Rumors about an Xbox handheld have been swirling, and Asus recently added fuel to the fire with a cryptic teaser posted on its platform, X (which you might remember as Twitter back in the day).
The teaser video features a charming animated robot working on some self-upgrades at a terminal. Just before it can implement these changes, two intriguing devices drop into the scene: one resembling the ROG Ally X gaming console and the other, the ROG Raikiri Pro controller. As the dust settles, the robot appears to morph into a full-fledged gaming console, bearing more than a passing resemblance to Asus’s current high-end handheld offerings.
The plot thickens with an interesting twist when the official Xbox account joins the conversation with the classic side-eye meme. While nothing concrete has been announced yet, this playful acknowledgment from Microsoft hints at something significant. It seems to point towards Project Kennan, a collaboration between Microsoft and Asus aiming to blend the Xbox and Windows gaming worlds into a singular, seamless platform.
Even though neither Asus nor Microsoft has spilled all the beans, the teaser provides a tantalizing glimpse into what we might expect from this forthcoming Xbox handheld. We’re talking enhanced battery life, improved performance, expanded storage, and a fresh design that sets it apart.
Asus chose to drop this teaser on March 31, 2025, at 2 pm EST, likely to avoid the chaos of April Fool’s Day. In an online environment where tech companies love to play pranks, they must’ve wanted to make clear this was no joke. Drawing parallels to their ROG Ally reveal on April Fools’ a couple of years back, this new Xbox console reality seems just as genuine.
Adding another layer of intrigue, the highly anticipated Switch 2 is slated for a big reveal on April 2 during Nintendo Direct. By jumping the gun with their teaser, Asus might be looking to grab some attention away from Nintendo—at least among the community of PC gamers and fans of handheld consoles. Nonetheless, die-hard Nintendo loyalists might remain unfazed.
While a new full-fledged Xbox console isn’t expected until around 2027, the idea of an ‘Xbox handheld’ sooner certainly sends a ripple of excitement through the gaming community. Our fingers are crossed that it will be capable of running Xbox games directly, rather than just being a Windows 11 device wrapped in an Xbox-themed exterior.
