There may not be any reports of stick drift with the ROG Xbox Ally yet, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be. If you’d rather not end up with joysticks that have a mind of their own, GuliKit revealed its latest TMR Electromagnet Joystick Modules made specifically for your Xbox handheld.
GuliKit said it worked directly with Asus to develop these joystick upgrades, which match the exact dimensions of the ROG Xbox Ally and Ally X’s stock sticks. The aftermarket accessories company previously designed a Hall effect joystick upgrade kit for the ROG Ally X, but GuliKit said this mod features electromagnetic joysticks that not only address stick drift but are also more precise, durable, and power-efficient. GuliKit even made the joystick upgrades easy to install since there’s no soldering required, and you can fine-tune the calibration in the handheld’s system settings.
It may feel excessive to spend more money on a gaming handheld that can cost up to $1,000, but neither the ROG Xbox Ally nor Ally X comes with Hall effect or electromagnetic joysticks. GuliKit’s joystick upgrade is already available to US customers on its Amazon storefront for $19.99.
It’s the holiday season, and perhaps you’re planning to give (or receive!) a ROG Xbox Ally or ROG Xbox Ally X. To help get you playing as quickly as possible, we’ve updated our guide to the best way to get started with your brand new handheld.
Congratulations on picking up your new ROG Xbox Ally or ROG Xbox Ally X! Whether you’re a handheld gaming veteran or just getting started, you’ve joined a growing and vibrant community of players who appreciate the flexibility of Windows and the power and ease of use of Xbox in the palm of your hands. While you probably picked up your Xbox Ally to dive right into your favorite games (we share some of our handheld favorites here), you’ll quickly discover that these handhelds offer tremendous flexibility to personalize your gaming experience. To help you hit the ground running, we’ve pulled together some must-know tips to make the most out of your new Xbox Ally.
If you’re just setting your device up, check out the informative guide at Xbox Support for step-by-step instructions. Of note: Don’t skip the option to set up the fingerprint reader; unlocking your Xbox Ally with just a touch is fast and feels a little bit magical. Once setup is complete, you’ll boot up directly into the immersive Xbox full screen experience, a purpose-built gaming experience.
Ready to go? Here’s a few helpful pointers.
Navigating your Xbox Ally
Master the Menus: The Xbox Ally gives you multiple ways to find what you’re looking for— you can use the d-pad, joysticks, shoulder and face buttons to make selections, or simply tap the responsive touchscreen directly. For instance, to reach the all-important Game Bar settings menu, you can press the Xbox button and hit the right bumper, or simply swipe from the left edge of the screen toward the center. Swapping between apps? Long press the Xbox button or swipe up from the bottom to access the Task Switcher, making switching between apps and games seamless.
Get Familiar with Command Center: ASUS Command Center is now integrated into Game Bar, giving you instant access to many advanced features to personalize your experience, both inside and outside of games.
For a more expansive set of advanced settings and customization options, you can also launch the full-featured Armoury Crate SE right from this overlay.
Meet Gaming Copilot (Beta) — Your Personal Sidekick: You can access Gaming Copilot on the Xbox Ally, where it offers recommendations, tips, and insights when you need them. To get started, long press the Command Center button to open the Gaming Copilot widget in Game Bar, and complete the onboarding experience. After that, if you want to check your next achievement or get advice for a tough boss fight without leaving your game, long press the Library button and then release to start your conversation with Gaming Copilot.
Play What You Want
Browse Your Games Library: Now it’s time to find some things to play! Head to the Library by pressing the dedicated Library button above the right thumbstick to find games you already own, as well as those available with Game Pass, and titles playable via the Xbox Cloud Gaming. Note: you can select more than one category at a time; highlighting Owned and Installable allows you to go shopping in your own closet for games that play natively on your Xbox Ally. Looking for something new? You’ll find the Store on the left rail as well.
Access Your Games, From Leading PC Storefronts: With the aggregated gaming library, you can easily add your titles from leading PC storefronts to your library, to see all your games in one place. All you have to do is head to the My Apps tab in your Library, and select the PC storefront you want to install.
If you don’t see your desired launcher, open Edge (also located in My apps), navigate to the store’s website, and download it.
Play Anywhere—Including Offline: Handheld freedom means you’re bound to play in places without WiFi. While many titles work best online, most single-player games run great without a connection. Before you travel, test your games offline, pre-download any updates or DLC, and make sure you’re signed in. For detailed offline setup, see our guide: Play games in offline mode on Windows | Xbox Support. And if you’re flying, don’t forget to switch to airplane mode to save battery and avoid interruptions.
Personalizing your Setup
Play Your Way Using Accessibility Features: With the Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X, the Xbox experience and Game Bar have been optimized for handheld use, bringing along familiar accessibility features from Xbox consoles and Windows 11 PCs. Most visual, cognitive, and sensory accessibility features can be found by selecting the Profile & Settings icon in the upper left of the screen, selecting Settings, then Accessibility. Input accessibility settings, including on-screen keyboard, input customizations, and the ability to re-map your Xbox Ally’s buttons are found in Armoury Crate SE.
Connect External Controllers: Pair Xbox Wireless Controllers to your Xbox Ally just like you would with a PC. Turn on your controller, hold the Pair button, and look for the connect notification. Missed it? Open the Game Bar, navigate to Settings > Bluetooth > Manage devices, select Add device > Bluetooth, and follow the prompts.
And don’t miss the clever detail: inside the underside of your Xbox Ally box lid, you’ll find a lightweight, sturdy paperboard stand—perfect for holding your Xbox Ally while charging or playing with an external controller without blocking the screen. This pairs well with the next feature:
Docking for the Big Screen: The Xbox Ally–is your perfect gaming companion when you’re on the go, and when you’re at home it provides even more options to play. It’s easy to connect an external monitor or TV for a larger, even more immersive experience . Simply connect your Xbox Ally directly to a monitor or TV or to a dock via the USB-C port,. For optimal performance, it’s best to use “Second Screen Only” to match your TV’s resolution and refresh rate.
Customize the Joystick Ring Lights: The Xbox Ally’s colorful lights surrounding the thumbsticks are one of its defining visual flourishes, but sometimes you may want to dim them for a red-eye flight or if you’re playing in dark room. To adjust them, open Armoury Crate SE and select Lighting to change how they pulse, or turn them off entirely.
Stay up to date: The Xbox Ally you take out of the box is only the starting point. Last month, we shared updates to the ROG Xbox Ally handheld experience, including Default Game Profiles (Preview) which automatically balance frame rate (FPS) and power consumption for 40 supported games, Game Save Sync Indicators, which give you real-time confirmation that your progress is uploaded to the cloud, as well as other improvements to deliver a smoother, faster, and more reliable experience. Xbox and ASUS will continue to add new features and functionality to enhance your experience, which we’ll share over time. To ensure you’ve always got the latest updates, there are two places you’ll want to check from time to time.
Windows OS Update:
Open Game Bar > Settings Widget > More Settings > Open Windows Settings > Windows Update
Install all updates and restart your device when prompted
Update Armoury Crate SE:
Open the Command Center
Select “Open Armoury Crate SE”
Select Update Center > Check for Updates > Update All
We can’t wait to see where your new Xbox Ally or Xbox Ally X takes you. Whether you’re enjoying handheld gaming on the couch or setting high scores on the go, these tips will help you get the most out of every session.
Handheld gaming just keeps getting better. You, our players, are shaping the future of handheld gaming by providing feedback to Xbox, Windows, and ASUS, and we’re listening and delivering updates to enhance the way you play. Since the launch of the ROG Xbox Ally handhelds, we’ve been hard at work, listening to level up your experience – and today, we’re excited to share what’s new, what’s improved and what’s coming up next, as we continue to raise the bar on gaming experiences.
What’s New
Default Game Profiles (Preview)
Spend more time playing and less time fine-tuning. Default Game Profiles, available in preview starting today, automatically balance frame rate (FPS) and power consumption for 40 supported games at launch, including Fortnite,Gears of War: Reloaded, Hollow Knight: Silksong, and others, with more coming soon. This means smoother, more enjoyable gameplay and extended battery life, without requiring manual adjustments. For example, in Hollow Knight: Silksong, the Default Game Profile can add nearly an hour of battery life compared to Performance mode while still delivering smooth 120 FPS gameplay.
Default Game Profiles are hand-crafted per-game and only apply when on battery. When you launch a supported game, the system automatically applies a tailored game profile, which sets recommended power (TDP) and a FPS limit specific to the game.
If the game falls short of its target FPS, the game profile is designed to boost power to help reach the target FPS, trading a bit of battery life for a smoother gameplay experience.
If a game is performing above the target FPS, the game profile is designed to limit FPS at the target rate to save power.
Players can turn these settings on or off in the game using the Armoury Crate Command Center Game Bar widget, where Game Profiles appear at the top of the widget with an ON/OFF toggle.
You can experience Default Game Profiles in preview mode for supported games, including these first party games, and more:
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7
Call of Duty: Warzone
DOOM Eternal
DOOM: The Dark Ages
Forza Horizon 5
Gears 5
Gears of War: Reloaded
Gears Tactics
Halo: The Master Chief Collection
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
Minecraft
Sea of Thieves
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4
Additional Improvements
We’ve also made several updates to deliver a smoother, faster, and more reliable experience on the Xbox ROG Ally based on your feedback. You can see the complete list of updates in the patch notes here, and highlights include:
Improved Gamepad response after login
Quicker Library loading, especially for players with large game libraries
Improved Cloud Gaming page performance, loading more quickly and more responsive
New Game Gallery filter by Performance Fit, helping you see how well games will run on your device
Bug fixes and performance enhancements for improved stability and responsiveness
To experience Default Game Profiles (Preview), and all the latest improvements, make sure you’ve installed the latest updates for Armoury Crate SE, the Xbox PC app, and Windows 11. Check out our essential tips for getting started to learn how to stay up to date.
Xbox Game Pass Benefits
As we shared at launch, players in select markets will also receive three months of Xbox Game Pass Premium* (where available) with the purchase of an ROG Xbox Ally or ROG Xbox Ally X handheld. Game Pass Premium offers unlimited Xbox Cloud Gaming, access to PC titles, and a library of over 200 great games like Forza Horizon 5,Hogwarts Legacy, Minecraft, and more, to jump into anytime, anywhere. Learn more at Xbox.com.
Looking Ahead
Based on early feedback from players, we’re actively investing in enhancements like sleep and wake reliability, improved formatting options for microSD cards, and more. Early next year, ROG Xbox Ally X will also introduce exciting AI-powered features such as Automatic Super Resolution (Auto SR) and highlight reels, giving players more ways to enjoy and share their gaming moments.
Game Save Sync Indicator Coming Next Week
We’re rolling out the Game Save Sync Indicator next week, a feature designed to give you peace of mind when switching between devices. With clear status updates, you’ll know exactly when your progress has synced to the cloud, whether you’re wrapping up on your PC or powering down your handheld. No more guessing or lost progress, just seamless, stress-free play across devices.
Powered by Windows 11 and inspired by the streamlined console experience, the Xbox full screen experience is purpose-built for gaming. On handhelds, it minimizes background activity and defers non-essential tasks, so more system resources are dedicated to gameplay.
This is just the beginning. We’re continuing to listen to your feedback, and excited to deliver even more new features and options that elevate the handheld experience. We’re building a new way to make sharing your input with us even easier, and we’ll have more to share on that soon. In the meantime, we’d love to hear from you directly in the feedback hub.
Thanks for being part of the Xbox community. We’re excited to keep building the future of gaming together. Stay tuned for more updates.
* Claim within 30 days of device activation. Valid payment method required. Subscription continues automatically at regular monthly price unless cancelled. Subject to xbox.com/subscriptionterms. Eligible existing Essential membership(s) will upgrade to Premium. For existing Ultimate members, the code will convert at a ratio. See xbox.com/code-conversion. Terms and exclusions apply. Game catalog varies over time, by region, device, and plan. xbox.com/gamepass.
Handheld Compatibility Program – Helping Players Play Smarter
We’ve introduced the new Handheld Compatibility Program to make it easier for you to identify which games are optimized for handheld play. This update is now visible on product detail pages across all Windows devices and featured in the handheld compatible channel on Home on supported Windows handhelds.
To support informed choices, a compatibility notification will appear before installation or purchase if a game is not currently Handheld Optimized, helping you understand how a game will play on handheld. [Back to Top]
PC Gaming Updates
Faster Downloads, Sharper Experience
We’ve rolled out updates to the Xbox PC app that improve download speeds so you can jump into your games faster. These changes are rolling out now to Xbox Insiders and will be available to all players soon.
We’ve made improvements to the download tool, allowing the app to better optimize your PC’s internet connection. That means fewer slowdowns and smarter bandwidth usage, especially on high-speed networks.
This is part of our ongoing commitment to making Xbox on PC faster, more responsive, and tuned to player feedback. We’ll continue listening to feedback and monitoring performance as the rollout expands. [Back to Top]
Xbox Console Updates
Official Clubs and Game Pass Benefits Update
Stay plugged into publisher updates and unlock more value with Game Pass. Game Hubs now include two new modules designed to keep you informed and engaged. The first provides the latest news from Official Clubs (where available), while the second highlights any Game Pass in-game benefits tied to the title. These updates have started to roll out and will soon appear alongside existing modules like Your game stats and Available add-ons, making it easier than ever for you to discover what’s new and take advantage of what’s included. [Back to Top]
In Case You Missed It
Xbox Accessories – The Outer Worlds 2 Xbox Wireless Controller and Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2
Step into the sequel with gear that’s ready for the mission. The Outer Worlds 2 Xbox Wireless Controller and Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 bring bold new designs inspired by The Moon Man and the galactic rifts threatening humanity’s survival. These aren’t just controllers; they’re your ultimate weapon in the Arcadia system. Available now through Xbox Design Lab, both options let players gear up with style and purpose.
Xbox Console – Dynamic Backgrounds
Battlefield 6, Keeper, The Elder Scrolls Online, and The Outer Worlds 2 all introduced new dynamic backgrounds for Xbox Series X|S consoles, allowing you to customize your console and celebrate these exciting new games. [Back to Top]
Game Additions
ROG Xbox Ally: Advanced Shader Delivery – Launch Faster, Play Smoother, Game Smarter.
We’re making your gaming experience even better with advanced shader delivery – now available for supported titles on ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X.
This new feature preloads game shaders during download, so select games launch up to 10x faster, run more smoothly, and use less battery on first play.
Today, advanced shader delivery is supported on select titles, with more coming soon. Here is the list of current supported games:
Ark Survival Ascended
Avowed
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Control
Dead Island 2
Deep Rock Galactic
Farming Simulator 25
Forspoken
Final Fantasy XVI
Forza Horizon 5
Forza Motorsport
Gears of War: Reloaded
Gears Tactics
Grounded 2
Grand Theft Auto V Enhanced
Lies of P
Metro Exodus
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024
Monster Hunter Rise
Persona 3 Reload
Resident Evil 2 (2019)
Resident Evil 3
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl
Sea of Thieves
Sniper Elite: Resistance
South of Midnight
The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion Remaster
Ninja Gaiden 4
The Callisto Protocol
The Outer Worlds 2
Silent Hill f
Keeper
Hogwarts Legacy
Xbox Play Anywhere – Buy once, play anywhere
Over 1,000 games now support Xbox Play Anywhere, making it easier than ever to switch between PC, console, and supported handhelds, at no extra cost to you. Jump into games like Hollow Knight: Silksong and Silent Hill f now. Your progress travels with you, including saves, add-ons, and achievements. Just sign in with your Xbox account on any device and pick up right where you left off.
These are the games added to the Xbox Play Anywhere collection in September:
Agatha Christie – Death on the Nile
Alphadia III
Baki Hanma: Blood Arena
Bio Block
Bratz Rhythm & Style
Brews & Bastards
Car Mechanic Shop Simulator
Creepy Redneck Dinosaur Mansion 3
Dead Reset
Deep Rock Galactic Survivor
DeTechtive 2112
Detective Dotson
Double Dangerous
Dragon Ruins
DreamWorks Gabby’s Dollhouse: Ready to Party
Echoes of Light: Child of the Balance
Echoes of the Plum Grove
Firefighting Simulator Ignite
Formula Legends
Full Throttle Parking
Giant Rush
Green Soldiers Heroes: Extreme Bikers
Hanoi Puzzles: Flip Match
Heian City Story
Hollow Knight: Silksong
Hot Stakes Casino – American Roulette
Hotel Barcelona
Ink Enigma: Hidden Object Challenges
Kairobotica
Karma: The Dark WorldMeow Moments: Celebrating Beats & Books
Moon Mystery
My Horse Stories
Nachtmahr
Napoleon Maiden Episode.1 A maiden without the word impossible
We’re continuing to grow the Stream your own game collection in Xbox Cloud Gaming. Game Pass Ultimate, Premium, and Essential members can now stream from a library of 1000+ games they own, across supported devices. That includes titles like ARC Raiders and Jurassic World Evolution 3.
More games, more flexibility, and more ways to play – wherever you may be.
Check out the full list of cloud-playable games available to stream on supported devices here. For more information on Stream your own game, learn more here. [Back to Top]
More games added to Retro Classics
Great games deserve to stick around, and we’re making sure they do. Xbox and Antstream Arcade are bringing retro favorites to modern devices with Retro Classics available on Game Pass, so players can keep enjoying the classics. With over 1 million players already diving into Retro Classics, here’s a look at the titles that have been recently added to Retro Classics.
BattleTech: The Crescent Hawk’s Inception (Amiga)
BattleTech: The Crescent Hawk’s Revenge (DOS)
Ice Hockey
Moonsweeper
Game Pass members can join weekly tournaments like the Maze Reaper tournament happening now, take on community challenges and enjoy a growing library of Activision and Blizzard games with the Retro Classics collection set to expand to more than 100 titles over time. Click here for more information on Retro Classics.
Xbox adds mouse and keyboard and touch controls for more games
Xbox supports the use of wired USB mice and keyboards for navigation in select games and apps, as well as across Xbox and Windows devices.
For players enjoying Xbox games on mobile, Xbox touch controls deliver a controller-free experience for hundreds of titles. Today, there are 130+ games with mouse and keyboard support active on cloud and 230+ games with touch controls available on cloud, giving you more ways to play than ever before.
Some games even provide custom control overlays or render their own touch layouts, creating a tailored experience for each title’s unique gameplay. Learn how to set up and customize your touch controls here. [Back to Top]
Here are the latest titles added this month:
Mouse and keyboard:
ABRISS – build to destroy
Astro Miner
Biz Builder Delux
Chess Royal
Cozy Designer
CyberTD
Dolmenjord – Viking Islands
Dragon Takers
Dream Town Island
Dungeon Village 2
Eldgear
Elemental War Clash
Forest Golf Planner
GRAPPIN
Hatsune Miku – The Planet of Wonder and Fragments of Wishes
HexaScape: Cyber Defense
Last Escape: Dead Complex
Mayhem Heroes
Meow Moments: Celebrating Geeks & Athletes
Midnight Remastered
Narcissus
Penguin’s Road
Pocket Harvest
Pocket League Story
Post Trama
Roofcats Band – Suika Style
Pool Slide Story
Snooker Blitz
SokoNature
Spot Challenge Vol. 1
The Thaumaturge
To the Sky
Touch:
Keeper
Immortals of Aveum
Tales of Kenzera: ZAU
For support on setting up devices, see here for more details.
Help Shape the Future of Xbox
Stay tuned to Xbox Wire for future updates and the latest and greatest Xbox news. For support related to Xbox updates, visit the official Xbox Support site.
We love hearing from the community, whether it’s a new feature idea or feedback on something we can improve upon. Xbox is always evolving, and your input helps shape what’s next. If you’d like to help create the future of Xbox and get early access to new features, join the Xbox Insider Programtoday by downloading the Xbox Insider Hub for Xbox Series X|S & Xbox Oneor Windows PC. [Back to Top]
Happy gaming!
Editor’s Note (October 30): We’ve clarified in the Faster Downloads, Sharper Experience section that the download speeds update for the Xbox app for PC is only rolling out for Xbox Insiders for now. We also corrected the Forza Motorsport game title listed in the Advanced Shader Delivery section.
Xbox‘s new handheld device has been out for 24 hours and the response to the ROG Xbox Ally and pricier ROG Xbox Ally X has been overwhelmingly positive from early reviewers.
But as with every major release within the gaming community, the Ally’s launch has prompted questions surrounding cost vs. value, who exactly the handheld console is meant for, and how the new on-the-go-PC-style product (made in partnership with Taiwanese electronics company Asus) might impact Microsoft Gaming’s plans for more full-scale Xbox gaming consoles.
First up, Xbox president Sarah Bond tells Variety that the price tags for the Ally ($599.99) and Ally X ($999.99) were largely determined by manufacturer Asus.
“We looked at, how do we create multiple options for people? And it really was Asus, because this is their hardware,” Bond said Thursday during a launch event for the Ally devices. “That is all of their insight into the market, into the feature set, into what people want, to determine the ultimate prices of the devices.”
Despite the steep price, Bond says that when pre-orders opened on September, “the reaction was overwhelming demand for the device.” “We sold out on the Xbox Store. We sold really quickly at a number of other places around the world,” Bond said. “I feel really good about the value that we’re giving gamers for the price, based off the reception to the hardware.”
Courtesy of Microsoft
Bond says the pre-launch results are “a real confirmation of something that we know and have been working towards for a really long time, which is gaming should act like all entertainment: it should be something you can have with you anywhere. You should be able to play any game you want with anyone you want on any device.”
Xbox decided to partner with Asus to develop the Ally line of handhelds “to really begin to transform the experience and take it to that next level in a way that we could do partnered much quicker, and in a much more innovative way, than we could [individually] with what we were each doing,” Bond says.
The first step in the process was prioritizing the ergonomic design of the Ally and Ally X: “We took everything we knew about what it took to make a controller, what it actually feels like for things to work in a variety of hand sizes, what it feels like to play for three hours and worked on the ergonomics of the device to make it super, super comfortable,” the Xbox president said.
Once the hands-on experience was sorted, Bond says the Xbox team’s next call was to Microsoft’s PC department.
“We partnered with the Windows team to think about the Windows experience on the device and to make sure it was optimized,” Bond said. “There isn’t a keyboard on this. We had to optimize it for controller and touch all the way through the UE, all the way through jumping into your games. So Windows is actually built to run on a handheld and on this form factor and on something that is built especially for a gaming.”
Some early discourse around the Xbox handhelds is questioning who exactly the products are meant for, seeing as Asus is first and foremost focused on PC-handheld devices, and there are skeptics who think the ROG Xbox Ally was going to be little more than an existing Asus product with an Xbox button and branding.
While not an internally made product, Bond insists it is Xbox through and through — whether you’re a more causal gamer and want an Ally, or a hardcore gamer who is eyeing an Ally X.
“We want to make sure that people have a choice,” Bond says. “We want to make sure there’s an option for the power players who want the latest innovations, that want to push the edge of what’s possible, the most demanding players. And then, if someone is looking for PC gaming on the go, they’re a casual gamer, they’re a gaming enthusiast, then there’s Xbox Allys for them. Giving multiple choices for people, so we can actually meet people where they are.”
The announcement of the ROG Xbox Allys and Xbox’s partnership with Asus also sparked some confusion over whether Xbox was out of the in-house-made console game. Bond confirms the Xbox team is still hard at work on its next-gen consoles, the follow-ups to the Xbox Series S and X, and there’s even the possibility of internally made handhelds.
“We are 100% looking at making things in the future,” Bond said. “We have our next-gen hardware in development. We’ve been looking at prototyping, designing. We have a partnership we’ve announced with AMD around it, so that is coming. What we saw here was an opportunity to innovate in a new way and to bring gamers another choice, in addition to our next-gen hardware. We are always listening to what players and creators want. When there is demand for innovation, we’re going to build it.”
The launch of the Xbox Ally and Ally X comes on the heels of several price increases at Xbox (for both consoles and its Game Pass subscription service) and just before the holiday season, when Xbox has a slate of much-anticipated AAA game launches still to come, including “Call of Duty: Black Ops 7” and “Outer Worlds 2.” Bond notes this frenzy of releases and business updates are “the start of a new pace the team is executing.”
“There’s a ton more innovation to come, including things like further optimizing the experience here, scaling out the handheld compatibility program, offering more benefits and improvements to the experience and other features and adds that we’re going to give to people and more choices and more games,” Bond says.
The wait is over – ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X are officially here! With the launch of ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X today, a new line-up of Designed for Xbox accessories is here to help you play your way. From lightning-fast storage to premium protection, these accessories (sold separately) make it easier than ever to expand your library, safeguard your device, and customize your setup.
Here’s what you can pre-order or pick up today – plus a glimpse at what’s coming soon.
SanDisk microSD Card – Available Now
Take your supported games anywhere with a high-performance microSD card engineered for Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X. With up to 2TB of storage, you can carry up to 50 games on the go. Built for speed, this card delivers write speeds up to 140MB/s for fast installs and updates, while read speeds up to 200MB/s offer quick load times for massive open-world titles and high-performance shooters. Rugged and reliable, it’s drop-proof, shock-proof, and X-ray-proof, and backed by a lifetime limited warranty for peace of mind.
The SanDisk microSD 512GB, 1TB and 2TB cards are available for purchase starting at $69.99 USD ERP
Seagate FireCuda 530R SSD – Coming Soon
Push your performance to the limit with the FireCuda 530R SSD, featuring PCIe Gen4 NVMe speeds up to 7,400MB/s for ultra-responsive gaming and content creation. Optimized for handheld and PC gaming, it supports Microsoft DirectStorage for faster load times and comes in a slim M.2 2280 form factor. Built tough with endurance up to 5,050TBW and backed by 3 years of Rescue Services.
The Seagate FireCuda 530R 1TB, 2TB and 4TB SSDs are available for pre-order starting at $94.99 USD ERP.
WD_Black SN7100X NVMe SSD – Coming Soon
Play your Xbox games anywhere with the officially licensed WD_Black SN7100X NVMe SSD for ROG Xbox Ally & Xbox Ally X, and PC. Experience read speeds up to 7,250MB/s and write speeds up to 6,900MB/s (2TB model), plus improved power efficiency for longer sessions. Designed with PCIe Gen4 technology and next-gen TLC 3D NAND, this drive offers capacities up to 4TB for massive libraries and includes a 1-month Xbox Game Pass Ultimate trial (where available).
Learn more about the WD_Black SN7100X NVMe SSD for ROG Xbox Ally & ROG Xbox Ally X.
ROG Raikiri II Xbox Wireless Controller – Coming Soon
Elevate your play with the ROG Raikiri II Xbox Wireless Controller. Packed with anti-drift TMR joysticks, ultra-fast 1000Hz polling for PC, and four programmable rear buttons, it delivers precision and control. Tri-mode connectivity – 2.4GHz RF, Bluetooth, or USB-C – lets you game seamlessly on the Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X, as well as on PC and Xbox consoles (Xbox with USB-C and 2.4GHz RF). Dual-mode triggers, tactile micro-switch buttons, and an ergonomic grip keep you comfortable, while up to 50 hours of wireless play keeps you going. It also includes a portable protective case, a charging stand, and two detachable joystick caps for added convenience.
Learn more about the ROG Raikiri II Xbox Wireless Controller.
ROG Xbox Ally (2-in-1) Premium Carrying Case – Available Now
Keep your handheld safe with a hard-shell design, fleece lining, and water-repellent fabric that protects against spills and bumps. Reinforced edges add durability, while a detachable pouch stores your 65W charger. The case even doubles as a portable stand and SD card holder, making it perfect for gaming on the go.
The ROG Xbox Ally (2-n-1) Premium Carrying Case is available for purchase starting at $69.99.
Dbrand Killswitch– Coming Soon
Engineered to survive everything from drops to marathon gaming sessions, the Dbrand Killswitch is a Designed for Xbox-certified case, built for the Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X. It combines impact-resistant thermoplastics, a slim 2.5mm profile, integrated kickstand, and crush-proof Travel Cover to create the holy grail of handheld gaming cases.
The dbrand Killswitch case for Xbox Ally & AllyX is available to pre-order for $59.95 USD ERP.
ROG 100W Gaming Charger Dock – Available Now
Charge, connect, and display—all in one device. This portable dock powers your Xbox Ally while outputting to a big screen via HDMI and connecting peripherals through dual USB-A ports. With ultra-fast charging and universal compatibility, it’s the ultimate travel companion.
Transform your setup with a versatile 7-in-1 dock featuring HDMI 2.1, USB-C, three USB-A ports, Ethernet, and audio jack—all supporting up to 4K at 144Hz or 8K at 30Hz. With 100W USB-C power delivery, ultra-fast data transfer, and Aura Sync RGB lighting, this dock is built for players who want performance and style.
SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds for Xbox – Available Now
Game anywhere with crystal-clear sound and ultra-low latency wireless. These buds feature Active Noise Cancellation, Quick-Switch 2.4GHz wireless & Bluetooth 5.3, and over 200 audio presets for Xbox and more on the Arctis Companion App. Enjoy immersive 360° Spatial Audio, 40 hours of total battery life with 10 hours of battery life per charge, and IP55 water/dust resistance—all in a compact, Qi wireless-charging case.
The SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds for Xbox are available for $199.99 USD ERP.
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Start customizing your Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X experience today with accessories available for pre-order or purchase now. Look for more accessory options coming this holiday season, giving you even more ways to personalize, protect, and power up your handheld. Whether you’re upgrading for yourself or gifting someone special, make handheld gaming unforgettable this year.
Your games, wherever you want—ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X are now available for players across 45 countries worldwide, with more on the way.
Developed in partnership with ASUS and AMD, these handhelds put the Xbox experience and the freedom of Windows in your hands, so you can play your way, wherever you go.
At Xbox, we define success by how much time players choose to spend with us—and the Xbox Ally handhelds are designed to make that time more seamless, flexible, and fun than ever before. Your Xbox experience travels with you—your library, your progression, your friends, and your achievements. And for the first time ever, you can play more of your games with Xbox, including those from leading Windows PC storefronts, all in one place. Whether you’re playing locally or streaming from your console or the cloud, it’s all right there, ready when you are.
This launch reflects the efforts of many—from the players who shaped the journey through early feedback, to the game creators who built the games you’ll play today. It’s a celebration of what we can build together.
Ready to jump in? Here’s how to get your Xbox Ally handheld today.
The Wait is Over: Get Your Xbox Ally Handheld Today
We’ve seen incredible excitement from players during pre-orders and availability may vary depending on the retailer and device. In the U.S., you can pick up the Xbox Ally X and Xbox Ally on Xbox.com.
For global availability of both the Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X, check the ASUS eShop and participating retailers worldwide. To find retailers in your region, head to Xbox.com.
Getting Started
The moment you boot up your Xbox Ally, you’ll see everything you love about Xbox come to life in a new way. From grips that feel like an Xbox controller in your hands, to the new Xbox Full Screen Experience, every detail is designed to feel familiar. To help you unlock the full potential of your handheld, we’ve pulled together a few resources that will make your experience with the Xbox Ally handhelds smooth, fun, and yours:
To make sure you’re ready on day one, we’ve created a Getting Started guide with tips and best practices to walk you through customizing your gaming experience so you can start playing right away. And once you’re in the game, your personal sidekick Gaming Copilot (Beta) is within reach—just long press the library button to ask for recommendations and get help, all without leaving your session. Learn more in the guide.
For your first play session, we’ve rounded up a selection of great gamesto try on your Xbox Ally from our Handheld Compatibility program, including Gears of War: Reloaded, South of Midnight, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, and Hollow Knight: Silksong. Discover what’s waiting for you when you power on—check out the full list now.
With Xbox Play Anywhere, you can play 1000+ games you own seamlessly across Xbox consoles and Windows PCs, including the new Xbox Ally handhelds. Over 55 new titles were added last month, giving you more ways to play wherever you go. To make it even easier to discover new favorites, players in select markets will also receive three months of Xbox Game Pass Premium or PC Game Pass (where available) with the purchase of an Xbox Ally handheld. Premium, which now offers unlimited cloud gaming and access to PC titles, gives you a library of over 200 great games to jump into anytime, anywhere. Learn more at Xbox.com.
We are committed to empowering everyone to play in a way that works for them, including the 425 million players with disabilities across the globe. With the Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X, the Xbox experience and Game Bar have been optimized for handheld use, bringing along familiar accessibility features from Xbox consoles and Windows 11 PCs. You can check out a list of available accessibility features by visiting Xbox Support.
The Future of Handheld Gaming Starts Now
The Xbox Ally is the latest example of how we’re making gaming better across all of Windows. Together with ASUS, AMD, and Windows, we’re committed to pushing handheld gaming further, guided by your feedback and powered by deep collaboration. That means ongoing improvements to performance, battery life, handheld compatibility, and new features on the Xbox Ally handhelds in the months ahead.
In the coming weeks, Xbox Ally players can look forward to previewing Default Game Profiles, a new feature that balances frame rate and energy use for select titles to give players smooth, enjoyable gameplay while extending battery life. And that’s just the beginning. Early next year, we will also roll out enhancements to the docking experience for both Xbox Ally handhelds, introduce AI-powered features like Automatic Super Resolution (Auto SR) and highlight reels for the Xbox Ally X, and much more.
What’s most exciting is that many of these innovations are designed to scale across all Windows devices—some are available today, and others are on the way. Features like enhanced controller navigation, Gaming Copilot (Beta), and aggregated gaming library via the Xbox App are already available to all Windows users, while Advanced Shader Delivery (ASD) is designed to be usable by all Windows storefronts and games. These innovations, along with performance optimizations made to Windows and driver enhancements from partners like AMD, deliver a smoother, more powerful gaming experience—benefiting players no matter where they play with Windows. The future of handheld gaming is here—and it’s built on the freedom of Windows and powered by Xbox.
On behalf of Team Xbox, thank you for being with us as we embark on this new era of handheld gaming.
The ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X arrive tomorrow, October 16 – and if you already play with Xbox on PC, own an Xbox console, have a Game Pass subscription, or play games on other leading PC storefronts, you’ll almost certainly have a gaming library waiting for you as soon as you boot it up.
With the Xbox Ally handhelds, and the aggregated gaming library, thousands of games will be available to play from day one. For extra flexibility, you can play natively, via the cloud (where available), or via Remote Play from your Xbox console anywhere in your home.
But with so much choice, where to begin? Let us provide some suggestions – we’ve put together a (very non-comprehensive) list of some of our favorite games that are Handheld Optimized or Mostly Compatible (learn more about the Handheld Compatibility Program here), giving confidence that games will play well on your handheld. Even better, with the majority of games available as Xbox Play Anywhere titles, a single purchase means you can play with Xbox right away, including your progress and achievements.
This list is made up of games you can play right now, but there’s so much more to come. In the coming months, you’ll be able to use your Xbox Ally to try out the likes of Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade, Ninja Gaiden 4, and many more. If you’re looking for more tips on getting the most out of your new Xbox Ally, we’ve compiled a list here.
Balatro
Playstack Ltd
☆☆☆☆☆ 338
★★★★★
$14.99
$11.99
PC Game Pass
Xbox Game Pass
Balatro
Handheld Optimized, Xbox Play Anywhere, Xbox Game Pass
Starting with a standard 52-card deck and trying to assemble the highest scoring poker hands you can, this roguelike deckbuilder quickly spirals into an addictive score chase. Change the number of your cards, add powerful modifiers to your deck, and discover a tableau of game-changing jokers that radically alter your strategy as you reach for exponentially higher scores. With endless mode, multiple difficulty stakes, and special challenges to master, Balatro is a perfect handheld game that will have you squeezing in runs wherever and whenever you can.
DOOM: The Dark Ages
Bethesda Softworks
☆☆☆☆☆ 621
★★★★★
$69.99
$55.99
PC Game Pass
Xbox Game Pass
Doom: The Dark Ages
Handheld Optimized, Xbox Game Pass
Launch the Slayer! Step into the blood-stained boots of the Doom Slayer in the critically acclaimed Doom: The Dark Ages. As the super weapon of gods and kings, players shred enemies with devastating medieval-inspired weaponry, take flight atop a fierce Mecha Dragon and pilot a 30-story Atlan mech as they wage war through epic battlefields and never-before-seen realms. And now you can take Doom: The Dark Ages on the go via handheld, so whether you’re commuting or couch surfing, the Slayer’s legend travels with you.
DRAGON QUEST III HD-2D Remake
SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD.
☆☆☆☆☆ 118
★★★★★
$59.99
Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake
Handheld Optimized, Xbox Play Anywhere
Square Enix’s HD-2D-ification of the renowned Dragon Quest III not only looks and feels great in 2025, it’s also a perfect game for RPG fans on the go. The turn-based nature of Dragon Quest III means you won’t need to panic during battle if there are interruptions on the bus, or if you need to look away from the screen while playing on the sofa. Plus, the Xbox Ally’s spectacular speakers pair perfectly with a captivating orchestral soundtrack. Once you’ve defeated the villainous Archfiend Baramos and saved the world, look towards the imminently upcoming Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake on October 30 for more portable-friendly HD-2D goodness.
Forza Horizon 5 Standard Edition
Xbox Game Studios
☆☆☆☆☆ 1620
★★★★★
$59.99
$47.99
PC Game Pass
Xbox Game Pass
Forza Horizon 5
Mostly Compatible, Xbox Play Anywhere, Xbox Game Pass
Forza Horizon 5 is another perfect choice for the Xbox Ally handhelds, offering fast-paced driving action through impeccable landscapes. Speed through sun-baked dunes, drift by dazzling coastlines and cruise through lush jungles in in the driving seat of some of the world’s greatest cars. Built to offer a smooth, realistic driving experience and the perfect road trip fantasy, Forza Horizon 5 is a gorgeous adventure for both hardcore car lovers and casual drivers alike, offering a thrilling escape, wherever you are in the real world.
Gears of War: Reloaded
Xbox Game Studios
☆☆☆☆☆ 306
★★★★★
$39.99
$29.99
PC Game Pass
Xbox Game Pass
Gears of War: Reloaded
Handheld Optimized, Xbox Play Anywhere, Xbox Game Pass
This remaster is already a new way to revisit a classic, but what about a new way to do that? With so many memories already tied up in this game, it’s a genuine wonder to do it on a handheld – and Gears of War’s frenetic combat feel instantly at home in the smaller format, short and distinct enough to make that “just one more grub” feeling a legitimate thrill while you’re out and about.
Hogwarts Legacy
Warner Bros. Games
☆☆☆☆☆ 926
★★★★★
$69.99
$55.99
PC Game Pass
Xbox Game Pass
Hogwarts Legacy
Mostly Compatible, Xbox Play Anywhere, Xbox Game Pass
Open world games lend themselves wonderfully to handheld play – if you’re offered total freedom, your choice of how to spend your time is also up to you. Hogwarts Legacy, broken down not just by quests, but by day-night cycles, and even school lessons, is perfectly primed to make the most of those quick bursts on an Xbox Ally. Take a break to soar around the open world on a Hippogriff, enjoy a stroll through the Forbidden Forest, or pop by the Room of Requirement to top up your potions – Hogwarts Legacy and Xbox Ally are a perfect fit.
Hollow Knight: Silksong
Team Cherry
☆☆☆☆☆ 450
★★★★★
$19.99
$17.99
PC Game Pass
Xbox Game Pass
Hollow Knight: Silksong
Handheld Optimized, Xbox Play Anywhere, Xbox Game Pass
Explore and fight your way through the mysterious bug kingdom of Pharloom as the lethal hunter Hornet, in Hollow Knight: Silksong. This hotly-anticipated sequel to the genre-revitalizing metroidvania, Hollow Knight, is even bigger than its predecessor and dripping with just as much atmosphere and charm. Expand and master Hornet’s acrobatic move-set as you uncover Pharloom’s secrets and face its fierce foes and tricky platforming challenges. The genre has a storied history with handhelds, and Silksong is no different — there’s always another little corner of the map to uncover or tricky arena to clear whenever you pick up and play.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
Bethesda Softworks
☆☆☆☆☆ 781
★★★★★
$69.99
$55.99
PC Game Pass
Xbox Game Pass
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
Handheld Optimized, Xbox Play Anywhere, Xbox Game Pass
A globe-trotting adventure might not immediately spring to mind as a perfect handheld game, but MachineGames’ masterful take on the Indiana Jones franchise is replete with hidden puzzles, side-quests, and sequences of pure exploration. It makes for a perfect use of Play Anywhere – tackle some smaller objectives while you’re out and about, reap the rewards, and then switch to your big screen at home to take on the next main story beat.
Minecraft for Windows
Microsoft Studios
☆☆☆☆☆ 91
★★★★★
Minecraft
Handheld Optimized, Xbox Game Pass
Minecraft has endured as one of the richest sandboxes ever made, and its array of regular updates combined with the ultimate freedom to build whatever you can dream up makes for a fresh, creative experience every time. Whether you’re on a solo adventure or building with friends online, the only limits in Minecraft are your imagination, and perhaps uncontested access to the living room TV – but on a handheld, you don’t even need to worry about that!
Monster Train 2
Big Fan Games
☆☆☆☆☆ 202
★★★★★
$24.99
$19.99
PC Game Pass
Xbox Game Pass
Monster Train 2
Mostly Compatible, Xbox Play Anywhere, Xbox Game Pass
Like the best card games, Monster Train 2 takes a simple concept – a ‘Magic: The Gathering’-like battler set across three vertical rooms – and uses wildly differing mechanics to blow it up into a game of dazzling complexity. With a huge variety of hero cards (each with their own distinct decks) and a constantly gratifying progression system, this has slowly but surely taken up literal days of our playtime since release this year. Its relatively short runs, and constant avenues offering something new to try, make for a natural handheld game.
Ori and the Will of the Wisps
Xbox Game Studios
☆☆☆☆☆ 430
★★★★★
$29.99
$9.89
Xbox One X Enhanced
PC Game Pass
Xbox Game Pass
Ori and the Will of the Wisps
Handheld Optimized, Xbox Play Anywhere, Xbox Game Pass
From Moon Studios, the acclaimed developers behind Ori and the Blind Forest, comes an enchanting sequel that reunites us with the little spirit Ori – joined now by the owlet Ku. The critically acclaimed Ori and the Will of the Wisps was nominated for multiple Game of the Year awards the year it was released, thanks to its tightly crafted platforming, beautiful, orchestrated score, and delightful art design that brought its exotic world to life — it continues to resonate with gamers all these years later.
Persona 4 Golden
SEGA
☆☆☆☆☆ 277
★★★★★
$19.99
$15.99
PC Game Pass
Xbox Game Pass
Persona 4 Golden
Handheld Optimized, Xbox Play Anywhere, Xbox Game Pass
It’s no surprise this flashy Atlus JRPG fares so well on the Xbox Ally – it was originally designed for portable play. Persona 4 Golden delivers everything that’s made the series a global hit: a fast-paced, yet strategic battle system, and a soundtrack that you’ll be humming for… potentially the rest of your life. It’s not all style and no substance; Persona 4 Golden delivers a compelling story that could last you on a trip around the world – and back again.
The Rogue Prince of Persia™
Ubisoft
☆☆☆☆☆
★★★★★
The Rogue Prince of Persia
Mostly Compatible, Xbox Game Pass
In The Rogue Prince of Persia, agility is your greatest asset. In this latest challenging entry in the acclaimed series that continues its return to its platforming roots, you’ll step once again into the shoes of the Prince (and his many acrobatic abilities) to fight back against the evil chief, Nogai, and his army of haunted soldiers. With roguelite elements that allow you to rewind fate, you’ll have to master fluid, acrobatic combat, as well as wall-running parkour abilities, as you explore the kingdom of Clesiphon to right your wrongs – or die trying.
South of Midnight
Xbox Game Studios
☆☆☆☆☆ 613
★★★★★
$39.99
$31.99
PC Game Pass
Xbox Game Pass
South of Midnight
Handheld Optimized, Xbox Play Anywhere, Xbox Game Pass
Explore the magic and mythos of the Deep South in South of Midnight, a gothic folklore adventure with a fantasy twist. As Hazel, you’ll wield an ancient power known as weaving to fight Haints, mend spirits, and confront your family’s hidden past. With its mesmerizing surroundings, approachable combat and rich levels, this whimsical action-adventure is a perfect story to chew on during a cozy afternoon or a long journey.
Tony Hawk’s™ Pro Skater™ 3 + 4
Activision Publishing Inc.
☆☆☆☆☆ 294
★★★★★
PC Game Pass
Xbox Game Pass
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4
Mostly Compatible, Xbox Play Anywhere, Xbox Game Pass
The classic two-minute Career Mode runs of Tony Hawk games make this a perfect fit for your Xbox Ally on the go – long enough to let you rack up points, smash S-K-A-T-E challenges, and beat your last score, but short enough that you’ll never miss your next stop. And for longer sessions, it’s the perfect chance to hit Free Skate and go exploring, working out new ways to up the ante next time you go up against the timer.
Vampire Survivors
Poncle
☆☆☆☆☆ 558
★★★★★
$4.99
$3.99
PC Game Pass
Xbox Game Pass
Vampire Survivors
Handheld Optimized, Xbox Play Anywhere, Xbox Game Pass
Not many games can say they meaningfully contributed to a new genre but this “reverse bullet hell shooter” has a serious claim. Vampire Survivors builds an entire game out of using just the left thumbstick, pitting your tiny Survivor against thousands of enemies each run – pick up upgrades and weaponry as you go, with your character spewing increasingly apocalyptic firepower over the course of short, action-packed runs. It’s the kind of game you can squeeze into a bus ride, or sit back at home and play for hours on end.
For a list of Handheld Optimized and Mostly Compatible games, see here.
Congratulations on picking up your new ROG Xbox Ally or ROG Xbox Ally X! Whether you’re a handheld gaming veteran or just getting started, you’ve joined a growing and vibrant community of players who appreciate the flexibility of Windows and the power and ease of use of Xbox in the palm of your hands. While you probably picked up your Xbox Ally to dive right into your favorite games (we share some of our handheld favorites here), you’ll quickly discover that these handhelds offer tremendous flexibility to personalize your gaming experience. To help you hit the ground running, we’ve pulled together some must-know tips to make the most out of your new Xbox Ally.
If you’re just setting your device up, check out the informative guide at Xbox Support for step-by-step instructions. Of note: Don’t skip the option to set up the fingerprint reader; unlocking your Xbox Ally with just a touch is fast and feels a little bit magical. Once setup is complete, you’ll boot up directly into the immersive Xbox full screen experience, a purpose-built gaming experience.
Ready to go? Here’s a few helpful pointers.
Navigating your Xbox Ally
Master the Menus: The Xbox Ally gives you multiple ways to find what you’re looking for— you can use the d-pad, joysticks, shoulder and face buttons to make selections, or simply tap the responsive touchscreen directly. For instance, to reach the all-important Game Bar settings menu, you can press the Xbox button and hit the right bumper, or simply swipe from the left edge of the screen toward the center. Swapping between apps? Long press the Xbox button or swipe up from the bottom to access the Task Switcher, making switching between apps and games seamless.
Get Familiar with Command Center: ASUS Command Center is now integrated into Game Bar, giving you instant access to many advanced features to personalize your experience, both inside and outside of games.
For a more expansive set of advanced settings and customization options, you can also launch the full-featured Armoury Crate SE right from this overlay.
Meet Gaming Copilot (Beta) — Your Personal Sidekick: You can access Gaming Copilot on the Xbox Ally, where it offers recommendations, tips, and insights when you need them. To get started, long press the Command Center button to open the Gaming Copilot widget in Game Bar, and complete the onboarding experience. After that, if you want to check your next achievement or get advice for a tough boss fight without leaving your game, long press the Library button and then release to start your conversation with Gaming Copilot.
Play What You Want
Browse Your Games Library: Now it’s time to find some things to play! Head to the Library by pressing the dedicated Library button above the right thumbstick to find games you already own, as well as those available with Game Pass, and titles playable via the Xbox Cloud Gaming. Note: you can select more than one category at a time; highlighting Owned and Installable allows you to go shopping in your own closet for games that play natively on your Xbox Ally. Looking for something new? You’ll find the Store on the left rail as well.
Access Your Games, From Leading PC Storefronts: With the aggregated gaming library, you can easily add your titles from leading PC storefronts to your library, to see all your games in one place. All you have to do is head to the My Apps tab in your Library, and select the PC storefront you want to install.
If you don’t see your desired launcher, open Edge (also located in My apps), navigate to the store’s website, and download it.
Play Anywhere—Including Offline: Handheld freedom means you’re bound to play in places without WiFi. While many titles work best online, most single-player games run great without a connection. Before you travel, test your games offline, pre-download any updates or DLC, and make sure you’re signed in. For detailed offline setup, see our guide: Play games in offline mode on Windows | Xbox Support. And if you’re flying, don’t forget to switch to airplane mode to save battery and avoid interruptions.
Personalizing your Setup
Play Your Way Using Accessibility Features: With the Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X, the Xbox experience and Game Bar have been optimized for handheld use, bringing along familiar accessibility features from Xbox consoles and Windows 11 PCs. Most visual, cognitive, and sensory accessibility features can be found by selecting the Profile & Settings icon in the upper left of the screen, selecting Settings, then Accessibility. Input accessibility settings, including on-screen keyboard, input customizations, and the ability to re-map your Xbox Ally’s buttons are found in Armoury Crate SE.
Connect External Controllers: Pair Xbox Wireless Controllers to your Xbox Ally just like you would with a PC. Turn on your controller, hold the Pair button, and look for the connect notification. Missed it? Open the Game Bar, navigate to Settings > Bluetooth > Manage devices, select Add device > Bluetooth, and follow the prompts.
And don’t miss the clever detail: inside the underside of your Xbox Ally box lid, you’ll find a lightweight, sturdy paperboard stand—perfect for holding your Xbox Ally while charging or playing with an external controller without blocking the screen. This pairs well with the next feature:
Docking for the Big Screen: The Xbox Ally–is your perfect gaming companion when you’re on the go, and when you’re at home it provides even more options to play. It’s easy to connect an external monitor or TV for a larger, even more immersive experience . Simply connect your Xbox Ally directly to a monitor or TV or to a dock via the USB-C port,. For optimal performance, it’s best to use “Second Screen Only” to match your TV’s resolution and refresh rate.
Customize the Joystick Ring Lights: The Xbox Ally’s colorful lights surrounding the thumbsticks are one of its defining visual flourishes, but sometimes you may want to dim them for a red-eye flight or if you’re playing in dark room. To adjust them, open Armoury Crate SE and select Lighting to change how they pulse, or turn them off entirely.
Stay up to date: The Xbox Ally you take out of the box is only the starting point; Xbox and ASUS will continue to add new features and functionality to enhance your experience. To ensure you’ve always got the latest updates, there are two places you’ll want to check from time to time.
Windows OS Update:
Open Game Bar > Settings Widget > More Settings > Open Windows Settings > Windows Update
Install all updates and restart your device when prompted
Update Armoury Crate SE:
Open the Command Center
Select “Open Armoury Crate SE”
Select Update Center > Check for Updates > Update All
We can’t wait to see where your new Xbox Ally or Xbox Ally X takes you. Whether you’re enjoying handheld gaming on the couch or setting high scores on the go, these tips will help you get the most out of every session.
PC gaming is wonderful. You can customize games as much as you desire, run them at high framerates, and enjoy all sorts of other useful advantages. But one really annoying part of gaming on a PC in 2025 is dealing with shader compilation. Thankfully, Microsoft is rolling out a solution, but it might take some time before you get to enjoy its benefits.
Over the last few years, game developers have started implementing shader compilation on PC. The idea is for your GPU to compile as many of the shaders that will be used during gameplay as possible ahead of time and limit how much stuttering you feel while playing. It’s not a perfect solution, but it’s a pretty good way to improve how well games play on your PC. But the big problem with compiling shaders is that it takes time,and you’re often left looking at a screen for a few minutes or more, depending on your PC and how many shaders the game needs to compile. In theory, you only have to do this once at startup. But in reality, you’ll likely do it a few times, as big updates or changes you make to the game’s settings can force another shader compilation. I have even run into games, like Borderlands 4, that compile shaders mid-game when fast-traveling for the first time. It’s all very annoying, but thankfully, Microsoft has a solution that is now in the wild.
As spotted by PC Gamer, Microsoft’s Agility software development kit, a collection of game development tools for DirectX, has been updated to 1.618 and now supports Advanced Shader Delivery (ASD). This tech, which was announced last month, is Microsoft’s plan to get rid of those annoying shader compiling screens. The basic idea is that instead of your GPU and PC compiling all the shaders at game boot, ADS will contain a large database of pre-compiled shaders for various hardware and API setups. So you download a game and it includes all the shaders you’ll need, already compiled offline and ready to go.
This is essentially how consoles get around having to compile shaders when booting up a game, but it’s much easier over there, as devs only have to manage a few setups. In the world of PC gaming, there are many, many different hardware configurations to deal with, making it trickier to pre-compile everything. But AMD, Intel, and Nvidia are all working together alongside Microsoft to provide devs and storefronts with everything they’ll need to pre-compile shaders for as many hardware variations as possible, and then offer these to consumers when they buy digital games.
For now, ADS is only available on Microsoft’s Xbox Store app and only when using the Asus ROG Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X handhelds, which both launch on October 16. It’ll likely be a few years before ADS is a normal feature included in most big stores and games, but at least there’s hope. One day, not too far in the future, we’ll all be free from having to wait for every big PC game to compile shaders. Doesn’t that sound nice?
Starting today, players can pre-order the ROG Xbox Ally X and ROG Xbox Ally — two powerful handhelds built to take your game library with you wherever you go. They combine the best of ASUS hardware, the flexibility of Windows, and an approachable Xbox experience, so your games, friends, and progress are always within reach.
Join the Launch — Pre-Orders Now Live in 38 Countries
Launching globally on October 16, the Xbox Ally X and Xbox Ally offer two unique versions to match your individual playstyle. Pricing is set at an Estimated Retail Price (ERP) for each device (exact prices will be announced per region as pre-orders go live):
ROG Xbox Ally X: Available for USD $999.99 (ERP). The ultimate high-performance handheld, built for the most demanding players.
ROG Xbox Ally: Available for USD $599.99 (ERP). The essential handheld for everyone from the casual player to the avid enthusiast.
Players can pre-order their handhelds today in: Australia, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, and Vietnam — as well as 8 newly announced markets launching on October 16: Egypt, Greece, Hungary, Indonesia, Slovenia, South Africa, Thailand, and Ukraine.
Pre-orders are available through Xbox, the Microsoft Store in the United States (ROG Xbox Ally X and ROG Xbox Ally), ASUS eshop, and select local retailers. More pre-order opportunities are coming soon in select other markets. If pre-orders are available in your market, visit Xbox.com to find participating retailers.
The handhelds will also be available in additional markets where ROG Ally series products are currently sold, including Brazil, China, India, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Philippines, and Switzerland, and we’ll have more to share in the future.
Bringing Xbox to Handheld Gaming
Xbox ROG Ally details
One of our core goals with the Xbox Ally was to deliver a distinctly Xbox experience in the palm of your hands. With the Xbox Ally X and Xbox Ally, you can look forward to an approachable gaming experience that travels with you wherever you go, featuring several new and first-of-their-kind features on both devices.
Here’s what you can look forward to on your Xbox Ally handheld:
Launch directly into the Xbox full screen experience, a dedicated experience purpose-built for gaming, powered by Windows 11, and inspired by the console user experience. With new modifications that minimize background activity and defer non-essential tasks, more system resources are dedicated specifically to gameplay.
A dedicated Xbox button opens an enhanced Game Bar overlay for Windows 11, making it easy to return home, browse your library, launch or quit games, chat with friends, access ROG’s innovative Armoury Crate SE, and more.
An aggregated gaming library gives you quick access to games from Xbox, Game Pass (where available), and installed games from Battle.net and other leading PC stores.
Xbox controller-inspired grips, with ergonomics that allow you to play comfortably for longer gaming sessions.
Every Xbox Ally comes with three months of Xbox Game Pass, unlocking hundreds of games playable across devices. More information about the Game Pass offer will be shared prior to October 16. Terms and conditions apply.
Whether you love playing on PC, console, or streaming your games on the go, the Xbox Ally opens up new ways to access your Xbox library, through:
Native play, which allows you to play PC games from any store that are installed and run directly on the device. And with Xbox Play Anywhere, you can play more than 1,000 supported titles from Xbox across console, PC, and handhelds with a single purchase. Today, Xbox Play Anywhere titles are where the majority of console players spend their time on Xbox, and you can now experience those same games on the go with the Xbox Ally handhelds.
Remote play, which allows you to stream your full console library from your Xbox console anywhere in your home – all via a smooth and intuitive user experience built for handheld.
Xbox Cloud Gaming (Beta), which takes portability even further by allowing you to stream your Xbox library of console games to your handheld on the go. Whether you’re traveling, commuting, or just stepping out, you can pick up where you left off (where available).
Our Handheld Compatibility Program, a new Xbox initiative that indicates which games play great on handheld. At launch, thousands of titles will be Handheld Optimized or Mostly Compatible, making it easier to find games that are ready to play on your Xbox Ally.
Check out more details on additional features you can expect to experience on the Xbox Ally X and Xbox Ally at launch and beyond, including upcoming AI-powered innovations.
Unlock Even More with New Xbox Ally X and Xbox Ally Accessories
The Xbox Ally handheld lineup is expanding with a wide range of compatible accessories (sold separately), just in time for the holidays. From ultra-fast storage options to protective gear, you will soon have more ways to customize your play experience on the Xbox Ally X and Xbox Ally. Starting today, players can pre-order the following accessories alongside their handheld:
Storage options to bring more of your library with you
SANDISK® microSD™ Card – Take your supported games with you anywhere with a high-performance storage card engineered specifically for the Xbox Ally X and Xbox Ally (sold separately). With up to 2TB of storage, enjoy blazing-fast downloads and up to 200MB/s read speeds for instant play, anywhere.
Seagate® FireCuda® 530R SSD – Unleash ultra-fast speeds, extreme durability, and unrivalled performance. The FireCuda 530R SSD supports Microsoft DirectStorage for seamless gaming, and is available in 1TB, 2TB, or 4TB capacities.
Protect your handheld from the elements
ROG Xbox Ally (2-in-1) Premium Carrying Case – This Xbox co-branded case fits Xbox Ally handhelds, with a water-repellent exterior, soft fleece lining, and a unique zipper. It includes a detachable pouch for a 65W charger (sold separately) and easily fits into bags to protect your device from scratches or bumps.
And this is just the beginning — more accessories are on the way. Stay tuned for more on the Xbox Ally X and Xbox Ally as we count down to launch on October 16!
With the launch of the ROG Xbox Ally only a few weeks away on October 16, the fantasy of a portable Xbox is about to be a lot more real. As a recent video from YouTuber James Channel shows, though, with a first-generation Xbox and the right components, you can make your own version of an Xbox handheld right now. Just don’t expect it to be pretty.
James’ “portable monstrosity” strips away the original Xbox’s large plastic casing and thick internal cables and preserves the bare essentials: a motherboard and the console’s disk drive, with a new flash drive and a display from an iPod video accessory. All those components are precariously mounted between the left and right halves of an Xbox controller, for a complete package that seems less easy to hold than ASUS’ current handheld PCs, but only marginally so. It’s a quick and dirty assembly with a surprising amount of super glue — a far cry from the polished Xbox 360 handheld created by YouTuber Millomaker — but it gets the job done.
You can already stream Xbox games to a multitude of screens, or play their PC versions on a growing number of handheld PCs. You don’t need to turn an original Xbox into a portable device, but considering Microsoft and ASUS have yet to announce pricing for their new handhelds, maybe keep this cheaper alternative in your back pocket.
Windows may prove a perfectly suitable platform for gaming on a traditional PC, but on handheld devices like the ROG Ally, Legion Go, or even the Steam Deck, it’s another story. Microsoft’s operating system is often too clunky and frustrating when you’re restricted to a gamepad for input. The upcoming Xbox-branded Ally from Asus, however, has promised a solution with a dedicated, controller-friendly user interface for running PC games on the go. These devices have yet to hit shelves, but a downloadable preview of a new version of Windows 11 is giving folks access to the new interface on just about any Windows handheld device.
As noted by The Verge, The upcoming 25H2 update for Windows 11 lets you launch the new gaming-focused, fullscreen Xbox app for Windows with just a few tweaks to the registry and the help of a third-party tool (a Reddit post by user Gogsi123 outlines the whole process). Unlike the overlay that software companies like Asus provide for their Windows handhelds, this new Xbox app skips the entire Windows desktop environment in favor of a fullscreen, controller-friendly experience. And people are finding, by way of the preview workaround, that it seems to lead to marginal performance gains as well.
The ROG Xbox Ally X is less than a month away, and we’re still not sure of pricing
Though the best graphical experiences are still had on well-kitted PCs and cutting-edge consoles, we are in the midst of a handheld arms race kicked off by Valve three years ago when it launched the Steam Deck. Since then, other PC manufacturers have jumped in with Windows-based options. More recently, the power of the Switch 2 has made it something of a competitor in this space as well.
It’s all the stranger, then, that we’re not actually sure exactly how much Microsoft and Asus’ collaboration is going to cost. According to a report from former IGN writer Destin Legarie, a local Best Buy indicated that a $549 version and an $899 one would be available when he called to ask about it. If this is accurate, that puts the lower-tier version of the Xbox Ally at the same price as the smaller-capacity Steam Deck OLED, and within competitive pricing range of the current ROG Ally and Ally X, which retail for about $649 and $899, respectively.
Having enjoyed my time with the ROG Ally X, I can definitely attest to the value of having more games available on a handheld that’s running Windows instead of Valve’s Linux-based SteamOS, though I typically prefer the form factor and controller-focused interface of the Steam Deck. Now, if a few tweaks to the Windows registry can also give people that experience on a non-Xbox Ally X, I imagine it’ll be harder to find a use case for the Xbox Ally for those who already own a handheld gaming device and aren’t afraid to tinker with their machines.
Welcome to Video Games Weekly on Engadget. Expect a new story every Monday or Tuesday (or Wednesday, whatever), broken into two parts. The first is a space for short essays and ramblings about video game trends and related topics from me, Jess Conditt, a reporter who’s covered the industry for more than 13 years. The second contains the video game stories from the past week that you need to know about, including some headlines from outside of Engadget.
Please enjoy — and I’ll see you next week.
On a planet shrouded in myth, in a land surrounded by lore, on a mountain draped in mystery, in a cave suffocated by secrets, the legend sleeps. For six years, the legend has slumbered while wild stories spiral around it, twisting and expanding and entwining. New words have been born and old words infused with evolved meanings: Believer. Doubter. Silkpost. The lies have grown so thick they’ve become corporeal, spreading trickery with a name and a dead smile.
For six years, the legend has slept while the masses roiled, all of them waiting for the signal to awaken and know truth. All of them waiting for a bell that will ring, finally and clearly, on Thursday, August 21, 2025.
Skong. Skong. Skong.
It’s a special time in the Silksong subreddit. After years of silence around its sequel, Hollow Knight: Silksong, Team Cherry has scheduled a livestream with a “special announcement” about the game for August 21 at 10:30AM ET. Not only is this exciting for Metroidvania fans everywhere, but it’s also possible that this announcement marks the final moments of the Silksong subreddit as we know it. A strange cocktail of game delays, inconsistent updates and hyper-focused cult fandom has cultivated a fascinating little universe in r/Silksong, complete with its own rules, villains and heroes. It’s a place where clown wigs are commonplace and contributors have turned trolling into a role-playing artform. A LARPform, if you will. It’s a place that’s consistently made me laugh every time it’s appeared in my feed over the past year or so.
Ahead of Thursday’s special announcement, this sub is experiencing the last gasps of desperate myth-making and hopeless anticipation before it transforms into something else entirely, armed with actual information about the sequel, gameplay videos and maybe even a firm release date. Or, dare I say it, a surprise launch. For just a moment longer in r/Silksong, anything is possible.
And then it’ll be over. No matter what happens during Thursday’s livestream, the day will come when Silksong comes out and the drip-feed of silkposts dries up completely. But for now, our face paint is ready. Sometimes it’s just nice to recognize the madness and the beauty of the moment, before it slips away for good.
The news
News from ONL 2025
Gamescom 2025 kicked off on Tuesday with Opening Night Live, a showcase hosted by Geoff Keighley and the folks behind The Game Awards, and there were plenty of delightful morsels on display. Engadget UK Bureau Chief Mat Smith is on the ground at Gamescom in Cologne, Germany, to play upcoming titles and talk to developers, but for now, here are our headlines straight out of ONL 2025:
Microsoft is slowly establishing its handheld era with news that the ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X will be available on October 16. There’s still no official word on how much they’ll cost, but there are hints: As spotted by Wario64, Best Buy recently listed the Xbox Ally at $550 and the Xbox Ally X at $900, and these fall in line with our predictions, which were based on the prices of existing ROG Ally handhelds. Alongside the release date, Microsoft announced the Handheld Compatibility Program, an initiative aimed at optimizing games for portable devices and informing players about how well they perform. It’s essentially Steam Deck Verified, but for Xbox handhelds, and it’s yet another sign that Microsoft’s portable gaming ambitions stretch beyond just one hardware manufacturer.
First Nintendo and Microsoft raised the prices of their latest consoles, and now it’s Sony’s turn. Sony on Wednesday announced the following price increases for the PS5 family:
Standard PS5 with a disc drive: $550, up from $500
PS5 digital edition: $500, up from $450
PS5 Pro: $750, up from $700
Sony blames the increases on a “challenging economic environment,” echoing sentiments from its contemporaries. The price hikes come at a time in the hardware generation when we’re used to seeing consoles get cheaper, which just makes this whole thing more frustrating.
There have been signs of turmoil at BioShock 4 studio Cloud Chamber for a while now, including news earlier this month that the game failed a review with 2K executives and was due for a complete narrative revamp. Now, we’re seeing even more fallout. Former Gears of War and Diablo head Rod Fergusson has left Blizzard to lead development of BioShock 4 at Cloud Chamber, and his appointment comes alongside news that 80 people at the studio are being laid off. This is actually the second time Fergusson has joined the development of a BioShock game at the last second — he similarly swooped in and cut aspects of BioShock: Infinite at Irrational Games in 2012.
The race through development hell between Judas and BioShock 4 continues.
Microsoft is the home of another video game union. Workers with Blizzard Entertainment’s Story and Franchise Development team, which handles in-game cinematics and lore for titles including Overwatch and World of Warcraft, voted this week to unionize under the Communications Workers of America. This covers about 169 developers and it marks the fourth unionization effort from Microsoft’s gaming teams, joining QA workers at Activision, ZeniMax and Raven Software.
PayPal isn’t a valid way to buy games on Steam in certain countries any longer. Steam in July removed hundreds of games with adult and NSFW themes from its storefront, and updated its policies to ban “content that may violate the rules and standards” of its payment processors. This was incredibly vague and raised immediate concerns around financial censorship, especially when combined with a related culling of thousands of games from Itch.io. Now, it’s confirmed that PayPal has terminated its partnership with Steam in multiple countries, affecting any denomination “other than EUR, CAD, GBP, JPY, AUD and USD.”
Valve says it’s being pressured by payment processors including Visa, MasterCard and PayPal to remove certain games and implement puritanical censorship policies, and this has already resulted in at least one game being unjustly removed from the platform. That game, VILE: Exhumed, is now available as shareware.
Roblox is locking down its system for sharing and viewing user-generated games following a wave of lawsuits accusing developers of failing to protect their young userbase. All unrated experiences, or user-created games, will be restricted to the developer and anyone actively working on them, rather than being available to anyone over the age of 13, as is currently the case. This change and others, including a new system that automatically detects and tracks “violative scenes” on individual servers, will roll out over the coming months.
