The new flagship Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 mobile chip powering the Samsung Galaxy S22 may have stolen the limelight at Qualcomm's recent showcase, but the company's Snapdragon G3x Gen 1 gaming platform is finally could be even more exciting for gamers.

Qualcomm suggests the platform as a way for manufacturers to offer Android gamers a console-style gaming experience; similar to the Nintendo Switch, the Snapdragon G3x Gen 1 Gaming Platform, Display Out for docking, cooling fan technology, and full game controller support. Unlike Nintendo's handheld hybrid console, it also supports 144fps, stereo haptics, and 5G.

Pictured at the top of this article is the Snapdragon G3x Handheld Developer Kit, which, as you can see, looks a bit like Valve's Steam Deck and Nintendo's Switch. It was developed by Razer and gives us an idea of what such a device might look like. The front-facing camera is interesting as it suggests that mobile streamers can connect to Twitch much more easily than via Switch.

However, the Snapdragon G3x Gen 1 could be even more interesting for Microsoft. Qualcomm is particularly interested in this platform because it highlights the platform's ability to support Xbox Cloud Gaming and Xbox console streaming. A well-connected colleague at Windows Central added that he has heard that "Microsoft has been working on Xbox handheld prototypes for some time."

Qualcomm appears to have taken some of the pain out of its R&D process with the G3x chipset. Indeed, it's hard not to notice that Razer's prototype looks a bit Xbox-esque, with its black matte design and Xbox-colored buttons in the company's preferred XYAB layout.

The tricky question is what price such a device would sell for; one would hope it would be considerably cheaper than the $399 Valve is charging for the cheapest configuration of the Steam Deck, but if it only supports streaming, the Xbox is a much more limited solution.

Steam Deck, on the other hand, can play Xbox games as well as PlayStation games, albeit without Game Pass. The big drawback? If you order today, you won't get your hardware until late next year at the earliest.