Handheld gaming consoles are all the rage right now. With the launch of the Nintendo Switch 2, the success of Valve’s Steam Deck and the rise of portable PCs, it’s no wonder Microsoft is about to enter the space.
Microsoft first announced the ROG Xbox Ally at its annual Xbox Games Showcase in June, where it showed off the entry-level ROG Xbox Ally and the more premium ROG Xbox Ally X, developed in partnership with Asus. More recently, on 20 August, the gaming giant announced at Gamescom that both handhelds will launch worldwide this October. Now, pre-orders are live at Asus and many major retailers in the UK, which means you can secure it ahead of its release next month.
Here’s everything you need to know about the Xbox ROG Ally and Xbox ROG Ally X, from pricing to specs.
Where to pre-order the ROG Xbox Ally now
On 20 August, Microsoft announced that the Xbox ROG Ally and Xbox ROG Ally X will be released on Thursday 16 October. Pre-order links have now gone live, either on Asus or UK retailers. The ROG Xbox Ally X is currently available to pre-order direct from Asus, while the ROG Xbox Ally can be pre-ordered at a range of retailers in the UK, including those listed below.
ROG Xbox Ally price
The ROG Xbox Ally is priced at £499.99 ( Asus.com), but you can find it for slightly less at UK retailers, including Very, AO and Currys, where it’s £499. AO is also offering a £25 discount for AO members, which brings the price down to £474. The more expensive ROG Xbox Ally X console price has also been confirmed as £799.99.
In terms of its RRP, the ROG Xbox Ally is more expensive than the Xbox Series X (£493.48, Amazon.co.uk) home console, but in line with the existing Asus ROG Ally device (£449.99, Amazon.co.uk), on which the upcoming Xbox handheld is based.
Rog Xbox Ally design and features
As well as an Xbox button, the ROG Xbox Ally gets longer, contoured hand grips that more closely resemble the Xbox controller. It also gets the Xbox controller’s impulse triggers, a pair of custom-built rumble motors located inside the shoulder buttons that deliver more realistic haptic feedback.
Handheld gaming PCs have rocketed in popularity in recent years, with the Steam Deck among the most successful examples of the form factor. Like the Steam Deck, the ROG Xbox Ally promises better performance and efficiency by skipping the resource-gobbling Windows operating system and booting into its own dedicated interface. The redesigned Xbox app is more handheld-friendly and acts like a library for your entire PC games library, including games from other storefronts.
Because it’s basically a portable PC in disguise, the ROG Xbox Ally will support third-party PC apps like Discord and even rival storefronts like Steam, Epic Games and GOG, so your entire PC gaming library will be playable on the new Xbox handheld.
ROG Xbox Ally X specs
The more powerful ROG Xbox Ally X is designed for 1080p gaming and runs on the AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme with 24GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. The entry-level ROG Xbox Ally targets a more modest 720p and uses a new AMD Ryzen 2A processor with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. Both use the same display found in the existing ROG Ally hardware, a 7in, 1080p screen with a 120Hz refresh rate and VRR support.
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ROG Ally X: £799, Currys.co.uk
The upcoming ROG Xbox Ally X is based on the current ROG Ally X from Asus, which you can buy right now if you don’t fancy waiting around for Microsoft to stick a new button on it. One of the best handheld gaming PCs available today, it pairs a powerful AMD Ryzen Z1 processor with a whopping 24GB of RAM and an efficient cooling system to deliver high-end gaming PC performance in a portable form factor.
As it’s essentially a tiny PC, you can launch the Xbox app as you would on your laptop or desktop to access your digital games library and stream games via the cloud using your Game Pass subscription. Microsoft promises that the Xbox-branded ROG Ally X will deliver better performance and battery life thanks to its streamlined Xbox interface.
Steam Deck: £349, Steampowered.com
Valve’s portable is the best budget handheld gaming PC you’ll find, untethering your Steam games library from the desktop to let you play anywhere you like. While more recent handheld gaming PCs have outpaced the Steam Deck in terms of specs, display and performance, the console’s price drop to just £349 makes it hard to ignore.
Still more than powerful enough to play older titles, mid-range and indie games, the Steam Deck can handle recent releases without too much choppiness. There’s a newer model with an OLED display (£479, Steampowered.com), but the £130 premium places it in competition with more powerful handhelds like the ROG Ally.
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