Asus ROG Xbox Ally X – The Final Preview

The ROG Xbox Ally consoles motorboat connected October 16th, marking the archetypal clip that Microsoft has released an authoritative gaming handheld – albeit successful dense practice with Asus, makers of the archetypal ROG Ally devices. The caller ROG Xbox Ally and Ally X committedness unsocial hardware and bundle improvements and could beryllium priced aggressively, but tin they vie against the Steam Deck, Switch 2 and a increasing tract of handheld gaming PCs?

Here's what we cognize truthful far, based connected our hands-on investigating astatine Gamescom and a big of authoritative announcements.

This is an Xbox – but not arsenic you mightiness expect. So what are they?

To beryllium clear, these aren't due handheld Xboxes that volition play immoderate Xbox game, contempt the "this is an Xbox" branding. However, they're inactive susceptible handheld gaming machines that tin play a immense fig of PC games natively, oregon watercourse Xbox games, either from an Xbox console oregon Microsoft's unreality streaming service.

Compared to the aged Ally devices, the caller Xbox models person been spruced up with caller AMD Z2 processors and a streamlined Windows operating system. That should construe into amended show and a measurement guardant successful usability, and could marque these the champion Steam Deck competitors truthful far.

Two models with importantly antithetic levels of performance

It's worthy knowing the quality betwixt the 2 Xbox Ally models arriving successful October: the Xbox Ally and the fancier Xbox Ally X.

First up, the vanilla Xbox Ally offers Steam Deck level show from its AMD Ryzen Z2 A chip, positive a higher-res screen, easier SSD upgradeability and wider crippled compatibility acknowledgment to moving Windows retired of the box. However, the Steam Deck is disposable successful an OLED model, is easier to thrust fixed its little 800p resolution, and runs the sleeker, often much performant Steam OS.

The much absorbing Xbox Ally X uses AMD's marque caller Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme chip, which promises the champion show we've seen successful a PC gaming handheld, immoderate exclusive Xbox features and much susceptible hardware. That could marque it the instrumentality of prime for enthusiasts capable to warrant its precocious terms – thing we'll sermon later.

How accelerated volition the caller handhelds be?

So what volition that show quality look like? Looking astatine the hardware, the 4 Zen 2 cores and 8 RDNA 2 cores of the Xbox Ally ought to present astir Steam Deck level show astatine 15W, oregon a spot much astatine its maximum 20W TDP.

Meanwhile, the Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme's 8 Zen 5 cores and 16 RDNA 3.5 graphics cores should beryllium importantly faster than the Steam Deck. Some aboriginal Z2 Extreme trial results amusement a ballpark 15% show vantage implicit the Z1 Extreme ROG Ally astatine maximum power. Interestingly, these results besides amusement higher show differentials astatine little wattages, arsenic good arsenic little powerfulness gully astatine matched frame-rates, suggesting that wide ratio has improved.

However, some Asus and Microsoft person said there's plentifulness of optimisation enactment to beryllium done, truthful we'll request to hold for last hardware, bundle and drivers – and a accidental to execute our ain investigating – earlier we tin accidental thing definitive astir performance.

AI features coming successful 2026 – for the Xbox Ally X lone

The Z2 Extreme besides comes with dedicated AI hardware, with 50 TOPs of AI throughput, truthful what is it susceptible of? Out of the box, not much, but a fewer tantalising AI features are scheduled for 2026.

The astir absorbing is Auto SR, an FSR1-like post-process upscaling that has a fixed latency cost. This was an awesome enactment erstwhile it debuted connected Snapdragon X Windows laptops, and this volition beryllium the archetypal clip it's much wide available.

Microsoft's selling besides notes a item reel feature, which promises to automatically make clips of brag takedowns oregon multi-kills for societal media.

A thicker, comfier plan with upgraded controls and awesome specs

Let's speech astir design. First, the vanilla Xbox Ally has a achromatic shell, portion the Xbox Ally X comes successful black. Despite their varying capabilities, some Xbox Ally models are the aforesaid size, astatine 291 x 122 x 51mm, with a thicker plan than the OG ROG Ally. That allows for due Xbox-style controls and a comfier grip. Both models travel with the aforesaid seven-inch 1080p 120Hz VRR LCD show arsenic the archetypal ROG Ally too.

The Xbox Ally X is 45g heavier than the modular Xbox Ally. A batch of that is owed to a artillery upgrade, from 60 watt hours to 80 watt hours, and the inclusion of dual-motor Impulse triggers. The X besides upgrades 1 of the 2 USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 ports connected the vanilla exemplary to USB 4, unlocking afloat velocity entree to DisplayPort 2.1 and Thunderbolt 4 devices – including outer graphics cards.

Inside, the vanilla exemplary gets 512GB of retention and 16GB of 6400MT/s RAM, portion the X gets 1TB of retention and 24GB of 8000MT/s RAM. Both models usage ample M.2 2280 SSDs for casual upgradeability, alternatively than the smaller 2230 modular utilized connected the archetypal ROG Ally and Steam Deck. Finally, some devices travel with a 65W charger and a basal successful the box.

A redesigned interface, a wider launcher and much bundle updates

As good arsenic immoderate promising hardware, the Xbox Ally uses a caller "Xbox Full Screen Experience" that promises a much gamepad-friendly interface and amended show than anterior Windows gaming handhelds. For example, you tin log successful utilizing the gamepad, alternatively than needing to participate your PIN via interaction oregon usage a fingerprint reader, which loads you into a full-screen Xbox app. Gamepad controls should enactment everyplace here, and you tin clasp down the dedicated Xbox fastener to rapidly swap betwixt games and apps oregon adjacent them. There are besides phone-style interaction gestures to entree the Game Bar oregon alteration apps.

The halfway Xbox app has seen immoderate cardinal improvements, including caller room features that automatically bring successful games from different launchers similar Steam oregon GOG – though you'll request to really instal these games successful the desktop Windows mode. However, erstwhile installed, you tin spot each of your games successful the aforesaid place.

Microsoft is besides debuting an improvement connected the Steam Deck Verified idea, with abstracted ratings for handheld optimisation and performance. The Handheld Optimised badge indicates a crippled that has a suitable interface and gamepad controls, portion the Windows Performance Fit shows whether it'll tally successful excess of 30 oregon 60fps connected your device.

There's adjacent a Gaming Copilot that you should beryllium capable to inquire for tips to advancement in-game, oregon cheque your accomplishment progress, with the AI receiving a screenshot of your existent crippled to assistance you. If you've utilized an ROG Ally handheld before, you'll beryllium acquainted with the Asus Armoury Crate app. This bundle volition inactive beryllium utilized for changing show profiles, showing overlays and truthful on.

And portion Microsoft imagines that you'll walk astir of your clip successful the caller handheld-optimised mode, you tin inactive entree a afloat mentation of Windows 11, which spools up services similar the desktop model manager that don't commencement successful the default gaming mode. Afterwards, you tin reboot to guarantee you're getting afloat performance, oregon spell consecutive backmost into the gaming UI if you're expecting to dip backmost and distant a fewer times.

Hands-on impressions from Gamescom

So however does the Xbox Ally really play? Based connected our hands-on clip astatine Gamescom, some machines consciousness capable. They athletics the aforesaid agleam and responsive LCD show arsenic the archetypal Xbox Ally, but with improved ergonomics that are much successful enactment with the Steam Deck than the Switch 2. The caller idiosyncratic acquisition felt a small buggy, requiring a reboot connected our archetypal tester unit, but the improved launcher, interaction gestures and accelerated crippled switching felt bully and saved time.

With their Windows show optimisations, positive other powerfulness nether the hood connected Xbox Ally X, these could beryllium immoderate of the astir susceptible gaming handhelds connected the market… but we'll person to hold for last hardware and bundle earlier rendering a verdict.

Official Xbox Ally pricing has yet been announced

Microsoft has confirmed that the lower-end Xbox Ally volition retail for $599, portion the full-fat Xbox Ally X volition outgo $999. In the UK, the Ally X volition outgo £799, portion the Ally volition outgo £499. The EU notation prices are similar, astatine €899 and €599.

These prices suggest the Xbox Ally could beryllium a shadiness cheaper than different Z2 Extreme-powered handhelds, similar the MSI Claw A8 astatine £850 (about $1160) oregon the Lenovo Legion Go 2 astatine $1350, but inactive achy compared to, say, $650 for the astir costly Steam Deck.

As gaming gets adjacent much costly crossed the board, this handheld Xbox is simply a pricey privilege, nary doubt. For its part, Microsoft is doubtlessly incentivized to support prices arsenic debased arsenic possible, successful bid to reap Game Pass subscriptions and crippled income from a wider instal base, but Asus is besides looking to warrant its agelong concern into PC handhelds – and make meaningful separation from its existing ROG Ally models. Ultimately, the worth question comes down to the prime of the bundle and the spot of the silicon, some of which are inactive chartless quantities.

Can Microsoft's concealed condiment elevate the Xbox Ally consoles supra different PC handhelds?

It feels similar the Xbox Ally handhelds were primitively pitched arsenic offering some unsocial hardware and software, but consumers volition beryllium capable to prime up different Z2 Extreme handhelds from MSI and Lenovo astir the aforesaid clip – though the Xbox-style controls stay unique. The unsocial bundle committedness is time-limited too, arsenic Microsoft has said that its handheld optimisations volition get connected different PC handhelds, and the revised launcher is already disposable connected existing devices.

Regardless, the Xbox Ally and Ally X could beryllium the champion worth PC gaming handhelds astatine their respective terms points, and it'll beryllium fascinating to spot whether Microsoft's console expertise pushes them to the apical of what is an progressively competitory field.