After months of teasing we finally got our first look at the Xbox handheld coming out this year. Microsoft is trying to shift focus away from traditional consoles but is it enough to win the war?
Microsoft and ASUS Work Together for The Next Gaming Handheld
Microsoft saw the Switch 2 selling out and was like; “I see you with that little thing. Let me climb on the backs of others to get some of that too”. Then partnered with ASUS for the Xbox Ally and Ally X. These are still Windows 11 devices BUT have been optimized with Xbox software to improve speed and functionality which are some of the biggest complaints users have comparing The Steam Deck to every other handheld PC right now.
ROG Xbox Ally X & Ally Spec Comparison
| Specs | ROG XBOX Ally X | ROG Xbox Ally |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme | AMD Ryzen Z2 A |
| GPU Cores | 16 (RDNA 3.5) | 8 (RDNA 2) |
| Display | 7” FHD (1080p) IPS, 500 nits, 16:9 120Hz refresh rate FreeSync | 7” FHD (1080p) IPS, 500 nits, 16:9 120Hz refresh rate FreeSync |
| Memory | 24GB | 16GB |
| Storage | 1TB | 512TB |
| Battery | 80Wh | 60Wh |
| Dimensions | 290.8 x 121.5 x 50.7mm | 290.8 x 121.5 x 50.7mm |
| Weight | 715g | 715g |
| Price | TBA | TBA |
| Release | Holiday 2025 | Holiday 2025 |
Microsoft’s Updated Xbox UI Combines Steam Apps and More
The star of the show though, is the revised Windows/Xbox UI which lets you stream games from the Xbox app as well have other apps like Discord or Battle.net to switch to with a click of a button. If Xbox’s leak from a couple months ago is anything to go off of we could see an app for Steam as well since their goal is to make Microsoft and Xbox a central gaming hub for all things.
Xbox Ally X & Ally Price and Release Date
While things are still hairy from a completely unnecessary tariff war happening right now, they are a little shy about giving pricing information BUT we know that it is set to release around the holiday season and come with a dock so I’m going to assume it’ll be a bit more expensive than the Switch 2’s current price tag of $449.