Xbox Ally: The ASUS ROG Handheld Set to Rival Steam Deck

Announced during the Xbox Games Showcase at Summer Game Fest 2025, the ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X are finally here. Discover all the latest details on these exciting new handhelds.

Xbox Ally Unveiled in Asus ROG Partnership at SGF 2025

Launching Later This Year

At the Xbox Games Showcase 2025, Microsoft surprised fans by revealing two new portable devices co-developed with Asus: the Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X. These handhelds are designed to merge the Xbox ecosystem with Windows gaming into a streamlined, console-focused experience. A standout moment from the presentation featured a live demo of Hollow Knight: Silksong running on one of the devices, confirming its playable status and sending waves of excitement through the audience.

Born from the Microsoft-Asus collaboration known internally as Project Kennan, both devices share a core mission: to deliver a unified, intuitive interface built for handheld play. They boot directly into a full-screen Xbox dashboard, putting your entire library—from Xbox Game Pass and Steam to the Epic Games Store and Battle.net—right at your fingertips.

The white Xbox Ally model is positioned as the more accessible option, targeting smooth 720p gameplay. It's powered by AMD's new Ryzen Z2 A processor, paired with 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM and a 512GB SSD.

In contrast, the black Xbox Ally X is the premium powerhouse, aiming for 900p to 1080p resolutions. It features AMD's Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme chip—complete with a capable NPU—alongside 24GB of high-speed RAM and a 1TB SSD. Both variants showcase their games on a vibrant 7-inch 1080p 120Hz display.

Microsoft's Shawn Yen highlighted the team's focus on efficiency as their driving principle. The Ally X comes equipped with a substantial 80Wh battery, one of the largest ever seen in a handheld, while the standard Ally features a 60Wh battery—a 50% increase over the original ROG Ally. This, combined with a lean, optimized version of Windows 11 that cuts background tasks, aims to deliver extended battery life and consistently smooth performance.

The live Hollow Knight: Silksong demo was arguably the presentation's biggest moment, met with audible excitement from the online crowd. With robust hardware, a console-grade interface, and major titles like Silksong confirmed, the handheld PC market is heating up. The competition is officially on, Steam Deck.