Microsoft on Sunday announced its initial Xbox-branded handheld video game consoles. It touted them as a means to play its large catalog of games anywhere.
ROG Xbox Ally to Launch in Partnership with ASUS
The two versions of “ROG Xbox Ally”, made in collaboration with Taiwan-based ASUS, will hit the market during the holiday season. This will be towards the end of the year. Xbox president Sarah Bond said this at an online event.
“The Xbox Ally is an Xbox you can hold in your hands. It brings together the power of Xbox and the freedom of Windows,” Bond added.
She also said that on this Xbox iteration, customers will have the ability to choose any game from their entire collection. This includes all of the Windows PC game stores from Xbox and Battle.net to Steam, GOG (the Good Old Games platform), and Ubisoft Connect.
Two Variants for Different User Needs
Xbox defines the ROG Xbox Ally as a must-have handheld. It offers affordable value for everyone, from casual gamers to hardcore fans. In contrast, the ROG Xbox Ally X model delivers ultimate performance and targets the most demanding users.
Xbox powers the Ally with an AMD Ryzen™ Z2 A Processor, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB SSD storage. Xbox Ally X operates on AMD Ryzen™ AI Z2 Extreme processor, with 24GB of fast RAM and 1TB of storage.
Key Features of Xbox Ally Series
- With this gaming experience, users can be relieved of any static fixture and go anywhere with the Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X.
- Xbox has optimized Windows 11 to allow its effortless usage on both the Xbox Ally series.
- The ‘game bar’ on Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X enables users to go home easy, browse library, launch or exit games, chat with friends, open other applications, adjust settings, and a whole lot more.
- With the additional integration of ASUS’s ‘Armoury Crate’, the game bar also provides users streamlined access to advanced device and input controls.
- Because these new handheld Xbox consoles can run Windows, users will have access to games they can’t find elsewhere. The full circumference of gaming is available to be experienced, download games from user’s favorite storefront, run apps like Discord, streamers on Twitch watch, and play with favorite mods.
- Among the new features of the handheld gaming device is that whenever a user will switch on their Xbox Ally, they will automatically boot into the ‘Xbox full screen experience’.
- There is ‘Xbox button’ in Xbox Ally as well, which allows players to access chat, apps, and settings using an improved Game Bar overlay.
- ‘Contoured grips’ features, Xbox mentioned, was designed with comfort of the gamers in mind, based on the same design philosophy as Xbox Wireless Controllers. The Xbox Ally versions have contoured handgrips to fit a greater variety of hand sizes.
Exclusive Offers for Game Pass Newcomers
Apart from that, Xbox also offered enticing deals to players buying the new model and who are new to Game Pass. Microsoft announced that it will start such players with no additional fee and will also give them access to hundreds of games like Balatro, Gears Tactics, Vampire Survivors, and others directly from their device.
