausing work on the gadget entirely. Instead, the report notes, Microsoft will pour its efforts into boosting Windows 11 gaming performance. That will help Microsoft boost the Asus partner gadget Project Kennan, which is a handheld gaming machine instead built by the Taiwanese tech giant. It notes that Microsoft would still like to produce a gaming handheld in the future, but is going to spend its time RIVAL MACHINES Microsoft will be feeling the pressure from gamers to compete with its industry rivals. Back in November 2023, Sony released the handheld PlayStation Portal. This portable gadget device streams video games from your PS5 over the internet – and has a built-in controller. Hands-on with the Nintendo Switch 2 Japanese gaming giant Nintendo is also nearly ready to debut its next big handheld. The new Nintendo Switch 2 is expected to land in stores on June 5. It'll plug into televisions – but can also work undocked as a portable gaming device for when you're out and about. And Nintendo saw runaway success with its original Switch console, which launched back in 2017. 5 Also worrying Microsoft will be the Steam Deck, which is a handheld gaming device built by Valve. The gaming giant is responsible for the virtual Steam store, which is one of the main ways PC gamers buy and play titles on their computers. Valve's Steam Deck lets players enjoy PC games on the go, and has been available since 2022. To fend off these rivals, Microsoft has partnered with Asus to help with its upcoming Project Kennan portable device. This will be an official Xbox partnership, but it's not an in-house Microsoft product like the paused handheld machine would've been. Microsoft is still expected to release a major new at-home console in the next few years. This will be a sequel to the Xbox Series X, and could land in 2027 or 2028 – as a direct rival to the rumoured Sony PlayStation 6. The Sun has asked Microsoft for comment and will update this story with any response.
Metro
a day ago
- Metro
Xbox handheld delayed claims report as Microsoft refocuses on Windows
Microsoft's plans for a first party Xbox handheld device have been put on the backburner according to reports, as it changes focus to Windows 11. For years now, Microsoft has been very open about its intentions to jump into the handheld gaming space. The company has seemingly been working on two separate handheld devices: a first party portable tied to the next gen Xbox console and a third party collaboration with Asus. Images of the latter, which is rumoured to launch this year, were leaked earlier this month. According to the latest rumours though, the dedicated Xbox handheld, which Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer last year said was still 'a few years out', has been shelved for the time being, as the company shifts its priorities towards improving the gaming experience on existing devices. According to Windows Central, Microsoft still wants to build its own Xbox handheld in the future, but it has opted to prioritise improving the gaming performance on Windows 11, including for the upcoming Asus handheld codenamed Project Kennan. It's claimed this decision was announced internally on Thursday, May 29, as Microsoft shifts 'more deeply towards third party OEM (original equipment manufacturer) handhelds in the interim'. This move might be related to the threat of Valve's SteamOS which, based on recent previews, is said to run far better on existing gaming handhelds when compared to the Windows variant. — Xbox (@Xbox) March 31, 2025 Microsoft hasn't announced anything about its first party handheld plans, and it was unclear what kind of device it would actually be, but this delay suggests it will (if it eventually comes out) be closer to a native Xbox handheld rather than a Windows 11 device. More Trending The big question is what Microsoft can offer in the handheld space that isn't already being catered to. Nintendo has a significant head start with the Switch 2, and any attempt to outdo its power and performance might steer it towards a more expensive, niche product like the Steam Deck. It's possible Microsoft is hoping to offer an alternative when the shine of the Switch 2 has worn off, but with Sony also rumoured to be working on a handheld device, it might find itself facing another competitor if it waits too long. Microsoft's next gen console is expected to launch in 2027, and the company has previously described it as offering 'the biggest technological leap ever in a generation'. There's still no indication of what that means, but many suspect it involves AI. Xbox's plans for the immediate future are set to be revealed during an Xbox showcase on Sunday, June 8, led by The Outer Worlds 2. Email gamecentral@ leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter, and sign-up to our newsletter. To submit Inbox letters and Reader's Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here. For more stories like this, check our Gaming page. MORE: UK retailer cancels Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders a week before launch MORE: Nintendo Switch 2 fans expecting secret Christmas game at Summer Game Fest 2025 MORE: Second UK retailer to hold limited Nintendo Switch 2 midnight launch
