Rumours about an Xbox handheld aren’t exactly new and have been around for years. Windows Central’s Jez Corden just added a new twist to the story with his latest exclusive. The handheld, code-named “Keenan” will launch later this year. But, Microsoft won’t be the one manufacturing it.
Apparently, the hardware will be developed by an established player like Asus/Lenovo/MSI. Microsoft will help develop a streamlined version of Windows 11 without the bloatware. Plus, there will be a dedicated Xbox button that’ll let you fine-tune parameters like fan speed, TDP, refresh rate, etc. Essentially, it is just a streamlined version of a regular handheld with software optimizations from Microsoft and, of course, an endorsement as it being an Xbox-approved accessory.
The largest mystery, however, will be what chip it uses under the hood. Strictly speaking, Microsoft has the pick between AMD’s Ryzen Z2 Go, Ryzen Z2, Ryzen Z2 Extreme and Intel’s Lunar Lake/Arrow Lake-H offerings. Jez opines it could be the stock Z2 in an X post, but that isn’t set in stone yet. Either way, it won’t be breaking any records in raw performance, more so if it sticks with the supposed Hawk Point-based Ryzen Z2.
Jez also speaks of Microsoft’s proper next-gen console that will succeed the Xbox Series X. That will arrive alongside Xbox’s first proper handheld developed from the ground up sometime in 2027. The former is said to use a mix of AMD Zen 5 CPU and UDNA 1 (FKA RDNA 5) GPU. There have been talks about 3D V-Cache, too, but that might be exclusive to Sony’s PlayStation 6.
I’ve been an avid PC gamer since the age of 8. My passion for gaming eventually pushed me towards general tech, and I got my first writing gig at the age of 19. I have a degree in mechanical engineering and have worked in the manufacturing industry and a few other publications like Wccftech before joining Notebookcheck in November 2019. I cover a variety of topics including smartphones, gaming, and computer hardware.
