Support NeoGAF

[adamsapple]

ASUS ROG Xbox Ally X review: An extra life for Xbox

While its $1,000 price may be an obstacle, Microsoft and ASUS’s collaboration on the ROG XBox Ally X has created a top-tier handheld with better software than all of its Windows-based rivals.

www.engadget.com

Xbox's First Handhelds Are Powerful, But Break the Bank More Than the Mold

These are high-power, high-performance handhelds—but steep pricing and a cluttered UI hold Xbox's first portables back from greatness.

www.wired.com

ASUS ROG Xbox Ally review: Xbox's handheld console is here, but is it any good?

Review and impressions of the ASUS Rog Xbox Ally handheld portable console, including performance, Xbox games, Steam games and docked tests.

uk.news.yahoo.com

Our review proves Xbox Ally X sets the bar in handheld PCs

We spent dozens of hours playing games and testing the performance on the Xbox Ally X. It's an impressive device worth paying attention to. Our review.

www.windowscentral.com

This is not an Xbox

Microsoft’s first “Xbox” handhelds are shipping not fully baked.

www.theverge.com

ROG Xbox Ally X review - an impressive handheld PC wearing an Xbox mask

Eurogamer's review of the new ROG Xbox Ally X gaming handheld that attempts to combine the ease of Xbox with the versatility of Windows.

www.eurogamer.net

If the Xbox Ally is the future of Xbox, Microsoft is in trouble

The new handheld makes a compelling case for Microsoft’s platform-agnostic vision, but Windows still sucks for gaming

www.polygon.com

 

[I collect VHS tapes]

This thing is reviewing much better than I expected

Xbox saved?

 

[Shane89]

this is a handheld pc. there literally nothing that can't be done on any other handheld.

 

[vaibhavpisal]

Doom TDA is running at 60+ FPS while looking sharp.

 

[nowhat]

I don't think Ars' gaming coverage has been worthwhile in a long time (their science/space reporting is still top notch though), but I'll throw this in the mix just for the sake of it:

ROG Xbox Ally X: The Ars Technica review

The first portable “Xbox” fails to unify a messy world of competing PC gaming platforms.

arstechnica.com

 

[analog_future]

Windows Central giving it the highest score out of everyone?

 

[Gamer_By_Proxy]

IGN thinks it's the best handheld for the foreseeable future . . . it's already worse than the msi claw 8ai+ and lenovo go 2 . . .

 

[Ellis]

My issue is more with the Fisher Price build and terrible dpad compared to the SD which feels far more premium.

 

[Gonzito]

I will never understand people wanting to play handheld. I respect it but I dont understand it

Nothing can beat playing a videogame on a big screen with the best quality

 

[Black_Stride]

I will never understand people wanting to play handheld. I respect it but I dont understand it

Nothing can beat playing a videogame on a big screen with the best quality

Especially for 1000 dollars??

 

[adamsapple]

I will never understand people wanting to play handheld. I respect it but I dont understand it

Nothing can beat playing a videogame on a big screen with the best quality

Same papi, I had my fun with the PSP back in the day as a portable media machine but I can't see myself doing portable gaming now, either.

 

[Ass of Can Whooping]

Time for another disininformation campain to combat these shills

 

[analog_future]

I will never understand people wanting to play handheld. I respect it but I dont understand it

Nothing can beat playing a videogame on a big screen with the best quality

As a way to play when the big TV is occupied by others, or when I'm on a trip or vacation or whatever, I can see the use case.


Not for $600 though let alone $1000.

 

[nowhat]

I will never understand people wanting to play handheld. I respect it but I dont understand it

Nothing can beat playing a videogame on a big screen with the best quality

On a long flight, Steam Deck plus noise-cancelling headphones equals bliss.

 

[Soren01]

I'm curious to see the performance comparisons between the Xbox Fullscreen Experience and the desktop

 

[Magic Carpet]

I mainly want that Full Screen Experience version of Windows on my main PC under my Big Screen TV.
Microsoft is taking way too long.

 

[nowhat]

Time for another disininformation campain to combat these shills

Thank you for your service!

 

[SmokSmog]

 

[analog_future]

I'm curious to see the performance comparisons between the Xbox Fullscreen Experience and the desktop

Ars Technica have made comparisons. There's essentialy zero difference.

 

[saintjules]

As a way to play when the big TV is occupied by others, or when I'm on a trip or vacation or whatever, I can see the use case.


Not for $600 though let alone $1000.

I'm lucky I live by myself. I'd go crazy if I had to take turns using a TV.

 

[Mister Wolf]

The 1% lows and power efficiency is much better than the Z1 Extreme. When I get back home im trading in this Lenovo and pre-ordering the Ally X from Best Buy.

 

[Giallo Corsa]

I will never understand people wanting to play handheld. I respect it but I dont understand it

Nothing can beat playing a videogame on a big screen with the best quality

I agree, that's why I'd never play a "AAA" game on these things, instead, it would mostly be relegated to an Indies machine for games like SOR4, Absolum, Metroidvanias etc - that's the reason at least why I got a NS2 which I'm now regretting tbh...

If the portable PS6 proves to be true, I'd be at least able to play all of my catalogue without double dipping but make no mistake, I'd never play the heavy hitters on that thing....

 

[Dacvak]

Looks better than I expected. Still a total non-starter for me at $1000, but cool nonetheless.

 

[mindfreak191]

I will never understand people wanting to play handheld. I respect it but I dont understand it

Nothing can beat playing a videogame on a big screen with the best quality

Speaking out of my own experience, my OG Ally is a Godsend when I'm doing nightshifts, basically a great way for me to kill time and play games like Hades 2 between cleaning people's butts. Not to mention when I travel to my cousin to Vienna, the 4h train ride goes by in an instant But yeah, handhelds are great for those scenarios, now folks that buy a handheld to play at home while having a powerful PC, those I don't understand lol.

 

[diffusionx]

I agree, that's why I'd never play a "AAA" game on these things, instead, it would mostly be relegated to an Indies machine for games like SOR4, Absolum, Metroidvanias etc - that's the reason at least of why I got a NS2 which I'm now regretting tbh...

If the portable PS6 proves to be true, I'd be at least able to play all of my catalogue without double dipping but make no mistake, I'd never play the heavy hitters on that thing....

That's why I got a Steam Deck, except the problem is that even the Steam Deck is enormous and takes up tons of room in a carry on, it's really ridiculous that we call these portables, I ended up selling it. But the Steam Deck was also way cheaper than this.

 

[Giallo Corsa]

That's why I got a Steam Deck, except the problem is that even the Steam Deck is enormous and takes up tons of room in a carry on, it's really ridiculous that we call these portables, I ended up selling it. But the Steam Deck was also way cheaper than this.

You know Diff, I think I should have gone for a Steam deck myself 'cause 99% of the games I bought on the NS2 are also available on Steam/PC

I'm in the process of selling the NS2, now, i'll either wait for the inevitable Steam deck 2 OR the rumored PS6 portable...

 

[Zacfoldor]

 

[Mister Wolf]

I will never understand people wanting to play handheld. I respect it but I dont understand it

Nothing can beat playing a videogame on a big screen with the best quality

Had to travel for work, 6 months away from my desktop. Buying a good handheld made the experience much more tolerable. Was able to finish Rogue Trader. Right now using the handheld while on vacation.

 

[Fermbiz]

I dont care of the Xbox gimmick part, how is it as a PC gaming handheld? Would it work if its flashed with Steam OS?

 

[Burger King]

Steam Deck / SteamOS Gaming Handheld > Windows Gaming Handheld

No doubt about it

 

[Mister Wolf]

Steam Deck / SeamOS Gaming Handheld > Windows Gaming Handheld

No doubt about it

I would have agreed before this thing released with that Full Screen Experience.

 

[DarkShadowXI]

I'm intrigued by the Windows Full Screen experience, but I'll dip in when it's version 2 or 3.

Since ROG pumps these out yearly, I'm looking at 2027-2028.

The entire market could look different by then!

 

[Burger King]

I would have agreed before this thing released with that Full Screen Experience.

What's so amazing, better, or innovative about the Full Screen Experience that makes you lean toward Windows Gaming Handhelds?

 

[ShadyAcshuns]

Stuck gamers in shambles.

 

[Chukhopops]

I find the base model quite tempting actually with those grips and that screen, looks much comfier than the Deck.

But I already have the LCD Deck and Switch 2 so I'd need to sell the Deck (probably for peanuts).

Is there a windows equivalent of EmuDeck? I guess you can install and run individual emulators but I like the ease of use of EmuDeck.

 

[Mister Wolf]

What's so amazing, better, or innovative about the Full Screen Experience that makes you lean toward Windows Gaming Handhelds?

The same thing thats good about Steam OS which Im using right now. I can navigate it easily with a controller. Besides that Steam OS offered nothing else I gave a shit about. Only now when I switch this Lenovo out for the Xbox ROG I'm not trapped with only using one storefront, restricted by certain games not playing nice like Battlefield, and I dont have to learn to navigate Linux for mods and to install emulators when I have over three decades of experience playing around with Windows OS.

 

[Hollowpoint5557]

1000 bucks to play 1080p games at 35fps at crap settings. No thanks.

 

[Magic Carpet]

1000 bucks to play 1080p games at 35fps at crap settings. No thanks.

Your post almost deserves a trigger. Except you kind of head the nail of the main issue with these things. While they an entire PC library on the go, You do have to have lowered expectations on the settings.

 

[Topher]

 

[ClanOfNone]

Where the hell is the 2nd steam deck iteration? A handheld pc that I can jack into my tv like the switch sounds ideal to me, but the market has a shitload of these now.
$1000 is too steep for me, I basically want it to play lil indies like Fear and Hunger that never get console releases.

 

[DirtInUrEye]

You can get a really good gaming laptop for the same money which will run rings around it in every game.

This is enthusiasts appeal only. Everyone else expects a handheld to be five hundred quid tops.

 

[vaibhavpisal]

Where the hell is the 2nd steam deck iteration? A handheld pc that I can jack into my tv like the switch sounds ideal to me, but the market has a shitload of these now.
$1000 is too steep for me, I basically want it to play lil indies like Fear and Hunger that never get console releases.

For small indies, Steam Deck is fine. Or cheaper Xbox Ally.

 

[Mister Wolf]

 

[Sethbacca]

As a way to play when the big TV is occupied by others, or when I'm on a trip or vacation or whatever, I can see the use case.


Not for $600 though let alone $1000.

My Steamdeck is cool and all, but I use my Retroid more honestly. It's just more pocketable. I'd be a little afraid of carrying a $1000 toy with me.

 

[DreamcastSkies]

I REALLY want one but I've spent too much money on console hardware this year. It'll have to be sometime next year.

 

[LectureMaster]

 

[jshackles]

1080p / medium / no RT / no DLSS

 

[BennyBlanco]

I will never understand people wanting to play handheld. I respect it but I dont understand it

Nothing can beat playing a videogame on a big screen with the best quality

You'll understand when you have kids.

On topic - 7 inch screen is a dealbreaker for me. So stupid to have a 7 inch IPS in a 1k+ device. Steam Deck OLED is the value king and tbqh strong enough for 95% of games I want to play on a handheld.

 

[ShadyAcshuns]

You can get a really good gaming laptop for the same money which will run rings around it in every game.

This is enthusiasts appeal only. Everyone else expects a handheld to be five hundred quid tops.

Laptop? Who games on a laptop on the go?

 

[Dr.D00p]

A product for Tech Youtuber shills, Xbox fanboys and handheld enthusiast collectors..

It's a very, very small market and this product will be quickly forgotten by MS.