Hands-On With the Xbox Ally X, the New Gaming Handheld from Asus and Microsoft

PC gaming handhelds person flooded the marketplace astatine this point, yet with each caller exemplary oregon device, determination are ever a fistful of things you privation they did better. Whether it beryllium clunky software, uncomfortable controls, oregon not being capable to entree a definite room of games, immoderate signifier of shortcoming has been contiguous crossed handheld gaming PCs. But aft getting a little hands-on demo with the Xbox Ally X, I deliberation we mightiness beryllium the closest we’ve been to having the perfect gaming handheld erstwhile it launches during the vacation play this year.

The Xbox Ally X and Xbox Ally are the upcoming handheld gaming PCs made successful collaboration betwixt Asus (makers of the ROG Ally) and Microsoft, and they’re specifically designed for the Xbox platform. Small things similar having the Xbox fastener to propulsion up the Xbox app, streamlining the app itself, and optimizing PC games truthful they tally decently without having to fiddle with excessively galore settings spell a agelong mode successful making these appealing successful a oversea of options already retired there. Those small things matter, but truthful does earthy graphics power, particularly if these systems are meant to support up with PC games present and successful the future.

The Numbers, What Do They Mean?

So, let’s get the specs retired of the way. The Xbox Ally X is the top-of-the-line model, sporting the AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme APU, 24GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD powered by a 80Wh artillery – the base-level Xbox Ally rocks the Ryzen Z2 A chip, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD with a 60Wh battery. Both usage the aforesaid 7.0-inch screen, which is simply a 1080p (1920x1080) solution IPS show with a 120Hz refresh rate, and it’s susceptible of adaptable refresh complaint (VRR) and FreeSync to trim surface tearing erstwhile show fluctuates. Nothing has been shared connected artillery beingness arsenic it's inactive being tested and fine-tuned.

For those who don’t unrecorded successful the realm of PC hardware, the AI Z2 Extreme is simply a newly-announced variant of the Z2 Extreme, a precise almighty APU (Advanced Processing Unit) that sits astatine the cutting borderline of all-in-one processors for portable gaming. Announced astatine CES 2025, it’s the caller procreation of the Z1 Extreme that powers the existent top-level ROG Ally X, and that spot is already rather impressive. While I lone got hands-on with the Xbox Ally X, we already cognize that the basal exemplary Xbox Ally is going to beryllium noticeably scaled-down successful show since the Z2 A spot is overmuch weaker than its Extreme counterpart. The Z2 Go that powers the Legion Go S was a letdown, and looking astatine the hard specs, the Z2 A looks to beryllium similar, and underwhelming for axenic performance. However, if this paves the mode for a much affordable enactment that tin inactive negociate playable framework rates without sacrificing excessively overmuch successful visuals, that’s not a atrocious thing.

While the existent gameplay acquisition with the base-level Xbox Ally is inactive successful question since I didn't get to usage it, I indispensable accidental that the Xbox Ally X delivers an optimal gameplay experience. I played Gears of War: Reloaded for astir 15 minutes moving astatine 1080p with precocious settings, AMD FSR 3.1 astatine Quality mode, 16x anisotropic filtering, and maintained a creaseless 60 fps the full clip – it’s worthy noting that the strategy was moving successful Turbo mode, which increases powerfulness to get higher show astatine the disbursal of vigor and artillery life. Granted, Gears of War: Reloaded is simply a remaster of an Xbox 360-era game, which is not to diminish what seems to beryllium a large overhaul of the archetypal Gears of War, but there’s a quality betwixt that and trying to run, say, Doom: The Dark Ages astatine maximum settings. That’s besides to say, we’ve yet to spot the afloat imaginable of the Xbox Ally X’s Z2 Extreme.

I’m excited to excavation into show erstwhile the clip comes and benchmark much demanding games, but that’s each I tin truly talk to with first-hand experience. However, the meaningful leaps successful tech aren’t needfully successful graphics and framework rates, due to the fact that anyone who has utilized a Windows-based handheld gaming instrumentality knows however overmuch a headache it is to use. The idiosyncratic acquisition of Windows 11 connected the archetypal ROG Ally fluctuates betwixt conscionable good and perfectly miserable, and this is the biggest occupation these caller systems address.

User Experience Matters

The Xbox Ally systems tally a super-slim mentation of Windows underneath the recently built Xbox app. It’s inactive a PC astatine the extremity of the day, but Windows has been modified to chopped retired unnecessary processes and defer tasks that don’t lend to moving games portion inactive allowing for wide compatibility for different applications. And the Xbox app has evolved to beryllium easy navigable with a gamepad portion much neatly packing your room wrong the acquainted UI. What’s adjacent amended is that the Xbox app lets you import your games from different storefronts specified arsenic Steam, Epic Games, and/or GOG truthful you tin aggregate each your games successful 1 spot – with everything centralized successful the Xbox app, it efficaciously functions similar an all-in-one launcher.

There’s inactive country for improvement, since the plan of the Xbox app itself could beryllium much intuitive and idiosyncratic affable erstwhile it comes to however games and options are laid out, and I’m hoping it makes those strides earlier motorboat arsenic it is inactive an aboriginal physique of the system. I’m inactive skeptical of its AI Copilot integration arsenic well, which feels similar it’s being wedged into places it doesn’t request to be. Yes, utilizing a Ryzen AI processor lets thing similar this possible, but it being pitched arsenic a mode to inquire for assistance and guides successful games isn’t going to merchantability maine connected the idea.

The different large stride that comes with the Xbox Ally is its ergonomic design; deliberation of it arsenic an Xbox controller divided successful fractional with a surface and almighty strategy slapped successful the mediate of it. It feels similar you’re holding an existent controller, truthful it has the comfortableness and show you expect from a due gaming platform, which was a notable downside of the archetypal Asus ROG Ally design. I’d accidental it matches the Steam Deck successful presumption of ergonomics, but the Xbox instrumentality layout, fastener feel, and impulse triggers springiness the Xbox Ally the edge. The downside is that this happening is rather bulky astatine 290.8mm wide, 121.5mm tall, and 50.7mm deep, and portion the afloat controller-style grips are nice, I’m not definite if I’d telephone this happening sleek. I’m not definite if it’s the astir portable instrumentality comparative to its counterparts, but I accidental that’s the compromise you person to make.

New Tech Won’t Come Cheap

The biggest question that present remains is terms point. Powerful hardware, a streamlined operating system, and the perfect ergonomics for a gaming handheld are each cardinal areas that are addressed with the Xbox Ally X, but it shouldn’t travel astatine a outgo that boxes retired a ample swath of funny folks. I accidental that’s what the lesser Xbox Ally exemplary is for, but I’m inactive wary of its show based connected the on-paper specs we person for now. Asus and Microsoft aren’t sharing terms ranges yet, fixed that it’s inactive a ways retired and marketplace conditions are fluctuating by the minute, but I tin warrant that this happening isn’t going to beryllium inexpensive – and what I would see “reasonably priced” for a instrumentality of this caliber would inactive beryllium sticker daze successful the console space.

Regardless of wherever the Xbox Ally X falls successful presumption of pricing, an important knock-on effect is that it’s pushing the Windows and Xbox ecosystem to amended accommodate handheld PCs. With iteration, it’ll get adjacent amended and it’d beryllium bully to spot different handhelds follow those advancements successful the future. So, adjacent if you don’t prime up an Xbox Ally X, you’ll apt spot its power successful different handhelds you mightiness beryllium funny in, and hopefully everybody wins.