"For the first time, a player is going to be able to hold the power of the Xbox experience in their hand," explained Xbox president Sarah Bond when announcing the new devices over the weekend.
It's a simple yet compelling pitch that Microsoft has been teasing for some time, with Xbox chief Phil Spencer repeatedly and publicly flirting with the idea of a portable Xbox device. Now, we know the company's first Xbox handhelds will take the form of the ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X.
The former is pitched as an "essential handheld" that will cater to casual players. The latter, meanwhile, is being positioned as a "high-performance handheld" designed for more demanding players.
Both devices will launch during the 2025 holiday season in select markets. Microsoft has yet to reveal how much each device will cost, but confirmed more details covering pre-orders, accessories, and pricing is "coming soon."
ROG Xbox Ally promises the "freedom and versatility of PC gaming" in a portable device
In a lengthy post on Xbox Wire, Microsoft said both the Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X include "next-level features designed for play anywhere."That includes a dedicated Xbox button that will give users quick access to chat, apps, and settings through an enhanced Game Bar overlay; contoured groups crafted using the same design principles as Xbox Wireless Controllers; and accessibility features ported over from Xbox consoles and Windows PCs.
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In terms of software, both devices will run an optimized version of Windows 11 that Microsoft says will combine the "freedom and versatility of PC gaming" with the Xbox experience.
When powered on, the Xbox Ally will boot directly into the Xbox full screen experience—which Microsoft says has been fine-tuned for handheld play.
"With new modifications that minimize background activity and defer non-essential tasks, more system resources are dedicated specifically to gameplay," reads an explainer. "That means more memory, higher framerates, and a fully immersive experience for players—all made possible by the versatility and freedom of Windows."
Users will be able to access their aggregated game library from within that full screen experience, letting them dig into titles from Xbox, Game Pass, Battle.net, and other PC storefronts. Microsoft said it's working with development partners on a brand new program that will help players identify which titles have been optimized for handheld play.
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Notably, the company also revealed that anybody who purchases an Xbox Ally or Xbox Ally X and is new to Game Pass will be able to "get started at no additional cost."
Microsoft shares tech specs but pricing remains a mystery
Under the hood, the Xbox Ally will pack an AMD Ryzen Z2 A processor, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of SSD storage. Microsoft said the base model has been designed to balance performance and power consumption to "maximize battery life without sacrificing gameplay quality."The standard Ally weighs around 670g and also features two USB 3.2 Gen 2 TypeC ports and a microSD card reader.
The Xbox Ally X, meanwhile, features the AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme processor, 24GB of RAM, and 1TB of SSD storage. It also sports impulse triggers for more "immersive play," weighs in at around 715g, and according to Microsoft will be capable of deploying the latest AI features as they're introduced.
Microsoft said the premium console ultimately offers "more for players looking to get the best level of performance and visual settings from their favorite games on a handheld." Both devices feature the same 7-inch 1080p display with a 120Hz refresh rate.
Head on over to Xbox Wire for more information about both devices.
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