Microsoft and ASUS have officially announced the launch date for the ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X handhelds, with both devices becoming available on October 16. This is a huge deal for anyone who’s been eyeing a handheld gaming PC with Windows.
Both handhelds have a full-screen Xbox experience powered by Windows 11, which has been specifically modified to reduce background activity and non-essential tasks, so more system resources are dedicated to gameplay. There’s also a dedicated Xbox button that opens up an enhanced Game Bar overlay for Windows 11, which lets you easily return home, browse your game library, or even chat with friends. I honestly think this is going to be a huge help for anyone who wants a more console-like experience on their PC handheld, like me.
The devices also come with an aggregated game library that gives you quick access to games from Xbox, Game Pass, Battle.net, and other PC storefronts. You can even use them to play games natively, stream from the cloud, or use Remote Play from your Xbox console to play anywhere in your home.
At the heart of these handhelds are AMD processors. The standard ROG Xbox Ally features the AMD Ryzen Z2 A, which is built to balance performance and power consumption to give you the best battery life possible without sacrificing game quality. On the other hand, the ROG Xbox Ally X has the AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme, which should give you the best performance and visual settings of the two.
One of the best new announcements is the Handheld Compatibility Program. Microsoft has worked with game studios to test and optimize thousands of games to make them ready to play on your handheld without needing a ton of tweaks. At launch, you’ll be able to see “Handheld Optimized” or “Mostly Compatible” badges directly in your game library to see which games are ready to go.
The Handheld Optimized badge means the game is good to go with default controller inputs, readable text, and the right resolution, so you may spend less time messing with settings and more time playing. The Mostly Compatible badge means the game might need some small changes for the best experience. Games will also have a “Windows Performance Fit” indicator to give you an idea of how well they’ll run on your device.
Notably, the Xbox Ally X is the first handheld to use the AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme, which has a powerful neural processing unit (NPU) that will have upcoming AI-powered features. These features, coming out early next year, include things like Automatic Super Resolution, a system-level feature that uses the NPU to upscale games running at lower resolutions, and highlight reels, which will use AI to capture your best gameplay moments.
Microsoft and ASUS have also made it clear that these handhelds are built to get even better over time with regular updates. In the future, you can expect features like advanced shader delivery, which will preload game shaders during downloads, so games can launch much faster and run smoother. A wide range of accessories will also be available, including the new ROG Raikiri II Xbox Wireless Controller, which features a 1000Hz polling rate and anti-drift joysticks.
Asus ROG Ally
Unleash portable power with the ASUS ROG Ally! This premium handheld gaming PC delivers AAA gaming performance, stunning visuals, and seamless compatibility with your favorite platforms. Play anywhere, anytime.
