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handhelds

Microsoft lock in a release date for their ROG Xbox Ally handhelds, but no price yet because macroeconomics

by admin August 21, 2025

Xbox’s handhelds have a confirmed release date, and yes, it’s the one that leaked. As for how much the ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X will cost you, Microsoft aren’t sharing a price yet, because there are some macroeconomics to take into account, don’t you know.

The pair of Asus devices souped up with some extra Xboxiness to fit the company with all the green branding will release on October 16th. As I said, no price or pre-orders as of yet, with Asus senior vice president Shawn Yen having offered the following explanation to IGN as to why that’s the case:

I think we will have to… we need more time to figure the macroeconomic impact to pricing, and that’s why we’ll be sharing more later, in September and October.

Odds are that’s exec speak for something along the lines of ‘We’d like to see how things play out a bit more with these US tariffs, if you please’. Dealabs, whose reliable leaker Billbil-kun was behind the early sharing of the handhelds’ release date, report that the Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X’s US prices could be $549.99 and $899.99 respectively. We’ll just have to see if that’s accurate, and what it equates to in sadness island pounds and pence.

Xbox also revealed a Handheld Compatibility Program, that’ll let you look for the “Handheld Optimized” or “Mostly Compatible” badges on games in your library to see what should work on your Xbox Ally, much like you’d check for Steam Deck verification. There’ll also be a “Windows Performance Fit indicator” that’ll “reflect expected performance” on your hardware.

Odds are our James will have plenty to say about both when they debut, which’ll amount to far more than my expert analysis that them be some cheeky little thumbsticks. I can’t see myself investing in one over a Steam Deck whenever I inevitably decide a handheld’s a thing I need more than life itself, as Phil Spencer has over the past couple of years.

I’ll run out the clock here by flagging that there have been protests going on this week at a Microsoft’s Redmond, Washington campus. Staff continue to voice their opposition to the company’s business relationship with Israel’s armed forces amid the on-going assault on Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza. Read Edwin’s full write-up here.

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August 21, 2025 0 comments

Gaming Gear

The best gaming handhelds for 2025

by admin August 19, 2025

Handheld gaming systems are having a moment. While people have been gaming on the go since the halcyon days of the Game Boy, recent years have brought an avalanche of devices that let you play all sorts of games anywhere you want. But new machines seem to arrive every week, and figuring out which ones are actually worth buying can be overwhelming. Depending on your tastes, the right handheld could be a $70 emulator or an $800 portable PC. To help you narrow things down, we’ve spent months researching the best handheld gaming consoles and testing several top contenders. Here are the ones we like the most right now.

Editor’s note (8/19/25): This is a somewhat awkward time to buy a gaming handheld, as new machines based on AMD’s Ryzen Z2 Extreme chip are on the way, including two new Xbox handhelds developed by Microsoft and ASUS. Those Xbox devices will bring an overhauled Windows UI that could address many of our longstanding issues with the OS. Beyond that, the Trump administration’s tariff policy and proposed repeal of the “de minimis” exemption continues to loom over the handheld market, potentially hiking the prices of retro handhelds built by Chinese companies in particular (among many other goods). Nevertheless, we’ve updated this guide with a new pick and stand by our current recommendations for those looking to buy a new gaming handheld today.

Best handheld gaming devices for 2025

Photo by Jessica Conditt / Engadget

Read our full Steam Deck review and Steam Deck OLED review.

Three years into its life, Valve’s Steam Deck remains the best balance of price, performance and usability in the gaming handheld market. In particular, the Steam Deck OLED is a thorough upgrade over the original. Starting at $549 for 512GB of storage, this model features a 7.4-inch OLED display that’s brighter, faster, slightly bigger and more vivid than the 7-inch IPS panel on the entry-level model. The higher contrast and richer colors of an OLED screen makes every game look better by default, but this display also supports HDR, with significantly brighter highlights. The maximum refresh rate jumps from 60Hz to 90Hz as well, which helps many games look smoother in motion.

Due to the less power-hungry display, a more efficient AMD APU and a larger battery, the Steam Deck OLED also lasts longer than the original. No handheld can play resource-intensive “AAA” games for very long, but Valve says the OLED model can run for three to 12 hours depending on the game, whereas the LCD model lasts between two and eight. A larger fan keeps things cooler and quieter, and the chassis feels lighter. Performance is roughly the same, though the OLED model’s increased memory bandwidth can help it gain a couple extra frames in certain games.

Still, $549 isn’t a small investment. The entry-level Steam Deck may come with a more basic LCD display and a smaller 256GB SSD, but it delivers the same core experience for $150 less. At $399, it continues to be a strong bargain. Consider that model our pick for the best “budget” handheld gaming PC you can buy.

To be clear, either Steam Deck model definitely shows its age in 2025. Many of the most graphically demanding games released in the past two years just don’t run well on this hardware, if they’re supported at all. Issues with Linux and anti-cheat software have rendered live-service games like Destiny 2 and Apex Legends unplayable, too.

That said, the Deck can still play tons of games that just aren’t possible on the original Nintendo Switch or other handhelds at this price, from Elden Ring to Final Fantasy VII Rebirth to Kingdom Come: Deliverance II. It’s also a natural home for the mountain of older and/or smaller-scale gems littered throughout Steam. (Hello, Balatro.) While official game support is limited to a subset of the Steam library, the list of formally verified and still-playable titles is massive, diverse and constantly growing. You can easily stream games, too, and there are workarounds to access other storefronts.

As for software, a steady stream of updates has turned Valve’s SteamOS into a flexible yet user-friendly platform. You’ll still need to make tweaks every now and then to get a game running optimally, but the process is typically straightforward, and there’s a wealth of community-driven resources that document exactly what settings you may need to change.

The Deck’s processing power, combined with third-party tools like EmuDeck, makes it a superb handheld for emulation as well. Some PS3 and original Xbox games can be tricky, but just about everything else works beautifully. You can also cloud stream Xbox games with a little setup.

The Steam Deck’s biggest issue is its size: At two inches thick and nearly a foot long, it stretches the definition of a “handheld” device, even if the OLED model is lighter by comparison. The LCD Deck can get warm and noisy fairly quickly, too, and the d-pad on both devices is somewhat mushy. But the contoured grips on the back help offset the bulk, and both versions feel sturdy, with responsive face buttons and triggers, smooth joysticks and useful dual touchpads.

Pros

Enough power to play many modern PC games
User-friendly interface
Vivid display on OLED model
LCD model is fantastic value
Superb emulation performance

Cons

Bulky
Not the most powerful hardware
Doesn’t officially support every Steam game or games from other PC clients

$399 at Steam (LCD)

Sam Rutherford for Engadget

Read our full Lenovo Legion Go S (SteamOS) review.

The Lenovo Legion Go S is the closest thing we have to a Steam Deck 2. It’s the first third-party device to natively run SteamOS, and as such it has all the same conveniences (and occasional game compatibility issues) as Valve’s handheld. The difference is that it’s a more modern piece of hardware, with a beefier AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme processor, 32GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD in the configuration we tested. It can also reach a maximum power draw of 33W in handheld mode or 40W when plugged in, well above the Deck’s 15W. All of that makes it better for more resource-intensive games. It can be a noticeable improvement at equal settings, and you get far more room to crank things up and reach that magic 60 frames per second (fps) target in many recent AAA games.

The Legion Go S has a larger 8-inch display than the Deck, with a sharper 1,920 x 1,200 resolution and faster 120Hz refresh rate. It also supports variable refresh rates (VRR), which helps minimize distracting screen tearing. That is a crucial advantage, and the extra real estate is great for taking games in. This is an LCD display, however, not the OLED panel available with the Deck. Colors aren’t quite as vivid and peak brightness is lower at 500 nits. There’s no HDR either. Still, it’s above-average. Which is “better” really comes down to how much you value VRR and pixel count against OLED-level contrast.

The Legion Go S is a little chunkier and heavier than the Steam Deck, which already isn’t exactly svelte, so it’ll be even more fatiguing to hold for hours at a time. But if you can handle the weight, you may find this design more ergonomic. The rounded edges and textured grips are natural to hold, while many longtime console players will feel more at home with the offset joysticks and d-pad. Hall effect sensors (which reduce the risk of joystick drift) and dual USB-C ports are nice perks as well.

There are only two back buttons and one dinky touchpad, however, if you find yourself using those often. The extra horsepower means the fans are much louder. And while it has a bigger 55.5Whr battery, the Deck often lasts a bit longer, especially with less demanding games. If you want to max things out with the heavier stuff, expect the Legion Go S to survive for less than two hours.

The biggest trade-off is the price: The Z1 Extreme version of the Legion Go S costs a hefty $830. But if you’re looking to play recent blockbusters on the go more than indie games or the older gems in your backlog, it should be worth grabbing.

There is another configuration of the Legion Go S with a lower-tier Ryzen Z2 Go chip, 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage available for $600, which is just $50 more than the Steam Deck OLED. We haven’t been able to test that one yet, but it should still be more performant than Valve’s device, albeit to a lesser extent. If you want a SteamOS device with a bigger screen, higher resolution and VRR, it’s worth considering. That said, keep in mind that Valve is opening up SteamOS to more third-party devices as time goes on.

Pros

Better performance than Steam Deck and most Windows handhelds
Runs official SteamOS
Spacious display with VRR
Good ergonomics

Cons

Pricey
Heavier than Steam Deck
No HDR support
Weak haptics

$830 at Best Buy

Photo by Sam Rutherford / Engadget

Read our full ASUS ROG Ally X review.

If you’re willing to spend extra for more software flexibility, you can skip the SteamOS devices and buy a Windows-based handheld instead. The ASUS ROG Ally X is our current favorite, and it’s another decent alternative to the Steam Deck if you’re willing to trade some ease of use for a higher performance ceiling. Think of it like a more portable gaming laptop.

The ROG Ally X is an upgraded version of the original ROG Ally, our previous Windows pick. The newer model runs on the same Ryzen Z1 Extreme chip and has the same display but comes with more RAM, up to four times the storage, a battery that’s twice as large, improved ergonomics and an additional USB-C port. It costs $250 more these days, so it’s pricey, but it’s superior hardware in nearly every way.

There are three main reasons to consider the ROG Ally X over the Steam Deck. Like the Legion Go S, the first is power: The original ROG Ally was already a bit more consistent at playing graphically intense games at higher frame rates, thanks in large part to a “Turbo mode” that boosts the device’s power draw to 25W, or 30W when plugged in. In our review, we found the new model’s extra RAM and improved memory bandwidth to help further this advantage by five to ten percent depending on the title. It’s still not a night-and-day upgrade in certain games when all settings are identical, but it’s usually better and it has much more overhead both for now and the future. If you mainly want to play demanding AAA games, the Ally X is more likely to run them well than the Deck, and the gap has only become more apparent as time has passed.

On that note, the Ally X’s second major selling point is VRR. The 7-inch LCD display is clearly not as bright or color-rich as that of the Steam Deck OLED, nor is it as spacious as the screen on the Legion Go S. But it’s both sharper (1080p) and faster (120Hz) than the Deck, and the VRR support does wonders to keep games looking smooth even when their frame rate fluctuates.

The third key advantage, and the Ally X’s biggest selling point compared to the Legion Go S, is the fact that Windows lets you play games from any PC client, not just a selection of Steam games. If you’ve built up libraries on stores like Epic, GOG or the Xbox app, you can access them here as you would on any other Windows PC, no workarounds required. For Xbox Game Pass games, Epic Games Store exclusives or finicky always-online titles like Destiny 2 that require anti-cheat software, it’s great.

But for all its flexibility, Windows is also the biggest detriment to any Windows handheld. ASUS has made genuine strides in turning its Armoury Crate app into a perfectly usable game launcher and settings hub, one that feels snappy and lets you assign custom control profiles and GPU modes on a per-game basis. And you do have the freedom to install a Linux distro like Bazzite if you want a virtually identical (if unofficial) experience to SteamOS. But by default, the Ally X slaps a bandage onto an OS that isn’t designed for this form factor.

Navigating Windows with your fingers and a controller is still frustratingly inconsistent. (Steam’s Big Picture mode generally works great; Epic’s and especially Xbox’s apps, less so.) Sleep mode doesn’t always stay asleep. Whether a game works smoothly from the jump isn’t constant; sometimes the UI may not scale properly, other times you may have to spend minutes fiddling with graphics settings and key bindings. These are issues with any gaming PC, but they’re more annoying to deal with on a small screen with no mouse handy. Then there’s the bloat: You don’t need printer drivers, Copilot or ads for Office 365 on your gaming handheld. Despite using the same chip, the ROG Ally X typically delivers slightly fewer frames in many games next to the Legion Go S. Part of that is down to the hardware, yes, but it’s also because Windows is so remarkably inefficient. Nobody will confuse a Steam Deck with a Switch, but SteamOS remains much easier to just pick up and use — even if it feels more closed-off as a result.

The good news is that Microsoft is well aware of this and plans to release an overhauled Windows interface for gaming handhelds built around the Xbox app and Game Bar. This should reduce background processes, consume less power and make gamepad navigation easier, while still letting you access games from other storefronts. Microsoft says it’ll arrive first with two new ROG Xbox Ally handhelds it co-developed with ASUS later this year before hitting other devices, including the ROG Ally X and original ROG Ally. This is a big deal: If the new UI can truly reduce the performance and usability gap between Windows and SteamOS, it could make the latter somewhat redundant. But we’ll need to get our hands on the finished product before making any declarations like that.

Elsewhere, the Ally X’s battery life doesn’t always match the Steam Deck but comes much closer than the first Ally ever did. You can expect somewhere around 2-2.5 hours with heavier fare, but well beyond that with less demanding stuff. The giant 80Whr battery means the chassis is slightly heavier than its predecessor, but its more pronounced grips, tighter joysticks, meatier triggers and slightly taller face buttons make it just that extra bit comfier than before. It’ll still fit best in bigger hands, but it’s about a half-inch thinner than Valve’s machine. The overheating issues that plagued the prior model’s microSD card have been fixed, too, and the company has at least pledged to improve its RMA process after a raft of complaints.

For now, whether the ROG Ally X is right for you comes down to your tolerance for software quirks. If you’re willing to brave some UX sloppiness in order to play high-end games from any client, anywhere you want, it should be worth the price premium.

Pros

More powerful than Steam Deck
Works with any Windows gaming client
1080p 120Hz display with VRR
Well-built

Cons

Windows 11 isn’t optimized for handhelds (for now)
Pricier than Steam Deck
No included case
No Hall effect joysticks

$800 at Best Buy

Photo by Jeff Dunn / Engadget

The Retroid Pocket 5 is the handheld to get if you mainly want to emulate older consoles. It’s an Android-based device that’s far less powerful than portable PCs like Steam Deck or ROG Ally X, so it can only play PC, PS5 and Xbox games via streaming. But if you want something more compact and are willing to go through the many, many rigors of getting emulators to actually work, it’s an excellent device.

The Pocket 5 runs on a Snapdragon 865 chip (the same one used by flagship phones from 2020) and 8GB of RAM, plus it has a built-in fan you can set to three different modes to gain a little extra performance. This gives it enough power to play most games from the PlayStation 2 and Nintendo GameCube, two popular retro consoles that can be tough for mobile handhelds to emulate. With some setup, we were able to play relatively demanding PS2 fare like Gran Turismo 4, ESPN NFL 2K5, Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal and Midnight Club 3 at full speed and 1.5x to 2.5x their native resolution. GameCube games like Super Mario Sunshine, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, and F-Zero GX, meanwhile, were rock solid at a 2x or 3x upscale. All of that is fantastic for the money.

Just about everything we tested from consoles below the PS2 and GameCube on the performance totem pole — PSP, Dreamcast, PS1, N64, etc. — ran flawlessly at a 3-5x upscale (which maxes out the display’s resolution). Most Wii and 3DS games we tested were smooth at 720p to 1080p as well, though translating the Wii remote to a handheld is often cumbersome, and the 5.5-inch panel is a bit cramped for viewing two DS screens. You can get some Switch games to work, too, but we discourage that when the Switch is still readily available to buy today. As for modern games, Xbox cloud streaming ran about as well as it does on any other device, while native Android apps like Diablo Immortal, Call of Duty Mobile and Asphalt Legends Unite gave us zero issues at max settings.

Let’s be clear: If you’re new to emulation, you need to go into a device like this expecting to tinker. Even after the laborious process of securing ROM files, downloading the best versions of certain emulators, mapping different control schemes for each console and navigating the menu hell that is RetroArch, some games just won’t work right.

The Pocket 5 isn’t immune to this. We had to install a third-party GPU driver to avoid visual glitches in games like New Super Mario Bros. Wii and Mario Superstar Baseball. Gran Turismo 4 required us to tweak the display crop to hide overscan-related artifacts. The most popular Sega Saturn emulator for Android is a mess, so we had to point games for that system to a specific RetroArch core (at which point they all ran great). You will have to fiddle with resolution, rendering and active cooling settings to get many games going at their best — and even then, some tricky ones like Star Wars Rogue Squadron II will suffer from debilitating slowdowns. It’s all terribly tedious. But you’d do it because you truly love old games and don’t mind putting in work to enjoy them comfortably, at a decent price.

We wouldn’t call the Pocket 5’s plastic frame “premium,” but it’s clearly sturdier and more substantial than most emulation handhelds from little-known Chinese companies. The 1080p OLED display is the highlight: It makes everything look more vibrant, from the deep blue ocean of The Wind Waker to the green vegetation in Stardew Valley, and it’s sufficiently sharp and bright. There are textured, modestly-sized grips around the back that give your fingers a natural place to rest. The face buttons are smooth to press, with a comfortable level of travel. The d-pad is firm and precise enough for us to play Tetris DX without whining. The analog triggers are conveniently wide and flared, while the clicky bumpers are easy to distinguish. The speakers, while not incredibly full-sounding, can get surprisingly loud.

Our main complaint is with the joystick layout, which situates the left stick underneath the d-pad. This is fine on a PS5 controller, but here it can make playing more modern games a literal pain, as it invites you to leave your left hand dangling partway off the device. But the sticks themselves are neither too loose nor too tight, and they should avoid drifting issues over time thanks to their magnetic Hall effect sensors.

Battery life can vary from three-ish hours with demanding Android games to more than 10 hours when emulating older 8- and 16-bit consoles. That’s solid. The active cooling system keeps the device from ever feeling too hot, though its highest setting is pretty noisy; you wouldn’t want to use it around a sleeping partner. It’s also worth noting that the design won’t actually fit in most pockets, as its name implies, but it certainly won’t hog space in a bag or purse.

Pros

Capable emulation and Android gaming performance
Lovely OLED display
Sticks and buttons feel great
Sturdy, portable design

Cons

Requires a ton of tinkering to get some emulators working optimally
Joystick layout isn’t ideal for modern games

$219 at Retroid

Jeff Dunn for Engadget

The Retroid Pocket Flip 2 is essentially the Pocket 5 in a clamshell shape. It runs on the same chip — and thus can emulate the same wide range of retro games — with the same great OLED display, Hall effect joysticks, active cooling system, 5,000mAh battery and clean Android OS. The face buttons, triggers, bumpers and d-pad are all roughly as responsive, though the built-in fan can still get distractingly loud at full blast and the speakers don’t offer the best separation (but still get plenty loud).

It’s just built like a fatter Nintendo DS with no second display. It’s thicker and heavier than the Pocket 5, and it has a flat back, so we find it a touch more fatiguing to use over time. There’s also a bit too much empty space on the bottom half — the face buttons and d-pad definitely have room to be larger. And since this is a clamshell, the joysticks have to be recessed in little divots to avoid pressing against the display. They’re still smooth and accurate, but using them always feels somewhat awkward.

However, separating the display gives more space for the different control elements to breathe. The joysticks are offset from the d-pad and face buttons, which makes them feel less cramped with games that are more reliant on analog input. They also sit above the other inputs, so you don’t have to reach as much when playing Game Boy, SNES or other systems that aren’t built for joystick control at all.

The clamshell shape gives everything a natural layer of protection, which in turn makes the device easier to just chuck in a bag. Though we can’t say how well the hinge will hold up years down the road, it feels appropriately tight, and it’s given us no issues after several weeks of testing. The Flip 2 costs $10 more than the Pocket 5 before tariffs, but whether it’s worth buying entirely comes down to how you feel about clamshells. If you want a retro handheld that’s more DS than PSP, grab it instead.

Pros

Capable emulation and Android gaming performance
Sturdy clamshell design provides a natural layer of protection
Lovely OLED display

Cons

Requires a ton of tinkering to get some emulators working optimally
Recessed joysticks
Buttons and d-pad could be larger

$229 at Retroid

Photo by James Trew / Engadget

If you have more cash to burn on an emulation-focused machine, the AYN Odin 2 is a step up from the Retroid Pocket 5 and Flip 2. This Android device can play everything our those picks can, just smoother and more reliably. That’s mainly due to its Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, which is the same chip used by flagship phones from 2023.

The Odin 2 starts at $299 for 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, which is expensive when the entry-level Steam Deck can run PC games natively for just $100 more. (And in the US, tariffs may erase that gap entirely.) Still, among more compact mobile handhelds, there aren’t many alternatives that run this well at this price. It played all PS2 and GameCube games we tested at two to three times their native resolution, while systems like the PS1, N64 and Dreamcast had no problems at a 3-5x upscale. Most 3DS and Wii games had little to no slowdowns at 2-3x, either. It’s better than most with the Sega Saturn, and it can play a wider range of Switch games than the Pocket 5 and Flip 2 (though you should just buy a Switch if that’s a major concern). More challenging systems will still require some settings tweaks, but the superior chip means you won’t need to tinker on a game-by-game basis as extensively as you would with a lower-cost device.

It’s not just raw performance, though: The Odin 2 is also a refined piece of hardware. It’s larger than Retroid’s handhelds, but it’s still much less chunky than a portable PC, and the curved grips on its back are inviting to hold. The d-pad, face buttons, analog triggers and Hall effect joysticks all feel great; the latter are also offset, which makes the design comfier than the Pocket 5 for streaming recent console and PC games. Other touches like a fingerprint scanner, a dedicated return button, a micro-HDMI out port, two customizable back buttons and clear front-facing speakers are all nice perks.

The 6-inch 1080p touchscreen isn’t as color-rich as the Retroid’s OLED panel, but it’s still bright and well-sized for modern games. Battery life is superb: We got more than eight hours of juice emulating systems like the PS2, but that jumped over 20 hours with lighter tasks. The device supports 65W fast charging as well. Cloud streaming and native Android games work as they should, and since the whole thing runs on a lightly modded version of Android, its stock interface should feel familiar to most.

AYN sells a few different variants of the Odin 2, including the PS Vita-esque Odin 2 Mini and the larger, OLED-sporting Odin 2 Portal. We haven’t been able to test either, but they run on the same chipset as the standard model, so they should be just as powerful. Both should be a little more niche, however. The Retroid Pocket 5 gets you most of the way to the Mini for $120 less. The Odin 2 Portal is definitely more appealing, but it’s closer to the Steam Deck’s width (and price) yet much less capable than Valve’s machine on the whole.

Pros

Excellent emulation and Android gaming performance
Comfortable
Great battery life

Cons

Relatively pricey for a mobile handheld (even before tariffs)
Setting up emulators can still be laborious
Docked experience isn’t seamless

$299 at AYN

Photo by James Trew / Engadget

Display: 3.5-inch LCD, 1,600 x 1,440 resolution, VRR 30Hz-62Hz | Chipset: Altera Cyclone V FPGA, Altera Cyclone 10 FPGA | RAM: 3.4MB BRAM, 2x 16MB 16-bit cellular RAM, 64MB 16-bit SDRAM, 256KB 16-bit asynchronous SRAM | Battery: 4,300mAh | Dimensions: 5.86 x 3.46 x 0.86 inches | Weight: 0.61 pounds | OS: Analogue OS

Read our full Analogue Pocket review.

The Analogue Pocket is the ultimate Game Boy. Its vertical design is built like a modernized, premium version of Nintendo’s classic handheld, and it can even work with accessories like the Game Boy Camera. Compared to the original, though, the Pocket adds two extra face buttons, a pair of rear triggers, a microSD slot, a USB-C port and a rechargeable battery rated for six to 10 hours of playtime. Most significantly, it has a gorgeous 3.5-inch display that’s both backlit and incredibly sharp (615 ppi) but can be set to look like an old Game Boy panel with different filter modes. The device can also output to a TV with an optional dock.

Unlike the retro handhelds mentioned above, the Pocket is designed to play actual cartridges, not just ROM files. It works with Game Boy, Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advance games through its cartridge slot, while games from the Sega Game Gear, TurboGrafx-16, Neo Geo Pocket and Atari Lynx are playable through optional adapters.

Like past Analogue devices, the Pocket uses field-programmable gate array (FPGA) motherboards to mimic its target systems on a hardware level. In practice, this means the Pocket’s “emulation” of older titles is near-perfect, with a level of responsiveness and visual faithfulness that software-based emulation can’t match. Pop in a Game Boy or GBA cartridge and you can essentially play it as intended. That said, thanks to a big post-launch update and an active user community, the Pocket can also run ROMs off a microSD card and thus play systems like the SNES and Sega Genesis.

The Pocket isn’t cheap at $220, and its shoulder buttons aren’t as crisp to press as the excellent d-pad or face buttons. Still, if you have a collection of Game Boy, Game Gear or GBA games, the Pocket is the most elegant way to play them, and it’s only become more versatile over time. Its biggest flaw is that it can be prone to stock shortages and shipping delays.

Pros

Plays Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and GBA cartridges with near-perfect emulation
Gorgeous display
Impressive build quality
Expandable via adapters
Supports software emulation

Cons

Stock issues and shipping delays are common
Shoulder buttons feel a little spongy
Tiny volume buttons

$220 at Analogue

Engadget

Read our full Playdate review.

The Playdate, from app developer and Untitled Goose Game publisher Panic, is a tiny yellow box with a 2.7-inch monochrome display, two face buttons, a d-pad and a physical crank built into its side. We called it a “cross between a Game Boy and a business card” in our review, and it is indeed incredibly small at roughly three inches tall and 0.18 pounds. It has a dedicated game library that largely consists of oddball indies, most of which focus on one or two core ideas instead of trying to stuff in as many mechanics as possible. A couple dozen of those games are bundled with the device, while others are available via a built-in store or sideloading from shops like Itch.io. The hardware is generally well-built, and its battery life is decent at six to eight hours per charge.

At $229 after a recent price hike, it’s hard to call the Playdate a great value when it’s only designed to play a selection of niche games. Its display isn’t backlit, either. But in a sea of devices that try to be everything for everyone, the Playdate is admirably focused and low-key. If you’re into smaller-scale fare and have some money to play with, it’ll be a fun toy.

$229 at Playdate

What about the Nintendo Switch 2?

The Nintendo Switch 2 comes with two Joy-Con, two Joy-Con straps, a Joy-Con grip, the dock, a HDMI cord and a 60-watt power adapter with a detachable USB-C cable.

(Sam Rutherford for Engadget)

Read our full Nintendo Switch 2 review

The new Nintendo Switch 2 is already more popular than any of the handhelds above, but we haven’t made it a formal pick in this guide since it exists in its own world. As one of the newest devices from the big three console manufacturers, most people aren’t choosing between it and the handheld PCs or emulation devices above. The main reason to buy a Switch 2 is to play new Nintendo games, and no other device can (legally) offer that. Likewise, the Switch 2 doesn’t even try to offer the flexibility of a Steam Deck, ROG Ally X or even the Retroid Pocket 5.

That said, the hardware itself is a significant upgrade over its predecessor, with dramatically improved performance, a sharper, faster and bigger 7.9-inch display, magnetic Joy-Con controllers and more storage. It’s a wholly more polished take on the Switch 1’s ideas.

Does that make it a must-buy right now? Unless you’re worried about a tariff-induced price hike — which may not be the most outlandish fear — not really. Donkey Kong Bananza is a joy, Mario Kart World is fun enough and playing Cyberpunk 2077 on a Nintendo console is kind of surreal, but the list of true must-plays that are exclusive to the Switch 2 is still very limited. That’s OK — it’s only been two months. But don’t feel the need to rush out and splash the cash today unless you have a serious case of Donkey Kong-induced FOMO.

Other gaming handhelds we’ve tested

The MSI Claw 8 AI+.

(Sam Rutherford for Engadget)

Note: This is a selection of noteworthy gaming handhelds we’ve tested, not a comprehensive list of everything we’ve ever tried.

MSI Claw 8 AI+

The original MSI Claw was a flop, but the newer Claw 8 AI+ is much more appealing if you’re willing to pay for a larger and slightly more powerful alternative to the ASUS ROG Ally X. With its Intel Core Ultra 7-258V chip and 32GB of RAM, it typically pumped out 10 to 15 percent higher frame rates than other high-end models like the Ally X and Lenovo Legion Go in our testing. Battery life is relatively strong, while its 8-inch 120Hz IPS display is plenty bright and supports VRR. There are smooth Hall effect thumbsticks and triggers, two Thunderbolt 4 ports and a built-in fingerprint sensor beyond that.

The Claw’s main issue is its price: At $1,000 after a recent price hike, it’s hard to justify over the ROG Ally X, which is already too expensive for most people. ASUS’ handheld is smaller, lighter and generally more portable on top of that— though the Claw is thinner — and its Armoury Crate software, while far from perfect, is still a bit more polished than MSI’s Center M hub. There’s also a smaller 7-inch version of this handheld for $900, but we haven’t tested that one.

The Lenovo Legion Go.

(Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget)

Lenovo Legion Go

The Lenovo Legion Go is another capable alternative to the ASUS ROG Ally X with an even larger display. It runs on the same Ryzen Z1 Extreme chip and offers a similar set of performance modes, but it has a mondo-sized 8.8-inch panel with a sharper 2,560 x 1,600 resolution and a higher 144Hz refresh rate. It also borrows some ideas from the Switch, including detachable controllers and a built-in kickstand for playing games in a tabletop mode. Those controllers have touchpads to make navigating Windows a little easier, something the ROG Ally X lacks.

But it’s still a Windows handheld, and Lenovo’s software tweaks aren’t as intuitive as what ASUS has done with Armoury Crate, so the UX can feel half-baked by comparison. The jumbo design is bulkier and heavier than the ROG Ally X, so some will find it too fatiguing to hold. Its fans are louder as well, plus the display lacks VRR. Lenovo teased a Legion Go 2 at CES earlier this year, which looks promising and should arrive in the coming months.

The Lenovo Legion Go S.

(Sam Rutherford for Engadget)

Lenovo Legion Go S (Windows, Z2 Go chip)

The Windows 11 version of the Lenovo Legion Go S has the same relatively comfortable design and commendable 8-inch 120Hz display as the SteamOS model we highlight above. With the Z2 Go model we tested, though, its performance lags too far behind the ROG Ally X, Claw 8 AI+ and original Legion Go for something priced at $730. Windows is still clunky, too.

The Ayaneo Flip DS.

(Photo by Jeff Dunn / Engadget)

Ayaneo Flip DS

The Ayaneo Flip DS is a cool concept: a powerful Windows machine with a clamshell design and dual displays, sort of like a supercharged Nintendo DS. It feels sturdy, it performs roughly on par with the other Ryzen 7 7840U (or 8840U) handhelds in this guide, and its 7-inch top display is sharp, fast and bright. The second screen makes it a natural fit for emulating Wii U or 3DS games, but you could also, say, look up a guide or play a YouTube video without having to close whatever you’re playing.

Unfortunately, this is more of a neat idea than a fully thought-out product. The folding design means that the joysticks have to be short and recessed, while the face buttons and d-pad are uncomfortably flat. The whole thing is overly thick and heavy, plus it runs very hot. Battery life tops out around two hours, and actually managing two displays on a Windows handheld is about as clunky as you’d expect. With prices now starting above $1,000, the Flip DS is hard to recommend unless you’re (oddly) desperate for a handheld Wii U emulator. We’re always happy to see more weird hardware, though.

The Ayaneo Kun.

(Photo by James Trew / Engadget)

Ayaneo Kun

The Ayaneo Kun is among the most decadent Windows handhelds we’ve tested. With a sharp 8.4-inch display, a Ryzen 7 8840U chip, up to 64GB of RAM, up to 4TB of storage, a sizable 75Whr battery and a 54W max TDP, it’s both a capable gaming device and a feasible replacement for a desktop PC. But it now starts at a pricey $999, it’s huge and it suffers from the usual Windows-related issues. It also lacks VRR. It’s still a fine device if money is truly no object, but it’s more handheld than most need. The ROG Ally X is a much better value. This is technically an older model for Ayaneo, too, as the company seems to launch a new handheld every other hour these days.

Ayaneo 2S

The Ayaneo 2S is another high-power Windows handheld with a sharper display and higher configuration options than the ROG Ally X. It also uses the same chip as the Kun above. But it’s limited to a 60Hz refresh rate and costs a few hundred dollars extra. Ayaneo announced a decked-out successor called the Ayaneo 3 toward the end of 2024; we’ll try to test that one out in the future.

The Retroid Pocket Mini (bottom) and Retroid Pocket 5.

(Jeff Dunn for Engadget)

Retroid Pocket Mini

The Retroid Pocket Mini is essentially a smaller version of the Retroid Pocket 5. It runs on the same Snapdragon 865 chip and feels just as sturdy, but it has a smaller 3.92-inch display with a 4:3 aspect ratio. This makes it a more natural fit for older retro consoles, as you won’t get the black boxes you’d see on a 16:9 display like the one on the Pocket 5. If you mainly want to emulate systems like the SNES, Sega Genesis or Game Boy Color and don’t mind paying extra for a rich OLED display, it’s a good little device. But the tiny screen is limiting if you ever want to play newer games, and we wish there wasn’t so much empty space around the display.

This device had also generated some controversy within the retro gaming community for having persistent issues with inaccurate shaders (and for the slapdash way Retroid handled the matter). The company replaced the original model with a “V2” iteration that addresses those concerns, however.

Retroid Pocket 4 Pro and Retroid Pocket 4

The 4.7-inch Retroid Pocket 4 Pro is the predecessor to the Pocket 5. Its performance isn’t significantly far off the newer model, so it remains a nice value if you’re determined to spend less than $200 on an emulation device. It misses out on the larger OLED display and more ergonomically-friendly design of its follow-up, however. The base Pocket 4 may also be worth a look if you want to stay under $150, but its weaker chip makes it less adept at emulating games from the PS2, GameCube and up.

The Anbernic RG35XX Plus.

(Photo by Jeff Dunn / Engadget)

Miyoo Mini Plus

The Miyoo Mini Plus is a highly affordable handheld with a well-built, Game Boy-style form factor that fits nicely with older games. Its 3.5-inch display really pops for something in the $60 to $80 range, its battery lasts as long as it needs to and it can emulate consoles up to the original PlayStation without much issue. Its Linux-based software is extensively customizable, though it requires some tinkering to get it working optimally. Like many cheapo handhelds, it also lacks fast charging. Still, of the many Game Boy-like emulation devices floating around the budget end of the market, it’s the one we’d recommend first. Since it’s from a smaller Chinese firm and isn’t available at major retailers, however, it can be difficult to actually buy.

Anbernic RG35XX Plus

The Anbernic RG35XX Plus is another wallet-friendly vertical handheld — or at least, it was before Anbernic paused shipments to the US. For about the same price as the Miyoo Mini Plus, it offers a faster chipset, more RAM and a bigger battery alongside a similarly impressive design. Its stock OS is overly sloppy and cheap-looking, however, and while the stronger processor is nice, the small screen and lack of analog sticks means you won’t want to emulate much beyond the PS1 anyway.

The Anbernic RG35XXSP.

(Jeff Dunn for Engadget)

Anbernic RG35XXSP

The Anbernic RG35XXSP is a variant of the RG35XX Plus based on the same internals, only it apes the clamshell form factor of the old Game Boy Advance SP. That’s a great design to rip off if you must pick one, and the hardware doesn’t feel nearly as cheap as its (pre-tariff) price tag of $60 or so would suggest. But the software issues noted above still apply (both here and with the many other devices in the same RGXX family). We’ve also seen several user reports of quality control issues with the RG35XXSP’s battery, which is automatically disqualifying.

Anbernic RG405M

The Anbernic RG405M is another 4:3 handheld with a 4-inch display and a pleasing metal frame. It’s an OK alternative to the Retroid Pocket Mini if you want a little more screen space for less cash, but it’s slower, and it lacks the Mini’s OLED display. We find the Retroid’s grooved back to be comfier to hold over time as well. And again, Anbernic has paused handheld shipments to America as of this writing.

The PlayStation Portal.

(Photo by Devindra Hardawar/Engadget)

PlayStation Portal

The PlayStation Portal is an odd accessory that’s designed to stream games from a PlayStation 5. It lacks built-in apps, so it doesn’t support traditional emulation. Because it’s entirely dependent on the quality of your home Wi-Fi, we can’t guarantee how well it’ll actually perform. It doesn’t work with Bluetooth earbuds either.

The 8-inch display is fine and the DualSense-style controls are great, so PlayStation diehards who want a second screen for local PS5 streaming may see the appeal. Sony recently added the ability to stream a selection of games via the cloud, which is a step in the right direction, but you need an expensive PlayStation Plus Premium subscription to take advantage. In general, there’s little here that you can’t do with a smartphone and mobile game controller, so most people are better off saving their $200.

Logitech G Cloud

The Logitech G Cloud would’ve been a great Android pick when it launched if it cost about $150 less. Its 7-inch 1080p display is bright, vibrant and generally more pleasing to look at than the panel on the AYN Odin 2, its battery lasts a good 10 to 12 hours per charge and its design is comfy to hold for hours at a time. Alas, the G Cloud still tends to cost between $260 and $300, which is just too much when the Retroid Pocket 5 offers more power at a lower price.

What to know about the gaming handheld market

A collection of gaming handhelds rest on a wooden tabletop. The handhelds include the Nintendo Switch – OLED Model, Valve Steam Deck and the Retroid Pocket 3, as well as an iPhone 12 mini hooked up to a Backbone One mobile game controller.

(Jeff Dunn / Engadget)

You can break down the gaming handheld market into three broad tiers. At the top, you have x86-based portable gaming PCs like the Steam Deck or ASUS ROG Ally X. These are the most powerful handhelds you can buy, as they seek to replicate the experience of a moderately specced gaming desktop. The Steam Deck runs on the Linux operating system, but most others use Windows. If you want to play modern, recently released PC games on the go (and need something stronger than a Switch), this is the type of device you’d get. They can also emulate the widest range of retro consoles. They’re typically the largest and most cumbersome devices to hold, however, and their battery life can be short. Naturally, they’re also the most expensive, costing anywhere from $400 to more than $1,000.

Further down on the price spectrum are “mobile handhelds” like the Logitech G Cloud or Retroid Pocket. These devices often run Android or Linux and can range from under $50 to $400-ish (before tariffs). They aren’t equipped to play modern console or PC titles, but they’re usually more compact than a portable PC, and you can still use them for mobile games and cloud streaming. While most are marketed toward those ends, many gamers actually buy them to emulate classic games through software like RetroArch. Getting emulators to work can be complicated, and accessing the BIOS and ROM files required to play games this way is legally murky. One lawsuit from Nintendo led to the shutdown of the most prominent Switch and 3DS emulators, for instance. (Engadget does not condone piracy.) Backing up files of games you already own for personal use only is considered more defensible, though, so for that a mobile handheld can be a more user- and wallet-friendly way to play the classics — provided you don’t want to just use your phone.

We’ll call the last tier “handhelds that do their own thing.” This is a catch-all for things like the Switch 2 or Playdate: portable devices that run heavily customized software and aim to provide a unique gaming experience. They aren’t necessarily ideal for emulation or playing the latest multiplatform titles; instead, they often have distinct game libraries. They might not have the widest appeal as a result (Switch excluded), but they’re often easier for less tech-literate folks to just pick up and use.

Recent updates

August 2025: We’ve added the SteamOS version of the Lenovo Legion Go S as a new recommendation and updated our top Windows pick to reflect the upcoming release of ASUS’ and Microsoft’s ROG Xbox Ally devices, which will feature an overhauled Windows UI. We’ve also added a note on the recently released Nintendo Switch 2. We’ll include testing notes on the Retroid Pocket Classic, TrimUI Brick and ModRetro Chromatic in the near future. (Note: Yours truly went on paternity leave after our last update — apologies for the delay!)

May 2025: We’ve tested the Retroid Pocket Flip 2 and recommended it as an alternative to the Retroid Pocket 5. We’re also watching out for the first third-party devices that run SteamOS, starting with the new Lenovo Legion Go S, and the next ASUS ROG Ally device, which seems to be arriving soon based on recent leaks.

March 2025: We’ve edited this guide for clarity and added testing notes for the MSI Claw 8 AI+ and Lenovo Legion Go S (Windows version). Our main picks are unchanged. Looking ahead, we’re keeping an eye on upcoming Windows handhelds from Acer and Ayaneo, a pair of new emulation devices from Retroid, the first third-party devices to ship with SteamOS and more machines that run on AMD’s Ryzen Z2 chips, among others.

January 2025: We have a new top pick among emulation-focused handhelds: the Retroid Pocket 5. Beyond that, we’ve added notes on a few other devices we’ve tested, including the Retroid Pocket Mini and Anbernic RG35XXSP; lightly edited other blurbs to reflect changes in the market; and removed a couple write-ups for products that’ve been discontinued. We’re also keeping an eye on new handhelds that’ve recently been announced or are strongly rumored to arrive in the near future, including devices from MSI and Lenovo.

August 2024: We’ve replaced the ASUS ROG Ally, our prior pick for the best Windows gaming handheld, with the new and improved ROG Ally X. We’ve also checked to make sure all availability and pricing details noted throughout the guide are accurate.

June 2024: We’ve updated this guide to ensure all of our recommendations are up to date, adding a note on ASUS’ upcoming ROG Ally X in the process. We’ve also included details on two new handhelds we’ve tested since our previous update: the MSI Claw and Ayaneo Flip DS. Staying on top of this market is a tall task, but we’re currently looking at recent noteworthy releases like the PSP-esque AYN Odin 2 Mini and the GBA-style Anbernic RG35XXSP as well.

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August 19, 2025 0 comments

An ROG Xbox Ally X and Ally shown during Microsoft's Xbox stream in June 2025.

Product Reviews

Xbox handheld rumoured to be ‘essentially cancelled’ but the new Asus Xbox Ally is actually a preview of all future Xbox consoles, not just handhelds

by admin June 13, 2025

A new report on the Verge is claiming that the Xbox handheld console is toast. Or to quote directly, “it’s essentially canceled”. That initially seems confusing, after all hasn’t the first Xbox handheld only just been announced?

There are plenty of caveats to cover off here, not least that this is a rumour about a product that hasn’t even been confirmed to exist, let alone been launched. But there is something interesting going on that’s worth understanding.

The Asus ROG Xbox Ally X and ROG Xbox Ally handhelds announced a few days ago aren’t true Xbox devices. They’re PC handhelds using existing PC chips with a bit of a redesign, plus a new build of Windows that strips out the unnecessary gunk in order to create an OS that’s streamlined for playing games.

And that, as it happens, is what many industry observers think the model for all future Xboxes will be. In other words, the narrative goes that Microsoft won’t make Xbox consoles itself. Instead it with partner with companies like Asus on the hardware.

To be really clear, that won’t just apply to handhelds. That’ll be for all Xbox consoles. According to this version of the future of Xbox, it’s all about retaining Gamepass subscribers. Microsoft wants to keep them while transitioning away from making hardware itself.

So, that means creating this new streamlined version of Windows and licensing out Xbox branding to third parties. Microsoft can then use emulation or even streaming to support legacy Xbox titles running on what is essentially thinly disguised but standard PC hardware powered by a tweaked version of Windows.

As the Verge says, “the next-gen Xbox platform is being built in the open, with devices like the ROG Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X. These handhelds seem like a market test for where Microsoft goes next with the combination of Windows and Xbox, and the company’s goal to turn any screen into an Xbox.”

In the long run if all this is correct, it will mean gamers being able to choose from a range of different “Xbox” consoles, with price points and presumably performance to suit everyone.

Moreover, the real motivation in putting the effort in with the cut-down build of Windows and streamlined UI isn’t for handhelds, which is a very small market. It’s for this purported new generation of third-party Xboxes.

As Tom Warren says on the Verge, “I don’t think Microsoft is doing a bunch of Windows and Xbox work just to have this software running on handhelds. I think this work will give Microsoft the ability to control the console-like experience and UI on a variety of hardware, in a way where it can upsell Game Pass, its own Xbox PC games, and more.”

This bears out in something we spotted in the latest Xbox Games Showcase: Microsoft switching to ‘Xbox PC’ in all its branding and noting Steam as a competitor. It could be nothing, but it does signal a change of approach for Microsoft, Xbox, and Windows gaming.

For now, none of this is confirmed. But the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X and ROG Xbox Ally, plus that streamlined version of Windows, definitely indicate a new direction for Xbox. We’ll be watching closely.

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June 13, 2025 0 comments

Game Updates

Xbox Ally handhelds: Microsoft takes its next step towards a Windows-driven future

by admin June 10, 2025

After reports that Microsoft is “sidelining” its own first-party developed handheld, the new Xbox Showcase revealed two new mobile devices – Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X. These machines are hardware collaborations with Asus, bringing Xbox hardware design ideas to the table in combination with a revamped version of Windows that puts gaming first. There are profound, welcome changes here – but one big question needs to be addressed. Is this the first new Microsoft offering no backwards compatibility with the Xbox digital library? Is this an Xbox that doesn’t play Xbox console games? If so, this is a bump in the road in Microsoft’s journey forward – and must be addressed.

First up, let’s examine system specifications on the new devices. From a Digital Foundry perspective, the most interesting offering is the Xbox Ally X, which is effectively an evolution on the device that I’d rank as the current best PC handheld – the Asus ROG Ally X. The form factor gets larger, the Xbox handles, impulse triggers and Xbox button are added and the AMD Z1 Extreme processor is swapped out for its revised Z2E, based on the most recent Strix Point architecture. 24GB of RAM is maintained from ROG Ally X to Xbox Ally X, but with a speed bump to 8000MT/s. A generous 80Wh battery completes the package.

It’s interesting to note that Microsoft and Asus have opted for silicon that retains the NPU (neural processing unit) from the original Strix Point design, when Z2 Extreme variants without the NPU active are specified. It’ll be interesting to see what Microsoft does here, but a port of its AutoSR super resolution feature – which we’ve looked at in the past – would be an obvious technology to port. Frame generation at the expense of further latency would also be viable.

After a reveal trailer at the Xbox Showcase, Microsoft released a more detailed video about the Xbox Ally and Ally X.Watch on YouTube

Next up, there’s the Xbox Ally, with a similar shell (no impulse triggers or USB4, however, plus a pared-back MicroSD slot) but substantially downgraded specifications. The Z2A processor is – in all likelihood – a re-spin of the Aerith chip at the heart of the Steam Deck. It reportedly has the ability to hit 20W over Deck’s 15W and has compatibility with faster 8533MT/s memory, but on the latter point at least, only 6400MT/s memory is in place. Total system memory is a pared back 16GB LPDDR5X. Bearing in mind how many triple-A titles are struggling on Steam Deck with similar specs, I’m having trouble reconciling this device with Microsoft’s claims that it’ll run triple-A games. I think that putting out this hardware is a big mistake, but I’d love to be proven wrong.

Both devices have the same screen as the original Asus ROG Ally – a seven-inch 1080p 120Hz display with VRR support. While this screen is old and not particularly impressive in terms of key aspects like contrast and colour reproduction, VRR is a massive win. The problem with mobile graphics performance is how variable it is, so any hardware that smooths off performance issues is worth having. This – in combination with its massive battery – is why the Ally X is my favoured PC handheld, for now.

On the hardware side, there is nothing here that is particularly surprising, especially in the wake of recent leaks, but it is highly difficult to take the non-X Ally seriously in a world where the much more potent Z1 Extreme is available in devices like the original Ally and the Lenovo Legion Go, both of which are somewhat long in the tooth now and often subject to hefty discounting. On the software side, however, things are looking much more interesting.

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What we’re looking at here is another step forward in Microsoft’s strategy to diversify the brand away from our traditional understanding of a console-led platform – a necessary step, but one with a number of challenges. Key to future plans is bringing together Windows and Xbox, which involves a substantial revamp to the Microsoft operating system. A big, bloated do-anything-for-anyone tool needs to be slimmed down for gamers and made more efficient for the growing handheld PC market. And if you’re efficient on handheld, the advantages transition over seamlessly to desktop – or console. Clearly, Microsoft has plans for this games-focused version of Windows, starting with compatibility with the original ROG Ally, Ally X and presumably other PC handhelds with similar silicon.

This new version of Windows doesn’t boot into the desktop, it boots into new Xbox software. Access to your PC digital library – and indeed other non-Xbox storefronts – is also seamlessly integrated, making it a one-stop shop for your games library. Intriguingly, the Asus Armory Crate (used for custom tweaking of the device) is also integrated into the Xbox Ally’s iteration of Windows. On a broader level, xinput compatibility for functions within Windows such as PIN input and UAC prompts is also baked into the new version of the OS, replacing prior feeble and unreliable third party attempts to get this working.

Windows itself has apparently been “debloated” to a certain extent, offering up more system memory for the games themselves, while sleep time is expected to increase by a factor of 3x based on efficiency gains made by the Windows team.

The Xbox Ally X comes with a neural processor unit (NPU) so our humble suggestion would be for Microsoft to integrate a port of its AutoSR technology, as found on its Snapdragon X Elite Surface laptops.Watch on YouTube

All of this is a crucial step forward in unifying Windows and Xbox – which in itself is a fundamental element of the “this is an Xbox” strategy, but there is another big challenge facing Microsoft – integrating existing Xbox digital libraries into Windows. Microsoft has tens of millions of active users within its existing ecosystem that cannot be left behind – and each and every one of those users should expect to be able to access their Xbox libraries on any Xbox device. Right now at least, the Xbox Ally devices cannot run native Xbox games on the console. The cloud service could act as a back-up of sorts by streaming Series S games (and prior Xbox consoles via backwards compatibility) but the whole point of a handheld is a mobile device you can take anywhere – not take anywhere that only has robust internet access.

The final piece of the puzzle with the transition into a Windows/Xbox hybrid utopia has to be a comprehensive backwards compatibility set-up, but how viable is that for these handhelds? On the face of it, support for OG Xbox and Xbox 360 titles should not be too difficult. Both of these machines effectively max out at 720p resolution, so both Xbox Ally and Ally X have the GPU power to get the job done. On the CPU side, the Ryzen CPU cores in the new hardware are generations beyond the Jaguar cores in Xbox One which – remarkably – delivered higher game performance than the original hardware, even in the case of Xbox 360’s original PowerPC code. All that remains are potential licensing difficulties in running console games on a PC, the extent of which is known only to Microsoft.

Further questions remain. Can Ally and Ally X handle the Xbox One generation titles? And what about the ninth generation Series consoles? This is where things get trickier – we’re looking at Microsoft moving the modern Xbox virtual machines over to Windows and at this point, the question is the extent to which the performance is there in these handhelds to run those games natively. In theory, based on what the Steam Deck achieved, Xbox One-like performance seems viable – and should be very easy for the Z2 Extreme.

Looking to get a grip on the kind of GPU power available to the Xbox Ally X? Well, the APU is based on the same Strix Point processor we’ve tested in the past in this video #content.Watch on YouTube

But what about Xbox Series S? I’d rule that out completely on both processors, meaning some other kind of solution would be required. Subbing in PC versions would be no problem for Microsoft first-party titles, especially with Play Anywhere in place to synchronise game progress – but what about third-party games bought within the Xbox ecosystem? Some kind of agreement with publishers to use their PC versions? It sounds like a nightmare but ultimately, Microsoft is going to need some kind of solution to bring consoles games into this new hybrid Xbox/Windows ecosystem.

However, perhaps the hottest topic for speculation concerns price-point. The non-X Ally features Steam Deck-equivalent silicon, so the concept of selling this at anything more than a similarly equipped Deck is – in my opinion – out of the question. That leaves the Xbox Ally X – a further enhanced version of the existing Asus ROG Ally X, which costs $800, making it very much a premium device. Unless Asus is willing to lose some of its margin, or Microsoft calls in some favours with AMD and other suppliers, it’s hard to imagine that it will be any cheaper.

There are many outstanding questions then and not too many answers based on my pre-brief and the various YouTube videos I’ve seen based on what seems to have been a highly limited hands-on event in Los Angeles last week. Microsoft has been very careful in how its transition strategy has been communicated ever since the infamous “four games” business update and it looks like we’re going to need to wait some time to get full details on the Xbox Ally and Ally X. I’ve been following the evolution of gaming handhelds since the Steam Deck arrived – but Xbox Ally is something different, something important. It may well be our first proper look at how Microsoft envisages the future of Xbox – and I can’t wait to check it out.

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June 10, 2025 0 comments

Game Reviews

Xbox Ally Is The Best And Worst Of Handhelds In One Place

by admin June 9, 2025

Microsoft’s new ROG Xbox Ally has a lot to prove in the market of handheld consoles. The Switch 2 was only days old when the company officially unveiled its competitor during the Xbox showcase. With PlayStation’s Portal mostly being a streaming device that offers a very specific, incredibly niche player benefit (despite it feeling very good in your hands), the Switch 2 and the Steam Deck still largely have the handheld market cornered. The Ally, meanwhile, is the endgame to the “Play Anywhere” tagline Xbox has been touting for years.

Nintendo Switch 2 Could Launch With Almost No Reviews

Microsoft putting a console-quality Xbox device in our hands would seem to literalize an idea that, until now, never felt like much more than a clever way to spin their bowing out of the console wars. Their tucking that white flag back into their pocket and pulling out a handheld competitor is an exciting prospect. I just wonder if it’s too little, too late.

I got to play with the device for a little bit, and yeah, if Microsoft can deliver, it will be one of the best handheld consoles on the market. But my mind did drift elsewhere when I held its heavy ass in my hands. Maybe it’s nostalgia playing tricks on me, but I can’t help but mourn how handheld gaming has morphed into an extension of the games and systems we play on our TVs and desktops.

None of this is inherently the Ally’s fault. Microsoft has benefited from watching the handheld console business thrive over the past decade. The Ally is hefty in your hands, rather than feeling like a toy as the original Switch did.

Admittedly, as a small man, it didn’t seem built for people of my size. My tiny hands had to reach to hit some of the buttons, and I could never quite figure out how best to hold the device to get the most leverage out of the whole controller. The weight of the thing didn’t help, as my wrists started to ache after just a few minutes of play. It’s a sturdy device, but it doesn’t feel like it’s built for everyone. I’m simply a little guy, but I imagine those problems might be even worse for folks with motor issues. I talked with some other people who have bigger hands, and they all said the Ally felt really good. So, while the console might have some really cool functionality and streamlining that makes it more appealing than the average handheld PC, it might not be the most inclusive machine, as it’s particularly uncomfortable for those of us who have trouble holding larger devices.

While your mileage may vary on holding it, one thing the Ally has over most other handheld gaming PCs is that Microsoft has streamlined its user experience to circumvent some of the hassles found with other devices. By linking your accounts across different launchers, the Ally lets you easily access your games across multiple services, such as pre-installed games, streaming through Game Pass, and others. Having everything in an easy-to-navigate HUD built for buttons and analog sticks makes the Ally one of the best choices to play PC and Xbox games on the go. Even if I can’t hold the device for extended periods, I can’t deny that Microsoft has built something that’s solved a lot of the problems people have with its competitors.

Shortly after my appointment, I held my Switch 2 and played a little bit of Cyberpunk 2077, and I think that device is probably better suited for people who have trouble holding bulkier handhelds like the Ally. I would love to see a model down the line that lets you disconnect the heavy controllers from the big screen, similar to the Switch’s tabletop mode. I think until Microsoft puts out something like that, I’ll have to stick with other devices.

Beyond form factor, most of these handheld consoles do the same things, it’s just a matter of which one feels better in your hands. I think that was one of my bigger takeaways playing the Ally: It’s nice that all of the Big Three are sticking their toes in the handheld market, but now that Nintendo has merged its console and handheld divisions into one device with the Switch, it does feel like we lost the charm and design philosophies of old handhelds.

Now that the components that house console-level power are small enough to fit into a handheld, we’ve lost any real need for a divide between games made for those devices and games made for consoles. Even mobile devices are offering console-comparable experiences, and the days of developers creating games for less-powerful hardware, specifically meant to be played on a device that fits in your pocket, feel like a long-gone memory.

A lot of indie developers are still carrying the torch, and you’ll find games evocative of the Game Boy and DS eras called “retro throwbacks.” Some of the more niche games that you would have found on a Vita in 2014, like The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy, end up on Steam and Switch, but the era of a dedicated handheld doing things that feel built for those devices is over. I always dreamt of being able to play console games in the back of my parents’ car as a kid. But I don’t think I realized what we might lose in achieving that dream.

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June 9, 2025 0 comments

Gaming Gear

Microsoft and Asus announce two Xbox Ally handhelds with new Xbox full-screen experience

by admin June 9, 2025

Microsoft and Asus have been working together over the past year to create not one, but two new ROG Xbox Ally handhelds. Both of these Xbox Ally devices, part of the Project Kennan effort I reported on earlier this year, include a new full-screen Xbox experience on Windows that’s designed to be more handheld-friendly and hide away the complexity of Windows to focus on gaming instead.

The white ROG Xbox Ally is designed for 720p gaming, and the more powerful black ROG Xbox Ally X targets 900p to 1080p gaming on the go. Like the existing ROG Ally and Ally X, the new Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X share the same 7-inch 1080p screen, complete with a 120Hz refresh rate and VRR support.

The Xbox Ally uses a previously unannounced AMD Ryzen Z2 A chip, combined 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 Extreme processor, 24GB of LPDDR5X-8000 memory, and a 1TB M.2 2280 SSD.

The white ROG Xbox Ally ships with AMD’s Ryzen Z2 A processor. Image: Microsoft

The ROG Ally X adds a better AMD processor and impulse triggers. Image: Microsoft

All of these specs make them very similar to Asus’ existing Windows-powered handheld gaming PCs at heart, but there are some much-needed changes to the software side that could make the Windows handheld experience a lot better.

“We know that to take this handheld experience to the next level, we cannot do this alone,” says Shawn Yen, vice president of consumer at Asus, in a briefing with The Verge, admitting that some gamers have found it “frustrating and confusing” to navigate Windows with joysticks and button until now.

Microsoft and Asus have been collaborating closely on these two new Xbox Ally devices over the past year, and Yen says Microsoft and Asus “share a joint obsession” on these new handhelds.

That joint obsession includes Microsoft making good on its promise to combine “the best of Xbox and Windows together,” thanks to a new Xbox full-screen experience on Windows that’s designed specifically for handhelds. Not only can the Xbox Ally devices boot directly to this interface, but the companies claim you can easily get back to it using a new dedicated Xbox button on these handhelds, much like an Xbox console.

Microsoft doesn’t load the full Windows desktop or a bunch of background processes in this full-screen Xbox experience, putting Windows firmly in the background and freeing up more memory for games. Instead, you launch straight into the Xbox PC app, which includes all of your PC games from the Microsoft Store, Battle.net, and what Microsoft calls “other leading storefronts.”

The Xbox Ally with the new full-screen Xbox experience on Windows. Image: Microsoft

This aggregated gaming library means you’ll see games from Xbox, Game Pass, and all your PC games installed from Steam, Epic Games Store, and elsewhere in a single interface, much like what the GOG launcher offers. Earlier this week, we started seeing parts of this unified library appear in the Xbox PC app, and Microsoft says you’ll be able to access your full Xbox console library through Xbox Cloud Gaming or Remote Play to an Xbox console.

The idea is that you should be able to seamlessly launch any game you own, whether it’s actually installed on your handheld, streaming from your Xbox Series X over home Wi-Fi, or streaming from the cloud, though we have yet to try that ourselves.

Microsoft has also made some additional tweaks to the Xbox PC app and Game Bar to make this all more handheld-friendly, including the ability to log in via the Windows lockscreen with your controller, no touchscreen taps required. You’ll also be able to use this handheld-friendly Game Bar interface to easily launch apps like Discord, or alt-tab between apps and games, or adjust settings without having to fiddle with the touchscreen. You can read all about all the Windows changes in my deep dive look at this new Xbox PC experience right here.

These two Xbox Ally devices also have Xbox-like contoured grips. It’s as if Microsoft and Asus have taken an Xbox controller and squeezed a screen between the grips, similar to what Sony did with its PlayStation Portal. The grips have been designed like this to make it easier to wrap your hands around the entire controls, so you access all the buttons and triggers.

The Xbox Ally X even has impulse triggers like all modern Xbox controllers, so you’ll feel things like terrain of roads during racing games or the impact of bullets in a shooter, all thanks to the haptics on the triggers. Asus is also using a USB-C 4 connector that supports Thunderbolt 4 on the more powerful Xbox Ally X, offering the possibility of connecting a powerful external GPU to it, alongside a single USB-C 3.2 port and a UHS-II microSD card reader. The Xbox Ally uses two USB-C 3.2 ports instead.

The ABXY buttons on the Xbox Ally X. Image: Microsoft

Microsoft and Asus aren’t providing any benchmarks or a real sense of performance for these handhelds yet, and both use chips we haven’t tested. But interestingly, they appear to be focusing on battery life this time around.

“For this generation the most important thing to us is efficiency. Efficiency is our new superpower,” says Yen. “The games will be able to play cooler and quieter, and at the same time offer you a longer battery life for gameplay.” AMD told us in January that the Z2 Extreme would be both its most powerful and most efficient handheld chip yet, while the Z2 A is rumored to be based on the Steam Deck’s less powerful but battery-sipping Van Gogh-based chip.

Importantly, the Xbox Ally is using a 60Wh battery, 50 percent larger than the pack that shipped in the original ROG Ally, while the more powerful Xbox Ally X uses an 80Wh battery, tied with the Ally X and the largest you can find in a handheld today. The Windows tweaks may also improve battery, with Microsoft claiming it’s already seeing one-third of the drain when these Xbox Full Screen Experience systems are idle and asleep.

If you want extra performance, you’ll also be able to dock these Xbox Ally devices to Asus’ XG mobile device that offers up an RTX 5090 laptop GPU to overhaul how games play on these handheld devices.

These new Xbox Ally handhelds will launch during the holiday season later this year, and Microsoft and Asus are planning to share pricing and preorder information in the coming months.

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June 9, 2025 0 comments

Esports

Xbox’s handhelds have Valve in their sights, not Nintendo | Opinion

by admin June 8, 2025

Microsoft has revealed its first Xbox co-branded handhelds, the ROG Xbox Ally and Ally X, both collaborations with Asus. They will launch in the holiday period of 2025, with pricing information not yet revealed.

The Xbox Ally is being pitched as a “great value” generalist device, while the Xbox Ally X is described as an “ultimate high-performance” handheld for more demanding players, not dissimilar to how Asus’ existing ROG Ally and Ally X handhelds are pitched. Both use AMD processors.

These Windows 11-enabled handhelds include Xbox-branded buttons, a gaming-focused interface, and an aggregated library feature that brings players’ software together from across different PC storefronts, as well as the subscription library of Xbox Game Pass.

On top of playing PC games natively, the two handhelds can stream players’ console libraries using Xbox Cloud Gaming and Remote Play.

The interface will be familiar to anyone who’s owned an Xbox console in the past decade or so. The ‘Xbox full screen experience’ apparently optimises the Ally and Ally X specifically for gameplay functionality. Non-essential tasks are deferred by the device, dedicating more resources to playing games, according to Microsoft.

The contoured grips of the console were apparently designed with the principles behind Xbox’s wireless controllers in mind. Accessibility features from Xbox and Windows will be carried over to the handhelds. Xbox Play Anywhere – where a single game purchase functions across PC, console, and cloud gaming – extends to these devices too.

Each handheld has a dedicated Xbox button to bring up the Game Bar and switch instantly between apps and games, too.

Launch territories for the Xbox Ally and Ally X are Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Xbox says other territories where ROG Ally products are currently available will follow.

So: what does Microsoft’s messaging tell us about who it’s targeting with the two handhelds?

The Windows factor
The ROG Xbox Ally and Ally X further Microsoft’s objective for players’ game libraries to come with them no matter which device they’re using. For players with both a PC and Xbox console, plus a Game Pass subscription, the way save data is synced seamlessly between the two is something to behold. A handheld device enables Xbox to extend that ecosystem one step further, which will be welcome to diehard users.
But the goal here goes much further than that, and this is where the Windows 11 element of the new handhelds is crucial.
Windows is talked up by Microsoft as a major plus in the announcement, with careful wording – “because these handhelds run Windows, you have access to games you can’t get elsewhere, so you can enjoy the full freedom and versatility of PC gaming all straight from the Xbox experience” – feeling like it has Valve firmly in its sights.
The Steam Deck, which kicked off the current wave of PC handhelds, plays games via the Linux-based SteamOS. While it’s excellent at running games directly from the Steam library, it’s not particularly flexible when it comes to installing and running games from other storefronts (unless you’re prepared to tinker with the device). It’s also only available to buy from Steam itself.
Microsoft clearly identifies an opportunity to offer a more wide-ranging device to PC players out of the box, while courting its existing console audience with the Xbox branding.
Superficially, Microsoft and Asus have just made two new versions of the ROG Ally that happen to have an Xbox button on them. But the opportunity here for Xbox is in positioning: the gulf between more specialist PC handhelds (the Steam Deck has sold around 4 million units, according to analysts) and Nintendo’s mass market Switch (150 million sold) is enormous. Could Microsoft bridge the gap between those audiences?
The PC gaming handheld space is still relatively new, after all. Having two devices with different specs, too, nicely mirrors Microsoft’s own strategy with the Xbox Series S and X, and isn’t something Nintendo or Sony have tried before with their handheld launches.
Ampere Analysis’ Piers Harding-Rolls shared his thoughts on Microsoft’s approach on LinkedIn. “This partnership shows Microsoft’s increasing commitment to the PC gaming market, and its intent to protect and expand the role of Windows as the dominant gaming platform,” he said.
“A lot of Microsoft’s recent work in Game Pass has been more directly focused on the PC gaming space, as it believes this is where there is a substantial opportunity to grow its audience reach compared to console.”
Harding-Rolls believes that teaming up with Asus has allowed Xbox to leverage the company’s trust with PC gamers, accelerate its entry into the market, deepen the integration with Windows and Xbox services, and counter the growing influence of Valve’s handhelds.
According to Harding-Rolls, Windows PC handhelds sold 1.2 million units by the end of 2024.
The key unknown, of course, is price. The cheapest model of Steam Deck retails for $399. Asus has not made a handheld that cheap, with the original ROG Ally launching at $600 before dropping in price.
Priced reasonably, Xbox could court both its existing console players and PC users enticed by a Windows handheld tailored for games. But we’re in a landscape where home console prices have been going up, not down. And given its specs and capabilities, per IGN’s hands-on, the Xbox Ally X simply will not be cheap.
Still, with the Switch 2 having launched this week, this announcement leaves the handheld gaming market in a more interesting state than it’s been in years. And with the PS5 dominating the home console market this generation, it’s exciting to see Xbox pick a different fight with its new hardware.

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June 8, 2025 0 comments

handhelds

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