“Project Kennan,” a new Xbox-branded handheld that is being manufactured by ASUS and developed as part of a larger effort by Microsoft for combining “the best of Xbox and Windows together,” will likely be released this year, sources say.
From a report, which points out how the device will, of course, run Windows but feature an interface that Xbox users should feel right at home with:
I’m told that Kennan is the codename for a handheld that is being manufactured by Asus, and it’s part of a larger effort from Microsoft to unify Windows and Xbox towards a universal library of Xbox and PC games.
The device itself will be powered by Windows underneath but with an interface that more closely resembles what you’d find on an Xbox. I wouldn’t be surprised if Microsoft has some kind of certified hardware program here, so that only approved third-party devices can run “the best of Xbox and Windows.”
The report goes on to mention “Project Bayside,” the codename that all of this new platform work is being developed under, as well as something else that Microsoft is doing to improve parity between the Xbox and Windows platforms:
Microsoft is also working on combining Windows and Xbox in a way where there’s a single store of games and an easier path for game developers to build titles that span across handhelds, console-like hardware, and PC gaming rigs. The big question is whether all of these platform changes will unlock the ability to play Xbox games on these new handheld gaming PCs.