Asus ROG, Xbox Team Up for Steam Deck Rival

The gaming world was stunned when Microsoft unveiled two new Xbox-branded handheld consoles during Summer Game Fest 2025. Developed in partnership with Asus, the ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X present serious competition to Valve's Steam Deck. Continue reading for complete details about this exciting reveal.

Xbox Ally Unveiled During Summer Game Fest 2025

Scheduled for Holiday 2025 Release

Microsoft's surprise announcement during their Xbox Games Showcase included two portable gaming devices developed under "Project Kennan" - a collaboration with Asus. The Xbox Ally and Ally X merge Xbox's gaming ecosystem with PC versatility, featuring an optimized interface for handheld play. The most shocking moment came when the device ran Hollow Knight: Silksong during the presentation, confirming both the game's existence and playability.

Both models boot directly into a customized Xbox interface that organizes your entire game library - including titles from Xbox Game Pass, Steam, Epic Games Store, and other platforms. This unified approach creates a console-like experience while maintaining PC gaming flexibility.

The white Xbox Ally serves as the entry-level model with hardware optimized for 720p gaming. It features AMD's Ryzen Z2 series processor, 16GB of LPDDR5X memory, and a 512GB SSD.

In contrast, the premium black Xbox Ally X targets higher 900p-1080p resolutions. It boasts AMD's top-tier Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme chip with 50 TOPs neural processing power, 24GB of faster memory, and 1TB SSD storage - all displayed on a 7-inch 1080p 120Hz screen.

Microsoft's Shawn Yen highlighted efficiency as their primary focus. The Ally X includes an industry-leading 80Wh battery, while even the base model improves upon current standards with a 60Wh capacity - a significant 50% increase over the original ROG Ally. Combined with a streamlined Windows 11 build, these devices promise extended battery life and smoother performance.

The unexpected Silksong demo sent shockwaves through the online gaming community. With premium hardware, optimized software, and this long-awaited exclusive, the Xbox Ally series establishes Microsoft as a major player in handheld PC gaming. The battle for portable gaming dominance has reached new heights.