Both Nintendo and Sony have released dedicated portable games consoles but Microsoft"s recently promoted Xbox head, Phil Spencer, indicated late on Sunday that the company has no plans to compete in that space.
In response to a fan question on Twitter asking Spencer if if there was a chance for an Xbox handheld device in the future, Spencer replied that he didn"t believe that the company would release such a product. Instead, Spencer indicated they plan to focus on portable gaming on Windows Phone and tablets, "maybe with controller support someday."
There have been rumors for nearly two years that Microsoft has been working on a seven inch version of its Surface tablet that would be dedicated to gaming and even had the "Xbox" brand name. However, none of those reports have been confirmed by Microsoft. Spencer"s new statement would seem to indicate that if Microsoft did have plans for an Xbox Surface tablet, they may have been put on indefinite hold.
Source: Phil Spencer on Twitter | Image via Microsoft