A new handheld has arrived bearing the Xbox name, and the reviewer at TechRadar, writing as the October 15, 2025 release approaches, argues that the name promises more than the machine is. It is a premium Windows PC in the familiar shape of Asus's ROG Ally X, dressed in Microsoft's colours and layered with software that bridges the gap between desktop and couch. Whether it earns a place in a player's life depends less on the badge than on whether that player already knows, and welcomes, the fussy, open-ended freedom of a personal computer.
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Review: A Solid PC Handheld, but Not the Xbox Console Many Expected
It's a premium PC handheld with Xbox branding, not a console
Mark
So what's the headline here? It's called an Xbox, but it isn't one?
Mimi
Right. It's an Asus PC handheld, close to last year's ROG Ally X, running full Windows 11 with Xbox branding and a console-style interface on top.
Mark
Why does that distinction matter so much to the reviewer?
Mimi
Expectations. The review worries people will assume console ease and console pricing, and get neither.
Luke
Worth flagging that this is one reviewer's experience. The Cyberpunk episode is a single incident, and the reviewer himself says some app was updating in the background.
Mark
But he uses it to make a broader point about console players.
Mimi
Yes, that a PC gamer shrugs it off while someone used to Nintendo or Sony might be baffled. That's his judgment, not a measured finding.
Luke
Agreed. The prices, though, are stated figures: $999.99 for the Xbox Ally X, $599.99 for the Ally.
Mark
And the openness, docks, other launchers, even SteamOS?
Mimi
That's the upside. He says the Switch 2 can't do it, and he's only fairly sure a future Xbox handheld couldn't either.
Luke
Which is a guess about hardware that doesn't exist yet. Also, the claim that it could end up cheaper than a Switch over time is an argument, not a calculation.
El Pulso
- A Cyberpunk 2077 session stalls mid-combat when a command prompt flashes over the game and steals the controls, leaving the character dead before the player can react.
- Two competing software layers, Asus's Armoury Crate and the new Xbox Full Screen Experience, collide during updates, and text on the 7-inch screen is too small to read comfortably.
- Buyers can tweak settings, install other launchers, dock to any monitor, or even swap Windows for SteamOS, but demanding open-world games must be cut back hard to run smoothly.
- At $999.99 the Xbox Ally X sits far above the Steam Deck OLED and the Switch 2, and the reviewer scores its value at 2 out of 5, landing it as a niche purchase rather than a console replacement.
A new handheld has arrived bearing the Xbox name, and the reviewer at TechRadar, writing as the October 15, 2025 release approaches, argues that the name promises more than the machine is. It is a premium Windows PC in the familiar shape of Asus's ROG Ally X, dressed in Microsoft's colours and layered with software that bridges the gap between desktop and couch. Whether it earns a place in a player's life depends less on the badge than on whether that player already knows, and welcomes, the fussy, open-ended freedom of a personal computer.
The first thing the reviewer did with the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X was launch Cyberpunk 2077 the roundabout way: through the Xbox app, into Steam's Big Picture Mode, then into the game. Partway through, a Windows command prompt popped up, scrolled a wall of text and disappeared, and the controls went dead. By the time the reviewer forced Windows back onto the game window, the character had been killed. It was a small moment, but it captures the verdict at the heart of the review, which goes on sale October 15, 2025.
The device is not the Xbox handheld console that rumours have promised for years. It is essentially an Asus ROG Ally X with Xbox branding, running full Windows 11 beneath a console-style layer. That layer, made of Asus's Armoury Crate and the new Xbox Full Screen Experience, is where most of the friction lives. Updates arrive at different times, menus shrink to unreadable text on the 7-inch screen, and the ordinary crashes and prompts of a PC remain. PC players will shrug and relaunch; console players may not forgive it.
The same openness is what makes it appealing to the right buyer. You can install other launchers, desktop software like Office, connect almost any monitor or TV through a USB-C dock, or replace Windows altogether with SteamOS. Performance varies: Forza Horizon 5 runs beautifully, and indie titles like Hades II and Hollow Knight shine, while Cyberpunk 2077 demands drastic cuts to settings.
The price is the sticking point. At $999.99 the Xbox Ally X costs far more than the Steam Deck OLED, the Switch 2 or a PS5 Pro, though it looks less extreme beside other PC handhelds. Offsets exist: PC games are often cheaper, Steam sales run deep, free weekly games arrive on the Epic Store, and existing libraries carry over. Game Pass for PC, now $16.49 a month, offsets some of that, though the Xbox brand's recent struggles hang over the whole purchase.
The verdict is that it is probably the best premium handheld available, but a niche product in a crowded field. Its appeal rests on whether the buyer understands they are buying a PC.
The first thing the reviewer did with the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X was launch Cyberpunk 2077 the long way: open the Xbox app, start Steam in Big Picture Mode, then pick the game. Partway through, a Windows 11 command prompt flashed up, scrolled a wall of text and vanished. The game lost the controls until the reviewer forced Windows to refocus on the game window. In that gap, enemies killed the character. It's a small incident, but it captures TechRadar's verdict on the handheld, which goes on sale October 15, 2025.
The review's central point is that the device is not the long-rumored Xbox handheld console, despite its name. Rumors of a Microsoft handheld had built for years, helped along by the success of Nintendo's Switch and Switch 2 and by PC handhelds like the Steam Deck. What arrived is a PC gaming handheld with Xbox branding and a few upgrades. Its hardware is very close to the Asus ROG Ally X the reviewer tested last year. It runs full Windows 11, with a console-style layer on top. There is also a cheaper, less powerful sibling, the ROG Xbox Ally.
That layering is where the reviewer finds the most friction. The handheld stacks two overlays on Windows 11: Asus's Armoury Crate software, familiar from earlier Ally models, and the new Xbox Full Screen Experience. Both are needed to make Windows usable with handheld controls. Together they mean the smooth feel of a console is missing, particularly when different pieces of software need updating at different times. Menus and dialogue boxes sometimes appear in text too small to read on the 7-inch screen, some areas are awkward to navigate by touch or controller, and the usual PC update prompts and occasional crashes are present. PC gamers will roll their eyes and relaunch, the reviewer says, but console-only players may be less forgiving.
The same openness is the device's strength for people who want it. You can install other game launchers and games from various sources, and desktop applications such as Microsoft Office. A USB-C dock, including Asus's ROG Bulwark Dock, lets you connect any monitor, TV or peripheral that works with Windows PCs, rather than paying for licensed accessories. You can even replace Windows with another operating system such as Linux-based SteamOS. The reviewer notes the Switch 2 offers none of this, and is fairly sure a future official Xbox handheld wouldn't either.
Performance depends on the game. Graphically demanding open-world titles like Cyberpunk 2077 proved too much unless graphical settings were cut hard. Forza Horizon 5 ran brilliantly with few compromises, and less demanding but attractive games such as Hades II and Hollow Knight shone. Getting the best results generally means tweaking settings, which PC players may enjoy but console players, used to developers setting the options, may not.
Then there is price: $999.99 / £799.99 / AU$1,599 for the Xbox Ally X, and $599.99 / £499.99 / AU$999 for the ROG Xbox Ally. The Switch 2 starts at $449.99 / £395.99 / AU$699.95, the Xbox Series X launched at $499 / £449 / AU$749, and the PS5 Pro costs $699.99 / £699.99 / AU$1,199. Within PC handhelds the figure looks less extreme: the ROG Ally X launched at $799.99 / £799 / AU$1,599, the MSI Claw 8 AI+ costs $999, and the Steam Deck OLED is $549 / £479 / AU$899. The review adds that few gaming laptops or desktops sell for under $1,000 these days.
The reviewer offers some offsetting arguments. PC games usually cost less than console editions, Steam runs big sales, and the Epic Games Store gives away free games weekly, so the total cost could eventually undercut a Switch. Existing Steam, Epic and Xbox libraries carry over without rebuying, and a Game Pass subscription, even the cheapest Essential tier, now covers both console and PC. But Game Pass for PC now costs $16.49 / £13.49 / AU$19.45 a month after price hikes, and the Xbox app pushes it prominently. The reviewer also points to a difficult moment for the Xbox brand: weak Series S/X sales, no true exclusives, studio closures and layoffs, even though Microsoft denies it is leaving consoles.
The verdict: probably the best premium handheld on the market, scored 2 out of 5 on value, but a niche product in a crowded field that the Xbox tie-in won't lift. Its appeal rests on whether buyers know they're getting a PC.
Citas Notables
Despite the name, it is not a handheld Xbox console; it is a premium PC gaming handheld, with all the pros and cons that brings (paraphrased).— TechRadar reviewer
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