(Joseph Maldonado)
Microsoft is offering its clearest indication yet that it's cooking up an Xbox handheld.
At IGN Live, editor Ryan McCaffrey asked Xbox gaming chief Phil Spencer about rumors of an Xbox handheld, which have made the rounds ever since Valve launched the Steam Deck.
"I think we should have a handheld too," Spencer responded.
Spencer indicated that Xbox President Sarah Bond, who oversees hardware, would be the best person to discuss a handheld, but he did offer a few hints about the potential product.
"The future for us in hardware is pretty awesome and the work that the team is doing around different form factors, different ways to play, I’m incredibly excited about that,” Spencer said.
He was then asked whether Microsoft would create something similar to the Steam Deck, which can play games locally, or the PlayStation Portal, which requires an internet connection. "I think being able to play games locally is really important," Spencer said, adding that he enjoys playing on PC handheld devices like the Steam Deck, Asus Rog Ally, and the Lenovo Legion Go.
In the meantime, Microsoft announced an incremental refresh to the Xbox Series X/S console lineup as part of its Summer Game Fest; check out all the Xbox-related game trailers that were shown off at the event.
Disclosure: IGN is owned by PCMag's parent company Ziff Davis.