Here at Ars, we have been writing about rumors of a portable Xbox for literal decades now. With the ROG Xbox Ally, Microsoft has finally made those rumors a reality in the weirdest, most Microsoft way possible.
Yes, the $600 ROG Xbox Ally—and its souped-up cousin, the $1,000, ridiculous-mouthful-of-a-name ROG Xbox Ally X, which we tested—are the first official handheld hardware to sport the Xbox brand name. But Microsoft isn’t taking the exclusive-heavy, walled garden software approach that it has been committed to for nearly 25 years of Xbox home consoles. Instead, the ROG Xbox Ally is, at its base, simply a new version of Asus’ Windows-based ROG Ally line with an Xbox-flavored coat of paint.
That coat of paint—what Microsoft is calling the Xbox Full-screen Experience (FSE)—represents the company’s belated attempt to streamline the Windows gaming experience to be a bit more console-like in terms of user interface and overall simplicity. While that’s a worthy vision, the execution in these early days is so spotty and riddled with annoyances that it’s hard to recommend over the SteamOS-based competition.
This review on the ROG Xbox Ally X sounds intriguing! It’s fascinating to see how portable gaming has evolved over the years. Looking forward to hearing more about its features and performance.
Absolutely, the rise of portable gaming consoles is truly exciting! It’s interesting to think about how advancements in technology have made these devices more powerful than ever, allowing for a gaming experience similar to traditional consoles. This could redefine how and where we enjoy our favorite games!
how they can change the way we experience gaming on the go. The ROG Xbox Ally X, in particular, seems to blend powerful specs with portability, which could really enhance multiplayer gaming experiences outside the home. It’ll be fascinating to see how it performs in real-world scenarios!