The Best Gaming Gear of 2025

I pledged no allegiance to any faction during the console wars. But I’ll admit I felt, and still feel, most at home in the Xbox ecosystem. It’s the achievements, it’s the controllers, it’s everything. So I couldn’t help but feel envy through the years as Nintendo, PlayStation, and even PC diehards all got handheld devices before Xbox. (Sorry, but Cloud Gaming isn’t it.) Thanks to Asus, my prayers are finally answered, somewhat, with the ROG Xbox Ally X and its leaner sibling, the ROG Xbox Ally (in white).

Although the ROG Xbox Ally isn’t a portable Xbox in the way you think it should be—we’re talking about a portable Windows computer that boots into the Xbox app here, not a native portable Xbox—it still gives me the pleasure of playing through my library even when I’m away from home. That upside is a big one that negates many downsides: a long setup full of software updates, a sometimes confusing user interface, and the fact that not all of the Xbox digital library is playable. But we’re still fans of it. Why? Because nothing beats the thrill of booting up a big game like Doom: The Dark Ages and picking up where you left off, on the go, with nary a loss in fidelity. Comfy ergonomics make it easy to hold for long hours, a vivid seven-inch screen that hits that Goldilocks sweet spot (not too big, not too small), and enough horsepower to plow through Ninja Gaiden 2 Black at the airport.

Maybe in the future we’ll see the portable Xbox loyalists deserve. For now, the ROG Xbox Ally is an exciting first step for tomorrow’s giant leap. —Eric Francisco, associate entertainment editor