Logitech’s cloud gaming handheld leaks with Android apps and a Switch-like UI

Logitech’s new cloud gaming handheld was leaked weeks after the company teased that it was working on the new device. Logitech G and Tencent Games confirmed their plans for a dedicated handheld earlier this month, and now Evan Blass tweeted Handheld images revealing access to the Google Play store, along with support for Xbox Cloud Gaming and Nvidia’s GeForce Now service.

The Logitech G Gaming Handheld is about the same size as a Nintendo Switch, and even includes a Switch-like user interface where you scroll through apps and games. A leaked image shows the Chrome and YouTube apps, along with Xbox, Nvidia, and Steam icons. As Blass tweeted images of the handheld, Logitech was quick to file a DMCA complaint to remove them from Twitter (and thus confirm the authenticity of the device).

Image: Evan Blass (Twitter)

Access to Google Play means this handheld should be capable of running the latest mobile games natively, along with its focus on cloud gaming. Logitech never mentioned Android support earlier this month, instead choosing to focus on its support for multiple cloud gaming services.

The white handheld includes two offset analog thumbsticks, a D-Pad, and Y, B, A, and X buttons. There are also four buttons on the front: Logitech, Home, Menu, and a Context Menu button. There are also two bumper buttons and two fire buttons, like most modern controllers.

It’s not immediately clear from the leaked images how big the screen is on the Logitech G Gaming Handheld, but one image does reveal that there’s a potential mute switch and a microSD card expansion slot.

Image: Evan Blass (Twitter)

Logitech’s gaming handheld could be one of the first to use Qualcomm’s new G3x platform. Announced last year, the new G3x chip is designed for portable devices like Steam Deck or Switch, and has an Adreno GPU capable of running the latest mobile games. So far we’ve only seen one Razer Developer Kit device running the G3x, complete with a 6.65-inch OLED screen that can run at 120Hz.

Either way, Logitech is promising a release later this year. Logitech’s G Gaming Handheld leak comes months after Valve released its Steam Deck, which has transformed PC gaming on the fly. Steam Deck supports cloud gaming services like Stadia and Xbox Cloud Gaming, but there’s certainly room for an Android alternative that can also run games in the cloud and doesn’t rely on your phone.