At the recently concluded Xbox Games Showcase, Microsoft and ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) officially unveiled two new handheld gaming PCs: the ROG Xbox Ally and the ROG Xbox Ally X.
These devices represent Microsoft’s most serious move yet into the portable gaming space, combining the flexibility of a Windows PC with the user-friendly experience of Xbox.
Both handhelds run Windows 11 and feature a full-screen Xbox interface optimised for portable play. This new experience was built in collaboration with Xbox and Windows teams to provide a seamless gaming environment that strips away unnecessary background processes, saving memory and battery.
Early reports suggest up to 2 GB of RAM can be freed up, and idle power consumption reduced by a third.
The base ROG Xbox Ally features an AMD Ryzen Z2 A processor, 16 GB of LPDDR5X RAM, and a 512 GB SSD. It includes a 60 Wh battery, a 7-inch 1080p 120Hz display with FreeSync Premium, and a lightweight 670g design.
It’s aimed at gamers looking for a powerful yet affordable entry into handheld PC gaming.
For those wanting more power, the ROG Xbox Ally X comes equipped with an AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme chip, 24 GB of faster LPDDR5X RAM, and a 1 TB SSD.
It boasts a larger 80 Wh battery, upgraded USB4/Thunderbolt 4 ports, and improved grip comfort inspired by Xbox wireless controllers. Weighing around 715g, it retains the same vibrant display as its sibling.
Both models support local Windows gaming, Xbox Cloud Gaming, and Xbox Remote Play. They also feature a unified Xbox library interface, allowing users to launch titles from Xbox, Steam, Epic Games, and other platforms without switching apps.
Xbox Play Anywhere ensures progress and achievements sync across console, PC, and handheld.
ASUS has paid attention to comfort and usability too, with ergonomic grip redesigns and an Xbox-branded button that opens a custom Game Bar overlay for quick settings and performance tweaks.
The ROG Xbox Ally series is expected to launch during the 2025 holiday season in over 30 markets, including the US, UK, Japan, and several European countries.
Pricing hasn’t been confirmed, but analysts expect the standard Ally to cost between $599 and $699, with the Ally X ranging from $799 to $999.
