Microsoft finally announced the ROG Xbox Ally X, its handheld gaming PC made in collaboration with Asus. The huge advantage of this handheld is that Microsoft has made software improvements to make Windows 11 more usable on this kind of device – and it seems like those improvements might come to other PC gaming handhelds.
Fan account Asus ROG Ally Life account tweeted that while the “Xbox full-screen experience” is coming to the Xbox Ally X first, the company will allegedly be working to update the existing ROG Ally and ROG Ally X. Plus, the account even suggested this experience could be coming to PC gaming handhelds as a category throughout 2026.
Keep in mind that this is from a fan account, so you should take it with a grain of salt. But still, if Microsoft did allow PC handheld manufacturers to implement this new version of the Xbox app, it would go a long way toward fixing the big bugbear most people have with Windows handhelds: the user experience. If the new Xbox App is good, and comes to all PC gaming handhelds, it could go a long way in challenging the Steam Deck’s dominance.
I’ve reached out to Asus for comment, and I’ll update this story if and when the company gets back to me. Either way, the Xbox Ally X will likely be launching sometime during the holiday season, so we have a long way to go before any new Xbox app can make its way into something like the Lenovo Legion Go.
Why Is This Necessary?
The Asus ROG Ally X that came out last year was easily the best handheld gaming PC I’ve seen yet, but it would have been even better if Windows on a touch screen wasn’t so bad. Even though Armoury Crate, Asus’ software that’s also coming to the Xbox Ally X, does make the process easier, it’s still a pain to set the system up initially.
The ROG Xbox Ally X being essentially a sequel to last year’s device is exciting, because it looks to be taking an excellent handheld and using it to make handheld PC gaming better as a whole. I don’t know whether or not this rumor is true, but if it is, PC gaming is going to have its best year in a long time.
To this day, I still recommend the Steam Deck to a lot of people who aren’t super comfortable fiddling around with Windows. It is just so easy to turn the thing on, connect your Steam account, and start downloading and playing games. The only thing that really holds it back is that other PC game launchers aren’t natively supported, at least not without installing Windows.
We’re still a ways out from the Xbox Ally X actually hitting the market, and it’s entirely possible that Microsoft is talking a bigger game than it can actually deliver. It wouldn’t be the first time the company has fumbled a new Windows feature, after all. But if this full-screen Xbox experience is good, it should be made available to all PC gamers.
If there’s one thing Microsoft has made clear over the last few years its that it looks at pretty much any device that can play Xbox games and says “this is an Xbox.” Making these operating system improvements and the new Xbox app available to any manufacturer would only make sense, and would go a long way to truly uniting the Xbox and PC gaming audience.
Jackie Thomas is the Hardware and Buying Guides Editor at IGN and the PC components queen. You can follow her @Jackiecobra
