Class in pocket

Microsoft has teamed up with Asus to produce the closest thing to a handheld Xbox there has ever been. But can it possibly live up to the name?

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£799/go.stuff.tv/XAllyX

You wait years for Microsoft to release a handheld Xbox and then two come along at once. Well, kind of.

Asus unveiled a matching pair of Xbox-branded portable gaming PCs late last year – and while they look identical (colour aside), this all-black ROG Xbox Ally X is the more potent of the two, with an AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme processor, 24GB of RAM and 1TB of storage behind the 7in touchscreen.

It also offers slightly more extensive connectivity and a pair of Impulse Triggers like those found on an Xbox pad, which send higher-fidelity force feedback through your fingers... but what sets both apart from other handhelds is that Xbox connection.

With a pretty chunky £799 asking price, though, is the full-screen Xbox interface enough to tempt you away from a Steam Deck OLED or a Nintendo Switch 2 and a pocket full of leftover cash? Let's find out...

Heft of centre