ROG Xbox Ally & Ally X Launched: What’s Changed for Xbox Gamers

Microsoft’s Xbox division and ASUS’s Republic of Gamers (ROG) have joined forces on the base ROG Xbox Ally and its higher-end sibling, the ROG Xbox Ally X: two monster handheld gaming consoles that put desktop-class performance in the palm of your hand.

These portable Windows 11 PCs with Xbox optimizations officially hit store shelves on October 16, 2025, in what is Xbox's first foray into dedicated handheld hardware. ASUS brings its hardware expertise, while Microsoft provides a custom Xbox software experience. 

The result is an unorthodox partnership: an “Xbox” you can take anywhere, loaded with the flexibility of a PC and the familiarity of an Xbox console interface. 

So what's inside these handhelds that's worth all the hype? We’ll examine the ROG Xbox Ally and Ally X to see how they perform, where they impress, and what their launch means for handheld gaming in 2025.

ROG Xbox Ally & Ally X Specs & Features

The base ROG Xbox Ally feels purpose-built for consistency. It runs demanding games well enough without forcing its cooling system into overdrive, which makes it easier to live with day to day.

You can tell ASUS tuned it for stability, not shock value. That said, the Xbox Ally X is a different story. It’s slightly heavier, louder, and clearly built to show off what this chip can really do. It doesn’t care much about efficiency, as it squeezes out every frame possible, even if it means burning through its battery faster.

You can make lavish use of Xbox Game Pass, Xbox Cloud Gaming, and the full PC game library, essentially putting your entire console and PC collection in the palm of your hand.

Let’s start with a side-by-side look at the core specs of the ROG Xbox Ally vs the Ally X as there are some significant differences under the hood:

Feature	ROG Xbox Ally (Base Model)	ROG Xbox Ally X (High-End Model)
Processor (CPU)	AMD Ryzen Z2 A	AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme
Graphics (GPU)	Integrated AMD Radeon Graphics (RDNA 3 iGPU)	Integrated AMD Radeon Graphics (stronger iGPU) + AI enhancements (via NPU)
Memory (RAM)	16 GB LPDDR5	24 GB LPDDR5X
Storage	512 GB	1 TB
Display	7-inch IPS touchscreen, 1080p (1920×1080), 120 Hz	Same 7-inch 1080p 120 Hz IPS display as base Ally
Battery	60 Wh 4-cell Li-ion	80 Wh 4-cell Li-ion
Weight	~670 g (1.48 lbs)	~715 g (1.58 lbs)
Operating System	Windows 11 Home with Xbox-optimized interface	Windows 11 Home with Xbox-optimized interface

How Much Are the ROG Xbox Ally and Ally X Priced At?

One of the first things people check is the price. Microsoft and ASUS have already put both models on shelves with finalized pricing, and as high-end handheld PCs, they sit on the expensive side.

• ROG Xbox Ally (base) – $599.99 USD (ERP) in the United States. In the UK, it’s priced at £499.99 GBP, and in Canada it’s $799 CAD. European pricing lands around €599–649 in many EU countries (exact EU prices are announced per region). This base model is surprisingly cheaper in some regions than the original 2023 ROG Ally – for example, the UK price is £100 lower than the older Asus-only model.
  
  
• ROG Xbox Ally X – $999.99 USD (ERP) in the U.S In the UK, it’s £799.99 GBP. Canada sees it at $1299 CAD. This $1000 price tag makes the Ally X the most expensive “Xbox” device ever (higher than even an Xbox Series X + accessories). 

Has the ROG Xbox Ally’s Build Quality Improved Since the First Model?

*For context: the original ROG Ally (2023) was ASUS’s first Windows 11 handheld before the Xbox co-brand. Early owners widely flagged short battery life and Windows rough edges, along with microSD card reader failures linked to heat: an issue ASUS later acknowledged and opened RMAs for. Let’s see what has changed this time around.

Both ROG Xbox Ally models share an identical physical design, so we’ll discuss them together. ASUS ROG has clearly taken inspiration from the Xbox controller design language to craft these handhelds. 

The chassis has contoured grips on both sides that are much chunkier and more ergonomic than those on competing handhelds. The larger rounded grips fill your palms nicely, so you can play for hours without feeling that usual hand strain.

As for the build quality, it’s excellent, with a sturdier high-quality polycarbonate shell and a matte finish that feels more solid than the first model. There’s even subtle ROG and Xbox co-branding; for example, the back of the device has both the ROG eye logo and the Xbox sphere logo printed. Overall, the devices look sleek and “gamer-y” without being garish. 

How Good Is the ROG Xbox Ally Display and Audio for a 2025 Handheld?

Front and center is the 7-inch touchscreen display. ASUS didn’t go with an OLED, which some enthusiasts might bemoan, but the IPS panel they used is still excellent: 1920×1080 resolution, up to 120 Hz refresh rate, and rated at 500 nits brightness. 

In a handheld, 1080p at 7 inches looks extremely crisp (around 315 PPI), and the high refresh rate means you get to enjoy ultra-smooth gameplay, even with AAA titles. And with the adaptive sync feature, screen tearing and stutter are practically gone.

For audio, you get stereo front-firing speakers enhanced by Dolby Atmos support and Smart Amp technology. They can get decently loud and produce clear sound for handheld speakers, which is great for solo play. However, under full load the device’s cooling fans can also get loud, so for immersion you may prefer earphones like the WaveForm Earbuds for super low latency and dual hybrid drivers for immersive Hi-Fi sound.

Are the ROG Xbox Ally Controls Better This Time?

(Image credit: Tom’s Guide)

The control layout will feel immediately familiar to any Xbox gamer. You have the offset analog sticks, ABXY face buttons with the Xbox color scheme, a responsive D-pad on the left, and View/Menu buttons in Xbox’s usual spots.

There are also some extra device-specific buttons like:

• Command Center for opening ASUS’s quick settings overlay
• Armoury Crate, ASUS’s gaming launcher/tools
• Programmable paddle button on the back that you can map to any input. Super handy for binding, say, reload or jump, so you don’t have to take your thumbs off the sticks. 

The Ally's triggers use Hall-effect sensors that measure pull magnetically instead of through physical contact, which means smooth analog control and no drift over time. On top of that, both models include a six-axis gyroscope for motion controls in supported PC games and emulators. 

How Does the ROG Xbox Ally & Ally X Perform?

The base ROG Xbox Ally is powered by the new AMD Ryzen Z2 A APU with a 4-core/8-thread Zen 4 CPU and integrated RDNA3 graphics. While it’s more efficient, make no mistake: in raw power it’s “definitely on the lower end” for current-gen PC gaming.

The base Ally is more suited for “indie and older AAA gaming” rather than a no-compromises portable for new AAA titles, with the upside of lower power draw and heat. By contrast, the ROG Ally X steps things up with its Ryzen Z2 Extreme APU, an 8-core/16-thread monster with higher clocks and more graphics compute units.

This $1000-dollar handheld delivers impressive FPS for a handheld, playing new titles at 1080p Medium-High settings hitting 60–90 FPS.

ROG Xbox Ally & Ally X: Battery Life 

With great power… comes great battery draw. We have two different battery capacities: 60 Wh in the Ally, 80 Wh in the Ally X. These are actually huge batteries for handhelds. By comparison, Valve’s Steam Deck had a 40 Wh battery. So Asus clearly wanted to improve play time. Officially, they tout excellent battery life on the base model, but haven’t given specific hour counts. So we’re yet to see how they actually perform in practice.

Real-world, how long can you game on these? It heavily depends on what you’re playing and which model. The base Ally, with its efficient 4-core APU, could likely manage 5-7 hours for very light 2D indie games or cloud streaming, maybe ~3-4 hours for older 3D titles, and around 2 hours for modern demanding games on medium settings. 

The Ally X, despite the bigger 80 Wh battery, will draw more power; it might end up with similar or slightly lower runtime on heavy games (possibly 1.5–3 hours on AAA titles), since that Z2 Extreme can pull a lot of watts under full tilt. 

If you want even more longevity, the Energy Pack will triple your playtime with its 10,000 mAh (37 Wh) fast-charging battery that attaches magnetically on the back of your handheld and delivers up to 30W USB-C power. It charges while you play, with no throttling.

Xbox Integration & Software Experience

The smartest move Microsoft made with the ROG Xbox Ally was to stop treating Windows like a laptop interface. When you switch it on, you’re greeted by the Xbox Full Screen Experience, a clean dashboard that feels built for gaming rather than spreadsheets. Everything runs through the joysticks and buttons. Tap the Xbox logo, and an overlay slides in with your library, chats, and quick settings. It feels instant, stripped of the clumsy desktop habits that used to drag Windows handhelds down.

Microsoft also reworked the system behind the scenes. The background clutter that normally eats CPU and memory is gone, and that alone gives the Ally X a clear performance edge. That said, the system keeps its PC roots. You can install Steam, Epic, and any other launcher, mixing your libraries in one place. Game Pass is fully built in, and with xCloud or Remote Play, you can pick up your Xbox games anywhere.

It’s the first time a Windows handheld actually feels like it belongs in the Xbox family. The whole setup feels unorthodox in the best way — familiar but faster, freer, and finally well thought-out.

Can the ROG Xbox Ally Work as a Full Console or PC?

The ROG Xbox Ally isn’t merely limited to handheld use and you can project your games to a bigger screen with a regular USB-C to HDMI cable. All that's left to do is to pick up a controller, and it’ll run like a home console with no extra setup needed. 

Games play at full resolution on the big screen, and performance stays smooth. That said, the upgraded Ally X goes a step further by making lavish use of the Thunderbolt port to connect an external graphics card, the same kind found in gaming desktops. Once it’s docked, you’re essentially running a full gaming PC, only in a smaller, portable body.

If you’re into streaming, the ShadowCast 2 Pro is the perfect companion that hooks up in seconds and mirrors the Ally’s output to your laptop or TV with almost no delay. You can record or go live straight through OBS, all in clean 4K.

What Are Reviewers Saying About the ROG Xbox Ally and Ally X?

Early hands-on reviews for the ROG Xbox Ally and Ally X have been overwhelmingly positive. Reviewers describe the design as “fantastically ergonomic,” with thick grips that make the device surprisingly comfortable to hold. The build feels premium too — sturdy, no creaks, no flex. Performance-wise, the Ally X is the showstopper. 

Tom’s Hardware calls it “the best Windows handheld right now,” noting how the extra RAM and larger battery give it an edge. The base Ally isn’t far behind, roughly matching the Steam Deck but adding smoother visuals and Game Pass support out of the box.

The new Xbox Full Screen mode is another highlight. It makes Windows feel console-like for the first time, which even long-time skeptics appreciate. Noise and heat are noticeable under load, and the lack of OLED draws some complaints, but overall, both devices deliver what Microsoft promised — a true portable Xbox experience at a big price.

Conclusion

The ROG Xbox Ally and Ally X prove that the price stings, but the payoff is worth every cent. Microsoft and ASUS actually listened this time and addressed the common complaints from the 2023 ROG model. Now the collab gives us two seriously powerful handhelds: the standard Ally handles daily play with ease, while the higher-end Ally X feels unrestrained. At this point, nothing else in the handheld space in 2025 even comes close.