Xbox's first official handheld revealed in major image leak, and it's not what we expected

Microsoft's plans for its own gaming handheld is common knowledge these days. An Xbox employee openly talked about the prospect during CES earlier this year, while leaks of a "Project Kennan" device have persisted for months.

The company itself even posted a marketing image of what looked like a new Xbox experience running on a handheld before pulling it down again.

Now it seems we have the most concrete evidence of all, as an FCC filing has been spotted that contains an alleged photo of the console.

The Federal Communications Commission is the US body that certifies the wireless tech inside electronics for use in the United States. All products need to be filed with the commission before being released in the country.

Its filings often yield pre-release information on devices, such as smartphones and wireless headphones, although some manage to remain confidential and secret. That doesn't seem to be the case here.

Xbox handheld photos

A post for what's thought to be the Asus ROG Ally 2 was spotted on the FCC site by several sources. That included X user @94G8LA who posted screengrabs and images of their findings.

As well as a white version of the ROG Ally 2, the images show a black variant with the model identifier RC73XA. The X in the name is being seen an indication that it's an Xbox-centric model.

A further clue is that there's an unmistakable Xbox button shown on the top left-hand side of the device. As this is likely to be a prototype for testing, this could be more clear on the final model.

The ROG Ally 2 looks to be nigh-on identical save for the colour and Xbox button, with a shift towards more ergonomic handgrips this time (over the first Asus ROG Ally). This is not quite what we expected when we first learned Asus was to be the manufacturer for Xbox's initial effort.

It also seems to be a touch slimmer and arguably more comfortable than its predecessor.

Other details revealed in the "leak" include the screen size and display tech. It will reportedly be a 7-inch LCD running with a 120Hz refresh rate. There will also be Wi-Fi 6E on board, it seems, along with Bluetooth and an M.2 SSD, although the capacity doesn't seem to be listed.

What's perhaps more exciting is that an FCC filing also usually indicates that an official announcement is creeping ever closer. And with Microsoft traditionally hosting its major summer showcase event in June, we'd put serious money on the Xbox "Project Kennan" handheld being formally announced at that time.

We'll keep you informed in the build up.