The Xbox Ally X Is Real: Here's What You Need to Know

After months of leaks and teases, Microsoft has yet announced the Xbox Ally astatine the Xbox Games Showcase. This is simply a handheld gaming PC that'll beryllium moving connected a mentation of Windows 11 designed to beryllium much usable on, well, a handheld.

Microsoft announced 2 versions of the Xbox handheld, the Xbox Ally and the Xbox Ally X. The second of which is powered by a caller AMD handheld processor, the AMD AI Z2 Extreme. The non-X variant is powered by the Z2 A and volition beryllium overmuch little powerful. What's absorbing astir the Ally X is that it's powered by a spot with a built-in NPU susceptible of 50 TOPs of AI performance, which volition technically marque it a Copilot+ laptop successful handheld form. Just successful clip for Microsoft to enactment Copilot into the Xbox App.

Just similar the Asus ROG Ally X that came retired successful July 2024, the Xbox Ally X volition person a 1080p show with a 120Hz refresh complaint and VRR enactment done Freesync Premium. We don't cognize if it's the nonstop aforesaid display, but adjacent if it is, the caller Ally volition person a gorgeous screen.

• ROG Xbox Ally X vs Steam Deck

For the Xbox Ally X, Microsoft has besides tuned its bundle to enactment amended connected handheld devices. When this handheld ships sometime this year, it'll footwear consecutive into a caller handheld-focused mentation of the Xbox App. Unlike the mentation of the app that exists close now, the redesign volition service arsenic a cardinal motorboat hub that connects each of your PC games libraries, specified arsenic Steam, Epic Games, and immoderate else.

Microsoft hasn't revealed an authoritative merchandise date, but has suggested that the Xbox Ally X and Ally volition motorboat during the vacation season. No pricing has been revealed either, but fixed that it has akin specs to the ROG Ally X, you tin expect a terms astir $799.

Under the Cover

Handheld gaming PCs person been getting steadily much fashionable ever since the Steam Deck launched backmost successful 2022. The main happening that's been holding the Windows handhelds backmost is however overmuch the operating strategy sucks to navigate with a controller and a interaction screen. Manufacturers similar Lenovo and Asus person been trying to technologist ways to marque their devices much usable – with Lenovo adjacent licensing retired SteamOS for its latest handheld.

Since Microsoft is moving straight with Asus connected the Xbox Ally X, it's taking the accidental to marque the instrumentality a batch much useable – hopefully, astatine least.

The archetypal portion of this is having the handheld motorboat straight into that revamped mentation of the Xbox App, but that's lone portion of the story. Microsoft is besides tweaking the operating strategy astatine ample to optimize the strategy for gaming.

You see, Windows 11 is benignant of a bloated messiness these days, and portion I wholly expect Microsoft to propulsion Copilot, it inactive runs a batch of inheritance tasks that are unnecessary if you're conscionable utilizing the instrumentality arsenic a gaming machine. For instance, you astir apt don't request an always-on quality widget that's perpetually updating successful the background.

Now, the large question is going to beryllium whether oregon not Microsoft volition let different Windows-based handhelds to entree these operating strategy updates. Either way, immense things are cooking for handheld gaming PCs this year.

You tin drawback up connected everything announced astatine today's Xbox Games Showcase close here, and support up connected the bevy of caller announcements each play astatine IGN Live here.

Jackie Thomas is the Hardware and Buying Guides Editor astatine IGN and the PC components queen. You tin travel her @Jackiecobra