Xbox and ASUS Officially Unveil the ROG Xbox Ally and Ally X Handhelds for October 2025 | Pre-orders and Pricing Confirmed

Updated Article: September 26, 2025

That all important pricing is now confirmed and if you’re in the UK, you’ll be looking at the ROG Xbox Ally X costing £799, with the non-X version, the standard ROG Ally X setting you back £499. 

Note, neither version comes with a case, you’ll need to pay extra for that. 

If you’re looking to get your Xbox handheld purchase in, ready to play come October 16th, then go and grab a pre-order right now, from the various retailers Micrososft has buddied up with – again, in the UK you’ve got the option of Asus direct for the bigger Ally X, with Currys and EE handling the standard Ally. 

Let us know which you get. And stay tuned for a review of the ROG Xbox Ally X from us soon. 

Updated Article: August 20, 2025

The ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X handhelds now have a fully confirmed release date.

You’ll get to be able to play your favourite Xbox games, on the go, come October 16th, 2025.

Further, Xbox have also announced the Handheld Compatibility Program, a new Xbox initiative designed to make more games ready to play on your supported handheld.

At launch, players will be able to see handheld compatibility directly in their game library by looking for the “Handheld Optimized” or “Mostly Compatible” badges.

By working with game studios to test, optimise, and verify thousands of games for handheld compatibility, players can jump into games without having to tweak settings, or only requiring minor adjustments.

Games will also feature a Windows Performance Fit indicator to reflect expected performance on their supported device.  

And there will also be additional new features and options to elevate the handheld experience., adding the following in to the handhelds…    

• Advanced shader delivery: A new feature that preloads game shaders during download, so select games launch up to 10x faster, run smoother, and use less battery on first play.  
• New upcoming AI-powered features starting early next year on the ROG Xbox Ally X that enhance play, including: 
• Automatic Super Resolution (Auto SR): A system-level feature that uses the power of the NPU to upscale games running at lower resolutions—delivering high-resolution visuals and smooth framerates across a wide range of games, with no additional changes required from game developers.  
• Highlight reels: AI captures your standout gameplay moments—like epic boss battles or victories—and generates short replay clips for you to share with friends or on social channels  

Original Article: June 9, 2025

We’ve already got a ton of controller options, mostly from the likes of GameSir, but the handheld gaming space is about to get a major new contender, backed by two of the biggest names in the business. But are you ready for the Xbox Ally handheld?

Xbox and ASUS have officially announced a landmark collaboration to release two new handheld gaming devices: the ROG Xbox Ally and the more powerful ROG Xbox Ally X.

Launching this holiday season, these devices are built from the ground up to make the Xbox experience truly portable.

This partnership combines the power of the Xbox ecosystem and the freedom of Windows with the hardware expertise of ASUS’s Republic of Gamers (ROG) division, aiming to create the most seamless handheld gaming experience yet.

More Than a PC, It’s an Xbox Handheld

While built on the Windows 11 platform, these devices are designed to feel like a dedicated Xbox from the moment you turn them on.

The key innovation is the Xbox full screen experience, a new feature optimised specifically for handhelds.

You see, instead of booting to a standard Windows desktop, the device loads directly into a familiar, controller-friendly Xbox interface.

This experience also features an aggregated gaming library, which solves a major pain point for PC handheld users. It brings together all your installed games from Xbox, Game Pass, Battle.net, and other leading PC storefronts into one easy-to-navigate location.

The hardware itself echoes this deep integration. Both models feature contoured grips inspired by official Xbox Wireless Controllers, and a dedicated, physical Xbox button for quick access to chat, settings, and more via an enhanced Game Bar overlay.

Two Tiers of Power: Ally vs. Ally X

Xbox and ASUS are offering two distinct models to cater to different types of players.

• ROG Xbox Ally: This is positioned as the essential handheld, offering great value for both casual players and avid enthusiasts. It’s powered by the AMD Ryzen Z2 A Processor, with 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD.
• ROG Xbox Ally X: This is the ultimate high-performance model for the most demanding players. It features the more powerful AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme processor, an increased 24GB of high-speed RAM, and double the storage with a 1TB SSD. The Ally X also includes immersive impulse triggers for enhanced control in your favourite games.

The Full Specs

Here’s a detailed breakdown of how the two models compare:

The Power of the Ecosystem

This partnership extends beyond just the hardware. For the first time ever, Roblox will be playable natively and optimised for a gaming handheld at launch. Furthermore, Xbox is launching a new program to help players easily identify which games have been optimised for handhelds.

With full support for Xbox Play Anywhere, Xbox Cloud Gaming, and Remote Play, your entire library and progress sync effortlessly. Newcomers to Game Pass who purchase an Ally will also get started at no additional cost, and both devices will feature Gaming Copilot; your personalised AI gaming companion accessible via the Game Bar.

Pricing, specific accessory details, and pre-order dates will be shared in the coming months – and we’ll be sure to bring you them.

For now, there is no doubt that this is a major statement of intent from Xbox and ASUS, signalling a bold new chapter for gaming wherever you are.

You’ll find even more details over on the Xbox News Wire.