Summary
Taiwanese tech giant ASUS started teasing what appears to be anXboxhandheld. The move even prompted a response fromXbox, sparking fan speculation about what all of this could mean.
Microsoft Gaming CEOPhil Spencer confirmed that an Xbox handheld console is in the worksin November 2024. The executive said that the device was at least a few years away at the time, not least because Microsoft was still in the process of prototyping it.
In the meantime, it would appear that ASUS might have a related project in the works. On March 31, the company’s Republic of Gamers Twitter account posted a brief video hinting at either an Xbox handheld or handheld-adjacent product. The 34-second video shows a cute robot taking an ASUS ROG Ally X console and theROG Raikiri Pro Xbox controller, then throwing them into a futuristic device that seemingly blends them together. The end result of the fusion isn’t shown in its entirety, but it’s implied to be another ASUS ROG Ally-like handheld, featuring a 16:9 display flanked by two LED-lit analog sticks in a diagonal Xbox gamepad layout.
ASUS’s New Xbox Handheld Teaser
The official Xbox Twitter account responded to the teaser by posting the so-called “awkward look monkey puppet” meme sans any text. Since this happened only three minutes after ASUS’s tweet—which didn’t include an @Xbox mention—went live, some fans seem convinced that the video and Microsoft’s response were a closely coordinated effort.
Xbox-Branded ASUS ROG Ally X Could Be Coming
As for what exactly is being teased here, an Xbox-branded ROG Ally X would be one of the more straightforward explanations. As Microsoft’s cloud gaming push continues, the company’s looking to intensify its efforts to promote portable gaming products, and licensing its brand to third parties is a cost-effective way to do so. Examples of this strategy include therecently launched Backbone One Xbox Edition smartphone controller, as well as the Razer Kishi V2 Xbox Edition gamepad. An Xbox-branded ASUS handheld would align with this collaborative approach to portable gaming gadgets.
Although the newly teased product is more likely to be a reskinned ROG Ally X than an entirely new handheld, that doesn’t mean ASUS and Microsoft might not have further plans on this front. In a now-deleted tweet from late May 2024, long-time Microsoft insider Jez Corden reported that thenext-gen Xbox console will be positioned as a reference device for OEMs. Since Microsoft’s upcoming generation may include a portable device, the company could be actively looking to incentivize third parties to create their own Xbox-branded hardware—such as handhelds.
