ROG Xbox Ally Handhelds Launch October 16: Get Ready to Play!

Together with ASUS, we are launching the ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X on October 16. Since unveiling the ROG Xbox Ally handhelds, the community’s excitement and anticipation have been nothing short of inspiring, and we’re excited to bring you a whole new way to experience the joy of gaming—with the people you want, anywhere you want. 

These devices deliver an era of handheld gaming that makes it easier than ever to access your favorite games from Xbox, Battle.net, and other leading PC storefronts wherever you go. Whether you’re experiencing the crisp, colorful skateparks of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 or diving into the dynamic, immersive action of Gears of War: Reloaded, the Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X are built to give you the freedom to play your way, anytime, anywhere. 

On October 16, the Xbox Ally handhelds will be available in Australia, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, China (Xbox Ally X only), Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Ireland, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States and Vietnam. Availability will follow for other markets where ROG Ally series products are sold today, including Brazil, India, Indonesia and Thailand. In China, the Xbox Ally will launch early next year. 

Built to Play Anywhere 

Whether you’re hopping between games in your library or streaming from the cloud (where available), the Xbox Ally lineup makes it easy to jump in and stay connected while you play on the go.  

As we shared in June, both devices offer standout features, such as: 

• The Xbox full screen experience, a dedicated experience purpose-built for gaming, powered by Windows 11, and inspired by the console user experience. With new modifications that minimize background activity and defer non-essential tasks, more system resources are dedicated specifically to gameplay. 

• A dedicated Xbox button opens an enhanced Game Bar overlay for Windows 11, making it easy to return home, browse your library, launch or quit games, chat with friends, access ROG’s innovative Armoury Crate SE, and more. 

• An aggregated gaming library gives you quick access to games from Xbox, Game Pass (where available), and installed games from Battle.net and other leading PC storefronts. 

• Ability to play natively, via the cloud (where available), or via Remote Play from your Xbox console anywhere in your home. 

• AMD processors that deliver premium gaming performance—the AMD Ryzen Z2 A processor in the Xbox Ally balances performance and power consumption to maximize battery life without sacrificing gameplay quality, while the AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme processor in the Xbox Ally X provides the best level of performance and visual settings. 

• Through our investment in Xbox Play Anywhere, with support for over 1,000 games, a single purchase means you can play with Xbox, including your progress and achievements, across Xbox console, PC, Xbox Ally (where available), and other Windows handhelds—at no additional cost.   

• Gaming Copilot (Beta) via Game Bar, a personalized AI gaming companion that helps you get to your favorite games faster, improve your skills, and offers context-aware support based on what you’re playing. 

The Xbox Ally handhelds deliver a feature-rich experience from day one—and they’re built to get even better over time. Today, we are announcing even more features that will be available on the Xbox Ally handhelds, including our Handheld Compatibility Program and new AI features that enhance your gaming experience. 

Introducing the Handheld Compatibility Program 

Today, we’re excited to introduce the Handheld Compatibility Program—a new Xbox initiative designed to make more games ready to play on your supported handheld. We have worked with game studios to test, optimize, and verify thousands of games for handheld compatibility, allowing you to jump into the game without having to tweak settings, or requiring only minor adjustments.  

At launch, you will be able to see handheld compatibility directly in your game library —look for the “Handheld Optimized” or “Mostly Compatible” badges, or use a filter to quickly find titles that are ready to play:  

• Handheld Optimized: This indicates games that are ready to go—with default controller inputs, an intuitive text input method, accurate iconography, clear text legibility, and appropriate resolution in full-screen mode—so you can spend less time adjusting settings, and more time defeating that next big boss.  

• Mostly Compatible: This indicates games that may require minor in-game setting changes for an optimal experience on handheld. 

Games will also feature a Windows Performance Fit indicator to reflect expected performance on your supported device. When a game is both “Handheld Optimized” and carries a Windows Performance Fit “Should play great” or “Should play well” badge, it signals compatibility and performance fit—giving you added assurance before you play. 

But our work doesn’t stop there. We’re continuing to partner with developers to submit new and existing PC titles for handheld compatibility testing, so you can continue to grow your library of handheld compatible games over time.   

Enhanced Play with Xbox Ally X and More AI Features Coming Soon  

Designed for those in search of the most advanced handheld experience, the Xbox Ally X delivers 1TB of storage, 24GB of high-speed RAM, 80Wh of battery, and impulse triggers for more immersive play. Whether you’re gaming on the go or pushing performance at home, Xbox Ally X is built to handle today’s top titles—and tomorrow’s innovations. 

The Xbox Ally X is the first handheld to leverage the top-of-stack AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme, paired with a powerful neural processing unit (NPU) to unlock upcoming AI powered features starting early next year—with more to come: 

• Automatic Super Resolution (Auto SR): A system-level feature that uses the power of the NPU to upscale games running at lower resolutions—delivering high-resolution visuals and smooth framerates across a wide range of games, with no additional changes required from game developers.    

• Highlight reels: AI captures your standout gameplay moments—like epic boss battles or victories—and generates short replay clips for you to share with friends or on social channels.   

More AI-powered features will roll out over time as both Xbox and developers continue exploring what’s possible with the Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme.    

And… More is Still Coming  

The Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X were built to evolve with the future of tech. As we look ahead, we’re continuing to build new features and options for players on handheld. Expect regular updates that unlock new capabilities, boost performance, and elevate your handheld experience. Here’s a sneak peek at what we’re working on:  

• Advanced shader delivery, a new feature that preloads game shaders during download, so select games launch up to 10x faster, run smoother, and use less battery on first play. More games will support this feature over time.  

• A wide range of compatible accessories, including the newly announced ROG Raikiri II Xbox Wireless Controller—created by our partners at ASUS through the Designed for Xbox program—featuring a 1000Hz polling rate on PC mode, anti-drift TMR joysticks, and dual-mode triggers. The ROG Raikiri II Xbox Wireless Controller will ship out worldwide this holiday. More details will be shared soon. 

• And even more in the coming months, including enhancements to the docking experience for the Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X as we work to enable a seamless, high-performance setup that supports big-screen gaming, Auto SR, intuitive controller pairing, optimized display output, and more! 

Whether you’re a seasoned player, new to gaming, or simply want more flexibility, the Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X are built to move with you. With next-level performance and purpose-built features, these handhelds mark the next step in how and where you play. Stay tuned for more details about pricing and pre-orders in the coming weeks. We can’t wait for players around the world to experience this new way to play with Xbox.