Remember back when mobile phones basically killed traditional handheld consoles? They’re back, and Microsoft is bringing out not one but two, in short order.
Well, we say that but it’s really more of an Asus handheld family made in partnership with Microsoft. These are the ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X, by Asus.
And, yes, we had to check we got all those brand names in the right order more than once.
Are they going to eat the Nintendo Switch 2’s lunch? Is there no point buying a Steam Deck anymore? Our answers are “no” and that it’s not quite that simple. But we do think how this little experiment in the world of handhelds goes will help steer, in a big way, the future of Xbox.
Here’s what you need to know about the first Xbox handhelds.
1. Asus ROG Xbox Ally X pre-order info has dropped
The latest report suggests we’ll be able to pre-order the Asus ROG Xbox Ally family in well under a month.
August 20th is the date the pre-orders are likely to open. And that lands just before Gamescom, suggesting the press and the public will probably be able to get their greasy mitts over the handhelds in person there.
What’s Gamescom? It’s one of the premier gaming expos, and this year it takes places in Cologne from August 20th to the 24th.
2. The two versions are more different than they look
As we’ve already mentioned, there are two key versions of the ROG Xbox Ally handhelds. One’s name ends in an “X”, the other one does not.
There is a very substantial difference between the two, making it almost like the disparity between the Xbox Series S and X.
The standard Xbox Ally has a processor similar in power to a Steam Deck. And don’t get us wrong, we love the Steam Deck, but it is getting on a bit. The original was released in 2022.
Asus’s ROG Xbox Ally X is way more powerful, and has an AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme chipset. This has double the processor cores, faster memory and is based on much newer core technology.
You’ll be able to play games at higher resolutions, or at far higher frame rates, with the X version. It also has rumbly “impulse triggers” just like the standard Xbox gamepad, while the Xbox Ally has conventional triggers. But it’s performance that matters most here.
3. Asus ROG Xbox Ally prices have leaked
So why not just buy a ROG Ally X? There’s the (not so) small issue of pricing.
Microsoft hasn’t yet confirmed prices for these handhelds, but early reports suggest there will be quite a gulf between the two.
European pricing for the Xbox ROG Ally is expected to land at 599 Euro, likely to equate to £599. The Ally X handheld will cost £899 according to leaks.
Each of these is £100 more than the current price of the non-Xbox ROG Ally and ROG Ally X. That’s right, there are already similar handhelds out that don’t bear the Xbox name.
4. There’s a new Xbox interface (that’s actually Windows 11)
One of the most important elements of these handhelds is their software. We already know they run a full-screen version of the Xbox app, and that they are able to run Steam.
What we want to know is how good this feels to use versus the SteamOS software of the Steam Deck. To feel like an Xbox, these handhelds need to be not just as smooth as SteamOS, they should actually be even more streamlined and easy to use.
We’re not convinced they will be, as what they really have is a customised version of Windows 11. They are PCs, not consoles, and therefore will play PC games rather than every single game you might have in your Xbox library. We’ll learn more about exactly how these handhelds roll in the coming weeks, though.
5. It supports way higher frame rates than the Steam Deck (but no OLED)
One eye-catching benefit for ROG Xbox Ally shoppers also considering a Steam Deck is that these Xbox-branded devices have 120Hz screens, and higher-resolution 1080p ones too.
120Hz means they’ll be able to correctly display frame rates up to 120fps, where the Steam Deck OLED is limited to 90Hz. And, heck, the original Steam Deck has a classic 60Hz screen. Both Steam Deck versions have their resolutions capped at 720p, too.
A sharper, higher refresh screen is a major win for the more powerful ROG Xbox Ally X, because it has the power to make better use of it.
But know what we don’t get? OLED. Those screens have individual light-up pixels, allowing for extreme contrast and perfect black levels. The ROG twins use classic LCD screens with a universal backlight and, therefore, lower contrast. How good the ROG Xbox Ally’s LCD screen stacks up is one to watch for when these handhelds are out there in people’s hands.
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