The Asus ROG Xbox Ally is proof we’re living in the future
Amber Treu2026-05-06T10:43:55+02:00
In the early 2000s – just as personal, portable phones began to take hold – technologists started imagining a bold, unified future: a world where every individual carried a single digital device capable of doing it all. One device to replace the camera, the watch, the rolodex, the calendar, the video camera, the music player, the calculator – and almost everything else.
You might be reading this on your phone and thinking we’ve already arrived at that future – and in many ways, you’d be right. But there’s still one frontier where the all-in-one portable falls short: gaming.
Despite major leaps in mobile performance and game support, phones still can’t truly compete. Consoles – and especially gaming PCs – continue to lead, offering not just the biggest, most demanding titles, but the power to run them the way they’re meant to be played.
A new kind of handheld
Enter the Asus ROG Xbox Ally 7″ Handheld Gaming Console – a collaboration between Asus and Xbox that brings PC-level gaming into a far more portable form. By packing the capabilities of a gaming PC into a handheld, it gets closer than ever to that all-in-one ideal, without losing sight of what matters most: performance.
This sleek handheld is hiding a powerful AMD Ryzen Z2 processor inside of its beautiful white chassis, backed up by 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM. This combination gives you a solid base to play an almost endless amount of games from childhood classics all the way to brand new releases.
Power that travels with you
That flexibility isn’t just down to the hardware – it’s driven by Windows 11. As a full PC operating system, it opens the door to a massive ecosystem of games across multiple platforms and storefronts. You’re not tied to a single library, you can take advantage of typical PC pricing, and with Xbox Game Pass built in, a huge catalogue of titles is always within reach.
Microsoft’s role here goes beyond branding. Alongside decades of gaming experience, it brings the value of Game Pass – a vast, ever-evolving library that makes discovering and playing new titles far more accessible.
Built for how you actually play
All of it comes to life on a 7-inch display that strikes a strong balance between clarity and immersion. The IPS panel delivers solid brightness, colour, and viewing angles, paired with a Full HD (1920×1080) resolution and touchscreen support. And while the controls are built for gaming first, that touchscreen makes everyday interactions – like typing passwords or navigating menus – far more intuitive than traditional console inputs.
Ergonomics are another area where Asus and Xbox have clearly put in the work. It’s something many handhelds overlook, often at the cost of comfort during longer sessions. Here, the design leans on what already works – bringing in a familiar Xbox-style layout with ABXY face buttons, two full-size analog sticks, and generously sized grips. The result feels more natural in-hand, accommodating a wide range of grip styles without sacrificing comfort.
Gaming, untethered
Put it all together, and the experience starts to feel genuinely freeing. For many, PC gaming is tied to the same space as work or school – the same desk, the same chair, the same setup- which can make it harder to fully switch off and enjoy it.
This handheld changes that dynamic. It lets you take your PC gaming library with you, whether that’s moving to the couch, another room, or just somewhere more relaxed. It’s less about replacing your setup, and more about giving you the flexibility to enjoy it on your terms.
Play anywhere, anytime
Long commute on public transport? That’s now time you can spend playing proper PC titles, not just scaled-down mobile games.
Working past five? Keep it close and jump into a quick session whenever you get a break – even if it’s just 30 minutes over lunch.
Prefer gaming as a social experience? Take it with you. Whether it’s a casual meetup, a throwback LAN-style session, or plugging into a big TV for party games, it adapts to how and where you want to play.
Closer than ever to the all-in-one future
All this flexibility and power really does make us feel like that future of an all-in-one device is really here.
