Tencent patents Switch-like handheld-console hybrid system

Tencent has published a new patent from 2020 for a PC video games console that looks suspiciously like the AYA Neo handheld.

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A newly published Tencent patent shows the company is curious about handheld-console hybrids hardware.

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Tencent currently helps distribute and release the Switch in mainland China, but a new patent suggests they could eventually make a PC-like handheld console of their own. A recently published patent from August 2020 shows a Windows-powered handheld that's very similar to the AYA Neo. It even has a little kickstand, like the Nintendo Switch.

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Unlike the Switch, or Alienware's experimental Concept UFO handheld, Tencent's handheld doesn't have removable controllers. The D-pad is also fused together. The patent makes mention of PC-level hardware, and it's possible Windows would be the central operating system.

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This isn't the first time Tencent has patented games hardware; the company has filed multiple patents that extend back to 2016, including a cube-like console that "can achieve dual-screen interaction between two ends or multiple-end electronic devices, such as dual-screen interaction between mobile phones and TVs."

Remember that this is just a patent, so it may not ever come to fruition. The billion-dollar tech giant hasn't ever made its own video games hardware and the company is unlikely to use Windows because it's an open-ended operating system. Getting regulatory approval in China is also a tough hurdle due to stringent entertainment laws. But if it's any company that could fund such an endeavor, it's definitely Tencent (the company earned over $16 billion from gaming in 2019).

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Derek joined the TweakTown team in 2015 and has since reviewed and played 1000s of hours of new games. Derek is absorbed with the intersection of technology and gaming, and is always looking forward to new advancements. With over six years in games journalism under his belt, Derek aims to further engage the gaming sector while taking a peek under the tech that powers it. He hopes to one day explore the stars in No Man's Sky with the magic of VR.

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