Xbox handheld console: Upcoming Xbox Games Showcase reportedly confirming brand's debut portable gaming system

Xbox is scheduled to hold a new presentation on June 9. Cheekily titled “Xbox Games Showcase followed by [REDACTED] Direct”, the event will reveal games from Xbox’s first-party studios including Bethesda and Activision/Blizzard as well as from the brand’s third-party partners. However, the Xbox Games Showcase may not just be about games and we could end up getting our first look at “Xbox Portable”, the company’s first handheld gaming console.

According to leaker eXtas1s who seemingly has a good track record with leaks like the release date of Hellblade 2, Xbox will tease the Xbox Portable handheld gaming console at the upcoming Xbox Games Showcase. Sadly, the leaker has shared no other information regarding the console.

Since the eXtas1s expects it to be a tease, we can assume that, if Xbox does decide to confirm the existence of the console, it could be in the form of developer monologues accompanied by some footage of the hardware. The company followed the same pattern with the initial reveal of the Xbox One X and the Xbox Series X (Available on Amazon) back at E3 2016 and E3 2019 respectively.

When it comes to the hardware, past leaks have alleged that the Xbox handheld console could sport a dockable design like the Nintendo Switch (Available on Amazon). The console could also feature both cloud and local play.

Lastly, the potential tease of the Xbox handheld console could mean a 2025 launch for the device if we take the Xbox One X and Xbox Series X launches into consideration. Both these machines were officially launched one year after their first teasers. 

That said, there is a possibility that the Xbox Portable release date could fall sometime in 2026 as mentioned by Windows Central’s Jez Corden in March.