Xbox Is Finally Making a Gaming Handheld. (Sort of.)

Hot on the heels of the Nintendo Switch 2 is a new challenger in the race for the best gaming handheld—and it's a big one. At this summer's Xbox Games Showcase, we got a look at the gaming giant's first entry into the handheld market.

On Sunday, Microsoft announced two new Xbox-branded handhelds, which the tech company is developing in partnership with Asus, the maker of the ROG Ally handheld. The ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X are coming out later in the year, in the thick of the holiday season. Both devices rock seven-inch 1080p screens with grips and a layout designed to feel just like an Xbox controller. They are built on Windows, but each handheld will bring users right into the Xbox ecosystem. It's an approach similar to that of the Steam Deck, which has seen a lot of success due to its approachability.

While prices have yet to be announced, Xbox has made it clear the ROG Xbox Ally X is the more premium machine of the duo. The big upgrade is a more powerful AI processor delivering better graphics and performance, as well as "more immersive" impulse triggers, which will give the same level of feedback as a modern Xbox controller. The Ally X also has an extra USB-C port that supports Thunderbolt (explained here), as well as more storage and memory, making it the superior pick. Of course, the standard ROG Xbox Ally will likely come at a significantly friendlier price tag.

I reviewed the ROG Ally X, the most powerful Asus handheld on the market right now—and loved its versatility and performance—but admittedly felt its user experience was lacking. The promise of a handheld that's friendly to casual console gamers, that adds the time-tested comfort of an Xbox controller and ease of access to Game Pass and Cloud Streaming, is quite tempting. Kudos to Xbox for finally rolling out a product that gamers have wanted for a long, long time.