ROG Xbox Ally

The ROG Xbox Ally is a handheld gaming computer and handheld game console[1] co-developed by Asus and Microsoft, and manufactured by Asus as part of the Republic of Gamers (ROG) and Xbox brands. A successor to the Asus ROG Ally, it was released on October 16, 2025.[2]

With the start of pre-orders on September 25, 2025, the prices in the European Union were officially confirmed: €599 (US$599.99) for the standard version (ROG Xbox Ally) and €899 (US$999.99) for the higher-end ROG Xbox Ally X.[3]

History

Images of the device, then known under the codename "Project Kennan" (and referred to by some outlets as the "Asus ROG Ally 2", under the presumption that it was a Microsoft-branded variant of an ROG Ally successor), were leaked by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in May 2025 as part of its certification process.[4][5]

The device was officially unveiled during Microsoft's annual Xbox Games Showcase presentation on June 8, 2025.[6] Prior to the announcement, Windows Central reported that Microsoft had allegedly cancelled a planned first-party Xbox handheld console in favor of focusing on "Project Kennan", as well as optimizations to Windows 11 to better support gaming handhelds.[7][8] The device's marketing featured Hollow Knight: Silksong prominently; the game was available on the device upon launch.[9]

Specifications

The ROG Xbox Ally was released in two models; both models feature AMD Ryzen Z2 APUs, with the low-end Ally featuring a Ryzen Z2 A (a quad-core processor based on Zen 2 microarchitecture with eight RDNA 2 graphics cores), and the Ally X featuring the Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme (an octa-core processor based on Zen 5 microarchitecture with sixteen RDNA 3.5 graphics cores and a neural processing unit).[10] The two models feature 16 GB of LPDDR5 and 24 GB of LPDDR5X RAM respectively, and have 512 GB and 1 TB of internal storage respectively. Both models use a 7-inch, 120 Hz 1080p IPS LCD with variable refresh rate.[11] Use of an OLED screen was considered, but rejected because of concerns for power draw when combined with variable refresh rate.[12]

The devices ship with Windows 11; they are the first Windows devices to support the new Full Screen Experience (FSE) mode that boots the system directly into the Xbox app, without loading the full Windows shell by default.[13] The mode provides a console-like experience with less resource and power consumption, with Microsoft estimating savings of up to 2 GB of memory and a two-thirds reduction of idle power consumption. This mode is a timed exclusive to Asus ROG devices on launch, and will be made available to other Windows-based gaming handhelds in 2026. The Windows user interface also received additional features designed to improve navigation on game controllers, including additional system settings available from Game Bar, controller support on the lock screen, and a new task switcher design.[14][15][16]

See also

• Lenovo Legion Go
• MSI Claw A1M
• Nintendo Switch
• Nintendo Switch 2
• PlayStation Portal
• Razer Edge
• Steam Deck