Microsoft has formally introduced the discharge date for its handheld gaming PCs, the ROG Xbox Ally and certainly the much more bemusingly named ROG Xbox Ally X. Each gadgets shall be accessible on October 16, however maddeningly, we nonetheless don’t know a worth. Nevertheless, we’ve got realized that the moveable gaming machine goes to function its personal equal of Valve’s Steam Deck verification system.
Microsoft and ROG’s team-up is a type of stop-gap try at a transportable Xbox, an idea Microsoft has recently be touting in ambiguous terms. This crossover with the already in style ROG Ally Home windows 11 machine sees the gadget rebranded with Xbox buttons and, extra importantly, with a brand new UI that ought to make it moderately easy to play your Recreation Cross, GOG, and Steam video games on the subway.
Right now, Microsoft has made its launch date official, declaring that on October 16 we’ll be capable of pay money for each fashions, with pre-orders due “in the coming weeks.” Regardless of this, we nonetheless don’t have a worth for both mannequin. Nevertheless, rumors concerning the potential price proceed to seem—see beneath.
The present ROG Ally comes with an AMD Ryzen Z1 processor, and prices $650. Nevertheless, the essential Xbox model shall be a step up, that includes the brand-new Ryzen Z2 with “four Zen 2 cores with eight threads and eight RDNA 2 GPU cores,” which positive seems like lots of threads and cores. It’ll even have 16GB RAM and a 512GB SSD (which isn’t near sufficient–that’s like two Calls of Responsibility). In the meantime, the Ally X will beef that as much as an AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Excessive, which as you possibly can see each has AI and is excessive. It options “a new 8‑core/16‑thread Zen 5 APU with 16 RDNA 3.5 GPU cores and an integrated 50 TOPS NPU,” and let’s all faux we all know what meaning and really feel impressed. It additionally bumps the RAM as much as 24GB, and presents a 1TB SSD for as much as 4 Calls of Responsibility at a time.
Xbox Ally has its personal improved tackle “Steam Deck Verified”
When Valve’s Steam Deck launched, the corporate tried to create a system, referred to as Steam Deck Verified, that’d let homeowners know if a sport on Steam was probably to have the ability to run on the hand held. It’s been sort-of helpful through the years, though too typically compromised by some video games getting “Verified” standing regardless of requiring super-low settings. It’s much less and fewer helpful nowadays, however then the Steam Deck is getting old out. Microsoft is trying one thing comparable for the ROG Xbox Ally, with a system referred to as the Handheld Compatibility Program, which the corporate says will “optimize thousands of PC titles for handheld compatibility” to “ensure day-one users have the best experience possible.” The system’s labels could have two tiers, “Mostly Compatible” and “Handheld Optimized.”
“Handheld Optimized means that the game is ready to go—with default controller inputs, an intuitive text input method, accurate iconography, clear text legibility, and appropriate resolution in full-screen mode. Mostly Compatible means that the game may require minor in-game setting changes for an optimal experience on handheld.”
One other neat function is that the gadget will preload shaders whilst you’re downloading a sport, so that you received’t have to take a seat by way of a minutes-long loading bar the primary time you launch a sport after you already thought it was prepared. The AI is getting used for upscaling antics, and for the extra dubious-sounding “Highlight Reels,” the place it’ll seize what it considers to be “standout gameplay moments” and create shareable clips. It’ll be enjoyable to see what nonsense that generates.
Microsoft says they’ve already acquired Gears of Warfare: Reloaded operating on the brand new handheld, which is a formidable boast.
Value rumors are already on the market
In response to an IGN report, Microsoft says it might probably’t announce costs but due to “macro-economic conditions,” which is a daring declare contemplating the discharge date is in lower than two months. You may assume the gadgets are already constructed at this stage, so the associated fee is just not going to shock the company. Clearly implying that Trump’s tariff jazz is an element, an ASUS rep instructed IGN, “I think we will have to…we need more time to figure the macro-economic impact to pricing, and that’s why we’ll be sharing more later, in September and October.”
Dependable leaker billbil-kun is claiming to have the figures, nonetheless, stating the common ROG Xbox Ally shall be $549.99, whereas the ROG Xbox Ally X shall be a mighty $899.99.
🚨 PRICING ALERT 🚨
Listed below are the ultimate costs of Xbox Handheld consoles in USD:
🔸 ROG Xbox Ally: 549.99 USD
🔹 ROG Xbox Ally X: 899.99 USD pic.twitter.com/8sz1DKGFY7— billbil-kun (@billbil_kun) August 20, 2025
$550 does appear low for the essential model, given the present ROG Ally is $650 and runs on an older technology of tech. Nevertheless, it’s attainable that Microsoft may very well be consuming lots of the prices to get the hand held on the market and aggressive. The corporate is claimed to have by no means made a single cent from the sale of Xbox consoles, as a substitute counting on software program and subscription gross sales to make up for the losses. Given the ROG Xbox Ally will primarily be a transportable Xbox retailer, it’s very attainable the corporate shall be trying to make its cash by way of gross sales, and naturally the Recreation Cross Premium subscriptions that’ll make the machine worthwhile. On the identical time, critical PC gamers will acknowledge that 16GB RAM is on the very lowest finish of what’s helpful nowadays, so shall be tempted to lean towards the far dearer Ally X to get that 24GB RAM and its significantly quicker innards.
Given Microsoft and ROG will desire a respectable runway for pre-orders forward of launch, it does appear barely unlikely that we’ll not get an official worth earlier than October. Anticipate that to seem in a few weeks, I’d reckon.
