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One of the bigger announcements from the Xbox Games Showcase today was the reveal of an Xbox handheld device. It had been rumored for a while, though the final product might be a bit unexpected. Called the ROG Xbox Ally, the system is a variant of the already existing ROG Ally, with Xbox buttons and a more controller-type grip. It will run Windows 11, though it will have a more Xbox-themed UI for your games library. As it uses Windows, you'll be able to install Steam, Epic, and whichever launcher you prefer.

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There will be two variants of the handheld, in the form of the ROG Xbox Ally, and the ROG Xbox Ally X. The former will feature an AMD Ryzen Z2 A Processor, with 16GB of DDR5X RAM, 512GB storage, and a 120Hz screen. The more powerful X will have impulse triggers, 24GB of RAM, 1TB of storage, and a USB4 Type C port. The full specs can be seen on the official Xbox website. They'll both be out later this holiday season. Pricing will also be announced later.

Source

 

[RyanTheArchivist]

Alright now how much does it cost? Like if they want to compete they would need to sell his thing at a huge loss.

 

[AngryCinnabon]

I'm definitely getting this just to install Bazzite on it LOL

 

[Cranesbill]

Terrible name

 

[x65943]

After seeing how much better handhelds perform with steam OS, you kinda wonder who would buy such a thing

Full of windows bloat

 

[Chary]

I don't understand who this is for. If you want to game on PC with a handheld, you want a Steam Deck. If you want to stream cloud games you have a phone. If you want to game on Windows, you'll have an ROG Ally already. This is just a more expensive (likely), heavier, skinned Ally.

 

[Marc_LFD]

Terrible name

The original name wasn't any better. ROG Ally? Man, they should have called it the Asus Handheld and in this case... The Asus Xbox Handheld.

Anything is better than ROG Xbox Ally.

 

[AmandaRose]

I wonder if it will end up like the Steam Deck where owners feel the need to tell you in every single thread no matter what it's about that they own a Steam Deck.

 

[MysticStarlight]

How does it compare to the Steam Deck in terms of specs?

 

[Kioku]

Aside from potential ergonomic benefits, this makes no sense. Microsoft teamed up with ASUS to bring us yet another handheld PC. Make it make sense.

I know it’s Microsoft, but this seems like a great device to install Linux on.

 

[Xzi]

Supposedly runs a much lighter version of Windows that doesn't take up as many resources, but will still probably lose out to SteamOS in head-to-head comparisons. Beyond that, as ergonomic as it might be, the thing is just plain ugly. It'll be in the bargain bin the second Steam Deck 2 is announced.

 

[xbmcuser]

Hopefully Microsoft fix windows 11 so it can compete with steam.
Or they may as well leave gaming

Post automatically merged: Jun 8, 2025

Hopefully Microsoft fix windows 11 so it can compete with steam.
Or they may as well leave gaming

 

[jeremy2020]

..but why?

 

[Ondrashek06]

> Windows 11
Lmfao. No fucking thanks when the Steam Deck provides a much better OS.

 

[Bladexdsl]

so it really has nothing to do with xbox it's just a rog ally with a new skin

 

[BlusterBong]

How does it compare to the Steam Deck in terms of specs?

Luckily for you, they gave us the specs in the announcement post.

So, nothing you couldn't get from even a laptop already.

Supposedly runs a much lighter version of Windows that doesn't take up as many resources, but will still probably lose out to SteamOS in head-to-head comparisons. Beyond that, as ergonomic as it might be, the thing is just plain ugly. It'll be in the bargain bin the second Steam Deck 2 is announced.

I doubt it'd really "Lose Out" that much simply because it's using Windows, and therefor runs the games and applications natively and there's way less setting fiddling than with Linux. Sure, the gaming side of it's getting better (not as much as what the big youtubers online say), but on the general PC side of things, Wine and Valve's fork of it are still quite far behind with how many apps are on the lower end of the compatibility spectrum where some versions of the same software are a crapshoot if they work or not, But it's not like you'd be losing out from whatever version of Windows they ship compared to a custom Windows 11 mod.

 

[AlphaBravo]

We need new battery technology not yet another portable handheld. MS will probably support this device for a year tops

 

[CMDreamer]

One thing I must grant to MS and ROG, this device is not as ugly as the Steam Deck.

 

[Reploid]

SONY's new vita or whatever will be a handheld pc too, I wonder

 

[DinohScene]

Gamepass on the Go (tm)

Now slightly more first party.