Asus and Microsoft have announced the Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X handheld gaming solutions. That’s right we’re finally getting that Xbox handheld. Kind of.
Rather than build their own handheld gaming device Microsoft has gone ahead and done the next best thing, They’ve partnered with Asus to make the new ROG handheld the mainline handheld for gamers looking to buy into the hype. During the weekend’s Xbox Showcase, the pair announced they are building the Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X. The pair of handheld gaming rigs give Xbox gamers something to play in the handheld market and two options that sit apart from their existing handheld market.
Specs
Aside from the internals, which we will get to in a moment, the ROG Xbox Ally X and the ROG Xbox Ally have some distinctive configurations. The Xbox configurations come with contoured grips inspired by Xbox Wireless Controllers delivering all-day comfort. These sit on either side of the 7” FHD (1080P) IPS, 500 nits, 120Hz high refresh rate, and a FreeSync Premium display. This makes much of the experience similar whether you pick on the Xbox customization in black or white.
| Feature | Model 1 | Model 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Operating System | Windows 11 Home | Windows 11 Home |
| Comfort & Input | Contoured grips, impulse triggers, full set of buttons, assignable back buttons, HD haptics, 6-Axis IMU | Contoured grips, Hall Effect triggers, full set of buttons, assignable back buttons, HD haptics, 6-Axis IMU |
| Processor | AMD Ryzen™ Z1 Extreme | AMD Ryzen™ Z1 |
| Memory | 24GB LPDDR5X-8000 | 16GB LPDDR5X-6400 |
| Storage | 1TB M.2 2280 SSD | 512GB M.2 2280 SSD |
| Display | 7″ FHD (1080P) IPS, 500 nits, 120Hz, FreeSync Premium, Corning® Gorilla® Glass Victus™ + DXC Anti-Reflection | 7″ FHD (1080P) IPS, 500 nits, 120Hz, FreeSync Premium, Corning® Gorilla® Glass Victus™ + DXC Anti-Reflection |
| I/O Ports | USB4® + DisplayPort™ 2.1, Thunderbolt™ 4, USB 3.2 Type-C, UHS-II microSD, 3.5mm Audio Jack | USB 3.2 Type-C (2x) + DisplayPort™ 1.4, UHS-II microSD, 3.5mm Audio Jack |
| Network & Communication | Wi-Fi 6E (2×2) + Bluetooth 5.4 | Wi-Fi 6E (2×2) + Bluetooth 5.4 |
| Dimensions | 290.8 × 121.5 × 50.7 mm, 715g | 290.8 × 121.5 × 50.7 mm, 670g |
| Battery | 80Wh | 60Wh |
| Included Accessories | ROG Xbox Ally X 65W charger, Stand | ROG Xbox Ally 65W charger, Stand |
Furthermore, you’ll get a custom version of Windows, that should hopefully cut down on the bloatware, that infests windows currently. Where the two models make themselves stand apart is in the spec. The Ally X version sports the AI Z2 Extreme processor, 16 GB RAM, and 1TB SSD. The ROG Ally is not quite as powerful. That said it’s still an impressive piece of kit. While we don’t have a price for the new hardware yet, keep your eyes peeled because this really does look like it could be a game-changer for handheld gaming, even if it costs significantly more than a Switch 2.
Find out more on the Xbox Website or ROG Websites now.
