Phil Spencer Teases Xbox Handheld and More PS5 Ports

If E3 is no longer a thing, Microsoft’s Xbox Games Showcase yesterday was quite a high point for what remains the period of big gaming events. Microsoft showed no less than 30 games yesterday, including updates for existing titles, and the company also announced three new Xbox Series X|S consoles coming this holiday season.

In a follow-up interview with IGN yesterday, Phil Spencer, the CEO of Microsoft Gaming discussed various topics including gaming handhelds, the health of Microsoft’s Xbox business, and more. Spencer, who previously confessed to being a fan of gaming handhelds like Valve’s Steam Deck and Windows-based models like the Asus Rog Ally, teased that the Xbox team is working on its own gaming handheld.

When asked about recent Xbox handhelds rumors, Spencer said that “I think we should have a handheld, too,” but added that it was too early to talk about the Xbox team’s hardware plans. “But the future for us in hardware is pretty awesome,” Spencer said. “And the work that the team is doing around different form factors, different ways to play, I’m incredibly excited about it.”

With a portable console like the Nintendo Switch selling more than 141 million units since its launch seven years ago, it’s possible that an Xbox handheld could help Microsoft sell more consoles. Microsoft said in its Q1 2024 earnings report that Xbox hardware revenues were down 31 percent year-over-year, and PS5 shipments were reportedly almost 5x superior to Xbox shipments during the same period.

Even though Microsoft’s Xbox Series X|S consoles are not selling well right now, Phil Spencer reiterated yesterday that the Xbox console user base is still growing. “On console, right now we have more Xbox console users than we’ve ever had in the history of Xbox,” the exec said. But that’s not all. “Game Pass is up double digits. PC is growing really well, cloud’s growing really well,” Spencer added.

So if the Xbox ecosystem is showing some healthy growth according to Spencer, why does the company start to port some Xbox-exclusive games on the PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch? It wasn’t explicitly mentioned yesterday, but the just-announced Doom: The Dark Ages is also going to ship on PlayStation 5.

According to Spencer, the decision to release the next Doom game on the PS5 is reflective of the unique history of the franchise. “Well, on Doom, it’s definitely one of those franchises that has a history on so many devices, Spencer said. “I think they have Doom running on a lawnmower somewhere. It’s a franchise that I think everybody deserves to play.”

Going forward, Spencer said that Microsoft will stick to its “when everybody plays, we all win” mantra. For Xbox gamers, that means getting the choice to buy Microsoft’s first-party games or rent them via Game Pass. But Microsoft also wants to make its games available to more players, and that includes other consoles.

“Our commitment to our Xbox customers is you’re going to get the opportunity to buy or subscribe to the game,” Spencer said. “We’re going to support the game on other screens, and you are going to see more of our games on more platforms. And we just see that as a benefit to the franchises that we’re building. And we see that from players and the players love to be able to play.”

So yes, this is a pretty clear statement that more Xbox-exclusive games are eventually coming to the PlayStation 5 and possibly the successor to the Nintendo Switch. While this is probably disappointing for hardcore Xbox fans, those players will still get the privilege to play first-party Xbox games on day one with a Game Pass subscription.