From new games to new hardware, Microsoft‘s Xbox Games Showcase 2025 revealed a bunch of compelling new products.

But for us, the most intriguing announcement was the hardware, even though we own an Xbox Series X console. Finally, Microsoft revealed its highly anticipated handheld console, years after it was first rumored. And not just one, but two handhelds were revealed — the ROG Xbox Ally and the pricier, more powerful ROG Xbox Ally X.

Both devices are being made in partnership with ASUS, a company that has been making handheld gaming products since 2023, with the P56,995 (roughly $1,021 converted) ROG Ally X being its latest offering in the Philippines. Microsoft is targeting a release by the end of the year, though specific market availability and pricing remain unknown. Given their internal specifications and the retail price of the non-Xbox ROG Ally here, they likely won’t come cheap.

The regular ROG Xbox Ally is designed for 720p gaming, while the ROG Xbox Ally X aims for 1080p, or potentially even higher with upscaling. The latter will run on AMD’s Ryzen Z2 Extreme processor, while the Xbox Ally gets the Ryzen Z2A chip. The Ally X packs 24GB of LPDDR5X 8000MHz memory, while the Ally has 16GB LPDDR5X 6400MHz. Storage stands at 1TB on the Ally X, while the standard model offers 512GB.

Visually, the ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X sport a distinctive design that Microsoft claims stick to the same principles as the Xbox Wireless Controller, resulting in hand grips that protrude from the sides rather than being integrated within the main body. They have more familiar Xbox touches, including a dedicated Xbox button that grants players access to chat, apps, and settings through an enhanced Game Bar overlay for quick switching between running apps and games.

Xbox 🤝 @ASUS_ROG

​​Go behind the scenes of how our first handheld came to life: https://t.co/Zp3JBuN6L0 pic.twitter.com/NzuLKqlria

— Xbox (@Xbox) June 8, 2025

The announcement

Both models feature a 7-inch 1080p 120Hz LCD display with FreeSync Premium, but they don’t feature an OLED panel. Protection comes from Corning Gorilla Glass Victus with DXC Anti-Reflection coating.

To be clear, neither of these handhelds are traditional video-game consoles like the Xbox Series S and Series X. They’re not Xbox Series consoles shrunk to (barely) fit in your hands; at their core, these are Windows-based devices built with PC parts, placing them squarely in line with current gaming handhelds like the Steam Deck and ASUS’ own ROG Ally series.

What sets them apart from existing products on the market is that the ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X are going to ship with a stripped-down version of Windows 11, optimized for gaming handhelds and portable play with built-in controls. And while that sounds a lot like SteamOS, the key here is full Windows compatibility with games, essentially allowing you to play PC-native titles, as well as games from your Steam library and other similar platforms. Since this is an Xbox-branded product, expect seamless integration with PC Game Pass, Xbox’s own cloud-streaming service for Game Pass Ultimate subscribers, and remote play for Series console owners.

Viewed through that lens, the ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X are hugely important to Microsoft — perhaps less so from a hardware-sales perspective, but certainly from a software standpoint. These new devices offer a glimpse into the potential future of Windows PC gaming — even if that future currently looks a bit bleak due to competing platforms like Valve’s Steam Deck, much like the broader future of Xbox as a console.

If Microsoft can successfully execute the software integration, it could be a huge win for OEMs like ASUS and potentially entice others to create Xbox-branded handhelds for the Windows platform. That’s a big “if” for now, but we’ll know more in the coming months once Microsoft reveals all the important pricing and availability details about the ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X.

ROG Xbox Ally X specs

• 7-inch IPS display, FHD resolution, 120Hz refresh rate, 16:9 aspect ratio, Corning Gorilla Glass Victus
• ABXY face buttons, shoulder triggers, LR joysticks, D-pad, Xbox button
• AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme Zen 5 APU (8 cores/16 threads)
• RDNA 3.5, XDNA 2
• 24GB LPDDR5X-8000 RAM
• 1TB M.2 2280 NVMe PCIe SSD
• 1x USB-C with DisplayPort 2.1, PD 3.0, Thunderbolt 4
• 1x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 with DisplayPort 2.1, PD 3.0
• microSD card slot
• 80Wh battery
• Microsoft Windows 11 (optimized for gaming)
• Color: Black

ROG Xbox Ally specs

• 7-inch IPS display, FHD resolution, 120Hz refresh rate, 16:9 aspect ratio, Corning Gorilla Glass Victus
• ABXY face buttons, shoulder triggers, LR joysticks, D-pad, Xbox button
• AMD Ryzen Z2A Zen 2 APU (4 cores/8 threads)
• RDNA 2
• 16GB LPDDR5X-6400 RAM
• 512TB M.2 2280 NVMe PCIe SSD
• 2x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 with DisplayPort 2.1, PD 3.0
• microSD card slot
• 60Wh battery
• Microsoft Windows 11 (optimized for gaming)
• Color: White

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