In just three years, handheld gaming PCs have evolved from niche hardware geared at the most hardcore gaming fans to a market almost every major player in the gaming business wants a piece of. So it comes as little surprise that Xbox, in the throes of a rebrand centering on player choice and user-friendly flexibility, is the next big player tossing its hat into the handheld PC ring.
After about 45 minutes with the ROG Xbox Ally X, Microsoft’s beefy handheld collaboration with Asus, I can safely say that the two tech giants have succeeded in bringing another excellent option to this growing market. But while the device itself is an enjoyable way to access your Xbox library and beyond, the real measure of its value will be how it stacks up against the numerous options already available.
Microsoft invited me to its store in Times Square to get hands-on time with the Xbox Ally X. The hardware was demoed with the long-awaited Hollow Knight: Silksong, Team Cherry’s Metroidvania set to debut on Game Pass this month. To get the basics out of the way: Silksong plays as excellently as it looks. Smooth, beautiful animations, tight platforming controls, and levels that provided a moody sense of place. I doubt anyone who loved the first game will be disappointed with this follow-up.
It’s very clear why Xbox has chosen Silksong as the showpiece for its new handheld. Its visuals pop on the 1080p screen. The speakers can get surprisingly loud when played without headphones. At just 50 percent volume, Silksong’s soundtrack filled the room. I can’t imagine boosting the sound beyond this point when playing indoors.
Beyond its display and the way this thing sounds, my biggest takeaway was the Xbox Ally’s form factor. As expected, the added controller-like handles are a significant upgrade in comfort. As someone with larger hands who struggles with the Switch 2’s diminutive Joy-Cons, I’m relieved that Asus and Xbox pushed this part of the experience as far as they have. It’s even an improvement over the Steam Deck’s curved grips, which have remained the king of comfort in the gaming handheld space, in my opinion.
Forty-five minutes is far from the multi-hour play sessions early adopters will have when the device launches in October. But it’s worth noting that I didn’t find myself adjusting my hands, stretching my palms and appendages, or even taking a break from holding it. It rested comfortably in my hands the entirety of my demo. It’s a testament to the design of the Xbox Ally X, considering it’s a chunky piece of hardware. According to official specs, the handheld is around 1.5 pounds. While I imagine the Xbox Ally X will be another handheld PC that sucks to play in bed, its weight was barely noticeable to me, sitting at a desk.
Speaking of design, the button layout is fairly standard, save for a few platform-specific changes that tripped me up. The analog sticks are sturdy and responsive, as are the triggers. During tough boss fights, I was able to rapidly alternate directions like a madman with zero issue. The D-pad looks terrible, but it’s satisfyingly clicky and accurate to player input. My only nitpick was the bumpers: They feel a little high up on the shoulder of the unit. However, my Silksong demo didn’t a actually use the buttons in gameplay, so it’s tough to tell if this would be problematic during actual play.
As for the all-important menu buttons, it will take some getting used to. While the standard double-screen “view” and three-lined “menu” buttons are there, they’re placed right underneath two buttons with equally perplexing symbols on them. Three times during my session, I tapped the button above the menu button, which pulled up a sign-in menu that couldn’t be backed out of with a second press. I was only able to go back to the game by tapping the window close button on the screen itself. It’s a minor infraction, as repeated use will get me more acquainted with the handheld’s layout. But four different menu buttons plus an Xbox guide button does feel crowded when it comes time to pause or look at a map in-game.
The little bit that I did get to mess with the console’s user interface was promising. Menu navigation was snappy and didn’t slow down gameplay at all. If Xbox and Asus are serious about competing with Steam, what I got to mess with felt like a great place to start ahead of inevitable tweaks and improvements.
Which brings me to my final point. As much as I enjoyed using the Xbox Ally X, I wasn’t totally blown away based on this limited demo. On the surface, the handheld is a known quantity. It perfectly pulls off its main functionality with flying colors thanks to smart design decisions and cutting-edge hardware. But two deciding factors that will determine whether this is worth players' time are the user experience and price, neither of which we’ll know about for a while.
Outlets like PC Gamer and Tom’s Guide report the new Ally X may be as much as $900. While I understand how both companies can arrive at that price tag (it's an expensive piece of kit with all the bells and whistles), it’s up against some stiff, much more affordable competition. To me, what will make that price tag easier to swallow is an easy-to-customize interface. As a Steam Deck sicko who’s done all sorts of homebrew, emulation, and software experimentation, I find the idea of jumping those same hoops in the much more user-friendly Windows tantalizing. But how that side of the PC experience translates to the new screen remains to be seen. And even then, early adopters are likely to face a few bumps in the road as updates smooth things over.
Is that worth it when the Steam Deck and Switch 2 are infinitely more affordable? Will the Xbox Ally X be worth it when the less powerful Xbox Ally is launching alongside it? We can’t tell this early on. But my 45-minute demo didn’t leave me thinking I had to run out and buy this thing right away.
For now though, there’s no denying the Xbox Ally X is an impressive handheld. It’s powerful, comfortable, and is a perfect extension of the Play Anywhere mantra millions of players appreciate. It doesn’t yet have a hook for players already deep in the handheld trenches. But for those looking to make their first plunge into this growing market, Xbox’s option is shaping up quite nicely.
