The first Xbox handheld was just officially teased

Asus has teased what could be an Xbox-branded ROG Ally handheld in a mysterious post on X.

The short clip (which you can check out below), features the company’s “little robot friend” jumping into a machine with both an ROG Ally X and an ROG Asus Raikiri gamepad to create… well, something. That said, many people (including me) think this shrouded handheld is likely an ROG Ally X with Xbox-branding (unfortuantely, those aren’t Xbox games on the shelf — they all have ROG-branding).

By now, you might think this is a bit of a reach and, normally, I’d agree with you — hear me out, though.

Thankfully, there’s more to the story. Under the clip is a reply from the official Xbox X account that gives the post a bit of side-eye with the help of a very familiar meme. There are also several recent leaks hinting at what Asus and Microsoft are likely working on.

Is this the Xbox handheld Microsoft has reportedly been working on for years?

It could be, and we likely won’t need to wait long to know for sure

Rumors about a dedicated Xbox handheld have been swirling for years, but they kicked into overdrive the past few days. Last week, Windows Central’s Jez Corden outlined Microsoft’s rumored handheld plans, stating that an Xbox handheld will launch later this year, with next-gen consoles arriving in 2027.

Then The Verge’s Tom Warren backed up this report a few days later with more specific information regarding Project Kennan, a handheld being worked on by Xbox and Asus. Warren says that while the rumored device will be Windows 11-powered, it will feature an interface similar to what you’d find on the Xbox Series X/S as part of an effort to better unify Xbox and Windows.

With all of this in mind, Asus’ recent X tease is likely Project Kennan. It remains unclear if Microsoft’s future handheld efforts will also include its own dedicated handheld, or if the company’s strategy is to forge partnerships with leaders in the space like Asus. It’s unclear when Asus and Microsoft will reveal this project, but if it’s being teased on X, a reveal likely isn’t that far off.

As a big fan of the ROG Ally X that appreciates the versatility Windows 11 offers, but that’s also often frustrated by how complicated this makes the device, the prospect of an Xbox overlay that replaces Asus’ Armory Crate SE software is appealing. If Asus can pull off a Steam Deck-like SteamOS operating system that mixes open nature of Windows with the simplicity of the Switch, I’m definitely into the concept. The timing of this reveal is interesting, too, with the Nintendo’s Switch 2’s full reveal looming on the horizon in a few weeks.

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