Qualcomm could be working on a handheld gaming console running Android

The Nintendo Switch was a runaway success of a device from the Japanese gaming company. And yet it had limitations in the number of games available on the platform, albeit the ones available are rather polished. But the thought of an Android-based dedicated handheld gaming device is something even Switch users may have thought at a point.

And it seems like Qualcomm is gearing up to fulfil that wish, where it is developing an Android-based Nintendo Switch-like handheld gaming device, which will not just be limited to being a prototype, reports Android Police.

Much like the Nintendo Switch, Qualcomm's device will apparently feature Joy-Con style detachable controllers which would also mean support for an external display. The thicker form factor would also allow for bigger batteries and SD cards for storage. Reports claim it would feature a 6,000mAh battery with fast-charging, and one of the variants would even support 5G.

Qualcomm will apparently use a custom variant of the Android 12 OS with support for Google Play Store as well as Epic Android Games Storefront. Qualcomm is expected to launch the console in the first quarter of 2022 and price it around $300. This would make it a direct competitor for the Nintendo Switch.

And for users in India, we can hope that Qualcomm, unlike Nintendo, would officially launch the device in the country considering it has one of the biggest mobile gaming communities in the world.

And while gaming smartphones are considered a novelty because they are not built and priced for the common market but only for a niche one. While gaming smartphones pass off as high-performance smartphones they are priced similar to premium flagships, while not all features may not be comparable.

The Android-based console from Qualcomm could hit a different note though. Since it is being built exclusively as a gaming console, it is expected that Qualcomm would approach developers to make exclusive games for the platform. Besides this, it would feature things like a bigger display, physical controllers, and options to connect an external display which gives it a different dimension altogether.

Late last year, information surfaced stating that Qualcomm will be making its own gaming device running on the latest Snapdragon chipset. We believe that the earlier information was a reference to the same handheld console.