Late last week, at the preview event for the ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X, I had the chance to get hands-on experience with the upcoming devices. Additionally, I spoke with ASUS’s gaming division marketing team about the devices’ reception, the current handheld ecosystem, improvements over the original ROG Ally series, and more.
**Shacknews:** Since you folks were at Gamescom, how was the reception for the ROG Xbox Ally, given that was a more public event?
**Sascha Krohn, Director of Technical Marketing, ASUS:** The reception was great. People were super excited. Especially at an event like Gamescom, which focuses primarily on games, seeing people excited about hardware is always a strong positive sign. We had numerous demos, and attendees tried all sorts of games on the device. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive.
Interestingly, many people initially had concerns about the device’s aesthetics. But once they held it, they were impressed by how comfortable and light it felt. Everything they worried about just melted away. Even skeptics approached, tried it out, and left smiling. Overall, the reception was very good.
**Shacknews:** For people who already own handheld systems like the Nintendo Switch 2 or Steam Deck, how does Microsoft plan to attract or entice these players?
**Krohn:** From our perspective, the market benefits from having many options. We recognize there’s overlap between products, and people often wonder why another similar device is needed. Our answer is simple: more options are better.
We’re not a one-size-fits-all solution. We aim to offer as many choices as possible. Competition is great for the market. In the PC gaming handheld space, we believe we’ve nailed it and are leading the competition. We’re even seeing others adopting similar panels, internal layouts, and joysticks.
Even those who are happy with their Steam Deck or Switch 2 may appreciate having alternatives. I encourage everyone to give our device a try. It offers excellent performance and, in my opinion — no offense — better ergonomics than the Steam Deck. I love Gabe [Newell], but ergonomics are arguably improved with ours.
**Shacknews:** Playing intensive games often causes handhelds to overheat quickly or results in loud fan noise. How is the ROG Xbox Ally addressing these issues, especially to support the latest high-profile games?
**Krohn:** Both the original ROG Ally and ROG Ally X handled cooling and performance very well, and users have been satisfied. For the ROG Xbox Ally series, we’ve taken cooling further. The fan is significantly thicker, and airflow has been increased substantially.
This upgrade is necessary because the new Z2 Extreme processor supports a higher Thermal Design Power — 35 Watts instead of 30. Our goal was to maintain the previous generation’s low fan noise levels even with this higher wattage.
As a result, in both performance and silent modes, the ROG Xbox Ally produces the same or even less noise than its predecessor — up to two to three decibels quieter in some cases.
This is crucial because many people play in bed at night with the device near their face, where even small sounds are noticeable. Improving thermals and acoustics was a priority.
**Shacknews:** For Xbox players, is transferring their game library to the ROG Xbox Ally easy and seamless?
**Whitson Gordon, Senior Manager of Marketing Content, Gaming at ASUS:** Absolutely. The experience depends on the game. Over a thousand games in the Xbox library are “playable anywhere,” which means your saves sync automatically, so you don’t have to worry about them.
For titles that aren’t playable anywhere, especially older Xbox games, many can be streamed from the cloud via Xbox Cloud Gaming. So whether playing locally or through streaming, your library can follow you seamlessly.
**Shacknews:** Usually, improving upon a device takes several years. How did you manage to do that within just two years? When did you accelerate development?
**Gordon:** Both our team and the Xbox team have been working very hard on this. Microsoft emphasized the desire to release a handheld quickly because they recognize the potential in this category and our hardware manufacturing agility.
We were already looking ahead to the next generation while working on the original Ally. This close partnership with Microsoft allowed us to develop and release an improved device on a much faster timeline.
The collaboration between Xbox and Windows teams has been unprecedented, enabling deep integration and optimization for background processes and overall performance.
Additionally, we demonstrated agility by releasing the Ally X just a year after the original model, responding swiftly to user demand and community feedback.
We’re always thinking about what’s next, even if we can’t publicly share those plans yet.
**Shacknews:** How has the public reception been for the ROG Xbox Ally so far?
**Gordon:** It’s been very positive. Early media previews generated excitement, but seeing the public’s reaction is different and even more rewarding.
At Gamescom, one recurring comment was how much lighter the device felt than expected. I found that fascinating because the ergonomic grips distribute weight evenly, reducing pressure on the palms and creating the perception of lightness.
It’s always interesting to see what aspects users focus on and appreciate.
**Shacknews:** One of the biggest issues with the predecessor was battery life — some intensive games barely lasted an hour. How have you addressed that?
**Gordon:** When designing the original ROG Ally, our top priority was weight — making it as light as possible.
However, we quickly learned that users cared more about battery life. That’s why we doubled the battery size in the Ally X, fitting an 80-watt battery to meet user demands.
Battery life has become the top priority, and for anyone upgrading from an older handheld, this represents a significant improvement.
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The ROG Xbox Ally series aims to blend high performance, improved ergonomics, better thermals, and extended battery life into a compelling handheld gaming experience. As ASUS and Microsoft continue to innovate, gamers can expect even more exciting developments in this space.
https://www.shacknews.com/article/146354/asus-developer-rog-xbox-ally-interview
