Microsoft and ASUS have officially confirmed that their new gaming handhelds, the ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X, will launch worldwide on October 16, 2025. The announcement came during Gamescom but notably lacked pricing information, which both companies say will be revealed in the coming weeks.
According to Microsoft and ASUS executives, the pricing delay is due to “macro-economic conditions” including tariffs and currency fluctuations. “This is always a challenge,” explained Jason Ronald, Microsoft’s vice president of Xbox gaming devices & ecosystem, during a roundtable interview. ASUS senior vice president Shawn Yen added, “We need more time to figure the macro-economic impact to pricing.”
While official prices remain unknown, leaks suggest the standard ROG Xbox Ally could cost $549.99, with the premium ROG Xbox Ally X potentially priced at $899.99 in the US market.
The handhelds offer distinct performance profiles. The entry-level ROG Xbox Ally features AMD’s Ryzen Z2 A chip (Zen 2 CPU/RDNA2 GPU), 16GB of LPDDR5X-6400 RAM, a 512GB SSD, and a 60Wh battery. The higher-end ROG Xbox Ally X packs AMD’s Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme processor (Zen 5 CPU/RDNA 3.5 GPU) with a neural processing unit (NPU), 24GB of LPDDR5X-8000 RAM, a 1TB SSD, and an 80Wh battery.
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Microsoft also announced its new Handheld Compatibility Program, which will label games as either “Handheld Optimized” or “Mostly Compatible.” Handheld Optimized games will work right away with default controller inputs and appropriate display settings, while Mostly Compatible titles may require minor setting adjustments.
The devices will run a modified version of Windows 11 with an “Xbox full screen experience” that minimizes background tasks to improve performance and battery life. This interface provides quick access to games from Xbox, Game Pass, and other PC platforms like Steam.
At launch, the handhelds will be available in 34 countries, including the US, Canada, UK, Germany, Japan, and Australia. Availability in Brazil, India, Indonesia, and Thailand will follow later, while China will initially only get the Ally X model.
Microsoft is planning future features like “Automatic Super Resolution” for the Ally X, which will use the device’s NPU for AI-powered upscaling, expected in “early next year.” Additional improvements to the docking experience and shader delivery are also in development.
The ROG Xbox Ally handhelds represent Microsoft’s strategic push into the growing handheld PC gaming market currently dominated by Valve’s Steam Deck.
