I think we’ve finally got the full Xbox handheld we’ve been waiting for

At its Xbox Showcase Microsoft finally revealed an Xbox handheld console as has been long rumoured. It turns out that it’s been working with Asus on the project, no stranger to handhelds itself with its ROG Ally line.

The new handheld comes hot on the heels of the Nintendo Switch 2 and is clearly more Asus than Microsoft on the hardware side. It’s even branded ROG Xbox Ally to place it alongside the other Asus handheld devices rather than seeming an outlier product.

The device will be available in time for the holidays – I’d expect an October launch. A price hasn’t yet been shared and I wouldn’t expect this until much closer to the launch date. Microsoft says there will also be compatible accessories coming as well and there will be a pre-order which you can register interest for.

There are two versions of the 7in handheld, too – a white ROG Xbox Ally model designed for HD 720p and a black ROG Xbox Ally X model that has more powerful specs and is capable of Full HD 1080p. Both boast a 120Hz variable refresh rate (VRR).

Both use a new full-screen Xbox interface that’s based on Windows – but you wouldn’t know it as it appears that Microsoft has tried to ensure the complexities of Windows are kept in the background. That’s easier said than done and we’ve seen some frustrating clunkiness on previous Microsoft tablet and phone devices based on Windows. Let’s hope it does a better job this time around.

Naturally you will be able to download games from various stores and you can also play natively, via the Xbox Cloud Gaming or remotely from your main Xbox console in another room.

Microsoft says the Xbox Ally is designed for more casual gamers, while the Ally X is “the ultimate high-performance handheld, built for the most demanding players.”

Both handhelds run on AMD hardware, with the Xbox Ally being powered by the Ryzen Z2 A Processor teamed with 16GB of memory and 512GB of storage. The Xbox Ally X has the beefier Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme plus 24GB of memory for more demanding games. The Xbox Ally X also features impulse triggers, too.

Xbox Experience for Handheld, based on Windows

So what’s un the software? It’s called Xbox Experience for Handheld and as I mentioned, it has a full screen Xbox interface. It is very much Windows in the background but Microsoft says that “new modifications minimize background activity and defer non-essential tasks, more system resources are dedicated specifically to gameplay.”

The Game Bar is the key element of the interface, making it “easy to return home, browse your library, launch or quit games, chat with friends, open apps, adjust settings, and more.” Gaming Copilot will also be a virtual assistant on the platform.

Windows does mean you can access other apps, too, with access to whatever store you want, apps like Discord and Twitch as well as access to Asus Armoury Crate for in-depth configuration options. Downloads from various stores are aggregated together in your library and you can naturally access stacks of games from Game Pass.

There are several ‘Xbox touches’ on the consoles too including contoured grips, accessibility features and naturally the Xbox button.

ROG Xbox Ally specs compared

At launch Microsoft says the Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X will be available in Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States.