ASUS ROG Xbox Ally Review

The ROG Xbox Ally is the cheaper of two handhelds ASUS built in partnership with Microsoft, launched globally on October 16, 2025 at 599.99. It pairs a 7 inch 1080p 120Hz IPS display and comfortable Xbox style grips with the entry level AMD Ryzen Z2 A, 16GB of memory, a 512GB SSD and a 60Wh battery. Its headline is software: a new full screen Xbox experience for Windows 11 that boots straight into a console like interface and pulls Game Pass, Steam and every other PC storefront into one place.

The good parts are real. The grips are among the most comfortable on any handheld, the Xbox front end genuinely cuts the friction that has always plagued Windows on small screens, and because it is a true PC you can install anything. As a couch machine for Game Pass it is pleasant to hold and easy to live with.

The trouble is the chip. The Z2 A is the weakest member of the Z2 family, so that lovely 1080p panel often has to drop to 720p or 900p to hold a frame rate in modern games, and 599.99 is a lot to pay for entry silicon when the Ally X sits one tier up with real speed. It suits players who value comfort and the Xbox interface over raw frames, but the value equation is awkward and most buyers will feel the pull toward the pricier model.