Microsoft, Take Notes: Xbox Players Want a Portable Console

There have been plenty of new gaming consoles to hit the market in the past couple of years: between the Xbox Series X (and its digital counterpart, the Xbox Series S), the PlayStation 5, the Nintendo Switch OLED, and the Steam Deck, there really is no shortage of consoles for any kind of gamer.

But of course, there's always news about the next and greatest thing — which is why gamers have been speculating about the Xbox Series Z, a portable console. Is this handheld console real, and if so, what's its release date?

Rumors about a potential portable version of the Xbox began circulating after a TikTok video from user @imkashama began going viral. The video features a sleek black console that opens automatically when the Xbox logo on its cover is pressed. There's a decent-sized screen on the inside of the cover (similar to the Nintendo DS design) and a built-in controller and touchpad on the console's bottom half.

Once it's turned on, Xbox's home page is displayed in the upper screen, while the touchpad on the console's bottom half allows users to scroll a variety of options. In the video that's been circulating online, the user swipes through their library of games, selecting ones like Far Cry 6 and Among Us.

Kashama doesn't speak in the video, instead only teasing the console's capabilities in a short, 12-second video.

Since the TikToker posted the video, it's received almost 36 million views and 3.7 million likes — proving there's plenty of demand for a console like this. Considering it was originally released in January 2021 and people are still asking about it, Xbox fans have been waiting for news of its potential release.

Unfortunately, while it's clear that a portable gaming console from Xbox would be well-received by its consumers, the Xbox Series Z is not real — nor does it appear that Microsoft currently has any plans for a portable console in the near future.

Much of Kashama's content is dedicated to mock-up designs for futuristic technology. Some of his other popular videos include an iPhone design with a touch screen on the back and a Game Boy Omega.

The comments on Kashama's video are mostly in awe of such a device, noting how useful it would be.

"Not real but it would be dope," one user commented, while another wrote, "That's like a Nintendo and Xbox had a baby."

"If only Microsoft would hop on the handheld bandwagon," one TikTok user commented. "I swear I would love to play Xbox games on the go like why isn't this a thing?"

Thanks to the quickly growing utilization of cloud gaming on consoles like the Nintendo Switch and the recent release of the Steam Deck (which has promising reviews), maybe there is a possibility for Xbox to create a handheld console in the future. While Microsoft certainly has competition in that field, die-hard Xbox fans would clearly be open to such a concept.