Microsoft fuels Xbox handheld speculation with official UI changes after leaks
ASUS and Xbox are getting cosy if recent leaks are to be believed, and it seems that Microsoft is making some changes to its UI to accomodate for a potential collaboration between the two companies.
A new plunge into the world of handheld gaming looks to be on the way courtesy of Xbox, as leaks indicate that the company has potentially collaborated with ASUS to bring its UI and library to players on the go.
If there's one thing that Xbox has tried to make incredibly clear recently, it's that this is an Xbox. Whatever device you're using to read this right now, it can play Xbox titles and games on Xbox Game Pass via its own hardware or through the cloud (providing you're not watching this on a Smart Fridge – if you are, more power to you). It's a concept that works nicely for casual players, but in the long run, there are concerns that it will devalue Xbox consoles at large.
Right now, the Xbox Series X stands as the most powerful non-pro console of the generation (even after the major Xbox price hikes made it a lot harder to justify), and with a few demanding games like Doom: The Dark Ages on the way, it's though that it'll need it, but as you'll be able to play it on mobile via the cloud, it seems a little redundant to invest in the real hardware.
That doesn't mean that the company will stop plugging away at its own devices, though, and after years of rumours that Microsoft 's gaming division would step into the world of handhelds, it looks like we're receiving our first leaked evidence that it's actually happening.
That is an Xbox (but this is more Xbox)
A new leak has revealed a fresh look at what is claimed to be a new handheld, standing as a collaboration between ASUS and Xbox in a bid to get the gaming company on the handheld market. The United States FCC has shared a listing (via Videocardz) that reportedly reveals a new look at a model of the ASUS ROG Ally 2, one white and one black, with the black version of the console seeming to have a lot more high-end parts than its sibling – but what's most curious is that the left-most button on top of the face of the handheld appears to bear an Xbox logo.
It's unclear if this is just a promotional push for ASUS or a real, integrated collaboration between the companies, but a new update to Xbox software could tell us more. Journalist Tom Warren has revealed in a Tweet that the Xbox app on Windows has added new features to its home screen – a battery level, a WiFi indicator and a clock.
It seems too much of a coincidence for this to happen at the same time as the leak of a new handheld for the two not to be connected – after all, it'd be a little strange for players to have the Xbox app open full-screen on a desktop with no access to this information from Windows' UI. This does seem to indicate that Xbox is cooking something for its Windows access.
None of this is for certain until Xbox makes a big announcement about the future of its handhelds, but in the meantime, this is a pretty exciting tease of what could be to come. The massive success of the Steam Deck and the systems chasing its hype have clearly made an impact on the big dogs, and Xbox seems prepared to make the leap. Perhaps a new era of gaming is on the way.
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