I tried the Xbox Ally, which nails the one aspect holding Windows handhelds back

Asus was already onto a good thing with the ROG Ally X, but the limitations of running Windows on a handheld device stopped it from achieving true perfection. With the Xbox Ally, however, that major drawback is starting to be erased. Thanks to this official partnership with Microsoft, the first ever Xbox handheld is rethinking its approach to Windows, and after getting hands-on with both the base model and the more powerful Xbox Ally X at Gamescom, I’m pleased to report that things feel slick in the UI department.

To set expectations, my time with both variations of the new Asus ROG Xbox Ally was limited – roughly 15 minutes with each device. In the case of the less powerful Xbox Ally, which was offering up large, demanding games such as Forza Horizon 5 and the new Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4 remaster, some fairly lengthy initial loading times ate into that time too. However, I was still able to get a good feel for each device.

The Xbox-ification of the ROG Ally’s design has also landed well, with ergonomics that are far more comfortable than some of its slightly jarring press shots led me to initially believe. While Asus and Microsoft still have some blanks to fill in, such as the all-important price, the Xbox Ally and Ally X look on course to become the most accessible and versatile handhelds around.

Let’s begin with the base model, the white Ally, which I got to test first. It’s aiming to be the Xbox Series S of this handheld duo, and barring an unexpectedly high sticker price, the Xbox Ally should be in with a shout of landing a place on our best gaming handheld buying guide for those on tighter budgets.

Immediately, I was struck by the quality of the 7-inch display – a screen it shares with the more powerful Xbox Ally X. I’ll concede that at certain angles, the incredibly bright lights in the testing booth were incredibly glary on the screen, as evidenced by some of my photos of the device. However, when tilted away from the overhead lights, I really can’t complain about the vibrancy and crispness. Forza Horizon 5’s vistas and vehicles looked stunning, and the interior of The Forge in THPS 3+4 was popping with lava and sparks. Frame rates felt smooth with no dips, despite the heft of Forza Horizon 5, especially.

While I would have loved to compare the difference in performance of these chunky triple-A games on the Ally X, the bigger brother unit I was given was only loaded with Hollow Knight Silksong – check out my Silksong preview for my impressions of the game if you’re excited about its imminent release. While Silksong looked absolutely resplendent on the Ally X, it’s worth noting that it’s not exactly an extreme test of its power.

Overall, though, it’s a big tick from me on the performance front for both devices, with the base Xbox Ally handling itself surprisingly well. Another positive that both models share, due to their almost identical designs, is the ergonomics.

When I first saw images of the Xbox Ally, I was skeptical that its Xbox controller-style grips and chunkier triggers would work, but they absolutely do. The Xbox Ally is super comfy to hold, and every front-facing button is easily within a thumb’s reach from the sticks, which are bathed in an RGB backlight. The volume and power buttons are located on the top edge of the unit alongside USB-C ports, a micro SD card slot, and a headphone jack. Finally, those bigger rear triggers feel very satisfying to press – their concave design also makes them a comfortable resting place for your index or middle fingers, depending on your preferred grip.

For me, though, the Xbox Ally’s greatest achievement is that it has conquered navigation and user experience on a Windows-based handheld. As Niall recently highlighted, other rival devices such as the OneXFly F1 Pro are starting to get the hang of this, too, but the Ally felt very easy to use. It borrows heavily from the Xbox interface you’d find on a Series X or S console, so it’s familiar for those already in that ecosystem. But it’s not just a cut-and-paste job – this has been tailored specifically for handhelds.

The main dashboard looks slick and uncluttered. There’s also an addition when compared to Asus’ previous ROG Ally models, which is the new Xbox button that summons up the game bar menu, allowing you to quickly navigate to a couple of recently played games, popular apps, device settings, Command Center, and more. Holding the button will bring up a carousel of all the apps currently running on your device, allowing you to switch between them swiftly.

All of these menus feel easy to navigate with the thumbsticks, and that was one of the big drawbacks of most other Windows-based handhelds. Considering how much freedom these devices are going to give you in terms of storefronts and platforms – Xbox PC app, Game Pass, Steam, Epic, and more – the navigation needs to be on point, and from what I’ve seen, it absolutely gets it right.

Overall, I was extremely impressed with both the standard Xbox Ally and the beefier Xbox Ally X. Both devices offer great performance and visuals, excellent design, and an intuitive interface. However, despite my glowing impressions, a couple of key questions remain unanswered.

While many games will no doubt wear one of the best gaming headsets from our guide while playing, my loud surroundings meant I couldn’t test the built-in speaker’s audio quality. Xbox is also yet to give solid battery life estimations, and with just 15 minutes on each console (both of which were hooked up to chargers), I couldn’t get any kind of read on that situation myself. Plus, the all-important price still remains a mystery, despite the Xbox Ally release date being less than two months away.

However, unless some unprecedentedly high prices render it poor value for money, I think the Xbox Ally could become the go-to handheld. Accessible to use, while still keeping the benefits of Windows, it’s shaping up to be a brilliant device.