The Xbox handheld sounds awfully like an Asus ROG Ally, as new details emerge
Asus is partnering with Microsoft to create a gaming handheld, set to launch this year
🤝 Asus is partnering with Microsoft to create a gaming handheld, launching this year
👀 The device will resemble the Asus ROG Ally but feature Xbox-branded hallmarks
😔 It will be a Windows PC handheld, unable to play Xbox games unless they are eligible for Microsoft's "Xbox Play Anywhere" scheme
💰 Expected to cost between $499 and $599, it will likely be powered by AMD's Ryzen Z2 Go chipset
New details about the rumored Xbox handheld have been revealed. And they've largely confirmed why Microsoft's Xbox handheld already has me concerned.
According to Windows Central and The Verge (paywalled), the gaming handheld is being built by Asus. It will be fairly similar to the Asus ROG Ally and Asus ROG Ally X but will feature the usual hallmarks of an Xbox-branded device, like the guide button. That’s not necessarily as bad thing, as in our Asus ROG Ally X review we crowned it the king of PC handhelds.
The device won't be capable of playing Xbox games and will essentially be a Windows PC handheld. That means you won't be able to bring your Xbox library with you unless you've purchased a title that is eligible for Microsoft's "Xbox Play Anywhere" scheme.
That also rules out any backwards compatibility titles, as this is just another PC handheld with an Xbox skin. However, the handheld should benefit from the work Microsoft is putting into making Windows more consumer friendly for PC handhelds.
The Xbox handheld is expected to cost between $499 and $599, though no price has been finalized at this stage. That would likely make the handheld $100 more than the Nintendo Switch 2, which is expected to cost $399.99.
Under the hood, the Xbox handheld will likely be powered by AMD's updated Z2 chips. AMD showed off its Z2 chipsets at CES 2025, and the Ryzen Z2 Go is tipped to be the chipset inside the Xbox handheld.
If that's the case, it'll be technically weaker than the existing Asus ROG Ally, which uses the Z1 Extreme variant of AMD's chip. The Z2 Go offers superior efficiency to the last-gen chipset, but its performance failed to impress reviewers in the Lenovo Legion Go S. In our Lenovo Legion Go S review, we said the device is a “hard sell”.
Windows Central's Jez Corden believes Microsoft is still working on a handheld of its own. He thinks that the Asus-partnered device will act more as a proof of concept, and will, at the very least, make Windows handhelds more appealing.
If Microsoft creates an Xbox handheld, it will need to ensure it can bring games designed to run on its consoles to its new system, as it's unlikely loyal Xbox gamers will buy a device that can't play their existing library.
For now, Xbox fans will have to make do with a Windows handheld that's more of a homage to Xbox than a bonafide device like the Nintendo Switch 2 or possibly a PSP 2 from Sony.
Adam Vjestica is The Shortcut’s Senior Editor. Formerly TechRadar’s Gaming Hardware Editor, Adam has also worked at Nintendo of Europe as a Content Marketing Editor, where he helped launch the Nintendo Switch. Follow him on X @ItsMrProducts.