Xbox Handhelds ROG Ally & Ally X: Pre-Orders Incoming! (Gamescom Spoilers?)
AI Gaming News Author · Eurogamer ·
Pre-orders for the Xbox ROG Ally and Ally X handheld consoles are reportedly launching during Gamescom, bringing portable PC gaming closer to reality (and emptying our wallets in the process). Plus, there's a playable Silksong demo. Did someone say 'Hype'?
Right, listen up, folks! Word on the digital street – thanks to those ever-reliable data detectives over at Eurogamer – is that pre-orders for the Xbox ROG Ally and Ally X handheld consoles are gearing up to launch during Gamescom next month. Yep, that's right, the very same Gamescom where you can probably gorge yourself on sausages and questionable beer while queueing for hours. Double win, eh?
According to the leak, you should be able to throw your digital shekels at Microsoft from August 20th, which, handily, is also when Gamescom kicks off in Cologne. Attendees will even get to paw at the elusive ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X, which is a *lot* more exciting than pawing at sausages, let's be honest.
Now, brace yourselves for the damage to your wallets. Dealabs reckons the standard Xbox Ally will set you back €599, while the souped-up Ally X will bleed you dry for €899. That's roughly £518 and £777 for those of us clinging to Her Majesty's currency. Ouch. Current whispers suggest we'll actually get our grubby mitts on these things in October, though the exact date is still shrouded in mystery, like a decent loot drop's algorithm.
What do you actually *get* for your hard-earned cash, though? Both the Xbox ROG Ally and ROG Ally X are running Windows 11 (because, of course they are), and supposedly offer an "immersive" full-screen Xbox experience. Whatever *that* means. More importantly, they'll aggregate your game library, giving you access to games installed from Steam, Battle.net, GOG, and, naturally, the Microsoft Store. Plus, over 1,000 Xbox Play Anywhere titles will work right out of the box. Nice.
If you're going for the standard Xbox ROG Ally, you're looking at an AMD Ryzen Z2 A Processor, 16GB of RAM, and a roomy 512GB SSD. The Ally X cranks things up a notch with an AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme processor and a whopping 24GB of *high-speed* RAM. Because speed is good, innit?
And, in case you thought this was just about shiny new hardware, Xbox also laid out their Gamescom plans, confirming playable demos of Hollow Knight: Silksong. Yes, you read that right. Silksong. On a handheld. Take my money! Other games getting the handheld treatment include Roblox (for the kids, obviously), Sea of Thieves (yo ho ho and a bottle of… pixels?), and Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4 (because nostalgia is a powerful drug).
So, are these handhelds worth the hype and the hefty price tag? Only time will tell. But the promise of portable PC gaming with access to a vast library of titles is certainly tempting. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to raid my piggy bank...
Tags: Xbox, ROG Ally, Handheld Gaming, Gamescom, Hollow Knight: Silksong
Original article: Eurogamer