Microsoft and Asus’ new Xbox Ally handhelds launch on October 16th

The Xbox Ally X. | Photo: Tom Warren / The Verge

Microsoft and Asus are putting a day connected their new Xbox Ally handhelds: October 16th. Both the Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X volition beryllium disposable connected the aforesaid time successful a assortment of markets worldwide, but Microsoft and Asus aren’t opening preorders yet oregon revealing pricing. Microsoft besides announced its handheld compatibility programme to place games optimized for the caller Xbox Ally devices.

Leaks person suggested that the Xbox Ally volition debut astatine €599 (around $699) and the top-of-the-line Xbox Ally X exemplary astatine €899 ($1,049). I recognize Microsoft and Asus had planned to denote Xbox Ally pricing and merchandise day accusation today, but past it decided to lone uncover a merchandise date. Microsoft is present promising pricing and preorder accusation “in the coming weeks.”

The terms accusation hold could beryllium related to the leaks oregon ongoing uncertainty with US tariffs. Dealabs reported yesterday that the Xbox Ally could beryllium priced astatine $549.99 and the Xbox Ally X astatine $899.99 successful the US. It volition beryllium absorbing to spot if Microsoft and Asus tin subsidize this further for this important Xbox hardware release.

Both Xbox Ally handhelds volition beryllium disposable connected October 16th successful the following: Australia, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, China (only the Xbox Ally X), Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Ireland, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, and Vietnam.

That covers a batch of cardinal markets for Asus and Xbox astatine launch, and determination are besides plans to present these handhelds successful Brazil, India, Indonesia, and Thailand. The achromatic ROG Xbox Ally is designed for 720p gaming, and the much almighty achromatic ROG Xbox Ally X targets 1080p gaming. Like the existing ROG Ally and Ally X, the caller ones stock the aforesaid 7-inch 1080p screen, implicit with a 120Hz refresh complaint and VRR support.

The Xbox Ally uses AMD’s 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 spot to AMD’s Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme processor, 24GB of LPDDR5X-8000 memory, and a 1TB M.2 2280 SSD.

Alongside merchandise day confirmation, Microsoft besides announced its handheld compatibility programme today. “We person worked with crippled studios to test, optimize, and verify thousands of games for handheld compatibility, allowing you to leap into the crippled without having to tweak settings, oregon requiring lone insignificant adjustments,” says Roanne Sones, CVP of gaming devices and ecosystem astatine Xbox.

There volition beryllium 2 forms of handheld compatibility: Handheld Optimized and Mostly Compatible. While Handheld Optimized games volition person default controller inputs, close icons, and the close surface solution successful full-screen mode, Mostly Compatible titles “may necessitate insignificant in-game mounting changes for an optimal acquisition connected handheld.”

Microsoft volition besides people games with a Windows Performance Fit indicator, truthful you’ll get the payment of knowing if a crippled is compatible and however good it volition play. Both Xbox Ally devices volition vessel with the Xbox afloat surface acquisition that Microsoft has been processing to amended Windows connected handheld devices. This volition footwear arsenic default, with the Windows desktop hidden distant but inactive accessible done an enactment successful the Xbox Game Bar UI.

Microsoft is besides moving connected improving the crippled shader acquisition connected Windows, with a caller “advanced shader delivery” feature. This volition preload crippled shaders during download connected the Xbox Ally devices, truthful definite games tin motorboat a batch faster and tally smoother without the emblematic stutters that shader compilation introduces connected Windows. This is cardinal connected a handheld arsenic it volition assistance with artillery beingness and performance, but it’s not wide which games volition enactment this conscionable yet.

Automatic Super Resolution (Auto SR), which is an NPU to upscale games, is besides arriving successful aboriginal 2026 connected the Xbox Ally X. Microsoft is readying to usage the NPU connected this instrumentality to present a item reels diagnostic that uses AI models to automatically seizure gameplay moments and marque them easy shareable with friends oregon connected societal networks.

Additional improvements to the docking acquisition for the Xbox Ally devices are besides coming soon. Microsoft is moving “to alteration a seamless, high-performance setup that supports big-screen gaming, Auto SR, intuitive controller pairing, optimized show output, and more,” according to Soanes.

Photos by Tom Warren / The Verge