Microsoft ROG Xbox Ally, Ally X Finally Revealed - Here's What You Need To Know

The Steam Deck and Deck 2 got some competition now!

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Microsoft ROG Xbox Ally, Ally X Finally Revealed - Here's What You Need To Know

June 9, 2025 – Microsoft has debuted handheld hardware with the ROG Xbox Ally and the beefier Ally X, two Windows-based portables built with Asus. Both machines arrive this holiday and Microsoft has asked fans to wait for the price details a little while longer till release.

A quick glance at the Hardware

  • Display: 7-inch 1080p LCD, 120 Hz, Gorilla Glass Victus.
  • Ally: AMD Ryzen Z2 A, 16 GB RAM, 512 GB SSD, 60 Wh battery, 670 g.
  • Ally X: AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme, 24 GB RAM, 1 TB SSD, 80 Wh battery, 715 g.

Other recent Microsoft news –

What’s Inside the ROG Ally, Ally X?

Microsoft supplies the software brains. The devices boot straight into a full-screen Xbox interface that hides the Windows desktop, hands roughly 2 GB of freed-up memory back to games, and cuts idle power draw to one-third of a normal Windows session.

A short press on the dedicated Xbox button pops up the Game Bar for quick settings. A long press triggers a controller-friendly task switcher that moves between titles in seconds.

The built-in library merges Xbox PC Game Pass, Steam, Battle.net, Epic, GoG, and Ubisoft Connect purchases, marking each title as local, cloud, or remote-play ready. Microsoft is also drafting a badge program that flags games optimized for handheld play.

While more details on the battery are yet to be revealed. However, Microsoft claims joint tuning work among the Xbox, Windows, Asus, and AMD teams will stretch playtime without trading away performance.

Players who already own Asus’s 2023 ROG Ally should see gains too. Microsoft says the same full-screen Xbox shell will roll out to existing Windows handhelds early next year.

Steam Deck and Switch 2 now face fresh competition from hardware that pulls every modern PC game into one launcher while carrying the Xbox brand in big print. Actual demand will become clear when retail pre-orders open, yet Microsoft’s move shows its gaming division has no plan to sit out the portable wave.

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