ASUS and Microsoft unveil ROG Xbox Ally series PC handhelds
ASUS launches their first Xbox-branded ROG Ally handhelds
Microsoft is changing the worlds of Xbox and PC gaming with ASUS, having unveiled their ROG Xbox Ally series of PC gaming handhelds at their 2025 Xbox Games Showcase. These handhelds will use new AMD Ryzen Z2 series gaming processors, using Zen CPU cores and RDNA graphics to deliver strong gaming performance.
The ROG Xbox Ally will be available in two forms. First, there is the ROG Xbox Ally, and above it is the ROG Xbox Ally X. With the X variant, users will get a stronger processor, faster memory, more storage, and other feature upgrades.
Transforming Windows Gaming
With these new handhelds, Microsoft is launching its new “Xbox Full Screen” experience. Through this, PC gamers will be able to access games from various storefronts with ease. Better still, this mode is optimised for Windows handhelds, minimising background activity to increase battery life, free up memory, and boost game performance. Basically, Microsoft has finally created a useful version of “Game Mode”
ASUS’ ROG Xbox Ally – Powered by AMD
Powering these new handhelds are two new Ryzen Z-series processors. For the ROG Xbox Ally X, Microsoft are using AMD’s Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme processor. For the standard ROG Xbox Ally, Microsoft are opting for AMD’s Ryzen Z2 A chip.
The AMD Ryzen Z2 A is similar to the chip used in Valve’s Steam Deck, featuring RDNA 2 GPU cores and four Zen 2 CPU cores. With the Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme comes 16 RDNA 3.5 GPU cores, eight Zen 5 CPU cores, faster LPDR5-8000 memory, and a 50 TOPS NPU.
Specifications
Below are the specifications of both Xbox Ally handhelds. Both feature a 7-inch screen that is AMD FreeSync Premium Pro certified and supports refresh rates up to 120 Hz. The ROG Xbox Ally X features higher-end specifications with a larger battery, pre-installed storage, USB4 support, and more memory. It is a more powerful handheld that can handle higher-end games than the standard Xbox Ally. That said, the X-series handheld should carry much higher pricing.
| ROG Xbox Ally | ROG Xbox Ally X | |
| OS | Windows 11 Home | Windows 11 Home |
| Processor | AMD Ryzen Z2 A | AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme |
| Memory | 16GB LPDDR5X-6400 | 24GB LPDDR5X-8000 |
| Storage | 512 GB M.2 SSD | 1TB M.2 SSD |
| Display | 7-inch 1080p IPS (500 nits) 120Hz FreeSync Premium Corning Gorilla Glass Victus + DXC Anti-Reflection |
7-inch 1080p IPS (500 nits) 120Hz FreeSync Premium Corning Gorilla Glass Victus + DXC Anti-Reflection |
| I/O Ports | 2x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C 1x UHS-II MicroSD Card Reader 1x 3.5mm Combo Jack |
1x USB 4 Type-C 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C 1x UHS-II MicroSD Card Reader 1x 3.5mm Combo Jack |
| Networking/Communications | WiFi 6E 2×2 Bluetooth 5.4 |
WiFi 6E 2×2 Bluetooth 5.4 |
| Dimentions | 290.8 x 121.5 x 50.7mm | 290.8 x 121.5 x 50.7mm |
| Battery | 60Wh | 80Wh |
| Included | ROG Xbox Ally 65W Charger Stand | ROG Xbox Ally 65W Charger Stand |
Microsoft’s trying to transform PC gaming and Xbox gaming by merging them into a single entity, Xbox PC. Thanks to these handhelds, Microsoft appears to be creating a de-bloated version of Windows 11 that will boost the performance of PC games. The “Xbox Full Screen Experience” is coming, and we can’t wait to see it.
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