Speculation about an Xbox handheld device has been gathering momentum, and Asus added fuel to the fire with a sneak peek on its X account, which used to be Twitter. The teaser features an animated robot tweaking itself at a terminal. Just as it’s about to initiate these changes, a device resembling both the ROG Ally X gaming console and the ROG Raikiri Pro controller lands beside it. Once the dust settles, the robot morphs into something akin to Asus’s existing high-end handheld gaming console.
Adding to the buzz, Xbox’s official account chimed in with a cryptic side-eye meme. Although neither company has officially confirmed any details, Microsoft’s cheeky response hints at Project Kennan—a handheld gaming device in the works with Asus that aims to blend Xbox and Windows gaming into one seamless platform. The teaser video hints at features we might see, such as increased battery life, enhanced performance, and more storage, all wrapped up in a fresh design.
Asus cleverly dropped the video on March 31, 2025, at 2 pm EST, likely to steer clear of the typical pranks people expect on April Fool’s Day. Drawing parallels to the April 1 ROG Ally reveal from two years back, this new Xbox console feels quite genuine.
What makes the timing even more intriguing is that Switch 2 is expected to be announced at Nintendo Direct on April 2. Asus’s announcement might be strategically placed to draw some attention away from Nintendo. Even though the teaser is light on details, it has certainly piqued the interest of both PC gamers and handheld fans, although it might not sway the die-hard Nintendo followers.
While we don’t anticipate a new Xbox console until 2027, the launch of an Xbox handheld would certainly be a welcome addition to the gaming world. The hope is that it will be capable of running Xbox games directly, rather than simply being a Windows 11 device with some Xbox branding.
