Xbox is getting serious about its "Play Anywhere" promise, with the ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X finally being revealed. And now, Microsoft has its very own gaming handheld — right off the bat of the Nintendo Switch 2.
Being from one of the Big 3 in gaming (Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo), I'd be forgiven for thinking that the Xbox Ally X would be rivaling the Switch 2. I mean, they're both handhelds, after all. But this is a different beast, one that aims to take on the best PC gaming handhelds.
But not just in hardware; the software behind Asus and Microsoft's joint venture is arguably the most important feature to come out of the ROG Xbox Ally. No more Windows 11 holding PC-based handhelds back, like the Lenovo Legion Go S or the Asus ROG Ally X. Now, the new Xbox Experience for Handheld feature brings gameplay to the forefront.
If that sounds familiar, it should. Valve's SteamOS, made popular thanks to the Steam Deck, has been doing this for a while, and it's what made Steam's portable console a win over other handhelds. With the upcoming Xbox overlay set to arrive in the ROG Xbox Ally consoles, though, it's clear Microsoft has Steam in its sights.
How so? Well, the Xbox "full screen experience" won't just be exclusive to the ROG Xbox Ally systems — more handhelds are getting it down the line.
A battle of software
Valve's OS is coming to handhelds outside the Steam Deck, including the Lenovo Legion Go S with SteamOS, but so is the Xbox app — eventually.
As Xbox confirmed to Windows Central and The Verge, the Xbox Experience app will be coming to more PC handhelds and that's a big deal. In fact, it's only exclusive to the Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X until “early 2026," as it will then be coming to more portable consoles, like the Lenovo Legion Go, MSI Claw and more.
“The Xbox full-screen experience will first come to the ROG Xbox Ally and the ROG Xbox Ally X, and our next focus will be updating the in-market ROG Ally and the ROG Ally X,” states Roanne Sones, VP of gaming devices and ecosystem at Xbox. “Similar full-screen Xbox experiences will be rolling out to other Windows handhelds, starting next year.”
Rather than the hardware itself, it's the Xbox UI overlay that will change the scope of Windows handhelds on the market. We've seen how putting SteamOS on a ROG Ally X can not only boost performance, but battery life, too. And for a portable gaming console, those are the two most important factors that can make or break a handheld device.
That's exactly what the Xbox Experience app aims to achieve: "With new modifications that minimize background activity and defer non-essential tasks, more system resources are dedicated specifically to gameplay," Xbox confirms. "That means more memory, higher framerates, and a fully immersive experience for players."
Other perks like getting quick access to all your PC games through the overlay, such as Xbox, Game Pass, Battle.net and, of course, Steam, is hugely welcome. Better yet, just as Steam does, Microsoft is working on a program that can show which games have been optimized for handhelds. So, it won't just be "Steam Deck verified" games anymore, you'll see ROG Xbox Ally, Legion Go S, MSI Claw optimized titles, too.
Just as Steam does, Microsoft is working on a program that can show which games have been optimized for handhelds.
Moreover, you can expect quick access to settings and customisable widgets via Game Bar with a single press of the Xbox button, and since it's still powered by Windows 11, games and mods from other sources are still easily accessible and customizable.
Of course, we'll have to get hands-on time with the Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X to see how Microsoft's new gaming handheld-focused overlay benefits portable systems. But one thing's clear, Xbox finally has a way to compete with SteamOS, and handheld gaming for all is about to get that much sweeter.
Hardware helps, too
The Nintendo Switch 2 may impress with its upgraded internals, including its custom processor from Nvidia, allowing it to play versions of AAA titles like Cyberpunk 2077 made for the system, but the ROG Xbox Ally can play the same PC titles outright — no special versions needed.
PC gaming handhelds have been able to do this for a while, but help from the AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme processor for the Xbox Ally X looks to make it all the more impressive. With Zen 5 architecture, 8 CPU cores, 16 GPU cores, 16 threads, up to 5GHz max boost clock, up to 35 watts for power and RDNA 3.5, this handheld is expected to sing.
The Xbox Games Showcase showed off all the games that will run on ROG Xbox Ally devices, including a claimed 60 FPS at 1080p for Gears of War: Reloaded. But we've also seen how the MSI Claw A8 with the Ryzen Z2 Extreme chip deliver 100 FPS in Lies of P.
Seeing how new titles like Ninja Gaiden 4, Clockwork Revolution and Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 perform will be interesting to see, and I can imagine the base ROG Xbox Ally with its AMD Ryzen Z2 A (Zen 2 architecture, 4 CPU cores/8 threads, 20 watts) will better handle less demanding titles like, say, Hollow Knight: Silksong.
Will the Steam Deck be able to handle these games? Sure, but probably not with comparably higher settings with its custom AMD Zen 2 "Van Gogh" APU. And while the Switch 2 will get a few of what Xbox showed off, like Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade and more (along with its own exclusive titles), the ROG Xbox Ally is set to be a different beast.
A pricier beast?
A huge outlier is the price of Xbox's upcoming handhelds. We know both the ROG Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X will launch this fall, but we haven't heard a peep out of Microsoft or Asus on how much these will cost.
If I had to venture a guess, considering the prices of other recent handhelds, the ROG Xbox Ally will be around $599 or less (similar to the Legion Go S with AMD Ryzen Z2 Go), while the ROG Xbox Ally X could drop somewhere between $799 to $999 (like the MSI Claw 8 AI+ or ROG Ally X).
If I had to venture a guess, considering the prices of other recent handhelds, the ROG Xbox Ally will be around $599 or less, while the ROG Xbox Ally X could drop somewhere between $799 to $999.
That alone sets the handhelds leagues apart from the $449 Switch 2, falling more in line with the pricier $649 Steam Deck OLED. That's all if these predictions are accurate, though, as tariffs are sure to drive up costs more than we'd like to see.
Regardless, while Xbox has finally journeyed into the realm of handheld gaming with its own device, thanks to its partnership with Asus, it's the software behind the ROG Xbox Ally that will finally give Valve's dominance on handhelds a run for its money.
Nintendo may not have to worry about Xbox when it comes to handhelds with its Switch 2, but Microsoft is looking to shake up handheld gaming PCs — all the more reason for a Steam Deck 2 to enter the ring.
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