On the same day that Anbernic launches its first Snapdragon-powered handheld, Qualcomm announced a partnership for another new handheld. No, this one isn’t coming from Anbernic, but instead is in partnership with ARC, an “Indian gaming technology company.”
In the official press release, Qualcomm and ARC are partnering “to design and build a new lineup of high-performance gaming devices, including the ARC X1.” At first glance, it appears that this handheld won’t be hitting global markets at first, but instead is “specifically targeted at gamers in India and other rapidly expanding emerging markets.”
No specifics about the ARC X1 have been revealed as of yet, however, there is a dedicated website where interested parties can sign up for the waitlist. So far, the only information provided about the ARC X1 is as follows:
- Graphics and Compute: Enhanced processing power optimized for modern game engines and multi-platform titles.
- Power Efficiency: Battery-conscious system architecture designed to maintain peak performance without excessive thermal throttling.
- Connectivity: Low-latency networking hardware to support cloud gaming and competitive online multiplayer sessions.
- Form Factor Optimization: Lightweight designs focused on ergonomic handling and daily portability.
According to ARC, it plans to provide further details about the X1 and other upcoming handhelds “in the coming months.”
As for the software side of things, the ARC X1 also won’t be running your standard version of Android out of the box. The company is currently developing its own operating system, based on Android, but called “OwlOS.” The landing page says OwlOS is “designed to make portable gaming feel faster, simpler and more unified.”
It goes on to say that “This is not Android placed inside a gaming device. It is an operating system being rebuilt around how people actually play.” The landing page also shows gameplay of Hades II running at 60 fps, presumably recorded from a device running OwlOS.
While Android is extremely flexible in its regular state on Android handhelds, it’s really interesting to see a company try and re-imagine the handheld experience. Personally, I’m interested to see not just what the ARC X1 brings to the market, but also whether OwlOS is the beginning of a new trend in the handheld space. Provided that ARC delivers on its promises, it would be pretty neat to see another software alternative made available for the abundance of Android gaming handhelds.
If you want to learn more about the ARC X, click the button below and head over to the official website. From there, you can sign up for the waitlist to be notified once it’s available, but don’t expect this to be available in the near future.
