After Seeing The Xbox Handheld, I'm Don't Think The Switch 2 Needs To Worry

It feels like the Nintendo Switch 2 could be the reigning champion when it comes to handheld gaming devices, much like its predecessor. The Switch reigned for its entire lifetime, selling over 150 million units before its eighth birthday and proving that, despite lacking the impressive power and hardware of its console rivals, it could still offer engaging experiences. Naturally, there were some competitors in the handheld gaming market, but few stood out, and those that did barely sold enough to be considered a true Switch rival.

Of course, with rumors of an Xbox handheld circulating online, many began to wonder if Nintendo’s reign was over. After all, a more powerful handheld backed by the seemingly bountiful pockets of Xbox would absolutely have a chance of storming the handheld gaming market and stealing Nintendo’s crown. Unfortunately, it no longer seems like that’s the case, as the new Xbox handheld allegedly leaked online, and its appearance and specs simply don’t hold a candle to what Nintendo is offering.

The New Xbox Handheld Doesn’t Look Great

It Looks Like A Clunky ROG Ally

Recently, images of the alleged Xbox handheld leaked online, showcasing what is ostensibly a ROG Ally with controller-like grips on either side. The indicator that it could be the very first Xbox handheld comes in the form of a button on the left-hand side with a distinctive X on it. While these images have yet to be officially confirmed – they won’t be in any real capacity until the console itself is officially announced – they do look genuine.

It has been rumored for a while now that Xbox is developing a PC handheld akin to the ROG Ally or Lenovo Legion GO in addition to a console-based handheld that better resembles the Nintendo Switch, although the latter Xbox handheld won’t release soon, at least, according to Phil Spencer. The Verge reported that ASUS was working in collaboration with Xbox to create its handheld, which is what gives these leaked images some validity.

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These images don’t show a particularly heavily-branded Xbox device, but rather just look like the original ROG Ally, and that’s somewhat of a shame. Of course, they’re likely going to be branded as the ROG Ally 2 but with better Game Pass or Xbox-focused features integration. However, especially when compared to the Switch 2 or even the original Ally, this alleged design is extremely disappointing, and, worse still, doesn’t look comfortable to hold.

The inclusion of the controller-like grips on either side looks clumsy at best, like a fake off-brand device that plays bootleg ROMs. Beyond that change, the rest of the console looks identical to the original ROG Ally, which makes sense considering how good it looks, but is still, nevertheless, a tad disappointing. Of course, most importantly, the alleged spec upgrades for this potential Xbox handheld aren’t that impressive.

Xbox’s New Handheld Won’t Compete With The Switch 2

It Isn’t Powerful Enough

The Nintendo Switch in handheld mode with a gray background.

There were two models in the leaked images, one which was black which had the X symbol on the left-hand side button, and a white model which didn’t feature the X symbol. Alongside the leaked images, a handful of hardware details were also revealed, including the fact that the black model, rumored to be the more powerful one, sports a 120Hz LCD, 7-inch display, with an 8-core, 36W AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme CPU.

The AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme seems to be relatively similar to the AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme, except that it gives a massive boost to battery life, ensuring that high-end games play at the same fidelity and framerates without draining the handheld’s battery immediately. AMD has said that it could increase battery life by 300%, according to Windows Central, which is a significant improvement.

However, it doesn’t seem like it’ll do much to improve the types of games people can play on it. The ROG Ally can currently run most modern AAA games with a lot of sacrifices, but is better suited for older AAA titles or indies. Comparatively, Nintendo’s new hardware is a significant leap from its predecessor, with the likes of Cyberpunk 2077 launching on day one and Square Enix committing to porting the entire FF7 trilogy to Switch 2.

If the ROG Ally 2, or whatever Xbox’s new handheld is called, ends up being significantly more expensive than the current ROG Ally or Switch 2, then it will be at a significant competitive disadvantage. Any game ported to the Switch 2 will need to run on the console, meaning it’ll have a dedicated port. The same isn’t true of PC handhelds, so they’re often not as well-optimized. Simply put, the Xbox handheld feels pointless, especially in the face of its direct competition.

I Don’t See The Point In Xbox’s New Handheld

It Doesn’t Offer Much Beyond What’s Already Available

Someone holding an Xbox handheld with green clouds in the background. — Custom Image by: Katarina Cimbaljevic

I personally own a ROG Ally, and I love it for so many reasons. It’s great being able to work at my desk and then unplug my PC from its dock, jump on the couch, and start playing games immediately. The ROG Ally has a lot of advantages over the Nintendo Switch 2, but its biggest weakness is that games aren’t designed for it. As aforementioned, while I can play any game on the ROG Ally, that doesn’t mean the ROG Ally can play every game.

The strength of a console-based handheld is that games, at least in theory, have to work straight out of the box. That’s what made the Nintendo Switch such an appealing prospect, and the same can be said of its successor. A completely console-based Xbox handheld with its own dedicated games and cartridges does make sense, but, as explained earlier, we’re not likely to see that for several more years.

The Top Corner Of A Black Xbox Series X Console With Green And White Sparks On A Black Background

Xbox’s Confirmed Handheld Console Is Just Too Late

Xbox has a handheld gaming device in the works, but it’s unclear release window is already a reason to believe it won’t be competitive.

The ROG Ally Xbox handheld that is in these leaked images, if real, doesn’t seem like a powerful enough upgrade from the first ROG Ally, and I struggle to see how better Xbox integration would benefit the device. The original ROG Ally can access Game Pass without any issues, unlike the Steam Deck, and even has its own in-built UI which makes it feel more like a console. That seems like a better deal than whatever this pseudo-Xbox handheld ends up being.

When Xbox launches its own in-house handheld console, and PlayStation’s rumored handheld device that will allegedly be able to play PS5 games is also released, then I believe the Switch 2 will have a direct competitor. However, just like how, in this past generation, PC handhelds could never match the Nintendo Switch’s sales, I highly doubt even current ROG Ally owners will flock to the new Xbox handheld, even if they are diehard Xbox fans.

Source: The Verge, Windows Central