Pre-orders for the ASUS Xbox gaming handhelds are now live, $599.99 for the base model and $999.99 for the premium edition. It’s been a few months since the surprise collaboration announcement between Microsoft and ASUS to produce an Xbox-based gaming handheld, and we’re now getting closer to an actual launch on October 16. Not long after that announcement, Microsoft stated that it would pause internal development of its own product to provide support to ASUS with the new Xbox integration running on Windows 11.
“Developed in partnership with Xbox, the ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X offer exceptional ergonomics, a full-screen experience, and other standout features that incorporate the best of console and PC gaming in a cohesive package.”
– ASUS
ROG Xbox Ally X
Powered by the AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme, with a 1 TB Gen4 2280 m.2 SSD and 24 GB of memory, testing for the ROG Xbox Ally X showed a 30% performance increase with Indiana Jones and The Great Circle and DOOM: The Dark Ages at 1080p. Players can enjoy a tear-free experience with FreeSync Premium at 120 Hz. Those wanting to take it to the next level can also plug into the ROG XG Mobile external GPU dock featuring an RTX 5090 mobile GPU with 24 GB GDDR7 memory.
“In a nod to the future, the ROG Xbox Ally X includes an onboard NPU. While the current use of AI features in games is limited, these next-generation chips ensure the ROG Xbox Ally X will be ready when these enhancements roll out in the latest games.”
-ASUS
ROG Xbox Ally
The ROG Xbox Ally features an AMD Ryzen Z2 processor with 16 GB of memory and a 512 GB Gen4 2280 m.2 SSD paired with a 1080p 120 Hz display, also supporting FreeSync Premium. Compared to the previous ROG Ally, testing has shown up to 110% increase in battery life when playing Hollow Knight: Silksong at 720p, 60 FPS using the low graphics setting with its 60wh battery.
“Both the AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme Processor and the AMD Ryzen Z2 A Processor are primed to take advantage of Radeon’s latest software suite for graphical and performance improvements, including AMD FidelityFX™ Super Resolution (FSR), Radeon Super Resolution (RSR), and AMD Fluid Motion Frames (AFMF) frame generation, with the latter offering up to 60% better frame rates for improved smoothness.”
-ASUS