Microsoft working with Asus on Xbox-branded PC handheld: report

Microsoft has partnered with Asus to develop an Xbox-branded handheld gaming PC, according to The Verge.

The publication was responding to a Windows Central report from earlier this week stating that Microsoft was planning to release a Steam Deck-esque device with Xbox functionality later this year. At the time, Windows Central simply said this system, codenamed “Keenan,” would be in partnership with a yet-to-be-revealed original equipment manufacturer (OEM). Now, The Verge says this OEM is actually Asus, which already has its own ROG Ally handheld gaming PC.

Notably, The Verge largely corroborated Windows Central‘s report, including that this handheld would be powered by Windows and feature an Xbox-inspired interface. That said, The Verge reported that the device is actually codenamed “Kennan,” not “Keenan.”

Beyond that, The Verge story aimed to shed light on Microsoft’s broader plans for handheld gaming PCs. According to the publication, Kennan is “part of a larger effort from Microsoft to unify Windows and Xbox towards a universal library of Xbox and PC games.” Asus, The Verge reports, is simply “one” of the launch partners for this broader initiative, suggesting that other OEMs are working on their own Xbox-branded handhelds.

Unifying all of these devices, The Verge says, would be “Project Bayside,” part of an Xbox UX framework to ensure a common Xbox interface across multiple devices. This would align with what Microsoft told The Verge earlier this year about wanting to bring together “the best of Xbox and Windows” onto a single handheld gaming PC. At the time, Microsoft teased that it would have “a lot more to share later this year” about these plans, which we now can assume would include Asus’ Project Kennan. The Verge notes that Microsoft is responding to Valve now, allowing companies like Lenovo to use Steam on their handhelds, incentivizing the Windows maker to make a bigger push for its own OS in this space.

That said, The Verge stresses that “a lot” of the platform work for all of this is still underway, meaning there’s a possibility that Kennan doesn’t make it this year. The outlet adds that Microsoft is also working on a single games store for Windows and Xbox, as well as an easier process for developers to build titles that span handhelds, consoles and PCs. While all new Xbox first-party games come to both Xbox and PC, many of the company’s older titles are only available on consoles via backwards compatibility. The Verge speculates that Microsoft’s recently established preservation and backwards compatibility team is working on a way to make these older games playable on PC, especially to fuel its gaming handheld plans.

It should be noted that none of this is directly related to the proprietary Xbox handheld that Microsoft has confirmed it’s working on. Windows Central suggested that wouldn’t come until 2027, and The Verge simply reiterated Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer’s warnings from November that it’s a ways off. Windows Central also said Microsoft is targeting 2027 for its successor to the Xbox Series X/S, although The Verge didn’t provide any further comment.

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Source: The Verge