Xbox Ally X Shines with Indie Gaming Focus

Last week, Microsoft revealed its anticipated Xbox handheld. While the ROG Xbox Ally X may not be the dedicated portable Xbox some envisioned, it has the potential to elevate handheld PC gaming to new heights, much like the Steam Deck did in 2022.

If Microsoft and Asus perfect the operating system and pricing, the Xbox Ally X could signal the future of Microsoft’s gaming hardware. However, handheld gaming PCs inherently involve trade-offs. Microsoft claims every title showcased at its summer games event will be playable on the Xbox Ally X, though the reality is more nuanced.

Powered by the Z2 Extreme SoC, the Xbox Ally X is undoubtedly capable of running AAA titles. Yet, its true strength lies in the less demanding indie games quietly added to Game Pass each month, which may well be its defining feature.

Power Constraints?

The AMD Z2 Extreme, unveiled at CES 2025, has yet to appear in any retail handheld devices. The Xbox Ally X, however, utilizes the AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme, an enhanced version with a 50 TOPs NPU. While it promises better performance than the Z1 Extreme, its real-world gaming capabilities remain untested.

Even with this boost, expectations for AAA titles with advanced graphics should be tempered. For instance, the Lenovo Legion Go S, equipped with the Z1 Extreme and SteamOS, struggles to run Cyberpunk 2077 at higher settings at native resolution—a game now nearly five years old.

Cyberpunk 2077 is an exception, capable of taxing even an RTX 5090, but as games grow more demanding, system requirements will only increase. The Xbox Ally X may run upcoming AAA Xbox titles, but likely at reduced settings and frame rates.

Still, this shouldn’t deter gamers. Having spent years immersed in handheld PC gaming, I’ve found indie titles like Hades 2 far more captivating than blockbusters like God of War or Cyberpunk 2077 on these devices.

Indie Games Steal the Show

When the Nintendo Switch launched in 2017, I initially focused on major titles like Breath of the Wild. Over time, however, I grew frustrated with the performance of AAA games on the Switch and began using it primarily for indie titles, played in bed or on the go. The Steam Deck’s arrival amplified this trend.

Before the Steam Deck, handheld gaming PCs were niche and cumbersome, often requiring keyboard attachments. Now, in the post-Deck era, manufacturers like Lenovo and Asus have refined these devices into exceptional gaming platforms, eliminating the need to repurchase indie games.

With Windows-based handhelds, I can log into Steam and play Hades 2 with my save data intact, or access games from Game Pass or the Epic Games Store seamlessly. This has reshaped my gaming habits: I play visually stunning AAA titles like Doom: The Dark Ages on my desktop with maxed-out settings, while handhelds are reserved for indie gems like Rift of the Necrodancer or Slay the Spire.

I’m not alone in this shift. A recent poll among my IGN colleagues revealed that most use their handhelds for indie games and JRPGs, which don’t rely heavily on high frame rates to be enjoyable.

The compatibility of Windows-based PC gaming handhelds makes indie games a central part of the experience. However, accessing games from non-Steam platforms often requires tweaking Linux on SteamOS or navigating Windows’ complexities on a handheld. This is why a handheld-optimized version of Windows 11 is so promising.

By streamlining access to third-party launchers while preserving a gaming-focused operating system, the ROG Xbox Ally X could bridge the gap between versatility and ease of use. Asus promotes both its current Ally X and the upcoming Xbox Ally X with the hashtag "#PlayAllyourgames," and this collaboration could deliver on that promise, minus the frustrations of existing Windows handhelds.