---
title: "Xbox Handheld to Use Custom AMD Chip, Not ARM"
description: "Xbox Handheld to Feature Custom AMD APU, Not ARM – Rumor Suggests Recent speculation surrounding Microsoft’s upcoming Xbox handheld device is being challenged by fresh insights. Despite earlier..."
url: https://brandligo.com/xbox-handheld-to-use-custom-amd-chip-not-arm/
date: 2025-05-22
modified: 2025-05-22
author: "Junaid Abro"
image: https://brandligo.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/04clO0PXFQ0CeHvMfZATG06-1.webp
categories: ["Tech News"]
tags: ["AMD APU", "AMD custom APU", "ASUS handheld", "gaming hardware", "gaming news", "handheld console", "Microsoft Xbox", "Project Kennan", "Windows handheld", "Xbox ecosystem", "Xbox gaming", "Xbox handheld", "Xbox portable"]
type: post
lang: en
---

# Xbox Handheld to Use Custom AMD Chip, Not ARM

### Xbox Handheld to Feature Custom AMD APU, Not ARM – Rumor Suggests

Recent speculation surrounding[ Microsoft’s upcoming Xbox](https://www.xbox.com/en-US/consoles) handheld device is being challenged by fresh insights. Despite earlier reports hinting at a possible ARM-based design, a trusted AMD leaker, KeplerL2, has revealed on NeoGAF forums that the handheld will instead feature a custom low-power APU from AMD.

This move stays consistent with Microsoft’s reliance on AMD for its previous [Xbox](https://brandligo.com/xbox-developer-direct-2025-all-the-announcements/) hardware. The shift away from ARM architecture means better compatibility with the current Xbox game library, ensuring a smooth transition for users and developers alike. Though ARM offers energy efficiency—a plus for handheld devices—it would have sacrificed backward compatibility, which is a key part of Xbox’s current ecosystem strategy.

While the official Game handheld is still in development, Microsoft is reportedly testing the waters with Xbox-branded handhelds developed with multiple OEMs. These will use a variety of available APUs, such as AMD Z2E, Intel’s Lunar/Panther Lake, Qualcomm’s X Elite 2, and NVIDIA’s N1.

The first of these branded handhelds, Project Kennan, is being developed in collaboration with ASUS. It will run on Windows and feature an Xbox-style UI, possibly offering a glimpse into Microsoft’s future mobile gaming ambitions. Project Kennan is expected to launch before the end of the year.