CheckMag | New Microsoft Xbox gaming handheld details revealed before rumoured late 2025 release

An increasing number of companies have sought to capitalise on the popularity of the Steam Deck, even though Valve has shipped fewer than five million units in three years. Arguably, the most successful interlopers have been the Asus ROG Ally and the Lenovo Legion Go (curr. $549.99 - refurbished on Amazon), although their sales have not surpassed those of the Steam Deck.

Despite this limited success, Microsoft is now expected to deliver its first Xbox-branded gaming handheld later this year. To recap, various sources have suggested that Microsoft is working with Asus in the device's development, which Windows Central has now clarified is codenamed Project Kennan, not Project Keenan.

In a new report, the same website suggests that Xbox Project Kennan will cost at least $499 to $599 with an AMD Ryzen Z2 Go APU. As we discovered when reviewing the Legion Go S, the Ryzen Z2 Go offers a relatively limited gaming experience. In fact, the Ryzen Z2 Go provides significantly worse performance than the Ryzen Z1 Extreme, despite a two-year gap existing between the APUs.

Windows Central adds that there will be a second Xbox Project Kennan SKU. However, they are unsure whether this more expensive option will feature a more powerful chipset or merely more memory. Crucially, the website stresses that the device will be 'a proof of concept of sorts' with the following major caveat:

For those who were hoping Kennan would play Xbox games, I'm sorry to report that this is a tried-and-true Windows PC in essence, meaning that you cannot bring (most) of your Xbox library to the device.

In other words, Xbox Project Kennan is simply another Windows gaming handheld, just like the Legion Go, ROG Ally and others before it. Damningly, performance targets appear to be current-generation gaming handhelds or worse, rather than something with the power of a Strix Halo APU. Throw in Microsoft's extensive graveyard and propensity to be habitually late to the party, and we cannot see why Xbox Project Kennan would shift the dial in any meaningful way when it launches later this year.