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ROG Xbox Ally X: The Ars Technica review
The ROG Xbox Ally offers a Windows-based handheld gaming PC with Xbox's redesigned interface and up to 24GB RAM, setting a new standard despite a high $600 starting price.
- On October 16, 2025, Asus and Microsoft released the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X and rebranded the entry-level Asus ROG Xbox Ally as the first Xbox-branded handhelds.
- The Xbox Full-screen Experience was pitched to replicate console simplicity by layering an Xbox interface over Windows 11, with Microsoft promising improved framerates by minimizing background activity; several features are delayed until early next year or 2026.
- Benchmarks show the ROG Xbox Ally X delivers 42 fps in Cyberpunk 2077 and 76 fps in Forza Horizon 5, with Full-screen Experience gains often under one frame per second.
- Reviewers judged the ROG Xbox Ally X overpriced and said software bugs and navigation annoyances compromised usability, while recent Game Pass price moves reduced Cloud Gaming's appeal.
- Microsoft will release the Full-screen Experience to other Windows gaming PCs sometime next year, with the ROG Xbox Ally serving as a canary in the coalmine for future Xbox hardware.
24 Articles
24 Articles
I just reviewed the Xbox Ally, ask me anything
It’s-a-me, Ally-o. | Photo by Sean Hollister / The Verge Hey! I'm Sean Hollister, and I've been The Verge's unofficial handheld gaming PC reviewer since 2022, when the Steam Deck and kin took over my life. (I also helped launch this website back in the day!) And I've just spent the past week reviewing the Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X, Microsoft's very first "Xbox" handhelds that are built and co-developed by Asus. We're doing a neat new thing wher…
The Best Xbox Ally X and Xbox Ally Accessories Available Now
The ROG Xbox Ally X and Xbox Ally consoles have finally arrived, offering the power and portability of a PC gaming handheld with Microsoft's newly redesigned Xbox interface. Our reviewer liked the ROG Xbox Ally X very much, hailing it the new standard for handhelds moving forward. (We'll be testing the ROG Xbox Ally in the near future too – stay tuned.) While both Xbox Ally models come with a 65W charger and a stand, there are some other clever …
Asus' Latest ROG Ally X Feels Like an Xbox in My Hands
Asus and Microsoft's ROG Xbox Ally X is an impressive update to the Ally X, adding console-style controller grips and a full-screen Xbox interface. The whole package feels like a portable Xbox with maximized performance for handheld play.
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