Logitech and Tencent announce cloud-based handheld console project

Swiss computer peripheral maker Logitech and Chinese video game publisher Tencent Games have announced that they’re collaborating on a new cloud-based handheld games console.
Over on the Logitech blog, it’s been revealed that the fruits of this partnership will arrive “later this year”, and will combine “Logitech G’s expertise in hardware with Tencent Games’ expertise in software services”.
The new machine will be focused on cloud gaming rather than the local play of the Valve Steam Deck. To that end, it’s been confirmed that it will support Xbox Cloud Gaming and Nvidia GeForce Now.
There are no specifics on specs at the time of writing, nor do we have any information or images of the hardware itself. Indeed, we don’t even have a name.
What you can do is sign up to be among the first to know about this intriguing new device over on a dedicated website.
“As one of the leading global platforms for game development, publishing and operations, Tencent Games has been at the forefront of innovation and it’s why we partnered with them,” said Ujesh Desai, general manager of Logitech G. “As someone that grew up playing video games, the idea of being able to stream and play AAA games almost anywhere is super exciting, and we can’t wait to show everyone what we’ve been working on.”
It’ll be fascinating to see how this new Logitech-Tencent handheld manages to tackle the quality issues inherent in portable game streaming to date. A number of cloud-based games have hit the Nintendo Switch in recent times, but none have provided particularly compelling experiences.
It’s already possible to use the aforementioned streaming services on pretty much any smartphone with a controller, so it’ll be interesting to see how the new Logitech / Tencent device differentiates itself. The Backbone One, in particular, has provided the most compelling handheld streaming experience yet.