Xbox Handheld: Asus Team-Up Rumored for 2025 Release!

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Summary

  • Xbox is reportedly working with Asus on its handheld gaming console.
  • While a new report claims that the console could be released by the end of 2025, many are skeptical, with some stating that 2027 is a more accurate prediction.
  • Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer confirmed that an Xbox handheld was in development last year.

It is said that the upcoming portable gaming console from Xbox is speculated to be developed in collaboration with Asus. The manufacturer of the ROG Ally handheld gaming device might be teaming up with Microsoft’s Xbox division to bring this supposed device to gamers, but there are conflicting reports about when it may become available for players.

In November 2024, Phil Spencer, head of Microsoft Gaming, confirmed long-standing speculations about the production of an Xbox portable device. Initial reports from that period hinted at a prototype in development and suggested that Spencer was not only thinking about creating the handheld console but also strategizing on how Xbox could thrive in a competitive handheld gaming market that is currently saturated.

Recently, fresh details on Xbox’s upcoming portable gaming device have surfaced. It appears that Microsoft is partnering with an unidentified manufacturer to develop this product. According to Tom Warren from The Verge, there’s speculation that Asus might be the manufacturing partner and both companies aim to release the console into gamers’ hands by the end of 2025. However, Warren has expressed some uncertainty about the exact release date, as it hasn’t been confirmed officially yet. Other sources suggest that the launch could be delayed until 2027, coinciding with the arrival of Xbox’s next-gen console on the market.

Xbox Handheld Will Be Made in Part by Asus

As a gamer, I’m thrilled about the upcoming partnership between us (the gaming community) and Asus. This collaboration aims to merge the Windows and Xbox worlds, which is something both companies have been striving for. The project, code-named “Project Kennan,” is being developed while another project, referred to as “Project Bayside,” handles the platforming work. Together, these projects are expected to create a unified user interface and experience that will give us access to an even larger library of games on our PCs, handheld devices, and traditional consoles.

Although Spencer’s claims suggest that Xbox is working on a strategy for the market feasibility of its upcoming portable console, it encounters stiff competition, even with Asus backing. A recent report on Steam Deck sales, published in late February, indicates that it has been leading the current handheld gaming PC market, selling between 3.7 and 4 million units from 2022 to 2024. If we consider the higher estimate, this is nearly double the total sales of all other handheld gaming PCs during the same period, including the Asus ROG Ally. However, it’s important to note that the PlayStation Vita outperformed the Steam Deck in terms of sales over a three-year span since its global release in 2012, with about three times more units sold. This suggests that a well-known console brand might hold an advantage in the portable gaming device market.

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2025-03-12 22:54