Thanks to regulatory listings, the first photos of the Asus ROG Ally 2 have surfaced online recently. It brings forward an interesting fact, which is that this gaming handheld comes in two different variations. One of these variations is fitted with a dedicated Xbox button.
It had been noted for two months that Microsoft paired up with Asus and was working to create an ‘Xbox’ branded handheld, which was codenamed ‘Project Kennan’. It appears this is actually that device just when Microsoft unveiled Copilot agents and new safeguards for AI security. Presented in a stylish black finish, the Xbox variant contrasts with the somewhat similar white ROG Ally 2 and has a small button in the top-left corner engraved with an Xbox logo. By contrast, the standard ROG design has this button blacked out, implying it could be replaced or dropped in the ultimate production model.
It was found that ROG Ally 2 listings in Indonesian certification records; VideoCardz linked these to an FCC listing for the Wi-Fi module found in both devices, which includes images of the hardware. Along with an 8-core, 36w AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme CPU in the Xbox edition, which is quite similar to the first generation and the white variant is powered by a little less powerful 4-core, 20w processor. Furthermore, improving the design are more contoured controller grips on either side that depart from the earlier blocky, sloped ROG Ally style.
Though this new Xbox handheld could improve comfort during usage, this shift gives the hardware a more substantial look. Given that the certification process is already underway, a release seems to be close. Usually, if there is a new technology that Asus aims to release, it is done at Computex, which will begin on the 20th of May. It is just a day after the Microsoft Build 2025 Conference begins, which is on the 19th of May.
