Xbox Handheld Is Called 'ROG Xbox Ally', Releases Holiday 2025

The real question is how much will this cost?

erm the freedom of windows 11 so they haven't made a steam OS type operating system?

Nah not fond of windows handhelds.will stick with Xbox console, PC and the Switch 2.
I want to know the price

Play Anywhere could be a Game Changer if 3rd Party Publishers embrace it to. Instead of buying a 'game' for a specific Platform, you buy a game locked to your account so you get the version for the hardware you sign in on - at least within the Microsoft ecosystem, I doubt you'll be able to play your Xbox games on Switch or Playstation (even if MS releases versions there too).

But hearing that EVERY game in todays Show, inc 3rd Party multi-platform releases will all be Play Anywhere to me is the Game Changer more than any new Hardware/Software.

Whoever is responsible for naming products at Xbox should really be fired.

Better be stronger than steams and switch 2 with oled screen

"Freedom of Windows"

more like

"Freedom FROM Windows" amirite

Names bit naff and we need to see prices.

Day one buy for me. My Ally is already my favorite gaming device - deeper xbox integration just makes it better I would think.

Honestly looks decent. I would probably skip as I got switch 2 but interface in the trailer looks cool.
I think that hints on how next xbox (both portable and under-tv one) will operate.

@IronMan30 i would bet 600-800

@N00BiSH It runs Windows. So no.

Seems like a good move to me.

This is what they should do for their next console, make an Xbox that runs Windows and Steam but is still a console and Game Pass machine.

(Nintendo should do the same, release a TV Switch 2 for cheaper than the useless, massive, no battery life "portable.")

@BAMozzy "Play Anywhere could be a Game Changer if 3rd Party Publishers embrace it to" They wont....why sell it once for 2 systems when they can sell it twice.

I don't get why people are so annoyed with the naming. Ally is fine. Ally X for the more powerful one is fine.

Those ain't gonna be cheap

@Millionski yes, it likely won't be cheap.

@TapeLoader You can level the same complaints at this handheld then, but here it is happening. It's not a terrible idea. It's a good one.

The idea is it would be cheaper and more standardized than a PC, similar to a Steam Deck. Valve at one point was floating the idea of a Steam Box.

Hard pass. I use the Series X as my main console these days, so unless it’s a Nintendo or Sony exclusive I’m playing it there. But I hate Windows, and barely use the Switch handheld as it is.

I’d welcome a Steam-console that does what the ‘Deck does, but with a more powerful and standardized build for my living room, tho.

Looks awesome, day one for me, can’t wait!

@TapeLoader I'm saying a cheaper "PC" that runs Xbox stuff, along with Steam, and isn't tethered to the whole monitor/mouse/keyboard thing. It would have a console focus and wouldn't cost what a PC costs. And similar to the Steam Deck, it would be a performance target that would hold system requirements in place.

It's happening regardless of what we may or may not think, and it'll be similar to this device. Whether it runs a new generation of Xbox stuff, who knows, but it'll at least be backward compatible with previous Xbox generations.

We should probably be greatful the rumoured 64 gig of ram was just that, otherwise we'd likely be selling kidneys if we wanted one.

Prices are key and also why would I choose this over a regular ROG Ally?

So if the current ally x is 999 i think we can expect this to carry an xbox premium and push into 1100-1200 range for the upper tier. I love xbox, but Id hard pass on that.

I’m very likely to throw a lot of money away buying this thing…

It's a ROG Ally with a skin, they can say what they want, this is NOT an Xbox.

It's a PC, and on PC, unless they change things, most gamers use Steam, and Steam games don't have Xbox achievements, they don't use the Xbox profile... they are NOT Xbox games.

@TapeLoader I'm not sure the idea is to lose the console focus so much as to be a console that can also play some Steam stuff, similar to how a Steamdeck can play some Steam games but obviously not at high spec.

In the case of this current handheld, it's meant to be a Steamdeck competitor that can also play Game Pass and other storefronts.

I thought the unveiling was pretty damn slick. Gunna be nice to have an Xbox handheld and I assume when Xbox get back to their first party version, they'll have a ton of feedback to implement.

@Kaloudz dont be sucked in brother, this is not an xbox handheld. Its a rog ally that runs an xbox app behind a skin and has a button.

It will run xbox games the same way the rog ally does now (albeit with a better chip in the premium version), but it isnt an xbox handheld.

Looks cool but the price is going to be crazy. If Switch 2 is £450 , these will be £600 at least. Which is not unreasonable but tbh, I can’t see them being huge successes.

@Weebleman Thanks man. I know absolutely nothing about Rogs or whatever they're called. In fact, all I know is that people play either them or steamdecks? Did I at least get that right lol?

I'll wait and see what the prices come back at, but if you're right and a cheaper version does all that this can do, I'll probs hold off and see what Xbox do with their native version.

I cant lie though, that was one pretty tasty looking presentation (the handheld I mean).

@GeeEssEff If you were watching the SHOW, every game inc those from 3rd Party Publishers (like Square Enix or Squanch Games) are all 'Play Anywhere' games so if you 'buy' on Xbox, you also get the PC version too.

Of course that won't mean if you buy on Xbox Console from Xbox Store, you'll get the 'Steam' version for PC, but you'll get the Windows PC store version.

If MS stipulate that ALL games sold in their store and on their OWN hardware must be 'Play Anywhere', then Publishers will comply. It maybe better to sell a game that people can play anywhere than not sell that game. From their perspective, its still sold to 'one' account, one 'person' and that game cannot be sold on to other people.

Its more about games being locked to an individuals account rather than the Hardware. From a publishers perspective, they are still selling the game to a customer and many don't/won't or even have multiple platforms to double-dip so I doubt they'll lose 'sales'. I doubt anyone will spend $140+ to buy both a PC and a Console version of a game to play it Day 1 on 'both' platforms. Most, if they do double dip, will pick up the game a second time once its on sale or on a Sub service.

It just means that if you choose to buy or upgrade to a Gaming PC, your Xbox Console games will come with you - you own the game, not just the Xbox Console version.

It's what we expected it to be. I could have done without the talk of the unified library, considering the majority of the 500+ digital Xbox games I own from across 3 generations of Xbox consoles are not playable anywhere or even held hostage on the "stream your own games with Game Pass" thing.

again looks like it should be good but that really bothered me.

@BAMozzy I watched the show….every game shown wasn’t every game ever created. The current and future play anywhere game list is still a drop in the ocean.

It seems like everyone wants to be a Switch but won't actually make one 🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️

@GeeEssEff And no one expects EVERY game EVER - certainly NOT legacy games that wouldn't be subject to any rule or terms of Microsoft that may have changed. If they state that from Jan 01st 2026, every 'new' release on Xbox must support Play Anywhere, then 3rd Party Publishers would comply with EVERY game released after that date, but any released before won't be forced to retroactively adopt 'Play Anywhere'.

Even if they did that, you'd still not have EVERY game EVER released, but you'd have every 'new' game adding to the list. It would also mean that whatever new games you buy moving forward will be Play Anywhere so added utility/versatility etc

I'm so into this. im very excited. my biggest question is, how about online play. will it be free like PC or pay like on xbox ?

Well I like it a lot better than Sony's streaming handheld, that's for sure. Design doesn't look as attractive but the fact that you can properly install games on this Xbox handheld means that doesn't matter, it's far more than just a screen with a controller attached that can stream stuff. That said I bet these will be pretty expensive and it really competes directly with my Steam Deck.

@BAMozzy Ok you have really focused on the past there. I’m saying there’s absolutely no chance every future third party game is going to be play anywhere. Xbox don’t have the clout to demand it and if they try there’s a reasonable chance your Ubisofts, Capcoms, Fromsofts etc are just going to tell them to get stuffed and not publish on Xbox atall.

I have a PC and I use Play Anywhere regularly so your optimistic utopian vision would benefit me greatly but it simply ain’t happening. I haven’t bought many games this year but would have bought Monster Hunter Wilds, Shadows, KCD2, Two point museum and Planet Coaster 2 on Xbox if they were play anywhere….the last two especially seem like they would have been made for it but Steam gets my money instead.

Could be tempted by one of these but the price might be an issue as the current Ally X is going for £799.

I have a SteamDeck which I love but I do prefer playing on console at home so having the ability to play some of my Xbox games on the move would be a bonus.

I would prefer more companies use cross saves like on Witcher 3 and CyberPunk as I would then possibly just buy some games on Xbox and Steam.

@IronMan30 My guess is $500 and $900.

Looks like MS is starting to get the handheld world right. I still have to see what this actually runs like, it is possibly a Christmas gift from me, to me!

As a person, who have zero interest in handheld consoles, I totally support people to be outdoor and free.
I hope it may help people to come together, share and enjoy everything in socially.
I can only hope that, high price and/or windows operation system won't kill the potential.
Fingers crossed.