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 accessories available that'll let you get the most out of your new gaming machine. From storage upgrades to protective cases and useful docks, we've rounded up the best accessory options available right now.
We've been testing PC gaming handhelds like the Xbox Ally consoles for years, so we've got some good baseline recommendations for some of the most important accessory categories ready to go for launch – and we'll keep this article updated with our latest picks as we get new gear in for testing. But if you're itching to stock up on extras ASAP, these are the accessories we can vouch for with confidence.
More graphically intensive games often come with hefty storage requirements that can soon outstrip the 512GB built into the Ally or 1TB built into the Ally X, but it's simple to add more storage using great value MicroSD cards. We've restricted our recommendations to cards that meet the A2 standard, as this is a good indicator of reasonable loading time performance. MicroSD cards are now available in sizes up to 2TB, with Samsung, SanDisk and PNY all represented amongst our picks.
As well as inserting a MicroSD card, you can also upgrade the high-speed NVMe SSD built into the 512GB ROG Ally and 1TB Ally X with a bigger alternative. Asus has opted for a full-size (2280) socket here, so you're not limited to the physically smaller 2230 standard as was the case on the original ROG Ally and Valve's Steam Deck. We've opted for PCIe 4.0 drives that offer a healthy storage increase over the default drives, while also balancing price and performance.
As the Xbox Ally X and Ally share screens with the earlier Asus ROG Ally and Asus ROG Ally X, plenty of screen protector options are available. The DBrand tempered glass screen protector remains our top choice for its overall quality and idiot-proof application, but you've got plenty of cheaper alternatives to pick from should you prefer to stay under $10.
The Xbox Ally handhelds are designed to be played wherever, so we've selected a quartet of headsets that are also fully mobile. The Arctis GameBuds are our top pick, offering low-latency and high-quality USB-C or Bluetooth audio in a convenient pocketable package, but you could also consider full-size options that are cheaper (the wired HyperX Cloud III) or more expensive (the on-ear Turtle Beach Atlas Air wireless headset and the luxurious Arctis Nova Pro Elite). In general, the more you expect to play these consoles on the go, the more we'd recommend a headset that is light, wireless, and has great ANC.
Cases are one of the more model-specific categories, so it's slightly slim pickings at present. That said, these are the best options available thus far, including a classic Tomtoc case that we've used and recommended for other gaming handhelds and a rare bespoke case from CoBak.
Battery life is always going to be a concern on the Xbox Ally handhelds, even with the improvements found in the new streamlined version of Windows they sport – and their modern AMD Ryzen Z2 series processors. Having a portable charger on hand can go some way to alleviating battery life anxiety though, with this particular example from Anker giving you an extra 20,000mAh to play with. That should pretty much double your expected battery life, and with up to 65W of output to a single port, the console will recharge even if you're playing a graphically demanding game at the same time.
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