ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X arrive at retail today

The next-generation of ROG portables have arrived. Today brings the ROG Xbox Ally and the beefier ROG Xbox Ally X to retail.

Have ROG, will Xbox

For those who love to take their gaming on the go, today is kind of a red-letter day. That’s because the latest version of the ROG Ally handheld has officially landed at retail. Or should we say ‘versions’, with an ‘s’? Actually, let’s check that name too, as the new ROG isn’t just about PC games.

Released in partnership with Microsoft and the Xbox brand, the newest Allys are touted as a get-over-gen refresh for the line. But as mentioned, they also look to do more than what you might be used to. That’s because this new series also sports an Xbox interface, built right in.

Players can make use of their Xbox Game Pass Premium subscription, and also stream from a console, or the cloud. And right along with all of the new ‘console’ stuff, comes the ability to install and play PC games too. So if that’s your jam, you’ve got that option.

A beast out of the box

The ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X both come stocked with a 3 month trial for the aforementioned Xbox Game Pass Premium. So with that, buyers will have 200+ titles to try, right out of the box. That’s on the software end, and on the hardware end, this little handheld is looking like a monster.

The base level machine stocks an AMD Ryzen Z2 A Processor, but the ROG Xbox Ally X goes one step further. That version comes packing an AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme Processor. According to manufacturer ASUS, that means smoother performance when it comes to triple-A titles. That’s not all though, as the latter machine also has “up to double the battery life of its predecessor.”

To show off a bit, ASUS cites a few pretty impressive performance examples. The ROG Xbox Ally X reportedly has up to 30% performance gains in titles like Indiana Jones and the Great Circle and Doom: The Dark Ages. And as for that better battery? The machine served up twice the life when playing Hollow Knight: Silksong. Oh, and yes, those numbers are allegedly in comparison to the previous generation’s higher-end “X” model.

As for the ROG Xbox Ally, it doesn’t sound like a slouch either. The console offers up to a 20% performance gain in games like Gears of War: Reloaded and Forza Horizon 5. As for its battery life, that’s boosted as well. Users can look for 110% the battery life as compared to the previous gen’s model.

Available now, where you can find ’em

Both units are out now, as mentioned, as can be found via several online retailers, including ASUS’ own online shop. At least, in listing form they can, as the ROG Xbox Ally X is out of stock at present. Right now, the base ROG Xbox Ally is the easier one to get ahold of by far.

If you’re dead set on the X though, that model does seem to be in stock via Best Buy.