Microsoft has finally revealed how much the ROG Xbox Ally handheld consoles will cost you, now that they’re available for preorder. The ROG Xbox Ally X, which the company describes as the “ultimate high-performance handheld” that’s “built for the most demanding players,” will set you back $1,000. Meanwhile, the ROG Xbox Ally is “for everyone from the casual player to the avid enthusiast.” That model costs a more palatable $600.
ASUS + Xbox
Microsoft unveiled the devices during the Xbox Games Showcase at Summer Game Fest in June, with the promise that they’d be available by this year’s holiday shopping season. It was revealed a couple of months later that the consoles will be on store shelves by October 16. However, they hadn’t announced their prices until now.
Microsoft teamed up with ASUS’ ROG division to develop the handhelds. They’re powered by Windows 11 and lets you play any Xbox game you’ve purchased, whether you bought it on your console or your computer, as well as PC games from any store that you install directly on the device. You can use it to stream Xbox games from your console anywhere in your home or from the Xbox Cloud Gaming service. And yes, you’ll be able to continue where you left off when you jump from one device to another. At launch, Xbox will mark thousands of games as Handheld Optimized or Mostly Compatible to indicate if they play well on handhelds.
Specs
Digging into their specs accentuates those differences. The ROG Xbox Ally uses an AMD Ryzen Z2 A chip, while the ROG Xbox Ally X has a more powerful AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme. The standard model has 16GB RAM (6,400 MT/s), while the premium version has 24GB (8,000 MT/s).
The ROG Xbox Ally has a 512GB SSD; the ROG Xbox Ally X boosts that to 1TB. However, they each have a microSD slot to help you store more games. (And they both use upgrade-friendly M.2 2280 SSDs.)
The premium model has a larger battery, measuring 80 Wh. The entry-level version has a 60 Wh one. But that doesn’t necessarily mean longer battery life. We’ll have to wait for extended testing to know that.
Each variant has two USB-C ports, but (again) you get a higher-end version in the higher-end model. The Xbox ROG Ally includes two USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports. The Xbox ROG Ally X has one of those, along with a USB 4 Type-C port. The latter is more versatile, supporting Thunderbolt 4, DisplayPort 2.1 and eGPUs.
Each model has a seven-inch 1080p, 16:9 display with a 120Hz refresh rate and 500 nits of brightness. They’re anti-reflective, use Corning Gorilla Glass Victus and support FreeSync Premium.
How to pre-order
The standard ROG Xbox Ally is more readily available. In the US, you can pre-order it from Xbox, Microsoft Store, Asus, Amazon, Best Buy and Walmart. Meanwhile, the ROG Xbox Ally X is only available from Microsoft (“sold out” at the time of publication), Asus and Best Buy. Both handhelds are more expensive than their non-Xbox counterparts, which range between $500 and $800.
A SanDisk microSD card designed specifically for the handhelds and a SeaGate SSD that supports Microsoft DirectStorage are now also available for preorder.
The devices are also available around the world. You can also preorder the consoles 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, Vietnam, Egypt, Greece, Hungary, Indonesia, Slovenia, South Africa, Thailand and Ukraine.
All these markets, including the US, are getting the console on October 16. The handhelds will also be available in additional markets in the future. These will include Brazil, China, India, Luxembourg, Malaysia, the Philippines and Switzerland.
ASUS
Pre-order the handheld ahead of its October 16 arrival.
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.
If you’re anything like me, you are probably considering buying a Playstation 5 so you can play Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. Of course, this is beyond the realm of possibility for most of us, so for now, we will have to look for similar titles elsewhere. Luckily, there are some amazing games onXbox Series X|S that are similar to Spider-Man 2!
The Amazing Spider-Man 2
Image Credit: Beenox
Let’s kick off with a game centered around the man himself: The Amazing Spider-Man 2. This title was first released in 2014 but still holds up as a decent game today. Thanks to backward compatibility, Xbox One and Series X users can enjoy this open-world adventure if they have the original on disc.
This game has everything you could want from a Spider-Man game: web-slinging, wall-crawling, and, of course, fighting bad guys. You play as the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man as he explores a city inspired by classic Manhattan. You progress through the main story by completing missions but can also enjoy the freedom of swinging around the city streets. The open-world aspect is as you would expect; there are crimes to stop, gun fights and car chases, and endless fun rescuing folk. This was the final Spider-Man title released for Xbox, so it is the closest we will get for now.
Sunset Overdrive
Image Credit: Insomniac Games
Another classic 2014 title, Sunset Overdrive, has since been polished up and optimized for the Xbox Series X|S and can be played via GamePass for free. This third-person action adventure is wild, thrilling, and so much fun! You create your character and then jump into a bright and colorful dystopian world of mutants, robots, and gangs.
If you are looking for similar traversal gameplay to the Spider-Man games, Sunset Overdrive does not disappoint. Players can use a range of epic moves in fast-paced battles, from wall running to acrobatics. Zoom around the streets on zip-lines and grind rails, or parkour from one roof to another. The more stylish moves you make, the more your Style Meter increases and the more buffs you receive. So, the wilder your moves and combat are, the more you are rewarded! There is also an eight-player co-op mode, which is more fun than you can even imagine, so get your friends involved too!
Batman: Arkham Knight
Image Credit: Rocksteady Studios
Adding a DC game to a list based on a Marvel character may seem like sacrilege to some of you, but hear me out. Batman: Arkham Knight brings a darker, more brooding vibe to the superhero game genre. Plus, you get to drive the Batmobile, so surely it is worth playing just for that?
Just like Spider-Man 2, Arkham Knight is an open-world action title based in a city littered with criminals to beat and exciting side missions to complete. Arkham Knight offers similar Spidey aspects of flying around the city as a hero but with more gadget-focused stealthy gameplay. There are certainly elements of gliding and launching yourself through the air using a grapnel gun, but the combat is really where this game sings. I particularly enjoy the dual roles you can take as Batman and whichever ally he has with him, such as Robin or Catwoman.
Dying Light
Image Credit: Techland
Dying Light is an open-world survival horror set in Harran, an urban landscape occupied by zombies. Players have to constantly change up their tactics depending on whether it is day or night as the infected dead really come alive, so to speak, in the dark. Players use a vast range of weapons and traps to keep the dead at bay while exploring the compelling story as an undercover agent.
Dying Light is similar to Spider-Man 2 thanks to the open-world aspects of both games and the emphasis on traveling quickly around the city. In Dying Light, players can parkour to their hearts’ content by jumping, climbing, and zip-lining around to avoid the infected. Eventually, you get a grappling hook (although we wish you got it sooner!) to zip about even faster. Your character even gets his very own ‘Spidey Sense’ of sorts, to help you seek out loot and useful items. All that, plus the option of co-op games if the mood takes you.
Lego Marvel Superheroes 2
Image Credit: Traveller’s Tales
Back on the Marvel train, we have Lego Marvel Superheroes 2. This is one of my all-time favorite games, and, to be honest, you can’t go wrong with Lego games in general. They are relatively stress-free, brilliantly made, and filled to the brim with puzzles and easter eggs.
Each of the heroes has their own style and special moves so that you can play as Spider-Man among your favorite Marvel heroes. Not only can you take on the role of Spidey, but also other versions from all over the Marvel universe, like Spider-Gwen and Spider-Man Noir. Each of these can use the infamous webs for swinging, crawl up walls, and use the Spidey-Senses to detect hidden things. The best thing about Marvel Superheroes 2 is Stan Lee as a playable character. Excelsior!
Assassin’s Creed
Image Credit: Ubisoft Entertainment
The Assassin’s Creed series has been around since 2007 and now boasts an impressive 13 titles, not including the many spin-offs. Every Assassin’s Creed fan has their favorite title (it’s Origins for me), but each game has the same open-world parkour gameplay we all love.
The similarities to Spider-Man 2 start with the open-world concept but don’t end there. There’s a gripping main story and a ton of side missions to keep you busy as you parkour around the map. Each title is unique and notable but with the same stealth and parkour elements throughout. There may not be web-slinging and swinging from buildings, but the running, jumping, and leaping make up for it. You do get a grapple gun in Assassin’s Creed Syndicate if you feel you are seriously missing out on zip-lining and swinging from buildings.
Guardians of the Galaxy
Image Credit: Eidos-Montréal
Guardians of the Galaxy is the first title in our list that is not an open-world adventure. Instead, it is a linear, third-person combat adventure where you play as protagonist Starlord and direct the other Guardians. The story is very true to the Guardians of the Galaxy’s warm and witty vibe by balancing comedy and tragedy perfectly.
Marvel fans, in particular, will appreciate this title’s inclusion. Guardians of the Galaxy has that offbeat humor we know and love about most Marvel productions. Like Spider-Man 2, this 2021 action-adventure has fun combat, an exciting storyline, and an epic soundtrack full of 80s hits. The combat gameplay is excellent as you direct each character’s unique ability, using them to your advantage. If you love Marvel, especially the Marvel cinematic universe, you will love this Guardians of the Galaxy game.
South Park: The Fractured But Whole
Image Credit: Ubisoft
This is the second South Park video game created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone, and it is an instant classic. As is true South Park style, South Park: The Fractured But Whole parodies a famous rivalry between two groups of superheroes who are trying to start their own movie franchises, but they uncover something sinister.
Playing as the New Kid, whom we first met in The Stick of Truth, you and the gang uncover a conspiracy in the town. There’s genetic engineering, cat pee drugs, and crime syndicates to discover alongside a chaotic group of superhero kids. If you wished Spider-Man 2 would have more rude jokes, cursing, and time travel, South Park: The Fractured But Whole is for you. This may not be as family-friendly as our Spidey, but it is just as entertaining!
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
Image Credit: EA Games
Set five years after Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, this next title in our list follows Cal Kestis as he battles through the Galactic Empire, lightsaber in hand. Jedi: Survivor is a semi-open-world game that has large areas to explore. It only feels truly open once you complete the main story and unlock more areas.
Like Spider-Man 2, Jedi Survivor brings action and adventure with stunning graphics and satisfying combat. This high-quality adventure will take you on a sci-fi ride through the galaxy. There may not be any web-slinging, but there is plenty of saber-swinging and a bit of helpful, fast travel to help you get around quickly. It’s the perfect game for wannabe heroes.
Biomutant
Image Credit: Experiment 101
Our final game similar to Spider-Man 2 is Biomutant, an action RPG where players inhabit a world of mutant animals. You can customize your character with various physical aspects that cleverly impact gameplay and give it a class to determine your starting ability.
Just like other open-world titles like Spider-Man 2, Biomutant is chock-full of missions and NPCs to interact with. The decisions you make, and the allies you align with will decide where the story goes and how it ends, which adds a fun element to the game. Exploration is easy and fast as you run or fly from one area to another, with some places requiring specialist kit for deeper exploration. Biomutant is one of the most colorful post-apocalyptic games out there, and highly recommended if you love open-world adventures.
About the author
Rowan Jones
Rowan is a writer and educator from Devon, U.K. She has been writing about mobile and console games since 2020. Rowan loves puns and dad jokes, and also runs a secret meme page. She has a love/hate relationship with Dead By Daylight and a completely healthy obsession with Fortnite.
In August, we shared the news that Unity, our longtime partner and a global leader in real-time 3D technology, had selected Azure as its cloud partner for building and operating real-time 3D (RT3D) experiences from the Unity engine. This strengthening of our partnership builds on our shared commitment to expanding the creation and distribution of 3D content, to bringing relevant tools and technologies to a wider range of developers, and to making it easier than ever to bring games to players.
Recently, Microsoft Game Dev Editorial Director N’Gai Croal had the opportunity to virtually sit down with Marc Whitten, the Senior Vice President and General Manager of Unity Create Solutions, to talk about how we’re working together to make it easier than ever for game creators around the world to publish to Xbox consoles and PC so they can better reach their existing communities and build new ones. You can watch the full video of the chat below or
view it here on YouTube.
The discussion was wide-ranging, touching on everything from the ways that the game industry and Hollywood are alike (and how they differ) to Unity’s addition of Weta Digital and Ziva Dynamics to the Unity Create Solutions toolset. Naturally, the lion’s share of the chat revolved around how the movement to the cloud has changed game development and how Unity’s partnership with Azure will allow them to provide developers with even more impactful tools and greater flexibility.
Here are some relevant quotes from the discussion, lightly edited for clarity.
Marc Whitten on whether games or movies put a bigger demand on technology:
I believe that game creators and game players have typically been on the leading edge of pushing what is possible with any technology forward, and then that typically filters back in through a lot of other use cases. I think as humans we like to be entertained and we like to play games. And so, if you give any piece of technology to a creator, they’re going to make a game out of it. And if you give that to a player, they’re going to ask that creator to make it a little bit better.
Marc Whitten on the importance of making cloud-native game development tools:
Undeniably, in a hybrid world, creators themselves, when they’re in teams, are going to be more and more in different locations. So making it easy for them to collaborate together, to work on assets that are in the cloud, to be able to access hardware regardless of where that hardware is, is pretty critical to the creation experience.
Marc Whitten on why Unity chose Azure as its cloud partner:
In talking to Azure’s leadership and some senior engineering talent, we saw a shared vision. They were very helpful in helping us understand some potential blind spots and were as excited as we were about the potential of the partnership. They’re a great partner for us as we look at how to accelerate how we can add value through the cloud and increase the impact of products and technologies like this.
For some, the journey into the games industry takes years of persistence and career building in another field before networking and passion lands them that job in gaming. This month, we’re featuring the stories of Xbox employees that started their careers in Retail and explore how they transitioned into their current roles in Xbox. Last time, we met Albert Dankwa III, a Content Program Manager for Xbox Support. Today, we’re happy to share the journey of Chris Douglas, a Business Program Manager for Xbox Game Studios (XGS) Game Camp.
Backstory
Chris grew up playing video games with his family, and from a young age was intrigued by how they worked. He remembers playing his first video game and thinking, “I don’t understand what’s happening. When I move these arrows or press this button, the character on screen moves and jumps, but how? What is going on between the controller and the system and the screen to make all these things happen? That started my journey and got me excited about technology and gaming.”
When he began talking to advisors and teachers about his plans after high school, Chris remembers being told “there’s no money in technology and video games, you won’t be able to do that.” As he got closer to graduation, Chris told his parents that he wanted to be part of the gaming industry, whether that was in development or marketing or some other capacity. He remembers them telling him “I don’t believe that is something for you. We don’t see a lot of people of color, especially black men, with these jobs.” Chris knows his parents weren’t trying to kill his dreams but rather wanted to protect him from failure. Growing up in a black household, Chris says “you don’t have the ability to fail. You don’t have the same privileges as other people and you only get one shot.” Now that he has learned more about the importance of having a growth mindset, Chris understands the benefits and opportunities that come from learning from your failures. Still, he acknowledges that the experiences of other black people often match his parents’ expectations.
After graduating high school, Chris began attending Xavier University of Louisiana in New Orleans, the only historically Black, Catholic university in the United States. Still, many of the computer science professors were white men. Chris continued to meet adversity, but with the recent launch of Xbox from his dream employer Microsoft, he was determined to continue his pursuit of a career in gaming. Shortly after, Chris’ personal life took a turn when his mom found out she had breast cancer. Chris realized he could not work two jobs, support his family, and attend school.
After a series of warehouse and retail jobs, Chris became a store manager at GameStop, where he was promoted several times. While he enjoyed learning about new gaming features, in particular the Xbox 360, Chris realized that brick and mortar stores were not the future of retail. He left GameStop for AT&T, and after 5 years there had almost given up on his dream of gaming and working for Microsoft. Then Microsoft began opening retail stores.
As soon as they announced the store in New Orleans, Chris applied and became a learning specialist working with schools. As he worked with K-12 schools, he realized that many of the students had never seen a computer, so he started working with community development specialists and other groups in Microsoft to bring Surfaces, Minecraft Education, and coding workshops to local schools.
Chris says “the best moment of my entire life was when I walked into a school, and I was wearing my colorful Microsoft shirt, jeans, and Jordans, and this kid said that he had never seen anyone from Microsoft before – he didn’t think Jordans and working at Microsoft could even go together. That’s when I realized these kids were seeing themselves in me and it was incredibly humbling. I have a big responsibility to the kids in my community to help them get to where they want to be.”
Chris began bringing gaming into the outreach programs, inviting streamers and others to talk about games, marketing, and esports. Word got around the city that if you wanted to do something gaming related, talk to Chris at Microsoft.
Near the beginning of the pandemic, Chris was approached for help with a new project called XGS Game Camp, which focused on finding new ways to reach underserved communities interested in creating games. His managers were very supportive and let him split his time between retail and volunteering with XGS Game Camp, and when Microsoft decided to permanently close the retail stores Chris was offered the job of production assistant at inXile Studios, one of the local XGS Game Camp partners.
Chris spent a year learning about production, which touches everything from audio to animation to engineering, and had a great experience in his first real gaming role. But he felt like something was missing without the chance to regularly give back to his community. When Xbox Game Studios decided to further invest in XGS Game Camp and wanted Chris to join the team full time from his home base in New Orleans, he knew it was a perfect fit.
Big Dreams: Basketball or Gaming?
Around age 12, Chris started playing basketball, football, and track. As he focused more on athletics, he discovered a real talent for basketball and his family and friends began encouraging him to pursue a career in the NBA. Chris says, “There are 15,000 Men’s Division 1 NCAA athletes in the United States but only 60 people get drafted into the NBA. That’s a .004% chance, but my family believed I had a better chance of making it to the NBA than of working in the gaming industry!” Not convinced a basketball career was realistic, Chris continued to keep his other goals of being a chef or a game designer in mind as he went into high school. He cut grass and washed cars to pay for games and gaming magazine subscriptions and read everything he could about emerging industry and technology trends. Still, his family and friends urged him to continue playing basketball through high school and college, convinced a career in the NBA was more attainable than a job in gaming.
Chris reflects, “I love basketball more than anything, I really do. It’s one of the most exhilarating things to watch or play. When I used to play basketball, everything else stopped. There is this poetry about it when it’s happening. But there is something even more magical about being able to connect to a character in a game and go through that world and feel connected to the narrative, music, and environment. It’s a surreal experience. If you allow yourself to be open, games will transport you to a different place. You can experience a different reality and for a little bit you can forget about everything that’s happened and be focused on this other moment. For me it’s therapeutic.”
Despite the pressure from his community to give up on gaming, Chris says that “growing up I had to realize that sometimes even the people who love you the most don’t support you because they are trying to protect you, not because they don’t love you. You can’t allow anything to stop your dream.”
What a Business Program Manager does
Chris says that “Xbox Game Studios Game Camp is a program that’s built to prove that extraordinary talent resides everywhere. We try to meet people and talent where they are and help any budding game creators from traditional and non-traditional backgrounds. We want to add diverse voices to gaming – people of color, women, people from underrepresented communities and tough socioeconomic backgrounds. Our goal is to reach everyone interested in making games and demystify the gaming industry and help them with tools and resources. We want to help them realize their dream by building a network of subject matter experts inside Xbox they can learn from.”
As the Business Program Manager for XGS Game Camp, Chris’ job is to strategize the delivery of tools and resources for campers while building a rapport and getting to know them on a personal level. He maintains relationships with marketing, media, brand management, legal, mentors, engineering, non-profits, and more to stay on the bleeding edge of creation tools, engine advancements, and knowledge sharing to empower campers to deliver their vision.
Chris shares, “I really have an ability to change people’s lives. I get to be the person that I wanted to have in my life, to believe in them and their dreams when others don’t. I am thankful I can be that encouragement to keep people from giving up on their dream.”
Gaming History
Chris grew up playing games and he remembers the first Nintendo his parents bought clearly. “I was 7 or 8 and we had just come back from a family vacation at Disney World, which was a really big deal. When we got home, I wanted to play with my friends who I hadn’t seen in a week, but my dad told me I needed to come inside and spend more time with the family. I went to my room and lay on my bed, upset, and he came in and put a Nintendo on my bed – and suddenly it was the greatest day again. We hooked it up immediately and started playing together.”
Chris is currently playing Destiny 2, Deathloop, Overwatch 2, Moonscars, Prodeus, and Halo Infinite.
Xbox Game Studios Game Camp is a two-to-four-month program that is hosted in different cities around the world. Learn more at Xbox Game Studios Game Camp.
