Microsoft’s Phil Spencer has always been a man of the people, and even in his new role as head of the Xbox division, he still takes time to answer questions from the community on Twitter. In his latest flurry of answers, Spencer confirmed that new IP and new sequels will be announced at E3 and he revealed that Cortana was almost brought on as the announcer for the show. Another interesting topic broached by the community was the potential existence of a portable console from Microsoft to rival the PS Vita and Nintendo 3DS.
“Is there any chance of a handheld Xbox-One-like gaming device at E3 or in the future?” asked @xrCore. “I don’t think we’ll do a dedicated handheld gaming device,” Spencer responded. He says that Microsoft would rather focus on Windows Phone and Surface tablets, although controller support could come to Windows Phone devices “someday.”
There have been countless rumors over the past decade that Microsoft might take a stab at the portable gaming market, but the evidence has always been paper thin. Now that the head of the division has confirmed that not only is Microsoft not working on a handheld, but has no intention to build one either, the rumor mill for at least one unannounced device can finally stop churning.
That said, universal Xbox One controller support might be the next best thing.
