ROG Xbox Ally Hands-On Preview: A Cool but Crash-Prone Luxury

When whispers originally arose claiming that Xbox was working on a handheld, they were met with irrefutable excitement. I can’t exactly say that excitement was matched when the handheld was indeed revealed to be the ROG Xbox Ally, a team-up with third-party partner ASUS. First unveiled at this year’s Xbox Showcase, the ROG Xbox Ally and more-powerful ROG Xbox Ally X are essentially ASUS’s familiar ROG Ally with somewhat of an Xbox overlay. They’re far more akin to a handheld PC than they are a handheld console.

I’ll be honest, they’re not something that immediately caught my eye following that initial reveal so I was intrigued to discover what my reaction might be following a hands-on appointment with both iterations of the handheld at this year’s Gamescom. I have to say, there’s a lot to like about both the ROG Xbox Ally and Ally X but it’s really hard to shake off the feeling that they’re anything other than a complete and utter luxury.

I want to make it clear exactly what it is you’re getting with the ROG Xbox Ally and Ally X as this isn’t quite an Xbox on-the-go. Both versions of the handheld provide users with access to the Xbox hub as well as Steam and other major PC storefronts, and that’s certainly an enticing prospect. The only drawback here is that the ROG Xbox Ally and Ally X aren’t capable of downloading every game from your Xbox, something I’m imagining many are assuming may be the case. Only titles that are PC cross-platform / ‘Play Anywhere’ will be available on the handheld duo and even then, the ROG Xbox Ally and Ally X are perhaps more geared towards remote play and cloud gaming than they are downloading titles, although they are capable of the latter.

Many titles are widely available on both Xbox and PC so you’re likely going to find that you can access the vast majority of the games you’d like to on the ROG Xbox Ally and Ally X, but this still warrants highlighting. If you take Grand Theft Auto VI, for example, a game currently only slated for an Xbox and PlayStation release, it won’t then be playable on the ROG Xbox Ally or Ally X.

Even if a title is already available on PC, that also doesn’t automatically guarantee it’ll be smooth sailing running it on the ROG Xbox Ally and Ally X. PC titles are made with full-scale PC displays in mind, not handhelds. Thankfully, this is something developers of the handheld, both from Microsoft and ASUS, are actively looking at. I was told during my hands-on that comprehensive compatibility testing is underway and to date, 85% of the PC games tested on the ROG Xbox Ally and Ally X have indeed been compatible. As for the remaining 15%, the co-operation of those titles’ original developers may then be required to get them optimally working, and you can’t necessarily guarantee an interest there.

ROG Xbox Ally and Ally X, Credit / Microsoft

As well as streaming or accessing games from your Xbox library, the ROG Xbox Ally and Ally X will also come fully-fitted with Game Pass so you can readily enjoy all that the PC tier has to offer, provided you have a subscription and titles are compatible. What I can say is that switching between Steam, the Xbox library, and Game Pass on both the ROG Xbox Ally and Ally X felt pretty fluid in terms of ease of navigation. The base ROG Xbox Ally noticeably lagged behind its more powerful counterpart, however, but not obtrusively so. I can’t really fault the layout of the device as it’s all very intuitive and user-friendly.

As for the quality of what you can play, I can’t criticise that too much either. On the base ROG Xbox Ally, I sampled Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4 while on the Ally X, I tried out Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. I didn’t notice a drop in quality in either game compared to their console counterparts. It’s then especially promising that both the ROG Xbox Ally and Ally X will soon make use of Automatic Super Resolution upscaling which is set to debut in early 2026. What did, rather notably, seem clear to me is that closing a title and returning to the game’s hub to load up something else could cause a crash. That happened on several instances.

When it comes to comfort, I’m full of praise. Both versions of the handheld felt nice to hold, boasting an ergonomic design coupled with a reasonable weight. I also admired that developers are still striving to improve what the handhelds have to offer. For example, based on early feedback, a docked mode is already being looked at so that, in the future, you might be able to sit back and pair your ROG Xbox Ally or Ally X with a controller, much like you can with a Nintendo Switch.

Mention was also made of an AI-driven highlight reel feature that’ll essentially capture any in-game feat the AI deems noteworthy, allowing you to relive your most impressive boss battles or victories. It's set to debut in early 2026 and while it’s not a total game changer, it is something that struck me as cool and unique.

While Microsoft is yet to confirm pricing, it’s not difficult to estimate just how much the ROG Xbox Ally and Ally X may cost. ASUS’s base model ROG Ally retails for £599.99 with the Ally X coming in at £799. It’s perhaps then not wrong to assume that the additional Xbox features could land the two consoles in the ballpark of £700 and £900, respectively. I must stress, though, this is my personal speculation and I could be wrong.

Regardless, these devices won’t be cheap or even reasonable, and it’s here that I really struggle to gel with them. Let’s step back and compare the ROG Xbox Ally and Ally X to an Xbox Series S, an entry level Xbox which retails for £299. Can I game on the move with an Xbox Series S? No. Can I access Steam or other popular PC storefronts? No. Is gaining both of those features on the ROG Xbox Ally or Ally X worth what’s likely going to be an additional £300 to £500 on top of that Series S price? I’m personally leaning towards no but, of course, each to their own.

It’s clear that the ROG Xbox Ally and Ally X are user-friendly and innovative, and I implore the tech-savvy amongst you to go and read up on their specifications. If you want a detailed analysis on that, I’m not your person, but I can offer the perspective of someone who just simply loves gaming - and it’s with that in mind that while the ROG Xbox Ally and Ally X are shaping up to be impressive gaming handhelds, they ultimately feel like total luxuries I’m unsure will appeal to all.

The ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Ally X are scheduled to be released on 16 October.