Feed: Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics
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Title: ROG Xbox Ally handheld gaming devices are real and will be released
during the 2025 holiday season

Date: Mon, 09 Jun 2025 14:21:35 +0000
Link: https://www.engadget.com/gaming/xbox/rog-xbox...

We've been hearing rumors for what feels like an eternity about Microsoft
working with ASUS' ROG division on a gaming handheld device, and we got
confirmation during the Xbox Games Showcase at Summer Game Fest. There are
two variants of the handheld: the ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X.

Microsoft hasn't reveal pricing for the devices as yet. It stands to reason
that they'll be in the same ballpark as the currently ROG Ally systems, which
cost up to $800 for the ROG Ally X. Details on how much the systems cost, pre-
orders, accessories and more are coming soon, the company said.

The exact release date is not yet known but the Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X are
coming this holiday season. The handhelds will initially be available in
Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland,
Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland,
Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand,
Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and, shockingly enough,
the US.

Xbox head Sarah Bond says that every game included in the showcase will be
playable on the Xbox Ally, but didn't make clear whether all of those would
run natively on the devices. The reveal trailer also included a notable focus
on Hollow Knight: Silksong, for what it's worth (and it was reaffirmed that
the game is still set to come out this year).

Microsoft

Critically, Microsoft and ROG aren't locking the devices to only playing Xbox
games (though you can play those natively, via the cloud or by accessing an
Xbox console remotely). You'll be able to play games from Battle.net and
"other leading PC storefronts" too ΓÇö those include Steam, GOG and Ubisoft
Connect. Obviously, there's Game Pass integration here, as well as support
for the Xbox Play Anywhere initiative, which enables you to play games with
synced progress across a swathe of devices after buying them once.

Microsoft says it has teamed up with Roblox to make that game natively
playable on a gaming handheld for the first time. It's working with third-
party developers on a Steam Deck-style program to make it clear which games
have been optimized for handhelds, including the Xbox Ally systems. Expect
more details on that down the line. In addition, it seems that those who snap
up an Xbox Ally or Ally X and haven't yet tried out Game Pass will get a free
trial.

Microsoft has designed a full-screen Xbox user interface for the handhelds.
There's a dedicated physical Xbox button that can bring up a Game Bar
overlay, which seemingly makes it easy to switch between apps and games,
tweak settings, start chatting with friends and more. Accessibility features
from Xbox consoles and PCs will be available too, along with the Gaming
Copilot.

Naturally, the systems run on Windows 11. Microsoft says it has optimized the
operating system for the devices, with easy access to device and input
controls via ASUS' Armoury Crate. The company added that "the lock screen and
task switcher have also been adjusted for easy navigation with a controller."
You'll be able to mod games on either system as well.

The Xbox Ally is powered by the AMD Ryzen Z2 A Processor, and has 16GB of RAM
and 512GB of SSD storage. The Xbox Ally X is the more powerful model. It has
a AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme processor, 24GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. They
each have a microSD card reader, so you won't need to worry about shelling
out for proprietary storage to have extra space for your games.

The two models seem to have the same screen, a seven-inch 1080p, 16:9 display
with a 120Hz refresh rate and 500 nits of brightness. The anti-reflection
displays will feature Corning Gorilla Glass Victus and support FreeSync
Premium.

Both systems boast "HD haptics." The Xbox Ally has hall effect analog
triggers, while the Xbox Ally X has "impulse triggers for enhanced control."
It sounds a little like Microsoft and ASUS are taking a page out of the
PlayStation DualSense playbook there. Anyway, both of the Xbox Ally systems
have two assignable back buttons and 6-axis IMU ΓÇö a fancy way of saying
that they'll probably have gyro controls. Blessedly, both of the handhelds
have a 3.5mm combo audio jack, along with Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.4.

Microsoft

The Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X are exactly the same size at 290.8 x 121.5 x
50.7mmΓÇ». They each weigh more than the Nintendo Switch 2 (534g or 1.18lbs
with Joy-Con 2 attached) and PlayStation Portal (520g or 1.15 lbs). The Xbox
Ally is marginally heavier than the Steam Deck (669g or 1.47lbs) at 670g. The
Xbox Ally X is even beefier at 715g (1.58lbs). For the record, the ROG Ally
is 608g (1.34 lbs) and the Ally X is 678 grams (1.5 lbs).

So, they're both chonksters, but at least those grips look more ergonomic
than those on the Nintendo Switch 2 (which is already cramping my hands) or
even the Steam Deck. Microsoft says the design principles of Xbox Wireless
Controller was adopted for the Xbox Ally handgrips.

Both systems will be capable of outputting video to a TV or monitor, as they
have two USB-C ports with support for DisplayPort 2.1 and Power Delivery 3.0.
One of the Xbox Ally X's USB-C ports is compatible with ThunderBolt 4. It
also has a larger battery, with a capacity of 80Wh compared with the Xbox
Ally's 60Wh battery. Both models come with a charging stand.

Microsoft has spent the last few years expanding the Xbox ecosystem beyond
consoles and PC through efforts like Xbox Cloud Gaming. Its first official
move into gaming handhelds is a big step as it tries to play catch up to
PlayStation and Nintendo.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at
https://www.engadget.com/gaming/xbox/rog-xbox...
are-real-and-will-be-released-during-the-2025-holiday-season-
142135533.html?src=rss

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