What Games Can You Play On The ROG Xbox Ally Handheld?

I’d love a dedicated game pass handheld machine. So let’s see how expensive this one turns out to be. I might bite, if priced correctly.

The amount of people telling me it supports native digital console games is concerning.

This is not an Xbox

These appear to be the same games I could play on the best pc I can afford, or else on a big 4K tv screen on console. So if I play elsewhere I can get either a higher fidelity, ultra high framerate experience or the ease and comfort of the console experience. I see no reason to downgrade my experience to play on this handheld.

It's a nice option. It'll be awesome for those who play a few AAA games but more indie and AA stuff. Ignoring whatever horrible price this thing is, it's still a great bit of kit, just probably not the bit of kit we were all after

It's like everyone forget that the actual first-party handheld was shelved. These are just existing products with Xbox branding.

Its basically a Windows PC with a more Streamlined Windows OS and a more dedicated UI designed with controller in mind - not Windows Desktop for multi-tasking and really requiring a K&M.

Therefore it should play games just like ANY other PC - the only real difference is the fact that its not booting up to Windows desktop like standard PC's but to a more Gaming focussed UI so you can literally switch it on and be presented with your Games - pretty much like a Console.

This is a PARTNERSHIP between Asus and Microsoft but also between Xbox and Windows 'software' team to make 'Windows' far more efficient and only run the processes necessary for 'Gaming' - in other words, reduce the resources 'Windows' usually takes up so you have more for Gaming. Xbox too has to keep some resources away from Gaming on their Console for 'necessary' OS processes - it may have 8 cores CPU but 1 will be reserved for the OS leaving 7 for Games.

Basically, its still Windows PC, its still like the OG RoG Ally, Lenovo Go or MSi Claw in what it will play but unlike those, this has a more Xbox Controller feel with full size buttons and thumbsticks (compared to the 70% sized versions on the OG) and because the Windows and Xbox Software teams are working with each other and 'Asus' (as Asus have fed back to MS what Customers want or would change about the Ally) to resolve that 'desktop' Bloat on a 'Handheld Gaming device'.

The vast majority aren't buying a Handheld Gaming PC to use MS Office or run their business from so don't need/want the full 'desktop' experience, they want to switch it on and jump into their games (like a Console) so MS has tried to Optimise Windows 1 specifically for Gaming and have a more Console like UI but still play EVERY PC as if it was running on the Desktop version of Windows.

I don't know yet if you can 'boot' up into the full Windows desktop if you wanted or whether MS can/will eventually add Xbox OS into this to play Native Xbox games - but at launch, this is what I believe this product is - A Handheld PC that offers a more Console like experience and partnered with Xbox as Asus don't make 'games' and won't have their own content to support it - Xbox have committed to supporting PC and Xbox so this is a 'Xbox' branded PC.

@Friendly I’d love a dedicated game pass handheld machine. So let’s see how expensive this one turns out to be. I might bite, if priced correctly.

This is exactly my stance at the minute too.

I have a legion go which is roughly the same for playing games via game pass, steam etc and that was £700 . The question is for people who have these or similar handheld is are they going to spend an obscene amount of money for something similar but they already have. The big question will be price and do Microsoft keep the price lower and competitive or just think about profit margins. Especially with the switch 2 out which I have bought and very impressed with it. In my opinion anything more than over £600 for the more powerful handheld I think it will struggle to sell.

People are forgetting that the real win here is the OS. If more systems get access to this scaled down windows xbox OS then it will be a game changer. I could just dual boot my steam deck again, or use this in place of Steam OS since it' won't be locked down to only approved games on steam.

It's just a PC, so you can play PC games.

@BAMozzy I'm fairly sure there was a toggle to switch to desktop mode in the video, so same as steam then really. Suppose they're saying that when it's booted it'll kill windows security/memory processes, then bring them back in when you switch mode

@TapeLoader no there aren't, none of the reputable ones that have actually used it are calling it an Xbox handheld. That's misinformation on your part pal

@TapeLoader I'll give it to you on the video titles, they're click baity as hell. I suppose it technically is the first Xbox handheld as Xbox as a brand partnered on it.

But they all make the distinction about what the product is and isn't, so the YouTubers that got hands on didn't misinform people and say it's an Xbox handheld.

@Coletrain its an xbox branded rog ally. Its absolutely not an xbox handheld.

@Weebleman it's more of an Xbox handheld than anything that's come before it, but yes as you can see I agree that it is not a true Xbox handheld. As I Rog ally owner, I definitely understand what it is.

my Facebook feed it full of people proudly proclaiming that they can play all their Xbox console games on this, and the publishing websites are agreeing with them. Are people idiots, or is this a mis-information campaign??

@Dimey A little from Column A, a little from Column B...

@Dimey Both. Seems there is a mis-information campaign, specially in YouTube and some click bait articles. This article describes perfectly what you can play on it.

Xbox-branded that can only play 10% of my Xbox library. I'm sure it's better for new games going into GamePass, but useless for the libraries we already paid for.

@Coletrain its a PC handheld, 90% of my digital xbox games library will not work on it.

Current Rog Ally X is £800. This is an upgrade on that plus the Xbox branding.

This surely doesn't end up being an affordable 'console' for the masses.

Much more likely a high end product for the Xbox enthusiast that is happy using a PC.

@Valhura see above comments, I know what it is.

And it is a glimpse into future of what Xbox might be, just missing the emulation layer that they are probably working on for titles that don't have a PC port. That's still exciting.

@TapeLoader it's Xbox branded and it's a handheld gaming device, it's just not a console. I know what you're getting at and I think we're just arguing semantics here. We both agree that it's a handheld PC with some extra layer on the Xbox app don't we?

@Rog-X no it doesn't.

Both will still need to make a profit and unless MS think they can sell 30m of these and get people to sub to game pass then what would be in it for them in terms of subsidising the hardware?

maybe the point is to kill xbbox console and trick people into become pc gamers and rebuying all their old libary games again on PC in the MS PC store

@TapeLoader I wasn't suggesting they would sell anywhere near that many.

The suggestion made by the user replying to me was that MS could have invested money in this machine to lower the price.

I disagree because to do that they would need to have expectations of very high sales and then software/services on top.

If they do expect that then they are bonkers, but it is the only way I can imagine them taking a hit on it.

Make a dedicated Xbox handheld that lets me download my digital Xbox Library or or it's useless to me.

My Steam Deck already does what this will do with the exception of GamePass, which I don't use. Even then, I could dual boot my Steam Deck with windows and handle GamePass as well so it's just not for me.

I hope Sony does better than making a PS Plus device. I like my Portal for streaming my entire purchased game library when I'm home, but it also had a price tag of only $200. I want a dedicated Switch-like handheld or why even bother.

@themightyant interesting view of Rich from DF about "big mistake".

Its a logical development of a strategy they have been talking about for a while.
The writing is on the wall about xbox consoles, so thats one way out of it - exploring partnerships.

Maybe they do another 1-2 gens of dedicated home consoles, maybe they dont. However, we will see 100% those xbox PC's either by MS or partners as early as next couple of years.

@Balaam_ thats a premium device for people who like steam deck but wanted more power and access to xbox GP natively. Its not designed to compete with S2, SX or regular PC.

@Coletrain the fun part starts when you realize you can play AA and indie on an almost twice cheaper S2...
you could argue about saving in long run tho.

I think the selling point is native support of GP.

@Millionski I know, the switch 2 is the best handheld by a mile for my money. Don't get me wrong, I love how versatile handheld PCs are with cloud gaming, remote play and great for indie titles thenselves, but anything slightly demanding and I'm tethered to the plug

@Kang81

Yep this "Make a dedicated Xbox handheld that lets me download my digital Xbox Library or or it's useless to me.", exactly.

They should have done a Series S portable/handheld, maybe waiting another year for the mobile chip tech to get up to speed

@TheGiraffe

That would be perfect. Maybe they still will, but my bet is they just stick with a partnership, maybe make a cheaper version.

My hope is on Sony making a handheld like a Switch but more powerful. My Steam Deck is good, but I'd rather have a dedicated PS/Xbox/Nintendo handheld.