ROG Xbox Ally has announced the Handheld Compatibility Program, which will help players conveniently identify games that have been optimized for Windows handhelds. Mimicking Valve's own program for identifying "Deck Verified" games, this new feature introduced by the ROG Xbox Ally aims to facilitate handheld gaming on Microsoft's OS.
After successfully entering the handheld gaming PC market in 2023, Asus is now set to continue in this segment with more powerful offerings. Excitingly, this time the tech giant has partnered with Xbox to provide a better console gaming-like experience. The ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X are the Phil Spencer-led company's first foray into handhelds of any kind. While the Xbox Ally X is the top-tier variant, the Xbox Ally is the more affordable but less powerful variant.
'Is This Really an Xbox?' - How Microsoft's ROG Xbox Ally Marketing May Put The Handheld at a Disadvantage
The marketing campaign for Microsoft's new gaming handheld, the ROG Xbox Ally, may cause a lot of confusion among casual consumers.
ROG Xbox Ally Introduces Handheld Compatibility Program, Taking a Page Out of Steam Deck's Book
Xbox recently explained the Handheld Compatibility Program, one of the new features present in both the ROG Xbox Ally and the ROG Xbox Ally X. Essentially, it is the console giant's effort to make PC games that offer an optimal, out-of-the-box experience on Windows handhelds easily discoverable. According to the company, its goal is to let Xbox Ally owners quickly find games that can be played right away without the need to tinker with the game's settings too much. As part of the program, games will be labeled "Handheld Optimized" if they support default controller inputs, appropriate text readability, accurately sized icons, an optimized text input method, and a suitable resolution in the new full-screen mode. On the other hand, titles that fall just short of these requirements and need minor tweaks before jumping in will be labeled as "Mostly Compatible."
To make the process of searching for Handheld Optimized games seamless, players will be able to use a filter within the game library on ROG Xbox Ally devices. Moreover, to make it easier to search for games that also run seamlessly on these handhelds, there will be a "Windows Performance Fit" indicator that will let the players know what kind of in-game performance to expect from a game in advance.
Games primarily built for standard-sized PCs don't always translate into a good handheld experience. However, Xbox and Asus aren't the first mainstream companies to realize that, as Valve had thought along the same lines for its Steam Deck. And, it is quite easy to spot the similarities between ROG Xbox Ally's Handheld Compatibility Program and its Steam Deck counterpart, which is responsible for labeling "Deck Verified" titles. This suggests that Xbox and Asus may have taken notes from Valve before devising such a program tailored for their handheld.
With ROG Xbox Ally finally confirmed to hit the shelves on October 16, a new era for Xbox is ready to kick off. If the co-branded device does well, it might even prompt the console maker to eventually come up with a dedicated Xbox handheld. Since Sony has also been rumored to be making a proper comeback in this category, the handheld space could be the next battleground for the PlayStation vs Xbox debate in the future.
- Brand
- Xbox / ROG
- Operating System
- Windows 11 Home
- Processor
- AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme Processor
- Display
- 7” IPS, 500 nits, 16:9, 120Hz refresh rate, FreeSync Premium, Corning Gorilla Glass Victus + DXC Anti-Reflection
- Resolution
- FHD 1080p
- HDR Support
- No
Xbox, Anywhere. Power of Xbox. Freedom of Windows. Craftsmanship of ROG.
Xbox full screen experience
Power on directly into the Xbox full screen experience for a dedicated gaming experience inspired and optimized specifically for handheld gaming.
Game Bar
Press the Xbox button for quick access to essential tools and customizable widgets with Game Bar. Hold the Xbox button to navigate all open apps.
Aggregated library
Access supported games anywhere you go from Xbox and other PC game storefronts.
Progress goes with you
Bring all your game saves, add-ons, and achievements along with games that are Xbox Play Anywhere.
Game Pass - Get an intstant library
Stream hundreds of high-quality games from the Game Pass library plus select games you own.
Streaming with Xbox Cloud Gaming (Beta)
Stream games with cloud gaming, including select games you own or buy (requires Game Pass membership).
Buy once, play anywhere
Download select PC games to play on the go. When you own a game that is Xbox Play Anywhere, it's yours to play across PC, Xbox console, and supported gaming handhelds at no additional cost.
- Memory
- 24GB LPDDR5X-8000
- Storage
- 1TB M.2 2280 SSD (upgradable)
- Wi-Fi
- Wi-Fi 6E (2 x 2)
- Bluetooth
- Bluetooth 5.4
- Ports
- 1x USB4 Type-C with DisplayPort™ 2.1 / Power Delivery 3.0, Thunderbolt™ 4 compatible, 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C with DisplayPort™ 2.1 / Power Delivery 3.0, 1x UHS-II microSD card reader (supports SD, SDXC and SDHC; UHS-I with DDR200 mode), 1x 3.5mm Combo Audio Jack
- Battery
- 80Wh
- Dimensions
- 290.8 x 121.5 x 50.7mm
- Weight
- 715g
- Included
- 65W charger, stand
