Gaming hardware company ASUS has pulled back the curtain at what may be the reported Xbox-branded handheld device.
The ASUS Republic of Gamers X/Twitter account shared a teaser showing its “little robot friend cooking something up,” offering a brief glimpse at both a Republic of Gamers (ROG) Xbox controller and handheld system.
Last month, IGN reported on Microsoft’s video game hardware ambition, which allegedly includes a full next-gen Xbox for 2027 and an Xbox-branded gaming handheld that may launch later in 2025.
That’s not our only clue, either. The handheld shown in ASUS’s teaser clearly shows off buttons configured for Xbox (Y, B, A, and X, rather than PlayStation’s triangle, circle, cross, and square, or Nintendo’s X, A, B, and Y). There’s also a D-pad, two thumbsticks, and four smaller additional buttons, although it’s pretty hard to make those out clearly.
Perhaps most interestingly of all, though, the official Xbox account acknowledged the tweet with a cheeky wide-eyed gif, suggesting this is all setting up a reveal.
— Xbox (@Xbox) March 31, 2025
Unfortunately, that’s all we have. There’s no date on the reveal yet, let alone a concrete launch window, but the monitor the little robot is working on states “Marathon stamina, more capacity, faster speeds” and “fresh look!” giving us an idea of what the handheld’s unique selling points may be.
In January, Jason Ronald, Microsoft’s VP of ‘Next Generation,’ told The Verge that the company plans to combine Xbox and Windows experiences together for PC gaming handhelds made by original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), otherwise known as third-party hardware manufacturers. Existing PC gaming OEMs include ASUS, Lenovo, and Razer.
Xbox Games Series Tier List
Xbox Games Series Tier List
While this Xbox-branded gaming handheld is not a Microsoft-made console, the company is reportedly planning to finally launch one of its own in 2027, potentially alongside its next-gen Xbox. Microsoft gaming boss Phil Spencer recently indicated a first-party Xbox handheld is years away.
Speaking of which, the successor to the Xbox Series X is now allegedly “fully” in production and due out in two years, tying in with Xbox president Sarah Bond’s recent comments that Microsoft was “moving full speed ahead on our next generation hardware, focused on delivering the biggest technological leap ever in a generation.”
For some time now, there’s been much speculation around the future of consoles, with Netflix’s President of Games, Alain Tascan, recently stating that he expects a future generation that relies less on gaming consoles despite major players like Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo pushing forward with new hardware. The latter’s highly anticipated Switch 2 device will be showcased in a Nintendo Direct on April 2, with many fans expecting to hear more about what features the Switch 2 brings to the table, its release date, and how pre-orders will be managed.
Vikki Blake is a reporter, critic, columnist, and consultant. She’s also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.
