The First Xbox Handheld Has Leaked And It’s Not What You’d Expect
A new challenger appears.
Microsoft has long been rumored to be working on a handheld PC to compete with the likes of the Steam Deck, and new photos appear to show what it could look like. Rather than a new handheld made by Microsoft, leaked photos purportedly show an Xbox-branded device made by Asus. Another handheld, this one a brand-new device made by Microsoft, is reported to still be in the works, but not slated for release for at least two years.
The leaked photos come from the Federal Communications Commission, where the new device was registered. They were posted by Videocardz after Indonesian outlet 91mobiles discovered filings for the new handheld in both Indonesia and the United States.
The FCC listing included weirdly smudgy photos of both ROG Ally 2 models.
Microsoft previously teased a collaboration with hardware manufacturer Asus, but what’s been revealed here is the form that collaboration is taking. The handheld in question is actually an Xbox-branded version of the Asus ROG Ally 2, the successor to an already popular handheld PC. The Xbox version, previously reported under the name Project Kennan, looks almost exactly like the also-leaked standard version of the ROG Ally 2, but with two differences. Project Kennan is black, as opposed to the white shell of the standard model, and it features a button with the Xbox logo above the d-pad.
It’s not clear what that Xbox button does, but it’s likely a shortcut to the Xbox app, where players can launch the PC version of Game Pass and make purchases on Microsoft’s digital storefront. The Xbox version of the ROG Ally 2 also appears to be significantly more powerful than the standard edition, with an eight-core Ryzen Z2 Extreme CPU replacing the other model’s four-core AMD Aerith Plus. The leaked listing also shows that both devices have a seven-inch LCD display.
The Aerith Plus processor is the next generation of the Steam Deck chip, meaning the Xbox version of the handheld could be a major step up from Valve’s handheld PC. It’s also likely to be considerably more expensive, like certain models of the original ROG Ally and its updated ROG Ally X. Microsoft recently announced that it’s increasing the price of Xbox consoles and prices, along with other hardware, but it’s not clear how the price of the new handheld will compare.
The new Xbox-branded ROG Ally will face stiff competition from the Switch 2 and Steam Deck.
A new handheld made by Microsoft is reportedly in the works as well, according to Windows Central. That handheld is purportedly a handheld version of the Xbox, meaning it can play the entire console’s library, rather than just the titles already available on PC through Game Pass. That handheld isn’t expected to be revealed until 2027.
The Xbox-branded ROG Ally could be shown off very soon, though. Microsoft is holding its Build 2025 showcase on May 19, where it will announce new products across its PC and gaming divisions. Tech expo Computex begins the next day, and either of those events could be a fitting place to share details on the upcoming handheld.
Handheld PCs were a niche idea just a few years ago, but the launch of popular devices like the Steam Deck and ROG Ally has made them a major player in gaming. Something of a middle ground between traditional PCs and consoles, these handhelds have been a boon for the likes of Valve, which previously didn’t have a device built entirely around its own store. With handheld PCs now taking off, and the Switch normalizing handhelds generally, Microsoft seems to be taking aim at the Steam Deck. It could be a tough sell, though, as its own handheld is likely to be one of the most expensive on the market, and plenty of players are either hoping to get a Switch 2 at launch or already have one preordered.
