The ROG Xbox Ally and the more-powerful ROG Xbox Ally X handheld gaming devices are now available for preorder. They’re set to release October 16, starting at $599.99 and $999.99 respectively. Read on to find out everything you need to know about which one to pick, how much they cost, where they’re available, and more.
There’s a lot to know about these devices. First, let’s establish what they’re not. These are not Xbox consoles in handheld form. You cannot play all of your Xbox console games on them.
They are handheld gaming PCs. That means you can run some of your digital Xbox games on them, particularly if you’re a Game Pass subscriber (for full details about what games you can play on Xbox Ally, see below).
Xbox Ally runs on the Windows 11 Home operating system. But unlike previous Windows-based handhelds, you can put it in a special, pared-down version of Windows, which frees up some compute power to make the games run better.
Beyond the changes to Windows, another major selling point for the Xbox Ally devices is the ergonomics. They have grips that partially come off the screen section, so they feel more like an Xbox controller (my personal all-time favorite controller, for what that’s worth). They also use the Xbox face buttons and stick placement. And there’s an Xbox button to the left of the display, which brings up the Xbox UI overlay while you’re playing games.
Somewhat confusingly for devices with the word “Xbox” on the label, you can’t play your entire Xbox game library on these devices. However, here’s what you can play:
- Digital games labeled “Xbox Play Anywhere”
- Game Pass games (subscription required)
- Xbox Cloud Gaming (subscription required)
- Games on your Xbox Series X|S console via remote play
- Compatible PC games purchased from other storefronts (Steam, Epic Games Store, GOG, etc.)
So you can likely play many games, especially if you’re a Game Pass member. But you can’t play any disc-based games directly (though you can stream them from your console using remote play). And you can’t play any digital games you own that aren’t labeled “Xbox Play Anywhere.”
However, if you own any PC games from storefronts like Steam, Epic, Itch.io, and more, you can likely play many of them on here, since Xbox ROG Ally devices are really Windows gaming PCs at heart.
On the surface, the main difference is that the Xbox Ally is white, while the Xbox Ally X is black. Both devices share the same display, a 7” FHD (1080p) IPS display, 16:9, capable of 500 nits, 120Hz refresh rate, with FreeSync, Gorilla Glass Victus, and DXC Anti-Reflection.
Underneath the shell is where the more significant differences lie. Both devices run on AMD Ryzen Z2 chips, but the Ally X is significantly more powerful. It’s powered by the AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme Processor, while the Ally runs on the AMD Ryzen Z2 A Processor. The Ally X also has more RAM, with 24GB, while the Ally has 16GB. The Ally X comes with a 1TB SSD, which is double the storage of the standard Ally. And the Ally X has an 80Wh battery to run all that powerful hardware, while the standard Ally has a 60Wh battery.
You can see a full comparison of the specs at Xbox. And for a real-world look at the more powerful model, see our Xbox Ally X final preview for more information.
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