First revealed this summer, Xbox has confirmed the ROG Xbox Ally handhelds will launch on October 16. They will come in two variants: the standard ROG Xbox Ally, targeting 720p, and the more powerful ROG Xbox Ally X, targeting 1080p. For the initial launch, the ROG Xbox Ally handhelds will be available in Australia, Belgium, Canada, the Czech Republic, China (Ally X only), Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Ireland, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, the Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam. Other markets, including Brazil, India, Indonesia, and Thailand, will come later, while the standard Xbox Ally launches in China early next year.
The biggest selling point is that they run a slimmed-down, purpose-built version of Windows for gaming. It draws on the console user experience, making it more user-friendly and removing the need to use a touchpad and keyboard. They also sport a dedicated Xbox button, which the current ASUS ROG Ally handhelds lack. This button opens an enhanced Game Bar overlay, allowing users to quickly return home, browse their library, launch or quit games, chat with friends, and change settings in ROG’s Armoury Crate SE.
If the Xbox full-screen experience manages to rival SteamOS in usability, the devices will have their advantages over the Steam Deck or the Lenovo Legion Go S with SteamOS. That’s because a Windows device lets users play games from multiple storefronts, including Xbox, Game Pass, Battle.net, GOG, Epic Games Store, and more. While Steam is clearly the leader in the PC space, there are plenty of gamers out there who have games in other libraries. Some of those libraries can be accessed on Steam Deck, but it is not as simple as downloading a launcher and logging in.
To be clear, the ROG Xbox Ally is a PC handheld, not an Xbox console. The company, however, has been investing heavily in Xbox Play Anywhere, so console owners are able to access most popular games on the ROG Xbox Ally. If a game is console-exclusive, they will have to hope it is available via Cloud Gaming. Streaming is also an option, from the console to the handheld.
The ROG Xbox Ally X is the more powerful model, powered by the AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme with 24 GB of RAM and an 80 Wh battery. It also features impulse triggers, which are not on the standard ROG Xbox Ally. It will be interesting to see real-world results for how demanding titles perform on the ROG Xbox Ally X.
Xbox also said it will continue improving the experience after the devices launch in October. On deck is advanced shader delivery, which will preload a game’s shaders during download so titles can launch up to ten times faster. Several accessories are coming soon, including the new ROG Raikiri II Xbox Wireless Controller, shipping this holiday. For some players, docking enhancements may be most appealing, as Xbox appears to want the experience as seamless as on Switch and Switch 2.
Officially, pricing for the two devices has not been announced yet. However, product listings are up at Best Buy for both the ROG Xbox Ally and the ROG Xbox Ally X. Wario64 reports the standard Ally has $549.99 pricing set in the back end, while the Ally X is $899.99. We will still wait for official word from Xbox in the coming weeks, as rumored pricing isn’t always accurate.
