It's no secret that Microsoft wants the ROG Xbox Ally to feel as comfortable for console users as possible, but that can be difficult when you're wielding a Windows 11 PC in your hands.
One of the problems is that games require tinkering in terms of power settings, frame rates, graphics and various other things that can affect the likes of performance and battery life. To counter this, Xbox has unveiled a new feature called "Default Game Profiles" that will support over 40 games at launch (it's starting in preview today).
The idea is that when you load up these games and you've got Default Game Profiles turned on, the Xbox Ally will automatically do all the hard work in the background to optimise for performance and battery life. These profiles have been hand-crafted for each game, and apparently can offer some significant benefits compared to manual tuning.
"For example, in Hollow Knight: Silksong, the Default Game Profile can add nearly an hour of battery life compared to Performance mode while still delivering smooth 120 FPS gameplay."
The full list of 40+ games has yet to be revealed, but Xbox has shared some of the first-party titles supporting it:
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 7
- Call of Duty: Warzone
- DOOM Eternal
- DOOM: The Dark Ages
- Forza Horizon 5
- Gears 5
- Gears of War: Reloaded
- Gears Tactics
- Halo: The Master Chief Collection
- Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
- Minecraft
- Sea Of Thieves
- Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4
In our view, this is a fantastic move from Xbox to add even more optimisation to games on the Ally, and it should mean that even casual adopters who don't do any tweaking will be able to get the most out of these titles on the system.
Better yet, Team Xbox even says that the profiles are designed to boost power if the FPS falls below its intended target, while power will be limited if the frame rate is easily hitting its target. All of this is naturally only applicable when playing on battery, as it's not intended for plugged-in sessions.
We'll leave you with a little bit more information on Default Game Profiles below, which as mentioned are starting in preview today and should be rolling out to the public very soon.
"Spend more time playing and less time fine-tuning. Default Game Profiles, available in preview starting today, automatically balance frame rate (FPS) and power consumption for 40 supported games at launch, including Fortnite, Gears of War: Reloaded, Hollow Knight: Silksong, and others, with more coming soon. This means smoother, more enjoyable gameplay and extended battery life, without requiring manual adjustments."