ASUS Teases Xbox Handheld Device

Gaming hardware company ASUS has unveiled a tantalizing glimpse of what could be the rumored Xbox-branded handheld device.

The ASUS Republic of Gamers X/Twitter account shared a teaser featuring its "little robot friend cooking something up," offering a brief look at both a Republic of Gamers (ROG) Xbox controller and a handheld system.

Last month, IGN reported on Microsoft’s ambitious video game hardware plans, which reportedly include a full next-gen Xbox slated for 2027 and an Xbox-branded gaming handheld that may launch later in 2025.

That's not our only clue, either. The handheld showcased in ASUS's teaser clearly displays buttons configured for Xbox (Y, B, A, and X, instead of PlayStation's triangle, circle, cross, and square, or Nintendo's X, A, B, and Y). It also features a D-pad, two thumbsticks, and four smaller additional buttons, although these are somewhat difficult to see clearly.

Perhaps most intriguingly, the official Xbox account acknowledged the tweet with a cheeky wide-eyed gif, hinting that a big reveal might be on the horizon.

pic.twitter.com/ONZpeEmNka

— Xbox (@Xbox) March 31, 2025

Unfortunately, that's all we have for now. There's no date set for the reveal, nor a concrete launch window, but the monitor the little robot is working on lists "Marathon stamina, more capacity, faster speeds" and "fresh look!" These details give 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 intends to integrate Xbox and Windows experiences for PC gaming handhelds produced by original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), known as third-party hardware manufacturers. Existing PC gaming OEMs include ASUS, Lenovo, and Razer.

Xbox Games Series Tier List

While this Xbox-branded gaming handheld isn't a Microsoft-made console, the company is reportedly set to launch its own in 2027, potentially alongside its next-gen Xbox. Microsoft gaming boss Phil Spencer recently hinted that a first-party Xbox handheld is still years away.

Speaking of which, the successor to the Xbox Series X is now allegedly "fully" in production and due out in two years, aligning 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 about 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 eager to learn more about what features the Switch 2 brings to the table, its release date, and how pre-orders will be managed.