Leaked pics of a supposed Asus ROG Ally 2 show an Xbox-branded handheld gaming PC that is very peculiar to behold

We first heard about the possibility of an Xbox-branded handheld just a couple of months ago, and now we seem to have our first glimpses at this 'Project Kennan' device, which looks to be a version of a presumably upcoming Asus ROG Ally 2.

There have been a few ROG Ally 2 things spotted, most prominently an Indonesian DSPPI Postel certification (via 91 mobiles), a Korean RRA certification (via IT Home), and pictures shared by X user 94G8LA (via VideoCardz) supposedly leaked from an FCC certification to do with Wi-Fi modules. The certifications list "RC73XA" and "RC73YA" model names for the "ROG Ally 2".

That multiple filings for a ROG Ally 2 have been spotted would itself be interesting. However, what's especially interesting is that the pictures seem to show the black version of the handheld has a button with an Xbox logo on the top left (the different colour schemes presumably being distinguished by "XA" and "YA" model numbers). The same button is there on the white version, but it looks like the logo has been completely covered up. The button does look like it's been blacked out a little even in the black version, too.

This suggests that some version of these ROG Ally 2 handhelds might not hit the market as Xbox-branded (or alternatively just that the branding had to be covered up for legal reasons). However, that the button is there at all suggests that there will be an Xbox-branded version.

Oh, plus the ABXY buttons which, on the white version at least, are clearly Xbox-coloured buttons. And the fact that the entire thing looks like a screen slapped in the middle of an oversized Xbox controller, Playstation Portal-style. But at least with the Portal those grips were separated a little more.

This would make this handheld the rumoured 'Project Kennan' device that we heard about back in March. At the time, Windows Central, which broke the news, said the device would be made in cooperation with a "PC Gaming OEM (think ASUS, Lenovo, MSI, Razer, etc)." It seems that this OEM has turned out to be Asus.

Windows Central was also told that the handheld would "look unmistakably 'Xbox'... complete with an official Xbox guide button, and Xbox design sensibilities."

And we can't really go any further without discussing those "design sensibilities", can we? If those FCC photos are legit and represent what Kennan will really be like, I can't help but think that Asus and Microsoft's design sensibilities are a little freaky. I'm getting real N64 controller vibes from it, and not in a good way.

Still, as a devotee of all things 'comfort', I must say that if the grips are very comfortable then I'd probably consider using such a strange-looking handheld anyway. The thing I liked the least about the original Lenovo Legion Go was how comfortable it could be to hold for any length of time. The Legion Go S fares much better in that regard, and that's one of its main allures, but I bet it won't hold up to this Frankensteinery in terms of pure comfort.

We don't know much else about the ROG Ally 2 (Xbox version or otherwise) other than that, judging by the Korean certification details, there might be 512 GB, 1 TB, or 2 TB versions using either Micron, Western Digital, or SK Hynix SSDs. The labels that VideoCardz highlights suggest that the black version has a Ryzen Z2 Extreme processor with 64 GB of LPDDR5-8533 RAM and the black version has a Van Gogh-successor processor.

With certifications popping up left, right, and centre, and with a design that looks so finished—labels and all—we can probably expect an announcement very soon. It might make sense for Asus to announce it at Computex 2025 later this month. With this, and with a possible Nvidia laptop processor announcement, the event is sure shaping up to be a spicy one for PC gamers.