At its Xbox Showcase Microsoft finally revealed an Xbox handheld console as has been long rumoured. It turns out that it’s been working with Asus on the project, no stranger to handhelds itself with its ROG Ally line.

The new handheld comes hot on the heels of the Nintendo Switch 2and is clearly more Asus than Microsoft on the hardware side. It’s even branded ROG Xbox Ally to place it alongside the other Asus handheld devices rather than seeming an outlier product.

The device will be available in time for the holidays – I’d expect an October launch. A price hasn’t yet been shared and I wouldn’t expect this until much closer to the launch date. Microsoft says there will also be compatible accessories coming as well and there will be a pre-order which you can register interest for.

There are two versions of the 7in handheld, too – a white ROG Xbox Ally model designed for HD 720p and a black ROG Xbox Ally X model that has more powerful specs and is capable of Full HD 1080p. Both boast a 120Hz variable refresh rate (VRR).

Both use a new full-screen Xbox interface that’s based on Windows – but you wouldn’t know it as it appears that Microsoft has tried to ensure the complexities of Windows are kept in the background. That’s easier said than done and we’ve seen some frustrating clunkiness on previous Microsoft tablet and phone devices based on Windows. Let’s hope it does a better job this time around.

Naturally you will be able to download games from various stores and you can also play natively, via the Xbox Cloud Gaming or remotely from your main Xbox console in another room.

Play

Microsoft says the Xbox Ally is designed for more casual gamers, while the Ally X is “the ultimate high-performance handheld, built for the most demanding players.”

Both handhelds run on AMD hardware, with the Xbox Ally being powered by the Ryzen Z2 A Processor teamed with 16GB of memory and 512GB of storage. The Xbox Ally X has the beefier Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme plus 24GB of memory for more demanding games. The Xbox Ally X also features impulse triggers, too.

Xbox Experience for Handheld, based on Windows

So what’s un the software? It’s called Xbox Experience for Handheld and as I mentioned, it has a full screen Xbox interface. It is very much Windows in the background but Microsoft says that “new modifications minimize background activity and defer non-essential tasks, more system resources are dedicated specifically to gameplay.”

The Game Bar is the key element of the interface, making it “easy to return home, browse your library, launch or quit games, chat with friends, open apps, adjust settings, and more.” Gaming Copilot will also be a virtual assistant on the platform.

Windows does mean you can access other apps, too, with access to whatever store you want, apps like Discord and Twitch as well as access to Asus Armoury Crate for in-depth configuration options. Downloads from various stores are aggregated together in your library and you can naturally access stacks of games from Game Pass.

There are several ‘Xbox touches’ on the consoles too including contoured grips, accessibility features and naturally the Xbox button.

Play

ROG Xbox Ally specs compared

    ROG Xbox Ally   ROG Xbox Ally X  

Operating System   Windows 11 Home   Windows 11 Home  

 Comfort & input    Contoured grips inspired by Xbox Wireless Controllers deliver all-day comfort. ABXY buttons / D-pad / L & R Hall Effect analog triggers / L & R bumpers / Xbox button / View button / Menu button / Command Center button / Library button / 2x assignable back buttons / 2x full-size analog sticks / HD haptics / 6-Axis IMU   Contoured grips inspired by Xbox Wireless Controllers deliver all-day comfort, complete with impulse triggers for enhanced control.  ABXY buttons / D-pad / L & R impulse triggers / L & R bumpers / Xbox button / View button / Menu button / Command Center button / Library button / 2x assignable back buttons / 2x full-size analog sticks / HD haptics / 6-Axis IMU  

Processor   AMD Ryzen™ Z2 A Processor   AMD Ryzen™ AI Z2 Extreme Processor  

Memory   16GB LPDDR5X-6400   24GB LPDDR5X-8000  

Storage   512GB M.2 2280 SSD for easier upgrade   1TB M.2 2280 SSD for easier upgrade  

Display   7” FHD (1080p) IPS, 500 nits, 16:9  120Hz refresh rate  FreeSync Premium  Corning Gorilla Glass Victus + DXC Anti-Reflection  7” FHD (1080p) IPS, 500 nits, 16:9  120Hz refresh rate  FreeSync Premium  Corning Gorilla Glass Victus + DXC Anti-Reflection 

I/O Ports   2x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C with DisplayPort™ 2.1 / Power Delivery 3.0   1x USB4 Type-C with DisplayPort™ 2.1 / Power Delivery 3.0, Thunderbolt™ 4 compatible  

1x UHS-II microSD card reader (supports SD, SDXC and SDHC)   1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C with DisplayPort™ 2.1 / Power Delivery 3.0  

1x 3.5mm Combo Audio Jack   1x UHS-II microSD card reader (supports SD, SDXC and SDHC; UHS-I with DDR200 mode)  

    1x 3.5mm Combo Audio Jack  

Network and Communication   Wi-Fi 6E (2 x 2) + Bluetooth 5.4   Wi-Fi 6E (2 x 2) + Bluetooth 5.4  

Dimensions   290.8*121.5*50.7mm   290.8*121.5*50.7mm  

670g   715g  

Battery   60Wh   80Wh  

Included   ROG Xbox Ally  65W charger  Stand   ROG Xbox Ally X  65W charger  Stand  

At launch Microsoft says the Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X will 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 the United States.

Dan Grabham Editor-in-Chief

About

Dan is Editor-in-chief of Stuff, working across the magazine and the Stuff.tv website.  Our Editor-in-Chief is a regular at tech shows such as CES in Las Vegas, IFA in Berlin and Mobile World Congress in Barcelona as well as at other launches and events. He has been a CES Innovation Awards judge. Dan is completely platform agnostic and very at home using and writing about Windows, macOS, Android and iOS/iPadOS plus lots and lots of gadgets including audio and smart home gear, laptops and smartphones. He's also been interviewed and quoted in a wide variety of places including The Sun, BBC World Service, BBC News Online, BBC Radio 5Live, BBC Radio 4, Sky News Radio and BBC Local Radio.

Areas of expertise

Computing, mobile, audio, smart home