Xbox is officially entering the handheld arena with two new portable consoles: the ROG Xbox Ally and the ROG Xbox Ally X. Revealed during the Xbox Games Showcase and built in partnership with ASUS, both devices boot straight into the Xbox experience. They’re basically a revamped of the ROG Ally, but now with an Xbox button that lets you access the Game Bar, chat, settings and apps — similar to how the Steam Deck handles UI.
You’ll be able to access your game libraries across Xbox, Game Pass, Battle.net, GOG and other storefronts thanks to Xbox Play Anywhere, and both models have the same slick, contoured grip design inspired by official Xbox controllers.
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If I was already deep in the Xbox ecosystem, this would be a no-brainer — especially since the base model comes in white (aesthetics matter). But if you’re after a real spec boost and don’t mind sticking with black, the ROG Xbox Ally X has a lot going for it under the hood.
ROG Xbox Ally X
This handheld is designed to appeal to the serious gamer, but unfortunately only comes in one colourway.
- Processor: AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme
- RAM: 24GB LPDDR5X-8000
- Storage: 1TB
- Display: 7″ IPS touchscreen, 120Hz refresh rate, FreeSync Premium
- Glass: Corning Gorilla Glass Victus + DXC Anti-Reflection
- Ports:
- 1 x USB4 Type-C (DisplayPort 2.1 / Power Delivery 3.0, Thunderbolt 4 compatible)
- 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C
- 1 x UHS-II microSD card reader
- 1 x 3.5mm combo audio jack
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi 6E + Bluetooth 5.4
- Weight & Size: 715g / 29.08 x 12.15 x 5.07cm
- Battery: 80Wh
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ROG Xbox Ally
This Ally comes in white, but has slightly less storage, IO ports, and battery, and no impulse triggers compared to the Ally X.
- Processor: AMD Ryzen Z2 A Extreme
- RAM: 16GB LPDDR5X-6400
- Storage: 512GB
- Display: 7″ IPS touchscreen, 120Hz refresh rate, FreeSync Premium
- Glass: Corning Gorilla Glass Victus + DXC Anti-Reflection
- Ports:
- 2 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C
- 1 x UHS-II microSD card reader
- 1 x 3.5mm combo audio jack
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi 6E + Bluetooth 5.4
- Weight & Size: 670g / 29.08 x 12.15 x 5.07cm
- Battery: 60Wh
There’s no pricing or release date just yet, but Xbox says we can expect them in Australia before Christmas (woohoo). Considering the regular ROG Ally X goes for $1,599, we can expect that as the baseline — ouch. The white Xbox Ally should come in cheaper, but you’re still looking at over $1,000.
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Still, when you compare the specs to what’s expected from the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2, Xbox’s handhelds are looking like serious contenders for this year’s big-ticket gift. You can sign up here to be notified when pre-orders are available.
