Microsoft and ASUS have formally announced the ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X, what is likely the first real competition for the Steam Deck.
Every time a new handheld is revealed, certain other news sites seem to clickbait into talking about how they "destroy" the Steam Deck, or they're the real competition or something to that effect. However, they're often with a high price and with a rough Windows experience out of the box. This time, it appears it will be different, since they're officially licensed and branded Xbox units. The first time Microsoft have gone third-party for Xbox like this too.
The big announcement here is that they're coming with a tweaked Windows 11 experience, with a new full-screen Xbox app, which also gets rid of various background Windows processes to make games perform better. In a way, it sounds similar to Gaming Mode on SteamOS - focusing just on the games. So Microsoft are directly addressing the biggest complaint about Windows on handhelds. Although, for now, it will be exclusive to these devices while Microsoft continue to work on it. It also won't play Xbox console games, it is still a PC handheld.
Microsoft have finally woken up and are clearly trying to fight off Valve here considering the ongoing popularity and sales of the Steam Deck.
Tech Specs:
| ROG Xbox Ally | ROG Xbox Ally X | |
| Operating System | Windows 11 Home | Windows 11 Home |
| Comfort & input | Contoured grips inspired by Xbox Wireless Controllers deliver all-day comfort. ABXY buttons / D-pad / L & R Hall Effect analog triggers / L & R bumpers / Xbox button / View button / Menu button / Command Center button / Library button / 2x assignable back buttons / 2x full-size analog sticks / HD haptics / 6-Axis IMU | Contoured grips inspired by Xbox Wireless Controllers deliver all-day comfort, complete with impulse triggers for enhanced control. ABXY buttons / D-pad / L & R impulse triggers / L & R bumpers / Xbox button / View button / Menu button / Command Center button / Library button / 2x assignable back buttons / 2x full-size analog sticks / HD haptics / 6-Axis IMU |
| Processor | AMD Ryzen™ Z2 A Processor | AMD Ryzen™ AI Z2 Extreme Processor |
| Memory | 16GB LPDDR5X-6400 | 24GB LPDDR5X-8000 |
| Storage | 512GB M.2 2280 SSD for easier upgrade | 1TB M.2 2280 SSD for easier upgrade |
| Display | 7” FHD (1080p) IPS, 500 nits, 16:9 120Hz refresh rate FreeSync Premium Corning Gorilla Glass Victus + DXC Anti-Reflection |
7” FHD (1080p) IPS, 500 nits, 16:9 120Hz refresh rate FreeSync Premium Corning Gorilla Glass Victus + DXC Anti-Reflection |
| I/O Ports | 2x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C with DisplayPort™ 2.1 / Power Delivery 3.0 | 1x USB4 Type-C with DisplayPort™ 2.1 / Power Delivery 3.0, Thunderbolt™ 4 compatible |
| 1x UHS-II microSD card reader (supports SD, SDXC and SDHC) | 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C with DisplayPort™ 2.1 / Power Delivery 3.0 | |
| 1x 3.5mm Combo Audio Jack | 1x UHS-II microSD card reader (supports SD, SDXC and SDHC; UHS-I with DDR200 mode) | |
| 1x 3.5mm Combo Audio Jack | ||
| Network and Communication | Wi-Fi 6E (2 x 2) + Bluetooth 5.4 | Wi-Fi 6E (2 x 2) + Bluetooth 5.4 |
| Dimensions | 290.8*121.5*50.7mm | 290.8*121.5*50.7mm |
| 670g | 715g | |
| Battery | 60Wh | 80Wh |
| Included | ROG Xbox Ally 65W charger Stand | ROG Xbox Ally X 65W charger Stand |
Competition is good. But, if the price isn't stupid, it does give me some concerns here for the Steam Deck. Considering Microsoft aren't locking it to the Microsoft Store, allowing other stores to easily be installed, this really could eat into the sales and popularity of the Steam Deck and all of Valve's Linux work for SteamOS and Proton. And as a result, make it even more difficult to get more developers to enable their anti-cheat. The upside though, is that it will force more developers to optimize for smaller screens and gamepads.
Especially so, because this will likely be much more widely available in stores compared to the Steam Deck too. And, we shouldn't underestimate their new partnership with Roblox either as it will "For the first time ever" be "playable natively and optimized for gaming handhelds".
They're even doing a program to highlight compatibility on the devices, for games that have been optimized. So they'll have their own form of the Steam Deck Verified system for it.
I wonder how long it will be until you can put Linux on these devices…
What are your thoughts?
Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
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Pyrate 13 hours ago
On one hand, this is certainly intended to be a threat to the Steam Deck and a counterattack to block any rise of Linux at Windows' expense. And, Microsoft has certainly had quite a bit of success in that department in the past. And, it has the money and the power that should make its actions important and dangerous. There are so many reasons to see this as big news.
But somehow, I feel like Microsoft does not have the organizational and programming mojo any more to pull this off. The killer grifter instinct is diluted through departments and meetings and focus groups and hack marketers. I'm less disturbed than I perhaps should be. I feel like this is Darth Vader planning the pre-meeting meeting to determine the agenda for the future meeting to decide whether and potentially on what timeline to use the Deathstar to destroy Alderaan. The meeting won't decide anything, but Vader will force-choke the guy who forgot to bring doughnuts.
Last edited by Purple Library Guy on 9 Jun 2025 at 9:12 pm UTC
R Daneel Olivaw 12 hours ago
tfk 10 hours ago
sarmad 10 hours ago
Last edited by sarmad on 9 Jun 2025 at 11:22 pm UTC
ElectricPrism 7 hours ago
✕ Microsoft Zune
✕ Microsoft Cortana Speaker
✕ Xbox Kinect
✕ Windows Automotive OS
It's not that there isn't a market for this kind of product, see Steam Deck & Nintendo Switch -- it's just that I don't trust Xbox or even ASUS to craft a compelling product.
My expectations are that it will basically be another "Zune", "The iPod/Nintendo-Switch Killer", it will be good and terrible at the same time. And then get canned once the company decides to do the next round of big layoffs and everyone will forget about it and it will become a N-Gage or Nintendo VirtualBoy.
My expectations are set extremely low, and I expect it to be too expensive to compete with Switch and Deck and to get too hot and overpromise and underdeliver plus a terrible experience mixing shitty desktop gaming dialogs and login screens with a small form factor screen that makes it impractical.
mi1stormilst 45 minutes ago
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