If Microsoft and ASUS Can Really Make ‘Project Kennan’ a Reality, This Could Be the Future of Portable Gaming

It seems like ever since the release of the Nintendo Switch, the future is going the portable route. And honestly, as much as I’m looking forward to seeing what the next generation of consoles will look like? Give me something that can keep up with, I don’t know, the Xbox Series S for a competitive price? Then you’ll be convincing me that the next generation is on the horizon. And if what reputable leakers and reporters are saying is true, that leap may be here sooner than we expect. Especially if ASUS and Microsoft are truly cooking up something behind the scenes. ‘Project Kennan’ sounds like a promising step in the right direction.

I Guess microsoft’s ‘This Is an Xbox’ Ads Are Finally Starting To Make More Sense, Huh?

Late last year, Xbox and Microsoft began to pivot their marketing department, stating that “Everything Is An Xbox.” In the online hype culture we’ve slowly cultivated over the years, this was an immediate death sentence for the brand. They could never recover from something like this. But with news of a next-generation console, alongside burgeoning news about a possible handheld, it doesn’t seem like Microsoft and the Xbox brand are going anywhere yet.

Originally reported on by WindowsCentral.com, with further reports by TheVerge.com, it appears that we’re going to be getting some form of ASUS x Microsoft/Xbox branded handheld before the end of the year. With a rumored price point of roughly $499.99, this could be a monumental shift in the portable scene. Seeing as ASUS is still the king of the handheld scene, with the ASUS ROG Ally X being one of the most powerful portable PCs on the market, it’ll be interesting to see what kind of cuts would need to be made here to reach that price point.

According to both of these reports, it doesn’t appear that Project Kennan is going to be the oft-rumored ROG Ally 2. Rather, it will be a dedicated “Xbox-like” device. This means we would see a Guide Button, alongside more conventional Xbox-themed colors in the design and layout. Launching something like this could be a great way to get more folks into Game Pass, and the continuously-growing Xbox Play Anywhere system, too. Make Project Kennan the right price, and portability may be the way forward for Microsoft and its Xbox brand. Now, let me play all of my currently owned software, and I’ll be good to go.