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handheld

Best Handheld Fan and Wearable Fan (2025), Tested and Reviewed
Product Reviews

Best Handheld Fan and Wearable Fan (2025), Tested and Reviewed

by admin August 31, 2025


This fan was a great companion during a late summer parade, providing some airflow without much noise. I appreciate that the fan blades are soft, and they stop automatically if they hit something—it’s the type of fan you could hand off to a kid without much worry. It can also stand up on a table, and when folded, easily fits in a small purse or clutch. It comes in pretty pastel colors and has tiny, pointed ears, with a button that looks like some kind of cute creature, though I’m not sure if it’s supposed to be an owl or a cat.

At only four ounces and with a small lanyard, you could definitely attach this fan to your phone or keychain to always have it at the ready. It has 10 to 17 hours of battery life, depending on which of the two speeds you use. I wish the higher speed was stronger—it helped provide some relief during a parade, but it didn’t totally prevent sweating, like the PlayHot Portable Handheld Turbo Fan. Still, for the price, size, and low noise level, it’s a decent cooling option. The Aecooly fan ($10) is also a small, slim, pocket- or purse-sized option.



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August 31, 2025 0 comments
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A promotional image created by Sony, showing its PlayStation 5 consoles next to its PlayStation Portal remote player.
Product Reviews

Claimed Sony PS6 handheld console specs promise a miracle of next-gen, cutting-edge processor architectures at a price that’s barely enough for today’s hardware

by admin August 29, 2025



PS6 Dockable Handheld Leak: AMD Canis Specs CRUSH XBOX Ally X! – YouTube

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With the current crop of consoles from Microsoft and Sony nearing the end of their natural product cycles, tech rumours are abound as to what hardware and systems the next generation will have. Amongst a whole raft of claims as to what the PlayStation 6 will be like are a list of specifications for Sony’s return to the handheld market, with a beefy custom AMD chip at the heart of it all.

Now, before I go any further, let me get one thing out of the way first, and it’s the source of these claims: Moore’s Law is Dead. The tech YouTube channel’s modus operandi is all about rumours, leaks, speculation, and at times, pretty wild predictions. But hey, even if you spray about in a raging gale, something will eventually land on target.

On to the nitty-gritty, then. MLID claims Sony is planning a handheld PlayStation for its PS6 portfolio. Not a major shock announcement, as the company has done this before. Something else that won’t raise any eyebrows is that it’s apparently going to be powered by a custom AMD chip, codenamed Canis.


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The specs for it, though, are a tad more of a surprise. Manufactured on TSMC’s N3 process node and coming in at 135 square millimetres in size, the CPU size of Canis is alleged to have four Zen 6c cores and two Zen 6 Low Power cores. That’s a little bit like AMD’s Ryzen AI 340, which sports two Zen 5 and four Zen 5c cores. However, unlike that laptop APU, MLID is suggesting that games will run on the 6c pipelines, with the handheld’s operating system being handled by the two LP cores.

There are no architectural differences between AMD’s normal Zen and Zen-c cores (at least, not in Zen 5) other than what clock speeds they can reach, but given that it’s also being claimed that the ‘PS6 handheld’ will be backwards compatible with PS5/PS4 games, I’m not sure how four, low-clocked cores are supposed to handle software designed for up to eight cores.

PS5’s CPU cores take up a tiny slice of the die, on the right. (Image credit: Fritzchens Fritz)

And that’s before one begins to question why Sony would choose to go with an architecture that AMD hasn’t released yet, when it’s historically chosen an older design that’s well-tested, proven, and predictable. Oh, and cheap. Very cheap.

Moving onto the GPU section of the APU, Canis is supposed to have 16 RDNA 5 compute units. To put this into perspective, the Steam Deck has eight RDNA 2 CUs, and the Asus ROG Ally X has 12 RDNA 3 CUs, so the compute unit count isn’t beyond the realms of possibility.

Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team.

However, just as with the CPU section, I’m not overly convinced that Sony would go for what would be a cutting-edge GPU architecture for the release. Even the expensive PS5 Pro is still using what’s fundamentally an RDNA 2-powered GPU, albeit with some hefty modifications.

Where things get a bit silly are the claimed clock speeds and performance for the handheld’s GPU: around 1.65 GHz in docked mode and up to 75% of a PS5’s native rendering power. Sony’s current console has a GPU with 36 CUs, with a top clock speed of 2.2 GHz, and requires a power budget of 180 W.

The PS5 Pro’s GPU is mighty for a console but quite old in tech terms. (Image credit: Sony)

While RDNA 5 rumours have yet to settle down into any semblance of sensibility, no amount of architectural wizardry can really overcome a 56% deficit in CUs with a 25% short fall in clock speed to that kind of degree. Well, perhaps it can, if the rendering resolution is low enough or the actual graphics workload leans more towards favouring AMD’s current shader design than for RDNA 2.

Just as with many handheld gaming PCs, Sony’s effort will apparently use LPDDR5X-8533, but rather than using a 128-bit wide bus, Canis is purported to sport a 192-bit bus, resulting in the total amount of RAM reaching 48 GB. That’s not impossible, as handhelds really do benefit from having considerably more than 16 GB of RAM, as it’s shared across the CPU and GPU.

Having watched MLID go through the specs, I was unconvinced by the CPU description, on the fence by the GPU (but not at all by the performance claims), and reasonably okay with the RAM specs. However, it wouldn’t be a MLID video if there wasn’t at least one really bonkers prediction, and in this instance, it’s the price: between $399 and $499.

(Image credit: Nintendo)

The Switch 2’s retail price is $450, and it is a far weaker collection of hardware, with the main SoC manufactured on an old, cheap process node. Top-end handheld gaming PCs that are more akin to the above claimed specs are typically double the cost. Heck, even the PlayStation Portal is $200 and there’s practically nothing inside that beyond a basic Qualcomm chip, a smattering of RAM, and a pokey 16 Wh battery.

Sony wouldn’t set the price that low for a platform that isn’t going to sell anywhere near as many units as a normal console. It can afford to get away with a tiny profit margin with the PS5 because it hauls the money back via the millions of games sold each year for the console. A PS6 handheld would have to be physically profitable, and given that the specs are all next-gen architecture, on an expensive process node, $500 would surely be nowhere near enough.

Anyway, you can make up your own mind about MLID’s claims about the handheld or the other PS6 bits and pieces. Better yet, you can play your own game of ‘Guess the next-gen console specs’ and make a video of it, because everyone’s predictions will be just as valid as each other until the hardware itself finally appears.

Best handheld PC 2025

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August 29, 2025 0 comments
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Play Solana To Launch First Handheld Gaming Console In October
NFT Gaming

Play Solana To Launch First Handheld Gaming Console In October

by admin August 27, 2025



The Solana ecosystem is taking a leap into hardware with the forthcoming launch of its first handheld gaming console. 

Play Solana, a project dedicated to building a Web3 gaming device on the Solana blockchain, announced that it will start shipping its Play Solana Gen 1 (PSG1) device on Oct. 6. 

The device comes with gaming-ready specs, including an octa-core ARM processor, 8 gigabytes of RAM, WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity and a touch LCD display. It also includes a built-in hardware wallet and fingerprint authentication, allowing users to store crypto assets while playing games. 

It also launched a limited non-fungible token (NFT) collection that allows a group of 2,000 holders to have early access and other ecosystem perks. 

Source: Play Solana

Solana dives deeper into physical products

The launch comes as the Solana ecosystem continues to push deeper into consumer-facing products, following earlier experiments such as the Saga smartphone. 

In 2022, Solana Mobile, a subsidiary of Solana Labs, introduced Saga, an Android-based, blockchain-focused smartphone.

It gave users access to native Web3 tools like a Seed Vault, the Solana Mobile Stack and a decentralized applications (DApp) store tailored for Solana ecosystem participants. 

The Saga introduction triggered mixed reactions from community members, but ultimately saw a successful launch in 2023, causing a frenzy among users.

In 2023, the product fetched up to $5,000 on eBay as the phone came with a free airdrop of the BONK memecoin. The phone had an original $599 price tag on the Solana Mobile website. 

In 2024, Solana Mobile unveiled a second-generation mobile phone, saying it would not just be a “memecoin phone.”

In 2025, the phone had 150,000 pre-orders, with revenue estimated to be at $67.5 million. On Aug. 5, Solana Mobile said it started shipping the Seeker phone in over 50 countries. 

Related: Solana gaming studio Mirror World raises $12M in funding

Web3 gets handheld gaming devices

Apart from Play Solana’s PSG1, blockchain network Sui also dived into physical Web3 gaming devices.

In 2024, Sui blockchain creator Mysten Labs said it would deliver SuiPlay0X1, a handheld gaming device integrated to the Sui network in the first half of 2025. 

Magazine: Solana Seeker review: Is the $500 crypto phone worth it?



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August 27, 2025 0 comments
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Gaming Gear

Ayn reveals a Nintendo DS-style handheld that comes in the classic Game Boy Color purple

by admin August 25, 2025


Ayn added more than just a touch of nostalgia with its upcoming dual-screen handheld that gives us modern-day Nintendo DS vibes. After teasing the device in a YouTube video earlier this week, Ayn dropped the full spec sheet, price range and release date for its Thor handhelds. The Thor Lite base model will start at $249 for preorder pricing, but you can opt for the top-of-the-line Thor Max model that goes for $429. Besides the clear purple colorway, the Ayn Thor will come in black, white and rainbow, which colors its buttons like the SNES.

Ayn built all of its Thor models with a primary six-inch AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and a 1,920 x 1,080 resolution, while the secondary 3.92-inch AMOLED screen will have a 60Hz refresh rate and a smaller 1,240 x 1,080 resolution. The Thor Lite maxes out at 8GB of memory and 128GB of storage, but you can upgrade to 16GB of memory and 1TB of storage with the Thor Max. The Pro and Max models will pack a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, while the Lite will use the less powerful Snapdragon 865.

Outside of the spec differences, all Thor models will run on a 6,000 mAh battery and Android 13. The dual-screen handheld will have video output capabilities, a USB-C port, a 3.5mm audio jack, a TF card slot and can connect via Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. As with all foldable devices, the hinge is often a point of failure, so Ayn built the Thor with a reinforced hinge, along with an active cooling system and Hall effect joysticks.

Ayn isn’t the only handheld maker getting into dual-screen devices. The market was previously dominated by the Ayaneo Flip DS, which currently starts at $1,139, but Ayaneo has announced a more affordable dual-screen handheld called the Pocket DS. Along with the Retroid Flip 2 that was released earlier this year, Retroid is selling an add-on accessory to make some of its other products into a dual-screen handheld. As for the Ayn Thor, preorders start August 25 at 10:30PM ET, with the first shipments expected in mid-October.



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August 25, 2025 0 comments
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Gaming Gear

The first premium handheld from Ayaneo’s budget brand arrives in September

by admin August 24, 2025


Known for its premium handhelds that often go for more than $1,000, Ayaneo announced a higher-end version of the first handheld to release under its more affordable sub-brand called KONKR. Ayaneo revealed the new Android gaming handheld, called the Pocket Fit Elite, in a YouTube video that detailed most of its specs.

The Pocket Fit Elite will be built with a six-inch 1080p display that has a 144Hz refresh rate, an 8,000 mAh battery, and Hall effect joysticks and triggers. However, Ayaneo didn’t confirm what processor it will use for the Pocket Fit Elite, whose name could be a nod towards the inclusion of the Snapdragon 8 Elite processor. We’re expecting a more powerful chip than the Snapdragon G3 Gen 3, which Ayaneo said will be used for the Pocket Fit base model that was announced in July. Looking at the two models, the unrevealed processor for the Pocket Fit Elite will be the main difference.

Unlike the Ayaneo 3 and its $1,399 starting price, the Pocket Fit Elite will start at less than $399, while the Pocket Fit will be even cheaper with a sub-$329 starting price. Ayaneo said in its latest YouTube video that it’s in the final preparation stage for the Pocket Fit launch, which will be sometime in September.



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August 24, 2025 0 comments
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Decrypt logo
Crypto Trends

Crypto Gaming Handheld Shipments Hit With ‘Excessive’ Import Duties

by admin August 24, 2025



In brief

  • SuiPlay0X1 buyers are facing unexpected import duties on the $599 gaming handheld, some as high as nearly $350.
  • Mysten Labs said that it will not cover the fees for buyers, in part because it sells the device at nearly cost.
  • The firm temporarily paused shipping plans while it gained more information on the import fees for buyers.

Eager gamers keen to get their hands on the latest crypto gaming handheld from Mysten Labs are being greeted with unexpected import duties, potentially amounting to hundreds of dollars.

Early buyers of the SuiPlay0X1 are staring down the consequences of President Donald Trump’s “reciprocal tariffs” on global partners as the White House’s trade policy begins to bite.

Mysten Labs has confirmed to Decrypt that it briefly held the next shipment of devices as it attempted to triage complaints from buyers and get a better handle on expected fees, though it now plans to resume shipments.

The SuiPlay0X1 is a handheld gaming PC akin to Valve’s popular Steam Deck, albeit with built-in crypto wallet support to play blockchain games on Sui. It can also play popular games from Steam and the Epic Games Store, among other supported storefronts. The device was built in collaboration with gaming startup Playtron and uses its GameOS software.

The company produced 10,000 units of the gaming handheld for early adopters and said that $599—a single price point offered to over 100 countries—is near the cost of manufacturing each device. As such, Mysten told buyers in an email Thursday that it would not pay the unexpected import duties for everyone.

“At this small scale, it is not possible to absorb tariffs and duties which differ for every country,” the email read. “It’s important to note: Mysten Labs does not receive any portion of duty fees or taxes. These are set by local and international governments and apply to all cross-border purchases. Given the unpredictable macroeconomic climate, we could not forecast how these fees might change during shipping.”

Decrypt was offered a complementary loaner unit of the SuiPlay0X1 for testing and review purposes, and received a message from carrier DHL earlier this week that an import duty of more than $138 was required before the package—shipped from Hong Kong—could be delivered in Illinois.



All products originating from Hong Kong, a special administrative region of China, are currently subject to a 20% tariff when entering the U.S. 

A previous de minimis exemption meant that products priced at under $800 could avoid such duties, but Trump revoked that exemption in April via an executive order.

Some SuiPlay0X1 buyers on social media and in the official Sui Discord server have reported a similar import duty demand. But others have said they’ve been hit up for much larger sums for a single device, with some claiming a demand from DHL to pay about $348.

A Mysten Labs representative confirmed that the import duties have ranged significantly, and has informed buyers who have been hit with “excessive” fees to email its support team for assistance. The email suggested that residents of select U.S. states are seeing higher duties than in others.

“No customer should be charged duties equal to half their purchase price,” Mysten Labs wrote in the email to buyers.

Decrypt asked a Mysten representative how the company planned to assist buyers who face the higher fees, but they did not clarify further.

“While federal duties are harmonized across the U.S., some additional state taxes can apply, as well as courier fees for administering the charge and managing payments,” the rep said about varying fees. “At this time, we are unsure of the differences in duties and shipping fees between different regions of the U.S., though we are actively working to determine what these are.”

The rep told Decrypt earlier Thursday that Mysten would hold off on shipping additional SuiPlay0X1 units to buyers, but clarified after the original publication of this story that the brief pause has been lifted.

So far, a total of 2,000 units have been sent, with the next batch of 3,000 units currently expected to begin shipping by the end of August.

While the SuiPlay0X1 fallout has been met with memes and jokes from some (including an X user who said they “love seeing innovation on Sui” with the “new Tariff-Drop model”), many buyers are frustrated and upset about the unexpected fees.

“If the outstanding duties of $138.11 stand, how do I get a refund?” one buyer asked via Discord. “I won’t want this product if the fees are this high—especially since I would feel purposely misled by the SuiPlay team about the total cost.”

Editor’s note: This story was updated after publication as Mysten Labs said that plans to ship the next batch of units had resumed after gathering more info on the import duties.

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August 24, 2025 0 comments
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Product Reviews

Abxylute will sell an absurd 3D handheld from Intel and Tencent Games for “under $1,700”

by admin August 23, 2025


As the handheld PC boom has taken off, companies have tried to push the boundaries of the Steam Deck form factor Valve helped popularize. Lenovo tried detachable controllers. Acer is trying an 11-inch screen. And Abxylute is apparently combining them both (and then some) into the Abxylute 3D One, which The Verge reports features an 11-inch, glasses-free 3D display and detachable controllers, all for “under $1,700.”

The Abxylute 3D One is based on a hardware prototype co-developed by Intel and Tencent that the companies demoed at CES 2025. The prototype, dubbed the “Sunday Dragon 3D One,” featured a display that used eye-tracking to achieve its 3D effect. The version Abxylute is selling seems to be offering more or less the same features, with an Intel Lunar Lake chip, 32GB of LPDDR5X RAM, an 120Hz display and a built-in kickstand.

The Abxylute 3D One’s controllers can detach like Joy-Cons, which leaves it looking like a chunky Surface Pro.

(Abxylute)

“Abxylute claims the product’s specifically optimized to deliver 3D for 50 of the top Steam games,” The Verge writes, though it can also be used for more than gaming if you’re desperate. The Abxylute 3D One will include software for converting 2D photos and video to 3D, and a detachable keyboard accessory complete with a trackpad.

No part of what Abxylute is offering here seems particularly practical, but if you like 3D and are into the company’s maximalist approach, you could be getting a deal. Acer’s 11-inch handheld, the Acer Nitro Blaze 11, starts at $1,100. A 3D laptop like the ASUS ProArt Studiobook 16 starts at $2,000. The Abxylute 3D One could approximate the features of both for a fairly reasonable price in the middle.

That might not make up for the fact that it seems too heavy to hold for more than 30 minutes at a time, but you can put that to the test yourself when the Abxylute 3D One goes on sale in “late September or early October.”



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August 23, 2025 0 comments
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Microsoft’s Xbox handheld is a good first step toward a Windows gaming OS
Product Reviews

Microsoft’s Xbox handheld is a good first step toward a Windows gaming OS

by admin August 21, 2025


The first thing I did when I got my hands on the Xbox Ally was reboot it. I wanted to see exactly how Microsoft manages to hide Windows beneath the Xbox interface that’s debuting on these handheld devices.

After a short startup, I was met with the standard Windows login prompt. But I could use the controller to input the PIN code, an immediate improvement over what’s available right now. And as soon as Windows 11 loaded up, the interface immediately disappeared. The Xbox PC app took over and went full-screen — and for the most part, I didn’t have to leave.

I’ve spent enough time with Microsoft and Asus’ Xbox Ally devices this week to get a better understanding of how Windows and Xbox are moving closer together. Microsoft has created what it calls an Xbox full-screen experience for these new handheld devices, which essentially takes over for Windows and hides the OS away. It’s exactly what I’ve been wanting for Windows-powered handheld gaming PCs for years now, but it still feels like a small first step in a grand next-gen Xbox plan.

The Game Bar drives a lot of Microsoft’s Xbox full-screen experience.

The main interface on the Xbox Ally is similar to what can be found in the current Xbox app on Windows 11, Microsoft’s Steam competitor on PC. This app integrates with the Game Bar, Microsoft’s PC gaming overlay, to form this full-screen Xbox experience. Just like an Xbox console, you activate this Game Bar from a single tap of the Xbox button, and it’s what keeps you far away from the complexities of the Windows desktop hidden underneath.

Microsoft doesn’t load the desktop wallpaper, the taskbar, or a bunch of other processes that you don’t need for gaming. It’s essentially not loading the Explorer shell and saving around 2GB of memory by suppressing all the unnecessary parts of a typical Windows 11 installation. It’s surprisingly easy to get back to a regular Windows experience on these Xbox Ally devices, though.

You can exit out of the Xbox full-screen experience through the Game Bar or hold the Xbox button down to access the task switcher and a shortcut to the Windows desktop. Microsoft warns that you’re exiting to the Windows desktop and that you should use touch or a mouse and keyboard “for the best experience.”

The new Xbox task switcher lets you get to the Windows desktop quickly.

The Windows desktop experience is exactly the same as any regular handheld, and the Xbox team hasn’t done much additional work here to improve this side of the Xbox Ally. You’ll still have to use this part of the device to install and configure Windows apps like Discord and Steam, but once they’re up and running, you can mostly stay within the handheld-optimized confines of the Xbox full-screen experience. It’s easy to connect to Bluetooth devices or Wi-Fi networks here, and if all you’re doing is gaming, then Microsoft has nailed most of the basics, thanks to the widgets in the Game Bar.

Switching back and forth between Windows and Xbox modes is relatively quick, but after switching into the Windows desktop mode just once, you’ll need to fully reboot the device to regain the 2GB of allocated RAM. You also have the option to keep switching between both modes without those performance savings.

While the handheld-optimized Xbox UI on the Xbox Ally devices is a great improvement over what exists today, I still fear the complexity of Windows will creep through during daily use. This is still a Windows 11 device after all, which means there are OS updates and notifications from other apps or storefronts to install that might break the immersion.

For example, while the Xbox app takes over the left-hand swipe gesture to activate the Game Bar, the right-hand swipe still activates the Windows 11 notification center, which looks out of place in the Xbox UI. The Xbox team is working to improve this, but it highlights the challenges of trying to hide Windows beneath a console-like UI.

You can switch between the Xbox and Windows modes easily.

There’s also an interesting setting that suggests you’ll be able to set something other than the Xbox app as the default boot experience on the Xbox Ally devices, potentially opening the door for Steam or other launchers to become the home app here. Microsoft wouldn’t comment on what this setting is for just yet.

Due to my limited time with the Xbox Ally devices, it’s difficult to judge just how much switching between the Windows desktop and this full-screen Xbox experience you’d have to do on a daily basis. If you install Steam, then Microsoft brings any games you install from Valve’s store into the library interface of the Xbox app, making it a launcher for these PC games and keeping you in the handheld-friendly UI. But I did play some Gears of War: Reloaded on one of the demo units on the floor and noticed the game crash, leaving me with a broken game app window instead of a more gracious home screen like you see when games crash on an Xbox Series X console.

I also ran into a UI bug switching into the Windows desktop, which Microsoft assures me will be fixed by the time these devices ship on October 16th. Asus’ own devices on the Gamescom floor also had some weird bugs, including not being able to use the Xbox button at times. There’s clearly some work needed ahead of release.

Unfortunately, I didn’t get a chance to fully test how Windows standby and hibernation work with games on the Xbox Ally. I love the experience of turning my Xbox Series X off and then being able to immediately resume a game hours or days later, and Microsoft doesn’t have the equivalent of Quick Resume on Windows devices.

This experience feels like a first step in Microsoft’s plans for the next-gen Xbox, and seeing it in action makes it even clearer to me that Windows will be at the heart of the next Xbox console. Microsoft still has a tremendous amount of work ahead to blend all the best parts of Windows and Xbox together, but it’s about to ship some improvements that will hopefully lead to a gaming-optimized Windows operating system that spans across handhelds, consoles, and PCs.

  • Microsoft is finally improving Windows 11’s dark mode. Nearly a decade after a full dark mode was introduced in Windows 10, the latest preview build of Windows 11 now includes even more darkened UI elements. If you’re copying files or deleting them, these file operation dialogs will finally have a dark mode instead of light-themed prompt. Hopefully this signals that more dark mode improvements are coming with the 25H2 update to Windows 11 later this year.
  • Microsoft employee arrested at headquarters while protesting Israel contracts. Microsoft employee Anna Hattle, a software engineer in Microsoft’s cloud and AI team, has been arrested at the company’s headquarters during protests against Microsoft’s cloud contracts with Israel. Hattle’s arrest was part of 18 arrests by Redmond Police, including former Microsoft employees who joined the protest for a second day. The No Azure for Apartheid group continues to protest Microsoft’s cloud contracts with Israel, calling on the company to cut ties after reports emerged that the Israeli government uses Azure to power a surveillance network of Palestinian phone calls.
  • Microsoft hints at “more affordable” Xbox Cloud Gaming plan. Microsoft has dropped hints about a potential dedicated Xbox Cloud Gaming plan multiple times before, but it feels like we’re getting closer to an announcement. Jason Ronald, Microsoft’s VP of Next Generation, appeared on the company’s official Xbox podcast earlier this week and hinted that Microsoft wants to make its Xbox Cloud “much more affordable” and accessible to players. Microsoft is currently building a next-generation Xbox console and cloud network, so not having to buy Xbox Game Pass Ultimate just for cloud gaming access would certainly be a welcome move.
  • Microsoft Excel adds Copilot AI to help fill in spreadsheet cells. Microsoft has started testing a new AI-powered function in Excel that can automatically fill cells in spreadsheets. It’s similar to the feature that Google Sheets rolled out in June, and allows you to call up a “COPILOT” function to generate summaries, create tables, and more.
  • Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is heading to Nintendo Switch 2. I’ve been patiently waiting for Microsoft’s first Switch 2 game, and at Gamescom this week, the company announced that it’s bringing Bethesda’s Indiana Jones to Nintendo’s latest console in 2026. It’s one of the first PC games to require ray tracing, so it’ll be interesting to see what Bethesda does with the Switch 2 port.
  • Windows 11 test brings AI file search to the Copilot app. Microsoft has started testing the ability to use AI to search through your files and images directly from the Copilot app on Windows 11. The test is rolling out to Windows Insiders on Copilot Plus PCs and allows you to use more descriptive language when conducting your search. Microsoft is also making it easier to jump into “guided help” sessions with Copilot Vision.
  • Microsoft Teams is getting a microphone volume indicator. I can’t be the only person who asks “Can you hear me?” on a Microsoft Teams meeting, but that might be a thing of the past soon. Microsoft is adding a volume indicator to Teams on macOS and Windows that makes it easy to see if your microphone is working. This new feature is currently in testing before it rolls out to Teams users in the coming months.
  • Microsoft’s AI chief wants to “build AI for people, not to be a person.” Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman has written a blog post where he shares his concerns about AI models becoming too humanlike to the point where people will believe they are conscious entities. “My central worry is that many people will start to believe in the illusion of AIs as conscious entities so strongly that they’ll soon advocate for AI rights, model welfare and even AI citizenship,” says Suleyman. “This development will be a dangerous turn in AI progress and deserves our immediate attention.”
  • Microsoft and Asus’ new Xbox Ally handhelds launch on October 16th. We finally got a date for the new Xbox Ally handhelds this week: October 16th. Weirdly there was no price or preorders, though. That didn’t stop Best Buy from accidentally listing the Xbox Ally at $549.99 and the Xbox Ally X at $899.99. I do wonder if Asus and Microsoft can subsidize this hardware a little further to bring those price points down, and we’re going to find out if that’s possible in the coming weeks.
  • Xbox on PC is getting a highlights reel and Auto SR. Alongside the Xbox Ally release date announcement, Microsoft also revealed this week that it’s bringing Automatic Super Resolution (Auto SR), which uses an NPU to upscale games, to the Xbox Ally X in early 2026. It will be joined by a new highlights reels feature that uses AI models to automatically capture gameplay moments and make them easily shareable with friends or on social networks.
  • Microsoft is improving the game shader experience on Windows. The DirectX team at Microsoft is working on a new “advanced shader delivery” system that’s designed to preload game shaders during download on the Xbox Ally devices. It’s launching on these handhelds first, to make games launch faster and run a lot smoother without stutters. It’s similar to Valve’s own efforts to improve the shader situation, and Microsoft says it will eventually expand this to more games and more devices over time.

I’m always keen to hear from readers, so please drop a comment here, or you can reach me at [email protected] if you want to discuss anything else. If you’ve heard about any of Microsoft’s secret projects, you can reach me via email at [email protected] or speak to me confidentially on the Signal messaging app, where I’m tomwarren.01. I’m also tomwarren on Telegram, if you’d prefer to chat there.

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Photos by Tom Warren / The Verge

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The ROG Xbox Ally held in human hands.
Game Updates

Xbox PC Gaming Handheld Gets October Release Date But No Price

by admin August 21, 2025


Microsoft has officially announced the release date for its handheld gaming PCs, the ROG Xbox Ally and indeed the even more bemusingly named ROG Xbox Ally X. Both devices will be available on October 16, but maddeningly, we still don’t know a price. However, we have learned that the portable gaming machine is going to feature its own equivalent of Valve’s Steam Deck verification system.

Microsoft and ROG’s team-up is a sort of stop-gap attempt at a portable Xbox, a concept Microsoft has recently be touting in ambiguous terms. This crossover with the already popular ROG Ally Windows 11 machine sees the device rebranded with Xbox buttons and, more importantly, with a new UI that should make it reasonably simple to play your Game Pass, GOG, and Steam games on the subway.

Today, Microsoft has made its release date official, declaring that on October 16 we’ll be able to get hold of both models, with pre-orders due “in the coming weeks.” Despite this, we still don’t have a price for either model. However, rumors about the potential cost continue to appear—see below.

The current ROG Ally comes with an AMD Ryzen Z1 processor, and costs $650. However, the basic Xbox version will be a step up, featuring the brand-new Ryzen Z2 with “four Zen 2 cores with eight threads and eight RDNA 2 GPU cores,” which sure sounds like a lot of threads and cores. It’ll also have 16GB RAM and a 512GB SSD (which isn’t close to enough–that’s like two Calls of Duty). Meanwhile, the Ally X will beef that up to an AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme, which as you can see both has AI and is extreme. It features “a new 8‑core/16‑thread Zen 5 APU with 16 RDNA 3.5 GPU cores and an integrated 50 TOPS NPU,” and let’s all pretend we know what that means and feel impressed. It also bumps the RAM up to 24GB, and offers a 1TB SSD for up to four Calls of Duty at a time.

Xbox Ally has its own improved take on “Steam Deck Verified”

When Valve’s Steam Deck released, the company attempted to create a system, called Steam Deck Verified, that’d let owners know if a game on Steam was likely to be able to run on the handheld. It’s been sort-of useful over the years, although too often compromised by some games getting “Verified” status despite requiring super-low settings. It’s less and less useful these days, but then the Steam Deck is aging out. Microsoft is attempting something similar for the ROG Xbox Ally, with a system called the Handheld Compatibility Program, which the company says will “optimize thousands of PC titles for handheld compatibility” to “ensure day-one users have the best experience possible.” The system’s labels will have two tiers, “Mostly Compatible” and “Handheld Optimized.”

“Handheld Optimized means that the game is ready to go—with default controller inputs, an intuitive text input method, accurate iconography, clear text legibility, and appropriate resolution in full-screen mode. Mostly Compatible means that the game may require minor in-game setting changes for an optimal experience on handheld.”

Another neat feature is that the device will preload shaders while you’re downloading a game, so you won’t have to sit through a minutes-long loading bar the first time you launch a game after you already thought it was ready. The AI is being used for upscaling antics, and for the more dubious-sounding “Highlight Reels,” where it’ll capture what it considers to be “standout gameplay moments” and create shareable clips. It’ll be fun to see what nonsense that generates.

Microsoft says they’ve already got Gears of War: Reloaded running on the new handheld, which is an impressive boast.

Price rumors are already out there

According to an IGN report, Microsoft says it can’t announce prices yet because of “macro-economic conditions,” which is a bold claim considering the release date is in less than two months. You might assume the devices are already built at this stage, so the cost is not going to surprise the corporation. Clearly implying that Trump’s tariff jazz is a factor, an ASUS rep told IGN, “I think we will have to…we need more time to figure the macro-economic impact to pricing, and that’s why we’ll be sharing more later, in September and October.”

Reliable leaker billbil-kun is claiming to have the figures, however, stating the regular ROG Xbox Ally will be $549.99, while the ROG Xbox Ally X will be a mighty $899.99.

🚨 PRICING ALERT 🚨

Here are the final prices of Xbox Handheld consoles in USD:

🔸 ROG Xbox Ally: 549.99 USD
🔹 ROG Xbox Ally X: 899.99 USD pic.twitter.com/8sz1DKGFY7

— billbil-kun (@billbil_kun) August 20, 2025

$550 does seem low for the basic version, given the current ROG Ally is $650 and runs on an older generation of tech. However, it’s possible that Microsoft could be eating a lot of the costs to get the handheld out there and competitive. The company is said to have never made a single cent from the sale of Xbox consoles, instead relying on software and subscription sales to make up for the losses. Given the ROG Xbox Ally will essentially be a portable Xbox store, it’s very possible the company will be looking to make its money through sales, and of course the Game Pass Premium subscriptions that’ll make the machine worthwhile. At the same time, serious PC players will recognize that 16GB RAM is at the very lowest end of what’s useful these days, so will be tempted to lean toward the far more expensive Ally X to get that 24GB RAM and its considerably faster innards.

Given Microsoft and ROG will want a decent runway for pre-orders ahead of release, it does seem slightly unlikely that we’ll not get an official price before October. Expect that to appear in a couple of weeks, I’d reckon.





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August 21, 2025 0 comments
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Xbox unveils its Handheld Compatibility Program

by admin August 21, 2025


Microsoft announced Wednesday during Gamescom 2025 that not only will its Xbox Ally handhelds be released on October 16, but the company is spinning up a new initiative to support optimized gaming on these devices called the Handheld Compatibility Program.

The initiative seems to be similar to Valve’s Steam Deck Verified, where Xbox will test games to ensure their compatibility with the new Xbox Ally handhelds. “We have worked with game studios to test, optimize, and verify thousands of games for handheld compatibility, allowing you to jump into the game without having to tweak settings, or requiring only minor adjustments,” said Roanne Sones, CVP of Gaming Devices and Ecosystem at Xbox.

The program will be available on release day and users will be able to see handheld compatibility directly in their game libraries. Games will be badged as “Handheld Optimized,” indicating games with default controller inputs, appropriate resolution for full-screen play and more. Games badged as “Mostly Compatible” may require minor in-game setting adjustments for an optimal experience on the Xbox Ally handheld.

Microsoft says it will continue to partner with developers to submit their titles for handheld compatibility testing.

In addition to the “Handheld Optimized” badge, games will also be given a Windows Performance Fit indicator of either “Should play great” or “Should play well.” In a statement to Engadget, a Microsoft spokesperson said “Windows Performance Fit predicts how well a game will run on a specific device using telemetry-based performance data, such as expected frame rates. For example, games that carry the ‘Should play great’ designation should average 60FPS or better on this device, while games that carry ‘Should play well’ label should average 30FPS or better on this device.”

Update, August 20, 6:20 PM ET: This story has been updated after publish with further explanation from Microsoft about Performance Fit.



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