In June this year, it was announced that it would cooperate with ASUS to createROG Xbox Ally Series Game ConsolesEarlier, Microsoft officially confirmed at Gamescom 2025 that it will be officially launched on October 10. It also announced the launch of the "Handheld Compatibility Program" to ensure that more games can get a better gaming experience on Ally series consoles.
Microsoft and ASUS have jointly developed a handheld game console under the Xbox brand, and launched two models, namely ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X. They are advertised as being able to play more than 1000 games on Microsoft platforms, and are also known asAMD's new Ryzen Z2 series processorsROG Xbox Ally X uses the Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme processor with higher AI computing power, while the entry-level ROG Xbox Ally is equipped with the Ryzen Z2 A processor that focuses on battery life and performance.
Emulate the Steam Deck authentication model
This program, similar to Valve's Steam Deck certification, will see Microsoft test and certify games for their performance on the Ally family of consoles. "We've partnered with numerous game studios to test, optimize, and certify thousands of games for console compatibility, allowing players to play them right away with minimal or no additional setup adjustments," said Roanne Sones, head of Microsoft's Gaming Devices and Ecosystem Group.
Through this program, players will be able to see compatibility markers directly in the game library of Ally series consoles. Based on the test results, games will be marked as "Handheld Optimized" or "Mostly Compatible". The former means that the game has been optimized for the preset control method and screen resolution of the Ally series consoles and can be played directly in full screen, while the latter means that minor in-game settings must be adjusted to obtain the ideal experience.
Dual performance marking system
In addition to the handheld compatibility mark, Microsoft will also introduce a "Windows Performance Fit" indicator that will show "Should play great" or "Should play well" to further help players understand how games perform on the Ally series of consoles.
However, Microsoft has not yet clearly explained the difference between the "Windows Performance Compatible" performance label and the handheld compatibility label.
Ongoing collaboration with developers
Microsoft emphasized that it will continue to work with more game developers, allowing them to submit their games for handheld compatibility testing, thereby expanding the Ally series' compatible game lineup. Since the Ally series is directly based on the Windows operating system, the number of compatible games is theoretically unlimited. However, ensuring a "no-adjustment, playable" experience within the handheld hardware will be key to this compatibility plan.
Microsoft enters the handheld game console market
The launch of the ROG Xbox Ally series marks Microsoft's official entry into the handheld gaming market, directly competing with Valve's Steam Deck. Through its "Handheld Compatibility Project," Microsoft hopes to lower the barrier to entry for gamers and further enhance the "open and play" handheld experience.
With the official release of ROG Xbox Ally on October 10th, this compatibility program will be activated simultaneously. It is expected to be a key factor in whether the Ally series can quickly expand into the handheld gaming market and establish a good reputation.
Microsoft announces further feature updates and new accessory support
Microsoft revealed that in the future it will continue to unlock more experiences for players through software updates, accessory expansions and hardware optimization, and will gradually make the handheld console an indispensable part of the Xbox ecosystem.
The next software update is expected to include the Advanced Shader Delivery feature. This technology pre-loads shaders during the game download process, making some games up to 10 times faster when first launched. This not only reduces waiting time, but also provides smoother graphics during initial play and reduces battery consumption. Microsoft stated that as the relevant plan progresses, more games will support this technology.
In terms of accessories, Microsoft announced that it will continue to cooperate with ASUS to launch the new ROG Raikiri II Xbox wireless controller through the Designed for Xbox program. This controller supports a 1000Hz polling rate (PC mode) and is equipped with an anti-drift TMR joystick and dual-mode trigger design to provide higher reliability for competitive and precise operation needs. This controller is expected to be officially shipped globally during the holiday season at the end of this year, and more details will be announced soon.
In addition, Microsoft is actively developing the docking experience for the Ally series of consoles. Future updates will bring more complete big-screen gaming modes, including high-performance display output, Auto SR automatic super resolution, more intuitive controller pairing, and optimized adjustments for multi-monitor and desktop environments, making the Ally series not just a handheld console, but also able to seamlessly switch to a big-screen entertainment center.
