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The Xbox ROG Ally and Ally X are the two upcoming handhelds set to launch in October. How do their specs compare to others? Let’s find out.
One of the issues with current handhelds on the market is comfort. Unlike the Nintendo Switch 2, most other handhelds are bigger and heavier, which makes them less comfortable for long sessions. That’s why the Xbox team and ASUS teamed up to create new handhelds that rival others in not only design but also comfort, and they are called Xbox ROG Ally and Ally X. They have a contoured shell that mimics the Xbox controller, which is one of the most comfortable controllers we’ve held.
However, comfort isn’t the only thing new with the Xbox ROG Ally and Ally X. Xbox and ASUS also equipped them with newer chipsets inside compared to older ROG Ally devices to deliver an even better performance. The question is, how do the new chipsets and other specs inside compare to other handhelds on the market, such as the Steam Deck, Lenovo Legion Go S, MSI Claw A8, MSI Claw 8 AI+, and even the standard ROG Ally? That’s exactly what we plan to answer in this article with a detailed comparison of their specs. Read on to learn more.
Note: Parts of this article are subjective and reflect the writer’s opinions.
Xbox ROG Ally and Ally X: How Do Their Specs Compare To Other Handhelds
The Xbox ROG Ally and Ally X have AMD’s latest Ryzen Z2 series of chipsets inside them. They are also equipped with more memory and other things. Let’s compare their specs with the Steam Deck, Lenovo Legion Go S, MSI Claw A8, MSI Claw 8 AI+, and the standard ROG Ally:
| Specifications | Xbox ROG Ally | Xbox ROG Ally X | Steam Deck OLED | Lenovo Legion Go S | MSI Claw A8 | MSI Claw 8 AI+ | ASUS ROG Ally |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display | 7-inch IPS FHD Display with 120Hz | 7-inch IPS FHD Display with 120Hz | 7.4-inch OLED HD+ display with 90Hz refresh rate | 8-inch IPS FHD+ Display with 120Hz | 7-inch IPS FHD+ Display with 120Hz | 7-inch IPS FHD+ Display with 120Hz | 7-inch IPS FHD Display with 120Hz |
| CPU | AMD Ryzen Z2 A with 4 cores (Zen 4) | AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme with 8 cores (Zen 5 and 5c) | Custom AMD “Van Gogh” APU with 4 cores (Zen 2) | AMD Ryzen Z2 Go with 4 cores (Zen 3+) | AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme with 8 cores (Zen 5 and 5c) | Up to Intel Core Ultra 7 258V with 8 cores | AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme with 8 cores (Zen 4) |
| GPU | AMD RDNA 2-based GPU with 8 compute cores | AMD RDNA 3.5-based GPU with 16 compute cores | AMD RDNA 2-based GPU with 8 compute cores | AMD RDNA 3.5-based GPU with 12 compute cores | AMD RDNA 3.5-based GPU with 16 compute cores | Intel Arc 140V Xe2-based GPU with 8 compute cores | AMD RDNA 3-based GPU with 8 compute cores |
| Memory | 16GB dual-channel LPDDR5X-6400 | 24GB dual-channel LPDDR5X-8000 | 16GB dual-channel LPDDR5-6400 RAM | 16GB dual-channel LPDDR5X-7500 | 24GB dual-channel LPDDR5X-8000 | Up to 32GB dual-channel LPDDR5-8533 RAM | 16GB dual-channel LPDDR5-6400 |
| OS | Custom Windows 11 | Custom Windows 11 | SteamOS | SteamOS/Windows 11 | Windows 11 | Windows 11 | Windows 11 |
| Storage | 512GB PCIe Gen 4 SSD | 1TB PCIe Gen 4 SSD | Up to 1TB PCIe Gen 4 SSD | Up to 512GB PCIe Gen 4 SSD | 512GB PCIe Gen 4 SSD | 1TB PCIe Gen 4 SSD | 512GB PCIe Gen 4 SSD |
| Battery | 60Wh with 65W charger | 80Wh with 100W charger | 50Wh with 65W charger | 55.5Wh with 65W charger | 80Wh with 100W charger | 80Wh with 100W charger | 40Wh with 65W charger |
According to the specs table above, the Xbox ROG Ally’s chipset and RAM speeds are similar to the Steam Deck. On the other hand, the Xbox ROG Ally X is significantly more powerful than other handhelds in terms of CPU, GPU, RAM, and battery. Only the MSI Claw A8 can match the Xbox ROG Ally X specs for specs.
Release Date of Xbox ROG Ally Handhelds
ASUS and Xbox are all set to launch the Xbox ROG Ally and Ally X worldwide on October 16, 2025. They will be equipped with a custom version of Windows 11. It will have less bloatware and background applications to deliver higher performance and more battery life. This custom OS will also have a SteamOS-like “handheld interface.” However, there are no specifics.
The Xbox team also mentioned this custom Windows 11 variant will arrive on other handhelds later. However, the company didn’t mention any specific timeline. Therefore, the Xbox ROG Ally and Xbox ROG Ally X will probably be the only way to experience the new OS.
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