Asus reported to be Microsoft’s partner for Xbox gaming handheld device

A few days back, reports regarding Microsoft’s upcoming handheld gaming device in partnership with a third party surfaced. More details have now been revealed regarding “Project Kennan”, including the partner, which is revealed to be ASUS, the creators behind ROG Ally. Asus was among the speculated partners, alongside Lenovo and MSI.

At its core, Project Kennan is reported to be the same as any other handheld gaming device like the ROG Ally, as per Windows Central, which initially broke the story. It was previously mentioned that the device isn’t a full-fledged first-party console, but the speculations took off rapidly.

The look and feel of the handheld will certainly be a mix of an Xbox/ROG device, but it will run on Windows. The Windows integration, as Microsoft promised, will be much more friendly towards gaming. Perhaps gamers will get to see the first iteration of the Windows/Xbox hybrid OS combination in action.

Pricing and release window for Microsoft/Asus’ Project Kennan

Another thing that everyone may be wondering about is the pricing for Project Kennan, however, the most recent changes to the import taxes by the US government towards Mexico, China, and Canada will affect the pricing moving forward, at least in the US. There are a lot of speculations regarding the pricing, but the most common one is $500 to $600 to compete among other handhelds, especially with Nintendo Switch 2 on the horizon.

The handheld will reportedly launch this year, and while there aren’t any solid release dates, one can expect to see it land in mid-2025. This is because Nintendo is set to introduce Switch 2 next month, with the release expected a month or two later. Microsoft will likely avoid the behemoth, shifting the launch to around September. Do note that these are simply speculations.

Also Read: Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella opens up on usage of AI in future Xbox games

New Xbox console will land in 2027

The upcoming handheld most likely seems to be a type of prototype for what they plan to do next. Microsoft has previously mentioned combining Xbox and Windows to make something new, and Project Kennan may be the start of it.

The report further states that Microsoft will also be focusing on a new console, most likely its handheld device, which will come out sometime in 2027. Xbox head Phil Spencer previously stated that they are looking into handhelds, but it’ll be a long time before fans see one so a 2027 release or reveal does make sense.