Case in point: the Xbox handheld. Rumors of some kind of Microsoft-made competitor to the Game Boy have been floating around since the original Xbox launched more than 20 years ago. And for even longer, anyone who tries to step up to Nintendo on its stomping ground — including Sega, Sony, and Nokia — gets, well, stomped.

Rumors have been flying all year that Xbox is working on a PC gaming handheld. On Wednesday, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer confirmed that plans are underway, though it sounds like an actual portable device is still a few years out.

Xbox chief Phil Spencer elaborates on the often rumored Xbox handheld, as Steam Deck and Windows PC gaming devices boom in popularity.

Xbox executive Phil Spencer hinted at this possibility in an interview with Bloomberg that was published on Wednesday. As he put it, the "expectation is that [Xbox] would do something" in the handheld gaming market and the company is working on prototypes right now.

While the company has not announced concrete plans for a dedicated handheld device, presumably like the Steam Deck ... Xbox app experience on existing mobile devices and collaborating with hardware manufacturers to improve compatibility with Xbox games ...