Launching globally on October 16, the ROG Xbox Ally and the more powerful Ally X promise to blend the best of PC gaming with portable convenience. Built in collaboration between ASUS and Microsoft, these devices pack cutting-edge specs, handheld optimization, and even AI features. Fans will also get a chance to meet two GTA V stars live at Gamescom 2025.

On October 16, the ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X will officially hit stores across North America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. Other territories where the Ally series is already present, including markets like Brazil, India, and Indonesia, will follow in early 2026. Pricing and pre-order information is expected to roll out in the coming weeks.

Designed to deliver full-fledged PC gaming on the go, the standard ROG Xbox Ally features an AMD Ryzen Z2 A processor (4 Zen 2 cores, 8 threads, 8 RDNA 2 GPU cores), 16GB of LPDDR5X-6400 RAM, and a 512GB M.2 SSD. A 60Wh battery powers the compact beast for extended sessions away from a plug.

The premium-tier ROG Xbox Ally X steps it up with an AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme processor—an 8-core/16-thread Zen 5 APU with 16 RDNA 3.5 GPU cores and a 50 TOPS integrated NPU. It’s packed with 24GB of LPDDR5X-8000 memory, a 1TB SSD, and a beefier 80Wh battery for maximum playtime.

Handheld Gaming, Seriously Optimized

Behind the scenes, the Xbox team has been working closely with studios to test and tweak thousands of PC games for handheld use. Through the Handheld Compatibility Program, titles in your library will be labeled as Handheld Optimized or Mostly Compatible starting day one.

Handheld Optimized means the game is ready to play out of the box with default controller support, readable UI, clean iconography, and ideal fullscreen resolution. Mostly Compatible indicates the game runs well with minor in-game tweaks.

To sweeten the deal, Xbox is bringing advanced shader preloading to the ROG Ally. This system allows shaders to be downloaded alongside the game, slashing load times by up to 10x and improving performance and battery efficiency on first launch.

The ROG Xbox Ally X also opens the door to AI-driven features coming next year, thanks to its onboard NPU. Here’s what users can expect:

• Auto Super Resolution (Auto SR): System-level upscaling for low-res games to high-res output—no developer action needed.
• Highlight Reels: The AI captures epic gameplay moments (boss fights, victories) and automatically generates short clips for sharing.

Playable at Gamescom, With GTA Stars in Tow

The handhelds will be fully playable for the first time at Gamescom 2025, alongside ASUS’ new laptop lineup powered by NVIDIA’s next-gen RTX 50 Series GPUs. Games available for hands-on testing include Gears of War: Reloaded, Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade, DOOM: The Dark Ages, Hogwarts Legacy, Lies of P, Balatro, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, and Roblox titles like 99 Nights in the Forest, Grow a Garden, and Rivals.

Adding to the buzz, Ned Luke and Shawn Fonteno (a.k.a. Michael and Franklin from GTA V) will appear live at the event as part of the new ROG Travel campaign. Ned reprises his role as the quirky boss, while Shawn plays a new recruit. Fans will get a rare chance to meet this iconic duo in person.

Specifications Table

Watch the new trailers here:

Gematsu