Rumours of an Xbox handheld have been circulating for a while, in part thanks to the success of handheld gaming consoles like the Steam Deck, Nintendo Switch, and the ASUS ROG Ally. Now, we are one step closer to an actual reveal after a small tease during an ASUS devices trailer.
The teaser is for the next iteration of the ASUS ROG Ally PC gaming handheld, which was first released nearly two years ago. What's on the horizon may not seem immediately apparent from just watching the trailer, but after a cheeky side-eye monkey meme on X from the official Xbox account in response, it's clear we can expect an announcement soon.
During the trailer, we see a funky dancing robot dive into a machine, when an Xbox-style controller and ASUS ROG Ally end up in a fusion machine together before the trailer ends, showing off the lights of the new console. It’s giving The Fly but hopefully with less body horror and more Master Chief.
Chasing the handheld dream
A handheld from Xbox has been on the company's to-do list for a while, with Xbox boss Phil Spencer stating in an interview with Bloomberg last year that it’s of interest to Microsoft, but that it would be a few years away. It seems this partnership, or Xbox-themed ROG Ally, will likely be a stepping stone before Microsoft can knock out a first-party alternative of its own.
Not much else is known at this point, but hopefully, with an announcement imminent, it will become clear if this machine will be the portable Xbox Game Pass machine fans are pining for and how it might integrate Cloud gaming services.
After the release of the Steam Deck, and the success it saw, plenty of other companies fancied some of the handheld pie with the ROG Ally being a notable contender. Thanks to the ROG Ally's Armory Crate OS that's simple to use, and how it easy it is to get Game Pass and other programmes installed, it's become a very popular third horse in the Switch / Steam Deck race -- another reason why a partnership with Xbox makes so much sense.
With the Nintendo Switch 2 in-depth reveal days away, more handheld consoles are flooding the market, and now this tease, all-but confirming that Xbox is entering the space in some capacity, handheld gaming has never been stronger.
- If you’re looking for more exciting handheld gaming news, check out all we know about the Nintendo Switch 2 leaks and the recently announced AYANEO Pocket for the retro gamers among us.
Images via ASUS
