Gone with the Windows

Is Microsoft's first gaming handheld a take-anywhere triumph, or is the Steam Deck's crown secure? Stuff knows the score...

- from R13 000 / store.asus.com

DAY 01

It's taken a few decades, but Microsoft has finally followed Nintendo into handheld territory. Well, sort of. The ROG Xbox Ally that landed on our doorstep recently is a collaborative effort, with Asus supplying the hardware and the Windows team overhauling its software for gamers on the go.

This is a two-pronged effort, just like the Xbox Series X and Series S: the black ROG Xbox Ally X leaves a bigger dent in your bank balance in return for more powerful hardware and better haptics, while the white ROG Xbox Ally tested here is all about 720p play. At R13 000 it squares off almost directly against Valve's Steam Deck OLED; that could make it a tough sell, given it's behind on software and Windows has been notoriously tricky to use on a small screen.

Things are off to a good start, though. The initial setup finally recognises controller inputs, we weren't bombarded with as many questions as usual (no, Microsoft, you can't monitor our handwriting data), and it took us straight to the new full-screen Xbox interface. It's the first thing you see beyond the lockscreen now, with the usual Windows 11 desktop not even fully loading into memory unless you need it.