Microsoft and Asus are placing a date on their new Xbox Ally handhelds: October sixteenth. Each the Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X will probably be out there on the identical day in quite a lot of markets worldwide, however Microsoft and Asus aren’t opening preorders but or revealing pricing. Microsoft additionally introduced its handheld compatibility program to determine video games optimized for the brand new Xbox Ally gadgets.
Leaks have recommended that the Xbox Ally will debut at €599 (round $699) and the top-of-the-line Xbox Ally X mannequin at €899 ($1,049). I perceive Microsoft and Asus had deliberate to announce Xbox Ally pricing and launch date info at the moment, however then it determined to solely reveal a launch date. Microsoft is now promising pricing and preorder info “within the coming weeks.”
The worth info delay might be associated to the leaks or ongoing uncertainty with US tariffs. Dealabs reported yesterday that the Xbox Ally might be priced at $549.99 and the Xbox Ally X at $899.99 within the US. Will probably be fascinating to see if Microsoft and Asus can subsidize this additional for this vital Xbox {hardware} launch.
Each Xbox Ally handhelds will probably be out there on October sixteenth within the following: Australia, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, China (solely the Xbox Ally X), Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Eire, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, and Vietnam.
That covers a number of key markets for Asus and Xbox at launch, and there are additionally plans to introduce these handhelds in Brazil, India, Indonesia, and Thailand. The white ROG Xbox Ally is designed for 720p gaming, and the extra highly effective black ROG Xbox Ally X targets 1080p gaming. Like the present ROG Ally and Ally X, the brand new ones share the identical 7-inch 1080p display screen, full with a 120Hz refresh fee and VRR assist.
The Xbox Ally makes use of AMD’s Ryzen Z2 A chip, mixed with 16GB of LPDDR5X-6400 RAM and 512GB of M.2 2280 SSD storage. The Xbox Ally X upgrades the chip to AMD’s Ryzen AI Z2 Excessive processor, 24GB of LPDDR5X-8000 reminiscence, and a 1TB M.2 2280 SSD.
Alongside launch date affirmation, Microsoft additionally introduced its handheld compatibility program at the moment. “We’ve got labored with recreation studios to check, optimize, and confirm hundreds of video games for handheld compatibility, permitting you to leap into the sport with out having to tweak settings, or requiring solely minor changes,” says Roanne Sones, CVP of gaming gadgets and ecosystem at Xbox.
There will probably be two types of handheld compatibility: Handheld Optimized and Principally Suitable. Whereas Handheld Optimized video games may have default controller inputs, correct icons, and the proper display screen decision in full-screen mode, Principally Suitable titles “might require minor in-game setting modifications for an optimum expertise on handheld.”
Microsoft can even mark video games with a Home windows Efficiency Match indicator, so that you’ll get the advantage of understanding if a recreation is appropriate and the way properly it would play. Each Xbox Ally gadgets will ship with the Xbox full display screen expertise that Microsoft has been growing to enhance Home windows on handheld gadgets. This may boot as default, with the Home windows desktop hidden away however nonetheless accessible by way of an possibility within the Xbox Recreation Bar UI.
Microsoft can also be engaged on enhancing the sport shader expertise on Home windows, with a brand new “superior shader supply” characteristic. This may preload recreation shaders throughout obtain on the Xbox Ally gadgets, so sure video games can launch rather a lot sooner and run smoother with out the everyday stutters that shader compilation introduces on Home windows. That is key on a handheld as it would assist with battery life and efficiency, nevertheless it’s not clear which video games will assist this simply but.
Computerized Tremendous Decision (Auto SR), which is an NPU to upscale video games, can also be arriving in early 2026 on the Xbox Ally X. Microsoft is planning to make use of the NPU on this system to introduce a spotlight reels characteristic that makes use of AI fashions to robotically seize gameplay moments and make them simply shareable with associates or on social networks.
Extra enhancements to the docking expertise for the Xbox Ally gadgets are additionally coming quickly. Microsoft is working “to allow a seamless, high-performance setup that helps big-screen gaming, Auto SR, intuitive controller pairing, optimized show output, and extra,” based on Soanes.
Pictures by Tom Warren / The Verge