Leaked Switch-esque portable from Logitech could be great for streaming, emulation
Enlarge / Logitech is allegedly working on a handheld, Android-powered gaming console. (credit: Evan Blass)
There are many Nintendo-Switch-style, Android-powered gaming handhelds out there, usually available as imports on eBay or AliExpress. Some, like the AYN Odin, are fairly well-regarded. Others, like the Retroid Pocket 2+, are less good, but they’re so cheap that they’re still worth buying for people who want a portable console for old-school game console emulators. But it's rare for any of them to have backing from a major company, reliable hardware and warranty support, or clear software update policies (beyond occasional Android version updates or support from alternate Android distributions).
That's why the rumors of a Switch-like, Android-based portable from Logitech caught our eye. Originally teased by prolific leaker Evan Blass (and preserved by The Verge following a DMCA takedown), the handheld is definitely reminiscent of a Switch Lite. It has four face buttons (arranged Xbox-style with the "A" on the bottom and "B" on the right, rather than Nintendo-style with these buttons reversed), left and right shoulder buttons and triggers, asymmetrical dual joysticks, a D-pad, and four other face buttons for various system functions. But the device appears to run a customized version of Android with full Google Play access, and it seems to have built-in access to Microsoft's, Nvidia's, and Valve's game streaming services for portable PC gaming.
Blass points out that the handheld is likely the fruit of a recently announced collaboration between Logitech and Chinese tech company Tencent. In early August, the companies said they would "combine Logitech G’s expertise in hardware with Tencent Games’ expertise in software services" to create a streaming-focused handheld gaming console at some undisclosed future date.