Whispers about a potential Xbox handheld have been circulating for quite some time, and recent actions by Asus have added more fuel to the fire. Their latest teaser, posted on what was once known as Twitter (now simply X), has everyone talking.
In this brief clip, an animated robot busily upgrades itself via a terminal. Just as things are about to get interesting, a gadget resembling the ROG Ally X gaming console and an ROG Raikiri Pro controller crash into the scene. When the dust finally settles, to everyone’s surprise, the robot has transformed into a gaming console. This console bears a strong resemblance to Asus’s top-tier handheld devices currently on the market.
The excitement didn’t end there. The official Xbox account chimed in with a winking response, feigning innocence but hinting at something bigger. While there hasn’t been any official announcement yet, Microsoft’s playful response seems to nod toward a partnership with Asus under the codename Project Kennan—a project aimed at seamlessly bridging Xbox and Windows into a unified gaming platform.
Although details from both sides are scarce, the teaser hints at an exciting lineup of features for this new Xbox handheld. Gamers can anticipate longer battery life, enhanced performance, and expanded storage capacity, not to mention a sleek new design.
Asus strategically released the teaser on March 31, 2025, at 2 pm EST, perhaps to ensure it wouldn’t be dismissed as just another April Fool’s joke amidst a sea of tech surprises. But, reflecting on their previous April 1 ROG Ally reveal years back, it’s safe to say this new Xbox console is likely the real deal.
In a curious twist, this reveal comes just a day before Nintendo is expected to showcase the highly anticipated Switch 2 during their Nintendo Direct event on April 2. Could Asus’s timing be a calculated move to steal some of Nintendo’s thunder? While the teaser didn’t spill too many beans, it surely captured the attention of the PC and handheld gaming communities, though die-hard Nintendo fans might remain unmoved.
Looking ahead, we don’t expect another major Xbox console release until 2027, but the possibility of an Xbox handheld entering the market is thrilling. Yet, our fingers are crossed that this device will run Xbox games natively rather than just being a simple Windows 11 device cloaked in Xbox branding.
