Quick wins for a faster PC:
Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Microsoft and ASUS unveiled the ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X at the Xbox Games Showcase on June 8, 2025. Both launched on October 16, 2025. Despite the Xbox branding, they are ASUS-made Windows 11 gaming PCs with an Xbox-focused handheld interface—not portable Xbox consoles that natively play every Xbox game.
What Microsoft and ASUS announced
The announcement introduced two co-branded handheld PCs: the standard ROG Xbox Ally and the higher-spec ROG Xbox Ally X. ASUS supplies the hardware and manufactures the devices; Microsoft contributes the Xbox software experience, Xbox app and Game Pass integration. AMD provides the processors. Microsoft’s June 8 announcement framed the partnership as an effort to make Windows handheld gaming more Xbox-focused while retaining access to PC games and applications.
The devices run Windows 11 Home. They combine built-in gamepad controls with an Xbox full-screen experience that can launch instead of the usual desktop. Users can still switch to the Windows desktop and use PC applications. The Xbox product page lists ASUS as the manufacturer.
How the two models compare
Both models have a 7-inch 1080p display with a 120Hz refresh rate and FreeSync Premium, and both run Windows 11 Home. Their main differences are processing hardware, memory, storage and battery capacity.
#1 Best Overall
- [Xbox experience brought to life by ROG] : The Xbox gaming legacy meets ROG's decades of premium hardware design in the ROG Xbox Ally. Boot straight into the Xbox experience just like a console.
- [Xbox Game Bar integration] : Launch Game Bar with a tap of the Xbox button or play your favorite titles natively from platforms like Xbox Game Pass, Steam, Epic Games, or Windows games on the go.
- [All your games, all your progress]: Powered by Windows 11, the ROG Xbox Ally gives you access to your full library of PC games from Xbox and other game stores. With Xbox Play Anywhere, you can pick up right where you left off on your PC or Xbox and jump back into the game anytime.
- [Never stop gaming]: Powered by ultra-efficient AMD Ryzen Z2 A processor, the ROG Xbox Ally offers console-caliber performance and can game for hours, even away from a wall outlet.
- [Game-ready storage and fast memory]: Store your full library and multitask seamlessly with 512GB SSD and 16GB of LPDDR5 6400MHz RAM. The ROG Xbox Ally makes playing any game in the palm of your hand possible.
| Specification | ROG Xbox Ally | ROG Xbox Ally X |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | AMD Ryzen Z2 A; four Zen 2 cores and eight threads | AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme; eight Zen 5/Zen 5c cores and 16 threads, with an integrated NPU |
| Graphics | Eight AMD RDNA 2 GPU cores | 16 RDNA 3.5 GPU cores |
| Memory | 16GB LPDDR5X-6400 | 24GB LPDDR5X-8000 |
| Storage | 512GB M.2 SSD | 1TB M.2 SSD |
| Battery | 60Wh | 80Wh |
| Launch US price | Not stated in the cited Xbox and ASUS launch specifications | $999.99 at US launch, as reported in the Xbox preorder announcement |
Specifications are from the Xbox comparison page and ASUS launch announcement. ASUS’s US product page lists the standard Ally at $599.99; that is a current listing, not a universal price or a guarantee of stock. Prices vary with market, retailer and date. The X’s launch price is not a statement of its current selling price.
Both include contoured grips, full-size analog sticks, ABXY buttons and D-pad, Xbox, View and Menu buttons, dedicated Command Center and Library buttons, two assignable rear buttons, HD haptics, a six-axis IMU, Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.4. The standard Ally has Hall Effect analog triggers; the Ally X has impulse triggers. Both have upgradeable M.2 storage, though opening a device requires care and may affect warranty coverage.
Which model is aimed at which player?
- ROG Xbox Ally: The lower-priced entry point into the Xbox handheld interface. Its 512GB SSD may suit a smaller installed library, and its 60Wh battery is larger than the 40Wh battery in the original ROG Ally.
- ROG Xbox Ally X: The more powerful configuration, with more memory and storage and a larger battery. Those upgrades can provide more headroom for demanding games and graphics workloads, but do not guarantee a particular frame rate or battery runtime.
What the Xbox full-screen experience does
The Xbox full-screen experience is a controller-oriented interface layered on Windows 11, not a separate operating system. The handheld can start directly in this interface rather than displaying the Windows desktop first. Microsoft says it minimizes or defers nonessential background activity so more resources can be directed toward games. An Xbox button opens Xbox features, while Game Bar provides access to chat, apps, settings, capture and performance information.
The interface can bring games from Xbox, Game Pass, Steam, Battle.net and other PC storefronts into an aggregated library. That makes it easier to find and launch games from a handheld screen, but it does not merge accounts, purchases or licenses. A Steam game remains tied to Steam, for example. Users can return to the Windows desktop for Discord, Twitch, browsers, mods, other launchers and general PC applications.
Microsoft’s Windows and Xbox overview describes the effort to combine Windows flexibility with a more console-oriented handheld interface. That can reduce desktop friction, but it does not remove Windows updates, launcher sign-ins, driver and firmware maintenance, or occasional game-specific input and sleep/resume issues. A PC Gamer review found the interface a substantial improvement over traditional Windows handheld use while noting that Steam Big Picture may remain a preferred front end for some players.
Rank #2
- [Xbox experience brought to life by ROG] : The Xbox gaming legacy meets ROG's decades of premium hardware design in the ROG Xbox Ally. Boot straight into the Xbox experience just like a console.
- [Xbox Game Bar integration] : Launch Game Bar with a tap of the Xbox button or play your favorite titles natively from platforms like Xbox Game Pass, Steam, Epic Games, or Windows games on the go.
- [All your games, all your progress]: Powered by Windows 11, the ROG Xbox Ally gives you access to your full library of PC games from Xbox and other game stores. With Xbox Play Anywhere, you can pick up right where you left off on your PC or Xbox and jump back into the game anytime.
- [Never stop gaming]: Powered by ultra-efficient AMD Ryzen Z2 A processor, the ROG Xbox Ally offers console-caliber performance and can game for hours, even away from a wall outlet.
- [Game-ready storage and fast memory]: Store your full library and multitask seamlessly with 1TB SSD and 16GB of LPDDR5 6400MHz RAM. The ROG Xbox Ally makes playing any game in the palm of your hand possible.
What games can it play?
Installed Windows PC games
Because these are Windows PCs, users can install compatible games from the Xbox PC app, Microsoft Store, Steam, Epic Games Store, Battle.net and other Windows storefronts. Compatibility and performance depend on each game; the fact that a title appears in an aggregated library does not make it an Xbox console version or guarantee it runs well on handheld hardware.
Xbox Play Anywhere titles
Supported Play Anywhere games can share purchases, saves and achievements across Xbox consoles, Windows PCs and supported handhelds. Microsoft says the program covers more than 1,000 games, but the benefit is title-specific: an Xbox purchase transfers only when that game supports Play Anywhere. See the Xbox product information for the program details.
Xbox Cloud Gaming
Cloud Gaming streams a supported game rather than installing an Xbox console game locally. It requires a compatible Game Pass membership, a reliable internet connection and a title available for streaming. Membership benefits and game availability depend on plan, region and date; the ASUS product page describes cloud and remote-play options.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
Xbox Remote Play
Remote Play streams games installed on a player’s own Xbox console to the handheld. The console, network and account must be configured for the feature, and the experience depends on the connection between them. It is not the same as installing a console game on the Ally.
Handheld compatibility badges
Microsoft’s Handheld Compatibility Program uses Handheld Optimized for games intended to work well with default controls, readable text, suitable resolution and an appropriate input method, and Mostly Compatible for games that are playable but may need minor changes. The badges are guidance, not promises of a fixed frame rate, battery life or flawless performance in every scene. ASUS outlined the labels in its launch announcement.
Rank #3
- [Xbox experience brought to life by ROG] : The Xbox gaming legacy meets ROG's decades of premium hardware design in the ROG Xbox Ally. Boot straight into the Xbox experience just like a console.
- [Xbox Game Bar integration] : Launch Game Bar with a tap of the Xbox button or play your favorite titles natively from platforms like Xbox Game Pass, Steam, Epic Games, or Windows games on the go.
- [All your games, all your progress]: Powered by Windows 11, the ROG Xbox Ally gives you access to your full library of PC games from Xbox and other game stores. With Xbox Play Anywhere, you can pick up right where you left off on your PC or Xbox and jump back into the game anytime.
- [Never stop gaming]: Powered by ultra-efficient AMD Ryzen Z2 A processor, the ROG Xbox Ally offers console-caliber performance and can game for hours, even away from a wall outlet.
- [Game-ready storage and fast memory]: Store your full library and multitask seamlessly with 4TB SSD and 16GB of LPDDR5 6400MHz RAM. The ROG Xbox Ally makes playing any game in the palm of your hand possible.
What the Xbox branding does—and does not—mean
The most accurate description is an Xbox-focused Windows gaming handheld PC. It uses Xbox software and services and can play supported Windows games, Play Anywhere titles, cloud-streamed games and games remotely streamed from a configured Xbox console. It is not an Xbox Series console in handheld form, and it does not natively run the entire Xbox console catalog.
- A Game Pass membership does not make every Xbox console game locally installable on Windows.
- A console purchase carries over only for a supported Play Anywhere title; otherwise, a separate PC license may be required.
- Cloud Gaming relies on internet access and service availability; Remote Play relies on the user’s console and network.
- Games may appear in one library view while still requiring their original launcher and account.
Announcement, preorder and launch timeline
- June 8, 2025: Microsoft and ASUS unveiled both models at the Xbox Games Showcase, as reported by Xbox Wire.
- August 20, 2025: ASUS announced the October launch date and initial markets in its launch announcement.
- September 25, 2025: Preorders opened in 38 countries, according to Xbox Wire.
- October 16, 2025: Both devices launched. Microsoft’s launch coverage marked them as available.
Availability and pricing remain market- and retailer-dependent. Xbox advertises three months of Game Pass Premium with purchase in eligible markets, subject to product and regional availability and the offer’s terms; check the Xbox product page and checkout details before relying on a promotion.
Who should consider an Ally?
Consider the standard Ally if
- You want Windows PC gaming and Xbox integration at the lower listed US price.
- You expect to keep a relatively small number of games installed at once.
- You value access to multiple PC stores and applications more than a fully console-like operating system.
Consider the Ally X if
- You play demanding games and want its higher-tier processor and additional memory.
- You want a larger built-in SSD and battery than the standard model offers.
- The price difference makes sense for your games and use; its hardware does not guarantee a fixed performance gain in every title.
Look carefully at alternatives if
Players whose libraries are mostly Steam may prefer the SteamOS-first experience of the Steam Deck OLED. Those comparing Windows handhelds can also consider the Lenovo Legion Go or ASUS’s broader ROG Ally family. The Ally X was positioned in a premium price tier at launch, so its value depends on how much its Xbox interface, ergonomics, battery and hardware matter compared with alternatives and their current prices.
One later product should not be confused with the 2025 reveal: ASUS subsequently announced the ROG Xbox Ally X20 Edition, a 20th-anniversary special edition. Its edition-specific features are separate from the original Ally and Ally X announcement; see ASUS’s X20 announcement.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
