Peripheral maker Logitech and Tencent are hooking up to make some hardware. It’s under the aegis of Logitech’s gaming-oriented Logitech G branding. It doesn’t have a formal name yet, but it’s being called the “Logitech G Gaming Handheld” for now.
The companies announced their partnership on August 2, 2022 via press release. According to the announcement, the Logitech G Gaming handheld combines Logitech’s hardware expertise and Tencent’s software service experience. It’s billed as a “cloud gaming handheld”.
Cloud gaming is the practice of playing a game via an internet-connected device. The player’s device streams inputs to a server, which handles running the actual game, returning feedback via video. Xbox Cloud Gaming, NVIDIA GeForce Now, and the game streaming portions of PlayStation Now (which were folded into PS Plus) are all distinct cloud gaming services. One advantage of cloud gaming is that players need only a compatible device and an internet connection. They won’t need expensive consoles or PC hardware to play high-quality games. Square Enix deployed versions of the Kingdom Hearts series to the Nintendo Switch as cloud versions, too. The Logitech G Gaming Handheld will support multiple cloud gaming services.
Beyond the announcement itself, no other details were given about the hardware. Given that it’s intended to support multiple cloud gaming services, the final result may be less like a handheld standalone device (like the Switch or Steam Deck) and closer to a specialized smartphone or tablet.
The Logitech G Gaming Handheld is in development.
