First Xbox Handheld Allegedly Being Built By ASUS As Part Of A Bigger Play

New information has emerged about Microsoft's plans to partner with an OEM on an official Xbox handheld. Originally reported as being called Project Keenan, Tom Warren at The Verge says it's actually called Project Kennan, and that ASUS is the one Microsoft has partnered up with to build the device, which is part of a broader strategy to unify Windows and Xbox.

None of that would be particularly surprising. For one, we've been seeing Microsoft attempt to meld Windows and Xbox gaming, both on the software side and in terms of the hardware—the Xbox Series X|S is more PC-like than ever, and rumor has it that a next-generation Xbox console will be even more like a PC wrapped in a TV-friendly shell.

Secondly, ASUS is a major brand in the PC hardware space, and it's already released two versions of its own handheld, the ROG Ally and an improved ROG Ally X. We're particularly fond of the ROG Ally X and how it compares to other handhelds.

According to Warren, Microsoft's larger goal is to unify Windows and Xbox with a universal library of PC and Xbox games. He says the Xbox handheld being made by ASUS will run a version of Windows but with an interface that's more akin to the GUI on Xbox consoles.

The platform is codenamed Project Bayside and the idea is for there to be a common interface with Windows-based DNA across multiple gaming devices.

An obvious benefit of achieving that goal is to make it easier for developers to release titles on PC and console simultaneously, including both traditional consoles and handhelds. Sometimes that happens, sometimes it doesn't (we're looking at you, Rockstar Games).

Will it happen? We may find out in the coming months, as Warren says the Xbox handheld is "likely to debut later this year." He also caveats that there remains a lot of platform work to be done, so it's not necessarily a given that the handheld will release in 2025.