Rumors about Microsoft’s plans to release its own portable Xbox gaming console have been circulating for a long time. This week, the media reported that the software giant would enter the portable gaming console market this year, but the device would be created by one of the company’s partners. Now, journalists from The Verge have found out that a device under the Xbox brand could be released by Asus, which already occupies a significant share of the portable console market.
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Microsoft has previously been reported to be working with an unnamed hardware maker to create a portable console as part of Project Keenan. According to the source, the company’s plans for the Xbox platform this year and beyond are tied to one goal: bringing Xbox and Windows together. Microsoft’s vice president of gaming devices and the Xbox ecosystem, Jason Ronald, spoke about this earlier this year, saying the company would bring together “the best of Xbox and Windows” and that the first steps in that direction would be visible as early as 2025.
The Verge has learned that Microsoft is working on an Xbox portable device, but it’s called Project Kennan, not Keenan. According to the source, Kennan is the codename for an upcoming Asus portable gaming console, and it’s part of a larger effort by Microsoft to combine Windows and Xbox into one universal platform for games across consoles and PCs. Asus is believed to be one of Microsoft’s partners, with the Taiwanese company’s Xbox-branded portable set to debut later this year. Since development of the device and the combined platform is still ongoing, the console’s launch date could change.
As for the device itself, it will run Windows, but with a redesigned interface that will be more similar to what you would see when using an Xbox. It is possible that Microsoft has some sort of hardware certification program in place, whereby only approved third-party devices will be able to run this version of the software platform.
Some of the work on this platform is being done as part of Project Bayside, which is part of the Xbox UX framework that aims to provide a common Xbox user experience across devices to help unify Windows and Xbox. Together, Kennan and Bayside are part of the work that Jason Ronald hinted at when he talked about plans to unify Xbox and Windows. It will also create a single game store and make it easier to develop new games that are available on handheld and desktop consoles, as well as PCs.
According to media reports, Microsoft is also working on next-generation desktop consoles, tentatively scheduled for release in 2027. It is safe to assume that the next Xbox console will be more like a PC, so the Kennan and Bayside projects will likely provide an early glimpse of what the next Xbox console will look like in terms of software. Microsoft is currently struggling to compete with Sony in the gaming console segment. If the next Xbox console is more like a PC, then Microsoft will likely be able to compete much more aggressively.