PC gaming fans are readying themselves as a new contender for the portable gaming crown emerges from the shadows – the Tencent Handheld.
This portable powerhouse looks set to take the world by storm, and its strong resemblance to the Nintendo Switch is bound to grab peoples attention and their hard-earned cash.
But what is the Tencent Handheld? Is it legit? Does it cost ten cents?
You want answers, and we’ve got ’em. Find out everything and more below!
Table of Contents
First Look At The Tencent Handheld PC Gaming Console!
Who Are Tencent?
Tencent are a billion-dollar Chinese technology company focusing on console distribution and production, as well as game development.
They’re a name that many Nintendo gamers may have already heard of. It just so happens that they are the company working on the online multiplayer title for iOS, Android, and Nintendo Switch, Pokemon Unite.
Plus, Tencent are the ones responsible for distributing every Nintendo Switch throughout China since 2019. That’s a humungous deal!
No wonder they’re a billion-dollar company!
So, they’re already in the door with Nintendo; that much is certain. Which makes it all the more fishy when you consider their new console looks very similar to Nintendo’s hybrid hero…
What Is The Tencent Handheld?
At the minute, the Tencent Handheld is a patented idea that eludes to a new console dropping into the Retro Dodo offices very soon.
We first heard about this geometrical-joycon-patterned console back in 2020 and, for a minute, we thought there might be a Christmas miracle dropping underneath our trees.
The patent has just become a reality at the time of writing, and that reality proves that Tencent, the distributors of the Nintendo Switch, are pretty much making their own Nintendo Switch.
What Can The Tencent Handheld Do?
There are two main differences that we can see. The first one is that the Joycon-style controllers don’t seem to be removable, so the console doesn’t look as though it can be used in table top mode without plugging in an external controller.
The second difference is written plain for everyone to see up on the back of the unit – it’s a PC Console.
We’ve covered lots of promising PC gaming handheld consoles over the past couple of months including the epic Aya Neo, though Tencent look as though they may do good business with this one.
For starters, it boasts a universal style that every Chinese gamer is already used to thanks to their epic distribution tactics with the Switch, and the Windows 10 button stashed away under the nifty D-pad button proves that this is going to be one fast and widely supported machine.
Key Features
The Tencent Handheld is set to have a Type-C interface and a built-in stand. I’m putting two and two together here and saying that it’s going to be dockable, boasting features like the Creoqode Lyra.
That’s just me spitballing, but I’m feeling pretty confident.
I’ve already mentioned the D-pad too, a feature that many Switch gamers wish Nintendo’s dockable demon had.
It’s thought that the console won’t hold cartridges either, with games downloaded onto the consoles memory unit via WiFi.
Final Thoughts . . .
Of course we’re excited; this console looks like an absolute beast. Still, we know a confirmed patent can fall through, so we’re trying (miserably) to keep our excitement under wraps.
This isn’t the first Tencent Handheld that Tencent has tried to get into the mainstream market. Previous patent files across the years never made the cut, but with their success in the Switch market in China, we’re confident this one is going to be heading to online shelves near us very, very soon.
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Seb Santabarbara has bought every Nintendo console that has ever been released in his 31 years on Planet Earth. His favourite game franchise is Zelda, and he’s patiently waiting for Banjo-Kazooie to come back to the fold. When he’s not playing games, he’s travelling the world in his self-converted camper van.
