Tony BarkMicrosoft and Asus announce two Xbox Ally handhelds with new Xbox full-screen experience
ampersarnieIs this the rumoured Xbox handheld that everyone has been going on about for months?
LCPYep.
AppoxoI believe somewhere else that idea/project was taken back to the workshop and this is something else but close to that.
ZykinoYeah, I also read that they stopped the project of building an official Xbox handheld to focus on 3rd party hardware. Because otherwise the delay would make them not launch at the same time than the home console.
I read that somewhere as well, it coincided with reports of SteamOS being more performant that Windows 11 for gaming. How related they both were I have no idea but it sounds like MS were already aware and are trying to resolve that here as it prevents resource intensive processes from launching (desktop, etc).
PacManI still think the real XBox handheld is another 2-5 years out. This is Microsoft dipping their toes in the water and the ROC is a great system to start that partnership
Steam Deck appreciator myself and this does seem like a good starting point for Xbox. I’m interested to see how it progresses over the years.
Not saying I’d get one, but I am a Xbox gamer. It’s where the majority of my purchases are. I hardly play PC because I just don’t like sitting at a desk, when I’m in a desk chair most of the day. I maybe have 3-4 games on steam, but my PC is getting old just found out even though my graphics card can do ray tracing, my processor is only 2.9ghx and recommended min is 3.2 and can’t run the new doom game.
So if you were to get one would you stay with the steam deck or wait for the Asus?
Looking at your use case, I would go with Asus. You would already have a decent library because of some Xbox Play Anywhere titles, plus there is also gamepass.
I’d agree with this to be honest. As much as I love my Steam Deck I’m not sure it’s the choice they’re looking for. But, I also haven’t used any other Asus offerings with handhelds, to make a full run down of advice and comparison.
AmosBurton_ThatGuyI get your point but the speed of the CPU means nothing without mentioning the specific model. My old i7-4790k came stock at 4.4GHz and would massively struggle to run modern games, but if I underclocked my current 7600x to 3.2GHz it would easily handle the latest games at 60 FPS.
They seem to have dropped all plans to plans to make their own recently.
The ROG Xbox Ally will still release, but no microsoft Xbox handheld.
The ROG Xbox Ally will still release, but no microsoft Xbox handheld.
BlackmistOnly it doesn’t run Xbox games. 🤡
Vanilla_PuddinFudgeTo Microsoft, everything is an Xbox.
At least that’s their marketing atm.
I’d say it’ll backfire when people can’t play those odd Xbox games that for some reason never came to PC, but there’s so few people using Xboxes anyway, I doubt it’s going to matter. They’ve well and truly dropped the ball since the Xbox 360, and don’t really show any signs of being interested in picking it up again.
Everything just points to them making enough money from everything else to not really care. This is as token an effort as it’s possible to make in the handheld space.
solsangraaldamn asus not reading the room…
You mean the Linux room? You think the average person cares on what OS their stuff runs?
You, my dear friend, are a very loud and vocal minority.
You, my dear friend, are a very loud and vocal minority.
OlapI am whelmed. Never been the biggest mobile gamer, will skip
It’s not “mobile gaming” it’s more “handheld pc gaming.” I get it sounds pedantic but “mobile games” and “mobile gaming” for 99% of people means games released for smartphones.
Competition…lol
I mean conservative estimates have over 20 million people using game pass and the steam deck is getting long in the tooth technology wise. Also, Ilove my steam deck so much, but it is not the most user-friendly for newbies sometimes. You have to be comfortable troubleshooting occasionally, especially if you ever plan on using desktop mode. Which is not required of course, but you are leaving a lot of the appeal of the device in the first place on the table if you don’t use that ever.
I fucking hate Microsoft, I am over the Xbox ecosystem, but ultimately this will be a very pick up and play device. It will likely sell at least half decently (likely underperform their estimates as always). I think anybody saying it’s doomed to fail is honestly ignorant of the current state of gaming.
ampersandrewThis machine will be the same desktop-mode-not-required-but-allows-for-more-functionality thing that the Steam Deck is, but it will chew through battery faster in exchange for more compatibility.
Sounds about right
malwiederWell, at least the base model Xbox Ally has essentially the same SoC as the Steam Deck. The Z2 A has 4 Zen 2 cores and 8 RDNA 2 CUs. It will be configurable up to 20 watts TDP instead of 15 on the Deck, but that’s it. So much for “long in the tooth technology wise”.
Sure, the Z2 Extreme variant will be more powerful, but it’ll also be in a different price category (800-900,-€).
And in terms of user-friendliness: the Xbox Ally will run Windows. It won’t launch into the regular desktop shell (by default), and it won’t have as many services running in the background which might help with performance and battery life, and you’ll probably be able to update drivers and Windows through it. Maybe it will have some preconfigured scripts/shortcuts to install Steam, Battle.net etc. But that’s it. Expect to fall back to the desktop mode (or open a browser, terminal and Explorer window in the new gaming mode) for anything more advanced like installing emulators.
In terms of pick up and play this won’t be much different to the Steam Deck, with the one exception being Game Pass - but even then don’t expect any of the more demanding titles to run well.
There is no way they are charging 800+ for this. That’s absurd. If you’re right I’ll come back and praise you lol
There is no way they are charging €900 for this. That’s absurd. If you’re right I’ll come back and praise you lol
The ROG Ally X’s MSRP is 899,-€ and that’s what it currently costs here in Germany at least. It was as low as 799,-€ though recently, but now it’s back up. Considering this “Xbox Ally X” is the successor to it, I don’t think it’s unrealistic.
Alright I’ll admit when I’ve got it wrong, I’m looking at the price and I remember the base ally at £600-700, forgot the extreme and all that stuff at 900.
Alright I’ll admit when I’ve got it wrong, I’m looking at the price and I remember the base ally at £600-700, forgot the extreme and all that stuff at 900.
You’re good, no worries. We’re all just speculating anyway, there isn’t really a right or wrong.
I’d just be surprised if it’d come down in price one model to the next considering prices for tech in general. Maybe Microsoft made a special deal with ASUS, but I think the base model with the Z2 A is what they’ll use to rectify the price of the Z2 Extreme model.
the steam deck is getting long in the tooth technology wise
lolwut? The Deck was released only three years ago.
And how long do you think a $300-$400 handheld PC is supposed to stay on the cutting edge?
You can already see its ability to play AAA games slipping. It’s an incredibly impressive machine but the days of BG3/cyberpunk/etc. dropping on it and being solid experiences are wrapping up. I’m sure it has several years of viability in store but come on.
And how long do you think a $300-$400 handheld PC is supposed to stay on the cutting edge?
You can already see its ability to play AAA games slipping. It’s an incredibly impressive machine but the days of BG3/cyberpunk/etc. dropping on it and being solid experiences are wrapping up. I’m sure it has several years of viability in store but come on.
Nintendo wiped the floor in the mobile gaming market for decades despite their competitors having beefier specs. The DS lasted for years before we ever got the Switch. Let the Steam Deck mature.
The steamdeck has matured and because of its architecture there is no meaningful upgrade or change you can do to it yourself besides storage.
Valve has made it very clear they have no plans to release another one, the OLED was their final refresh of the design. Their focus in that arena is on bringing steamOS to different platforms, perhaps another round of Steam machines, but they have explicitly said they are not taking another crack at mobile hardware right now.
Even if you’re correct, it’s still too early, anyway. That’s my point.
The DS had a seven-year lifespan and the original Switch had eight. Even living room console have an average near decade long lifespan. So, of course Valve isn’t going to throw their money into a second generation.
The DS had countless iterations and refreshes. The Switch was Nintendo’s flagship product. I also never said the steamdeck was useless or done. You know I didn’t, yet you pretend like I’m treating it as if its practically e-waste. I was very specific/nuanced in how I talked about it. I don’t know why this is such an important hill for you to die on but I think I’m being more than fair to the deck.
But like the Xbox Series S it is starting to show some age on more demanding titles.
Sounds like this is more of the fault of the AAA publishers than the console makers.
It doesn’t matter whose fault it is.
It fucking does matter. I’m tired of this stupid rat race.
Dude come on why are you making me be so prescriptive?
Yes it matters in the grand sense of things. I care about the state of the industry and gaming.
It does not matter re: the subject I am talking about, i.e. whether or not the steamdeck is getting older/its AAA capabilities. I am talking about realties, you are trying to make this a discussion about values.
samus12345The difference is that nobody’s releasing games specifically made for the Deck. Some are including optimizations to make their games run decently well on it, but it’s not a AAA machine. I bought one knowing this full well and am satisfied playing less demanding games on it, but it’s not going to be playing new demanding games, unlike with dedicated consoles.
This is sick if the pricing is good.
Insert credit card to find out
It won’t.
And the crowd went ...ok?
At least the internet crowd went :
Silksooooooooooong ! New images and half revealed date of “you will be able to play it on day one”. So either same launch day or a bit before. 2nd time (after the switch 2 trailer) that they mention silksong for this year. So maaaaybe ? Oh by the way, why are the image shown at an angle? Is it really only to showcase the console? Whatever.
audaxdreikI suspect handhelds are going to be the future for awhile now. It’s not just out of a growing demand or simply because portable graphics processing and battery power have improved (although those factors do help) but it’s another chance to:
Those first two aren’t particularly surprising, they’re the key elements that Nintendo has honed in on while Sony and particularly Microsoft continue to struggle. Microsoft feels like they’ve just left XBox to languish while they focus on Game Pass as a means to ensnare you into their economy which is why they’re first down this path, but I think Sony will follow shortly. In an ideal world, I’d love to see Sony get back to hardware manufacturing with a Vita like device you could load Linux/SteamOS onto. Vita was a great little product, done so dirty.
But moreover it’s that last point, really. It’s hard to continue to push out these extraordinarily big budget, bordering on AAAA (lol) territory games that continue to flop. I know the Switch 2 is already doing stuff like Cyberpunk 2077, but that stuff can still be hell on battery life as well as requiring lower resolution and lowered visuals in portable mode.
I feel like Nintendo is making a big mistake pushing that 4K60 envelope with the Switch 2, although I see why they made that maneuver. The Switch was perpetually underpowered and they felt the need to close that gap, but they already struggle to push out big budget tentpole franchises as is illustrated by Mario Kart World being the only big release title. Also, I just want to generally point this out, Nintendo suffers from needing to up the stakes. It’s what lead to Mario Galaxy being such a grand adventure, then Odyssey going even bigger than that. Now we have Kart World because … gotta get bigger than 8 Deluxe somehow I guess.
I don’t know what any of this means or where it’s going, I just wanted to try and call out some of these observations. Turbulent times ahead, I don’t know that anyone really knows what the next 2-3 years will look like.
I sincerely doubt that this device will satisfy criteria #1 or #2, unless you’ve got a generous definition for #2.
I know the Switch 2 is already doing stuff like Cyberpunk 2077
It’s 4 1/2 years old and already runs on other handhelds. Not really an impressive feat.
they already struggle to push out big budget tentpole franchises as is illustrated by Mario Kart World being the only big release title.
Yeah, I read that they only released something like 22 original titles in the 8 years the Switch has been around. That’s not counting any ports, remasters, and the like, which make up a hefty chunk of their Switch releases. They got away with it before because so few people had a Wii U, but they need to up their game to make the Switch 2 appealing to the masses, especially with the high price tag. It’s not a promising start, with announced titles being Donkey Kong Bananza (which looks great) and a whole bunch of Switch 1 upsells, including Metroid Prime 4, which will be released for both consoles. Feels like they’re trying to cannibalize their Switch 1 releases the way they did their Wii U ones.
It will run better on Steam OS.
Does steam OS allow for things like Nexus mods and emulators?
Yes to both. Nexus mods can be installed both manually or through an application like Vortex or Mod Organizer 2 run through Wine or Proton. You have a lot of options. Emulators run really well on Linux (including SteamOS). Checkout EmuDeck (popular application) or RetroArch (also popular).
Mods are tricky. The short answer is yes, absolutely*
The long answer is that youll have to read up on how compatibility layers like Wine work before being able to do everything you can do with windows on a Linux OS modding-wise. Long story short you just kinda stick them in the same instance, and it will all work pretty much perfectly. It’s more work though. Also in my experience MO2 crashes if run outside of Gaming Mode on my deck.
Nexus mods is, however, making a mod manager that supports Linux right out of the box, so we may not even have to worry about that anymore soon. I think it supports stardew valley already, next is cyberpunk 2077, and Bethesda rpgs are on the list to be added too.
In my experience, I’ve installed wabbajack mod lists for skyrim and fallout 4 and new vegas if I remember right, and they all work great. The instructions might seem a little janky, but they work. I’ve also made my own lists and followed manual modpack guides like Below Zero for fallout 4 Frost and it turned out great.
hide away the complexity of Windows
for 720p gaming
the ability to log in via the Windows lockscreen with your controller
Seems like they’ve finally taken some notes from the Steam Deck, interested to see if they can actually make something decent. It seems unlikely, but I’m still interested!
This will likely only play pc games… And that is the big disappointment.
Who cares? We already have pc gaming handhelds. Unless this is subsidized to hell so it beats all other pricepoints… why should anyone care?
If my xbox library was made mobile… That would be something new and worthwhile. NO, I DONT WANT TO STREAM. I cant always stream on a handheld either. I want to possess my games!(As much as i can anyways)
Xbox will be disappointed by the sales of this handheld and might give up on their own that could play the xbox library locally. If they do that their next generation is screwed. Lets see how this plays out.
They have given up on their own handheld. And why wouldn’t you prefer the PC library when it’s so much larger? The appeal to this device at this point is that the new UI is better for the handheld use case than desktop Windows.
Its not that i dont prefer the PC library, its that there are already dozens of other handhelds that play PC games already.
So then the UI is the sole reason people should want this device?
I see no reason why this UI shouldnt also work on the plethora of other windows handhelds in the market currently. This leaves nothing new for this device to offer… Unless its really cheap.
At least at first, it will be the only handheld running this version of Windows. So maybe after a year or two, it won’t be all that unique, true, but a year or two is a long time at the rate these handhelds are advancing.
What a weak sell then, i understand your point, i just wish Xbox came out swinging with a compatibility layer for the Xbox game library. A portable device with that capability would have the potential to put them back on top.
Instead we get a less bad version of windows, that will likely be inferior to its direct competitor anyways(steamOS). I see no reason to believe it wont be.