The ROG Xbox Ally and the ROG Xbox Ally X were just announced at the Xbox Games Show during Summer Game Fest 2025! Here's everything we know so far about these exciting new devices.
Xbox Ally Announced as ASUS ROG Collaboration at SGF 2025
Scheduled for Release Later This Year!
During the Xbox Games Showcase 2025, Microsoft unveiled two new Xbox-branded handheld gaming systems, developed in partnership with ASUS. Named the Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X, these portable consoles seem to merge the strengths of Xbox and Windows into a seamless, console-like experience. In a memorable moment during the presentation, one of the devices was shown running Hollow Knight: Silksong. That's correct—the game is real, it exists, and it was actually being played.
Both devices, resulting from the collaboration between Microsoft and ASUS under the codename Project Kennan, were designed with a clear vision: to offer a unified interface built for handheld gaming. Each system boots directly into a full-screen Xbox dashboard, placing your entire game library—including titles from Game Pass, Steam, Epic Games Store, and Battle.net—right at your fingertips.
The white Xbox Ally appears to be the more affordable model, designed for 720p gaming. It features AMD's new Ryzen Z2 A processor, 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM, and a 512GB SSD.
In contrast, the black Xbox Ally X targets higher performance with support for 900p to 1080p resolutions. It is equipped with AMD's Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme chip—which includes a 50 TOPS NPU—24GB of faster RAM, and a 1TB SSD. Both models feature a 7-inch 1080p 120Hz display.
According to Microsoft's Shawn Yen, the guiding principle for this generation is “efficiency is our superpower.” The Ally X comes with an 80Wh battery—one of the largest ever seen in a handheld—while the base Ally includes a 60Wh battery, a 50% increase over the original ROG Ally. Combined with a streamlined version of Windows 11 that reduces background processes, the goal is to deliver extended battery life and more fluid gameplay.
One of the most talked-about moments of the demo was the appearance of Hollow Knight: Silksong, which drew gasps from viewers online. With improved hardware, a console-like interface, and high-profile titles like Silksong, the handheld PC gaming space is set to become more competitive than ever. The ball is now in Steam Deck’s court.
