The wait is over. Xbox has officially announced the launch of its first portable console in collaboration with ASUS. Since the beginning of the year, several rumors about this collaboration had been circulating, and finally, the leaked information turned out to be true. This puts an end to the mystery and confirms that the ROG Xbox Ally is real and just around the corner, with its release planned for this very year.
Xbox has been flirting with the idea of launching its own portable console for some time. Back in November of last year, Phil Spencer himself mentioned their intention to build a portable device in the long term. Now, we are left wondering whether they were hiding information from us or if the CEO was referring to a console entirely manufactured by the company itself.
The launch of the ROG Xbox Ally will be a revolution in the industry, not only because it marks Xbox’s debut in the portable console segment but also because of the strategy adopted. The green brand has long been advancing in integrating third-party services into its ecosystem, as well as giving users greater freedom and a variety of ways to enjoy their games without limiting the experience to a single device.
Main Features
Before diving into the hardware section, I’d like to briefly highlight some aspects of this new platform that I find most noteworthy.
Compatibility with Steam, GOG, Epic Game Store, BattleNet
I believe this is the feature that excited me the most because it marks a before and after in the history of this industry. Instead of closing itself off and trying to monopolize the market, Xbox chose to give its users the freedom to enjoy their library on third-party stores. Microsoft’s portable console will be compatible with Steam, GOG, BattleNet, and Epic Games Store. This means not only that we can enjoy our games available on other platforms but also our saved games and contacts, giving us, for the first time, a console that offers absolute freedom.
Windows Operating System and Full Compatibility with PC Games
The device runs a customized version of Windows specifically designed to provide the best gaming experience, optimizing certain functions to the maximum and removing those unnecessary for a device of this nature. This allows for immense compatibility with PC games without the need for specific ports for the console. In fact, they’ve mentioned that it’s already compatible with over a thousand games and that all upcoming releases arriving in the ecosystem will also be compatible with the ROG Xbox Ally.
Technical Specifications
Moving on to the technical section, the first thing to know is that the console will have two versions: the standard version, ROG Xbox Ally, and a more powerful premium version called ROG Xbox Ally X. Pricing has not yet been disclosed, so we’ll have to wait to see how significant the difference is between the two and how well they cater to the needs and budgets of players.
ROG Xbox Ally
Following the general aesthetic guidelines of the brand, the base version of the device is white, while the premium variant is black.
- Screen: 7-inch IPS, 1080 pixels, 120 Hz, VRR compatible
- Processor: AMD Ryzen Z2 A
- RAM: 16GB LPDDR5X-6400
- Storage: 512 GB
- Battery: 60 WHR
ROG Xbox Ally X
This more premium version shares the same screen as the standard model but features improvements in other areas: a more powerful processor, more RAM, greater storage capacity, and a larger battery, in addition to incorporating haptic triggers.
- Screen: 7-inch IPS, 1080 pixels, 120 Hz, VRR compatible
- Processor: AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme
- RAM: 24GB LPDDR5X-8000
- Storage: 1 TB
- Battery: 80 WHR
- Haptic Triggers
