Microsoft and Asus have named a release date for the ROG Xbox Ally gaming consoles
By ForGeeks
Microsoft has announced the release date for the ROG Xbox Ally handheld consoles developed in partnership with Asus. The devices will go on sale October 16 in the U.S. and several other regions, ahead of the release of several Xbox Game Studios projects, including Keeper, Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2.
Microsoft announced the release date for the ROG Xbox Ally 2 handheld consoles.
The company also revealed new console features and unveiled the Handheld Compatibility Program, a program that will let players know if a game is optimized for the device. The cost of Steam Deck’s competitors hasn’t been announced yet.
The lineup includes the ROG Xbox Ally and the more powerful ROG Xbox Ally X. Their release coincides with the launch of Double Fine’s atmospheric adventure Keeper, with Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2 coming out in the following weeks.
At the same time, the ROG Xbox Ally and the more powerful ROG Xbox Ally X will be available for purchase.
Commenting on the pricing, Microsoft said it is refraining from publishing it for now because it wants to “consider the macroeconomic impact.” The company said it doesn’t want to repeat situations with price changes, as it previously did with The Outer Worlds 2 or the Nintendo Switch and its accessories.
Now Xbox is emphasizing the hardware itself, release dates and features. For example, consoles will get Advanced Shader Delivery, a feature that preloads the necessary shaders while downloading a game. This will save battery life and shorten the wait at first launch.
In addition, ROG Xbox Ally X owners will get two AI solutions early next year. The first will automatically create slices of gameplay moments to share on social media. The second is Automatic Super Resolution, Nvidia’s DLSS analog that boosts resolution and frame rate.
Handheld Compatibility Program will be analogous to Steam Deck Verified and will show whether games are “handheld optimized” or “mostly compatible.” For those with a focus on performance, there’s a Window Performance Fit indicator that shows how a particular game performs on the selected model. That said, the ROG Xbox Ally X will be the more powerful version, which will likely be reflected in its price.
