US EditionROG Xbox Ally X: The Ars Technica review
The ROG Xbox Ally offers a Windows-based handheld gaming PC with Xbox's redesigned interface and up to 24GB RAM, setting a new standard despite a high $600 starting price.
- On October 16, 2025, Asus and Microsoft released the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X and rebranded the entry-level Asus ROG Xbox Ally as the first Xbox-branded handhelds.
- The Xbox Full-screen Experience was pitched to replicate console simplicity by layering an Xbox interface over Windows 11, with Microsoft promising improved framerates by minimizing background activity; several features are delayed until early next year or 2026.
- Benchmarks show the ROG Xbox Ally X delivers 42 fps in Cyberpunk 2077 and 76 fps in Forza Horizon 5, with Full-screen Experience gains often under one frame per second.
- Reviewers judged the ROG Xbox Ally X overpriced and said software bugs and navigation annoyances compromised usability, while recent Game Pass price moves reduced Cloud Gaming's appeal.
- Microsoft will release the Full-screen Experience to other Windows gaming PCs sometime next year, with the ROG Xbox Ally serving as a canary in the coalmine for future Xbox hardware.
16 Articles
16 Articles
The Best Xbox Ally X and Xbox Ally Accessories Available Now
The ROG Xbox Ally X and Xbox Ally consoles have finally arrived, offering the power and portability of a PC gaming handheld with Microsoft's newly redesigned Xbox interface. Our reviewer liked the ROG Xbox Ally X very much, hailing it the new standard for handhelds moving forward. (We'll be testing the ROG Xbox Ally in the near future too – stay tuned.) While both Xbox Ally models come with a 65W charger and a stand, there are some other clever …
Asus' Latest ROG Ally X Feels Like an Xbox in My Hands
Asus and Microsoft's ROG Xbox Ally X is an impressive update to the Ally X, adding console-style controller grips and a full-screen Xbox interface. The whole package feels like a portable Xbox with maximized performance for handheld play.
I have analyzed the ROG Asus Ally X, the most powerful version of the first Xbox laptop: its great power leaves no doubt, but Windows 11 does not convince at all.
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