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The ROG Xbox Ally hit shelves in October of 2025 with a $799 Canadian price tag.
For those wanting a super deep dive, read my full review here. For those wanting to know the basics this short article is for you.
The ROG Xbox Ally: What's the Big Deal?
The biggest problem with Windows gaming handhelds has always been... well, Windows. They're powerful, but they can be a pain to use, with tiny icons, pop-ups, and multiple game launchers.
The new ROG Xbox Ally tries to fix this by putting a true "Xbox full screen experience" front and center. You turn it on, and you're in a simple, console-style menu. It finally makes a PC handheld feel like a "pick-up-and-play" device.
The Good, The Bad, and The Comfy
Here's the quick-and-dirty breakdown of what you need to know.
Xbox ROG Ally The Good Stuff
The Xbox UI: This is the star. It boots right into an Xbox-style interface that pulls all your games from Game Pass, Steam, EA, and more into one clean library. It's what fans have been asking for.
Amazing Ergonomics: The new grips (or "fins") make this thing incredibly comfortable. It actually feels lighter than the old models, even though it isn't, just because it's so well-balanced.
A Decent Screen: You get the same gorgeous 7-inch, 1080p, 120Hz touchscreen as the more expensive "Ally X" model. It's sharp, bright, and super smooth.
Faster Loading: It uses a new feature called "Advanced Shader Delivery." Long story short - when you download a game there will be less loading time when you first fire it up.
Know Before You Play: A new "Handheld Compatibility Program" gives you a simple badge (like "Handheld Optimized" or "Should Play Great") so you should know exactly how a game will run before you download it.
Xbox ROG Ally The Trade-Offs
Still Pricey: At $799 CAD, it's a fantastic device, but it's not a casual purchase.
No Thunderbolt 4: The USB-C port is fast (USB 3.2), but it's not the "Thunderbolt 4" port you get on the pricier Ally X. This really only matters if you're a hardcore user who wants to plug in an external GPU (eGPU) dock for super high-end performance on a big monitor. For most people, this won't be a deal-breaker.
The "Base" Specs: To hit that $799 price, you get 16GB of RAM (not 24GB), a 512GB SSD (not 1TB), and a slightly less powerful (but still very capable) Z2 A processor.
The $500 Question: Ally ($799) vs. Ally X ($1,299)
This is the main decision. The standard $799 Ally is the console we're talking about, the other option is the $1,299 ROG Xbox Ally X. Is it worth it to spend the extra $500 for the fancier version? Here's what you get if you do:
- A more powerful processor (Z2 Extreme)
- More and faster RAM (24GB)
- A dedicated AI chip (NPU) for future tech
- A much bigger battery (80Wh vs. 60Wh)
- That Thunderbolt 4 port
The $799 Ally is the "pro" model, while the $1,299 Ally X is the "enthusiast" model.
Who Is The ROG Xbox Ally For?
At $799, this isn't for a casual gamer just looking for a new toy. But it's also not for the absolute most hardcore PC gamer (they'll be saving up for the $1,299 Ally X).
The ROG Xbox Ally ($799) is the perfect "invitation to the club" for two people:
- The Dedicated Xbox Fan: You love your Xbox, you live on Game Pass, and you've been jealous of the Steam Deck. This is the handheld for you. It's the "portable Xbox" you've always wanted, with the simple console experience to match.
- The "Curious but Scared" PC Gamer: You wanted a handheld PC, but you were (rightfully) turned off by the stories of complicated setups, Windows updates interrupting games, and endless tweaking. The new Xbox software layer fixes all of that.
It's the perfect bridge between the simplicity of a console and the power of PC gaming. If you're an Xbox fan who has been sitting on the sidelines of handheld gaming, this is the one to get.
Geeking Out Shop
ROG Xbox Ally
Xbox Gaming on-the-go
The ROG Xbox Ally is an extremely capable gaming machine. While it doesn't have every bell and whistle that the X model has, for a $500 price difference, it's a great choice for the gamer who wants a pick-up-and-play portable solution to try and carve out more time in their day for gaming by taking a console with them on the go.
If you think the above-mentioned "Dedicated Xbox Fan" or "Curious but Scared PC Gamer" description match you, then go for it. If neither of those things sound like you consider adding a decent mobile controller to your iPhone or your Android phone and go tht route and save a few hundred bucks for a simliar-ish experience.
The gaming experience on the ROG Xbox Ally is very good, but the console is still quite pricey (even though this is the cheaper model).
If you're wanting a great way to play Xbox games on the go (or Steam or EA or whatever), don't see yourself docking this with an external monitor or mouse/keyboard very often, or you love the idea of a portable gaming machine but HATE the Windows-first experience on other similar devices, then you'll be super happy with the ROG Xbox Ally.
Read more
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