Logitech G is teaming up with major games investment firm Tencent Games to release a cloud gaming handheld later this year, currently noted as the Logitech G Gaming Handheld.
The device is expected to support Nvidia GeForce Now and Xbox Cloud Gaming, which should make it a dab hand at playing PC games on the go. As well as being handy for Games Pass subscribers. Logitech G and Tencent are working with Nvidia and Xbox to make this happen.
“The new device will support multiple cloud gaming services, and both companies are working with the Xbox Cloud Gaming and Nvidia GeForce Now teams, so gamers can play AAA games when they are away from their console or PC,” a blog post (opens in new tab) says.
Though very little has been released yet in regards to the actual device or its specifications.
In terms of popular gaming handhelds right now you have the Steam Deck (opens in new tab) and the Nintendo Switch, but this won’t be like either of those. We’re talking about a cloud streaming device, and that means the onboard CPU and GPU can be a lot less powerful than what’s needed for local rendering.
I’d guess we’re looking at some sort of Arm-powered device, probably with processing power similar to that of a cell phone. Strap that to a screen, battery, and controller-like inputs and you have a portable streaming device that should be ready to accept a game stream beamed from datacenters dotted around the globe.
Of course, most modern cell phones are already capable of cloud streaming too.
That’s the thing: cell phones are already exemplary game streaming devices, and a wide range of controllers to turn them into more fitting gaming controllers are available today, such as the Razer Kishi. And one of the biggest benefits to using a cell phone for game streaming is that most of us already have one.
So I do hope Logitech G and Tencent’s device has something special about it to make it more than a straight swap for a mobile phone. A bigger screen, a bigger battery, a better control scheme—I’d suspect these features to be the deciding factors in whether you stick with a phone or pick up Logi’s bespoke cloud gaming device.
Either way, I’m keen to hear more about this mystery device. Logitech G usually builds a sleek peripheral, so I’m hoping the same will be true of its cloud gaming device.