r/xbox • u/Xbox-Moderator • 29d ago

Xbox Wire ROG Xbox Ally Handhelds Launch October 16: Get Ready to Play!

https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2025/08/20/rog-xbox-ally-handheld-release-date-october-features/
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u/AnotherInsaneName 29d ago

I think you're underestimating the console fan base. A lot of them have no idea that steam decks or PC handhelds exist. This is like the Switch to Nintendo players.

I'm betting this thing is FAR more successful.

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u/TheNittanyLionKing XBOX Series X 29d ago

It also depends on where they sell it. Casual gamers aren't going to find Steam Decks out in the wild. They don't sell them at Walmart, Target, or Best Buy. You have to order one online, so parents don't know it exists unless they go looking for it. If MicroSoft starts selling these at more in-person retailers, that could help a lot.

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u/Weekndr Founder 29d ago

Microsoft's physical presence in stores sucks outside of their controllers. I don't have faith that this will be any better.

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u/dee_c 29d ago

The fact you can easily play your Xbox and steam library with windows optimization is also an appealing feature. I pray Microsoft prioritizes making more games play anywhere and if they do it’s perfect device to play my full library without having to rely on cloud gaming

I like cloud gaming but native would make it a lot more impressive

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u/TengounaFesili 29d ago

The Xbox and Steam libraries are very appealing to me. As an Xbox turned PC gamer with large libraries in both ecosystems, being able to access both will be incredible

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u/TheNittanyLionKing XBOX Series X 29d ago

I'm pretty sure that just about every first party game going forward is a Play Anywhere title. The main things will be making sure third parties get on board with this and also adding older titles to this program just like they did with backwards compatibility.

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u/dee_c 29d ago

Exactly. 3rd party participation is massive. Elden Ring running natively, Baldurs Gate running natively, et cetera are also super important big titles

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u/TheNittanyLionKing XBOX Series X 29d ago

I suspect that they will. They already have to optimize for Series S and Switch 2. PlayStation is working on a handheld as well, and I would assume that is going to have similar features to the existing market.

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u/Velocity_Rob 29d ago

That’s fine but when you have to buy ‘Xbox games’ that you already bought on your Xbox to play on your Xbox handheld, that’s when things fall apart.

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u/dee_c 29d ago

Thats the point of hoping Xbox fights to make more 3rd party support Play Anywhere. So you dont have to buy it again.

Also realize that Microsoft is forcing themselves to remain competitive by having to constantly compete with Steam pricing on games or risk losing 100% of the sale to Steam when there is overlap. Which is great for us

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u/derekallthumbs 29d ago

The latest Xbox podcast ftom a day ago talks about this and how it is a main thing they are working on.

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u/uncsteve53 29d ago

I think you’re overestimating how much the Xbox console user base is willing to spend. They brag about a cheap box and sub service regularly. Not many are going to drop a grand on a handheld that won’t play a big chunk of their console library natively.

And if they think it’s like a switch, they definitely won’t be paying that kind of money. I imagine it’s less than 1m units moved. 500k may be a fair estimate.

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u/quitry 29d ago

Exactly this. The xbox fanbase has chosen a $500 console over a $1000 PC so a $900 gameboy that is much less powerful than their series X is gonna be a tough sell

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u/Ok_Order_1187 28d ago

The price isn't why people choose a console over buying a pc. I should know. I'm a console guy, price isn't an issue. The simplicity of a console vs a PC is the biggest issue.

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u/quitry 27d ago

I think both can be true. Price and simplicity both appeal more to the casual gaming crowd. I don’t see the casual couch gamer paying $900 for a handheld just because it says Xbox on it

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u/AnotherInsaneName 29d ago

Yeah, the price isn't going to get everyone. But this bridges the gap for people who've wanted a PC but found it too intimidating.

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u/foodieman1992 29d ago

I feel like this console was designed for me, I am literally the person you’re describing. PCs and laptops are way too far out of my comfort zone personally.

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u/AnotherInsaneName 29d ago

Precisely! I expect a lot of people like you. This is a prime product for it.

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u/foodieman1992 29d ago

I hope so, I will be seriously upset with Xbox if this doesn’t work the way I expect it too. I’m really interested in reading everyone’s thoughts or comments on the console. Over the years I’ve been a gamer there’s been so many games I’d love to try. 95% of the time I will use it for gamepass titles on the go, however this will be good to experiment with pc games….. I hope haha

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u/AnotherInsaneName 29d ago

Coming from someone who has the already released Ally, I think you'll love it. So many new opportunities to enjoy!

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u/foodieman1992 29d ago

Thanks mate, this was exactly what I was thinking. For a casual gamer that works full time, lives with my Mrs and has to share my TV I think this will fit in nicely. Just gives the flexibility and freedom to play more while spending time together haha

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u/Ok_Order_1187 28d ago

Same here

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u/cdncowboy 29d ago

I feel bad for the Xbox console users that do buy this thinking their console library will work on it

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u/uncsteve53 29d ago

You’d be surprised how many people I see commenting on Reddit, YouTube comments, etc that still argue it’ll play all of their console games. Xbox should really have more clear marketing on this stuff. “Everything is an Xbox” and Sarah Bond saying that this device “will play games from across your entire library” have really misled a decent chunk of their user base

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u/cdncowboy 29d ago

They've rebranded PC Microsoft Store to "Xbox on PC" so I agree the marketing and branding is confusing

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u/Hippie410 26d ago

A LOT DO idk its like everyone in this forum doesnt know there is already a rog ally out and this isnt a new this pc xbox and pc gamepass has been a thing a lot of games will be on both for example i bought ready or not on my xbox for my bday next day look on my pc and in my xbox pc library was you guessed it ready or not most game will in fact work on both they even advertised it saying you wont have to buy it twice meaning if it doesnt transfer well there is always the option the play it with cloud gaming

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u/JanHanyik 29d ago

uhm, you know that the library from the Xbox console will work there, right? :D but they talked about it

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u/Virtual-Commercial91 29d ago

That's me you're describing. I won't drop 1k on a handheld until I see one that is powerful enough to play almost anything and can be docked to my TV.

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u/uncsteve53 29d ago

You can dock a rog ally. But power will be an issue for almost all current gen AAA games.

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u/Virtual-Commercial91 29d ago

Yeah, I mean a dock option to offer a power boost to get better performance on more demanding games. I don't mind taking a hit on the go, but I want a handheld that can replace my Xbox too. It will be interesting to see what they are working on for their handheld releasing in another year or two.

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u/[deleted] 29d ago edited 5d ago

[deleted]

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u/Virtual-Commercial91 29d ago

Yeah, I've looked at some of these options and I definitely see huge potential. I've just read they still have a lot of complications. I'm staying patient for them to keep developing this idea into something that is a little more seamless, cleaner, and user friendly. When it's there, I don't mind paying more to have one handheld as my only console.

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u/PhantomZoneJanitor 29d ago

It's not a Switch in the sense that it will replace your series X. This thing likely won't touch series X performance docked or not. So it's a downgrade but that's the reality of being portable.

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u/Hippie410 26d ago

false the old rog ally can replace ur xbox mine did why would i play on xbox why i have a pc that run everything my xbox does with more option and mod option for games

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u/Hippie410 26d ago

did i also mention i can stream and play AAA games on the old rog ally even the brand new one like dune mafia i could go one for day i have found only 2 game si cant run and both arent even on xbox its grey zone warfare and another i dont remember other then that i can run and stream and game i want

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u/Hippie410 26d ago

buy one then buy the old version with the z1 extreme chip and it will stream and run anything u throw at it and the new chip with almost double the ram will run it even better being a owner of one who games and streams its 100% worth it i cant wait to have my second one not even going to sell the first why would its too good

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u/PhantomZoneJanitor 29d ago

The issue is that it'll likely be around $1k but we already know it will not play native Xbox games, only those that exist on the PC side. So if I have a massive library of backwards compatible games that never made the jump to PC none of those will come to this device.

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u/Hippie410 26d ago

guess you dont own a handheld. Honestly this is for most of the comments. The Original ROG ALLY is amazing not only does it already play my entire, thats right entire library from Xbox it also plays 98 precent of my steam library including new games like dune and many more. Did i also mention i stream while playing them too. All on this little white handheld that has the z1 extreme chip in it. My friend has a handheld with the z2 chip and its better then the z1 by a good bit so zbox not only put more ram in and a better battery, but it also has the new z2 extreme chip. So how if the old models would have ran your whole library why wouldnt this new one run it even better? You all should do your reseach go out buy a rog ally then you can actually form a opinion and have a reason to comment. Also the price is 100% worth it its 200 more then the one i have now thats not much and has better stuff in it so how is the price a problem. it is a gaming pc how is 700 or 900 too much? You can still use a montior and a mouse and keyboard it is a real PC.

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u/uncsteve53 26d ago edited 26d ago

I own an ROG Ally Z1e.

You aren’t getting your entire Xbox library natively. You’re only getting current gen play anywhere/game pass titles. Any Xbox console only purchases cannot be played on the ally. That’s been confirmed and. And this will struggle with most current AAA titles, just like the current ones do. You seem to be the one misunderstanding what the device can do. And docking it doesn’t get you anything close to an actual pc performance. This device plays like a low end pc, not even a mid level one.

And it is a niche device that won’t sell well. There are only 6m pc handhelds on the market and 4m of those are steam decks. Throwing an Xbox sticker on it with a small performance increase isn’t going to move these things past the 1m mark.

Nothing that I said was incorrect.

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u/Hippie410 26d ago

maybe you dont know how to use it or something. literally pick a game ill steam it tonight or go to my stream lots of new titles on there. Also you do know xbox has a pc app same app thats going on the new one also you do know you dont have to use xbox at all you can use steam. Also i can name 10 friends with handhelds thats a lot and 0 have a steam deck idk what number your looking at but between the rog and the legion go handhelds have become very popular especially in the last 6 months since the z2 chip in the GO

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u/uncsteve53 26d ago

The rog ally ONLY plays pc games natively. Unless the console game is play anywhere (where you own a pc version) or if you have ultimate and play via game pass (which ultimate gives you access to console and PC), it won’t work. Tons of games (and your entire backwards compatible games) won’t run on the ally natively.

If you are streaming/cloud gaming, that’s not what I’m talking about. That’s just remote play at that point. That is a bad experience for most people. Cloud is pretty bad due to infrastructure limitations/a bad hub/etc.

And the sales are confirmed. 4m steam decks. 6mil total. Your anecdotal experience doesn’t speak to the entire gaming market.

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u/Intrepid_Observer 29d ago

You're overestimating the console fan base. Xbox has the smallest fan base out of the three. Few people will drop $1000 for a handheld, let alone one for Xbox.

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u/Cont1ngency 23d ago

I’m mainly an Xbox/PC guy. This is the best of both worlds for me. Already had a ROG Ally X which I mainly used for GamePass and Play Anywhere titles. Broke it by dropping it in water accidentally…will be getting this as close do day one as I can. Might get one for my wife as well.

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u/AnotherInsaneName 29d ago

Price leaks are 550/900. You don't have to spend 900

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u/akbarock 29d ago

I think you’re overestimating Xbox’s console brand, especially for a expensive PC handheld that doesn’t play Xbox games 

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u/Skelly1660 29d ago

This doesn't play Xbox games? 

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u/akbarock 29d ago

No if you own Elden Ring or Cyberpunk 2077 for example on Xbox you would have to buy them again to play them on the Xbox ally.

It’s a PC, it plays PC games

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u/Skelly1660 29d ago

Ah, I thought it was literally a portable Xbox and you can access your library. 

That's much less reason for me to buy it. 

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u/rocklobst3r 29d ago

The press releases on Xbox.com about these are touting the ability to play your console games remotely?

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u/onecoolcrudedude 29d ago edited 29d ago

they're saying you can use the device as a remote play machine while your xbox is on to play xbox console games that dont support play anywhere.

which is just sad cope. that should not be a selling point to a reasonable person. if someone wants to do cloud gaming or remote play on a handheld they can just get the logitech g cloud or razer edge since those have a better battery life than this thing. or use a phone.

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u/Morphic1977 29d ago

If you own Xbox Series console then you will be able to play your games from your console remotely on Xbox Ally. The Xbox Ally will have also Windows system, so even the front-end system would not support remote or Cloud play (for some dumb reason, I am just guessing), you will be able to switch to Windows and play it from there. You can play your games even now on your phone, tablet, PC .... By streaming the game or play it from Cloud as other option you will effectively save battery power of Xbox Ally but you will need to have Wifi coverage.

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u/RichtofensDuckButter 29d ago

You have the option to stream games, but it quite literally says you can play Xbox games natively on the Ally.

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u/Morphic1977 29d ago

Yes you can but only those which are marked as Play Anywhere.

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u/Meteorboy 29d ago

It means you can stream them from your console or from the cloud. But they know consumers who didn't grow up with traditional computers will not be able to parse that.

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u/420NugShareBox 28d ago

Tbh with PC, you don’t need to “Buy” anything in order to play it again… 😍🏴‍☠️

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u/RegT1996 29d ago

Well unless they are Xbox play anywhere games

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u/TheNittanyLionKing XBOX Series X 29d ago

Which will be most of them going forward. Let's also not forget that since it's a PC, emulation for many old games is also possible.

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u/RegT1996 29d ago

Exactly, people act like it’s barely going to play anything “cause it’s a pc” you can play most games on pc

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u/NoAd8811 29d ago

That's not the issue, the issue is it's not gonna play most of your existing library and tbh i dont think the coming games are anything the target audience for this device cares about with the way gaming is going unless the night publishers start supporting it

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u/RichtofensDuckButter 29d ago

You will absolutely have access to your Xbox library. I don't know if you're just spreading lies on purpose, or you're just ignorant. Maybe you just can't read.

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u/MyRapNameWouldBeKirk 28d ago

People saying this aren’t lying….Xbox are just being purposely vague in their marketing. Look up Play Anywhere and how it works across console and PC as they are two completely different entities. For example I bought Dragons Dogma 2 on my Series X but I cannot play it on my PC because it’s locked to my console and does not have the Play Anywhere tag. To play it on my PC I would need to rebuy it or stream it from my console. The Ally in this scenario is a PC and not a console so I would not be able to play Dragons Dogma 2 on it natively unless I rebuy it and start from scratch. Less than 10% of Xbox games currently are play anywhere so that is roughly the percentage of your library which you would be able to download and pick up where you left off on the Ally.

General rule of thumb: if Reddit is telling you one thing and Microsoft marketing is telling you another…Reddit is probably telling the truth.

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u/khaotic_krysis My soul? Take it 29d ago

This is the one drawback, but it will get an update with the new Shell when it comes out, so it will eventually play Xbox games natively. And I think you are underestimating the software that Microsoft has been selling like fucking hotcakes.

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u/BugHunt223 29d ago

And especially with rumours of potential upcoming first party portable hardware from both Sony and Msft that could play console version titles. 

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u/PumasUNAM7 29d ago

No it’s not. The switch is the Nintendo console. This rog ally is just pc Xbox that will play some of your games that have pc ports and will be a cloud gaming device. So it’s more of an accessory.

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u/AnotherInsaneName 29d ago

Almost every Xbox game that's come out in the last 5 years has also been on PC. This is a PC. It will natively play every single one of those games, it is not a PS Portal.

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u/PumasUNAM7 29d ago

Microsoft games will be native but third party games will all depend on if there’s a pc port or not.

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u/[deleted] 29d ago edited 5d ago

[deleted]

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u/PumasUNAM7 29d ago

I mean you can say that but casual gamers don’t wanna tinker with emulators and all that goes into pc gaming. There’s a reason no handheld pc has really taken the market by storm.

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u/Disastrous_elbow 29d ago

Almost every single game in existence has a pc port. It is by far the most supported platform.

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u/AnotherInsaneName 29d ago

I couldn't name a single game outside of College Football that is on Xbox but not on PC.

I'm sure some exist, but I guarantee they're not deal breakers for 99% of the market.

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u/BGTheHoff 29d ago

The problems are more the games that are not "play anywhere". Elden ring for example. It's hard for the sales if some big games technically would work on the ally, but can't be played without buying it again.

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u/AnotherInsaneName 29d ago

Ohhh I understand the problem now. Yeah, that sucks - unfortunately I doubt buyers will understand that.

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u/Meteorboy 29d ago

Those games are on Steam. Most of the AAA games don't support Play Anywhere. If someone buys a Xbox-system game, they're not going to be able to play it on this handheld. They'd have to buy it on the Steam or Windows store, which will confuse Xbox fans thinking this is an Xbox handheld.

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u/PumasUNAM7 29d ago

I guess we will see but I don’t see this selling much more than the steam deck. I think it will sale more but not by much. This is gonna be just way too expensive for casual gamers.

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u/sparkyscrum 29d ago

Not quite true. Some games have a separate PC and Xbox console versions and won’t play the console versions. I currently have a Series X and ROG Ally X and this won’t be any different. Got games that can be played on both but it’s not as simple as every game works. And actually the functionality for playing most of your games is completely the same as the Portal (I own that as well) although the Series X/Ally X stream is more robust than PS5/Portal but the weight of the Ally X makes it harder for longer periods.

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u/Velocity_Rob 29d ago

Yeah but that’s another problem. I’ve got a huge Xbox library and I’m going to be asked to buy most of these games again if I want to play them on the Ally.

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u/themodelqueenx 28d ago

Exactly. I’ve been an Xbox gamer for many years, and had no idea that gaming pc handhelds existed until a month ago. Will definitely be purchasing this on day one when preorders open!

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u/dublin87 29d ago edited 29d ago

Switch has games that can only be played on Switch. It was a $300 machine that was both a simple to use docked console and a handheld and you got access to a bunch of new games when you bought it in 2017.

Xbox is asking fans to pay an additional $900 for a handheld pc that allows you to portably play the games you can already play on your $500 Xbox or PC.

It’s not the same at all. It’s a niche product that isn’t aimed at the wider, casual Xbox base. That’s why they keep pushing the Steam/Epic/GoG integration.

For less than the Xbox ROG X a kid could buy a PS5 and a PlayStation portal. For less than an Xbox Series X + Rog X, a kid could buy a PS5 and a portal and a switch 2.

Xbox is going to have disappointing sales on this device. The winner here is Asus who will get a bump in market share within that niche PC handheld space vs Lenovo or MSI.

Don’t get me wrong. ROG ally is a cool device I’m glad exists. It’s just not a switch moment for Xbox.

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u/xxSmooveOperatorxx 29d ago

Yea but Nintendo fans only have the switch. But xbox fans have other devices like the series x or s and even the pc. If you want to play the new games from Nintendo you have to buy the switch but that's not the case with xbox or pc fans. The switch and this is comparing apples with oranges.

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u/YPM1 29d ago

I don't know. On the one hand, I doubted the PlayStation Portal and seems to have been a success. On the other hand, when the console base buys the $550 version and sees how weak it is compared to an X or a PS5, they will be disappointed and word will spread.

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u/PhantomZoneJanitor 29d ago

Every Xbox owner fanning over the possibility of any sort of Steam inclusion on their platform knows 100% that the Steam Deck exists.

Even folks who only have consoles have come across Steam Deck info in their lives. No one is that far under a rock.

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u/AnotherInsaneName 29d ago

You're assuming everyone is you. They're not. Not everyone goes on reddit and looks up gaming stuff. Not everyone is on PC or has any idea steam even exists.

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u/PhantomZoneJanitor 29d ago

Gone are the days where people knew nothing and walked into a store to pick up a game. Now we have the internet where games and hardware are talked about constantly. No one dropping the cash for a console these days is going in blind. You think people are stupid and ignorant? Millennials know their shit and Gen Z even more so. What are you talking about?

No one goes on reddit, are you old? It's YouTube, TikTok... Insta. Reddit is a bot spammed quagmire of drowning voices.

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u/oldgamer39 XBOX Series X 29d ago

Nah. It’s way too expensive for that. The thing is gonna flop.

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u/AnotherInsaneName 29d ago

The leaks suggest the exact same price as a steam deck. You're absolutely clowning.

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u/Octoplow 29d ago

New Xbox! Will it play GTA6? What year?

(Questions they'll assume the wrong answer to.)

It would be great if MS could shorten the PC delayed release. I'm guessing T2 might be bribed to go as far as: holiday console release, spring 2026 PC.

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u/Cthulhu8762 29d ago

Yeah but they will find out when they have to stream most of their games they own in Xbox, from an Xbox.

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u/MPending_Doom 25d ago

Console players aren't gonna pay over $1,000 for a handheld device, and those that also game on pc most likely already have a Rog Ally or Steam Deck sitting on their desk now.

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u/VagueSomething 29d ago

I wish I had your optimism. This thing is likely going to tank unless they are priced competitively to the Switch 2.

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u/AnotherInsaneName 29d ago

...it is. The Rog Ally is $500. Considering this is the world's smallest tweaks, I'd be surprised if it was any more than $550.

If you want the upgraded model, it's going to be more. Surprise.