The ROG Xbox Ally X is the clearest statement yet that Windows handhelds can chase the Steam Deck on raw performance, but the device proves that silicon and thermals alone don’t make a complete handheld experience—the software story and ecosystem friction still matter as much as frame rates and...
Asus’ ROG Ally X arrives as a confident, hardware-first answer to Steam Deck-style handhelds: it doubles down on battery, memory and storage, tightens thermals and ergonomics, and ships Windows 11 with an Xbox‑flavored, controller‑first shell — but the polish of the software experience and the...
ASUS and Xbox have opened pre-orders for two new handheld Windows gaming PCs — the ROG Xbox Ally and the higher‑end ROG Xbox Ally X — promising a console‑like, controller‑first experience built on Windows 11 and tuned jointly by ASUS and Microsoft to bring Game Pass, installed PC libraries, and...
Asus and Microsoft have opened pre-orders for two new Xbox-branded ROG handhelds — the ROG Xbox Ally (base) and the higher‑end ROG Xbox Ally X — with an official on‑shelf launch date set for October 16, 2025 and U.S. estimated retail prices at roughly $599.99 for the Ally and $999.99 for the...
The first time you boot the Xbox full‑screen experience on a handheld Windows PC it feels, in practice, like someone surgically replaced the Windows desktop with a console‑style launcher — and the early hands‑on tests show that this is less about eye candy and more about real resource...
ally x
asus
battery efficiency
benchmark
console like ux
driver mismatches
firmware
game bar
handheld gaming
memory reclamation
oem firmware tuning
performance gains
real world gains
rogally
vivetool
windows 11
windows insider
xbox full screen experience
The first time you boot the Xbox full‑screen experience on an OG ROG Ally, it feels like someone quietly unhooked Windows from the device and slid a console‑style launcher in its place — but the reality is more pragmatic and far more interesting: Microsoft has layered a controller‑first Xbox...
asus
background services
battery life
console style ux
full screen
gaming interface
handheld compatibility program
handheld gaming
memory optimization
microsoft
performance gains
rogally
startup apps
steam os competitors
vivetool
windows handhelds
windows insider
xbox
xbox full screen experience
xbox mode
Microsoft’s new handheld-focused “Xbox mode” for Windows 11 is already being run on existing Windows handhelds — in some cases by users who have forced the mode early via Insider/Release Preview builds and system tweaks — giving owners of devices like the original ASUS ROG Ally and other Windows...
asus handheld
controller first ux
driver maturity
explorer suppression
frame pacing
game bar
handheld compatibility program
handheld optimization
insider program
memory footprint
mostly compatible
ram gains
registry
release preview
rogally
windows handhelds
xbox app
xbox mode
Microsoft’s new Xbox “Full Screen Experience” for handheld Windows PCs is no longer just marketing copy on a press release — enthusiasts are already running it on older hardware, and early tests show real, measurable gains and equally real caveats that matter for anyone who owns a handheld...
Microsoft has begun rolling out Gaming Copilot (Beta) to Windows PCs via the Xbox Game Bar, an in‑overlay AI assistant that promises real‑time, voice‑first help, screenshot‑aware guidance, achievement tracking, and personalized game recommendations — with mobile Xbox app support scheduled for...
accessibility
account aware
achievement help
achievements
ai assistant
ai in gaming
anti-cheat
beta rollout
cloud ai
console
context-aware
cross-device
cross-platform
esports
game bar
game bar widget
game discovery
game recommendations
gaming
gaming accessibility
gaming copilot
guardrails
handheld
handheld optimization
in-game assistant
in-game help
integration
local ai
market fairness
microsoft
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overlay
performance
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privacy
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push to talk
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regional gating
rogally
screen capture
screenshot analysis
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second screen
voice control
voice mode
windows 11
windows game bar
windows handhelds
xbox
xbox app
Microsoft’s new full‑screen Xbox experience for Windows handhelds—sold as a controller‑first, console‑style shell—has begun appearing on existing Windows handheld PCs ahead of the ROG Xbox Ally family’s retail debut, with enthusiasts enabling the interface via Windows 11 25H2 preview builds and...
asus handheld
benchmark
controller first ux
game bar
handheld compatibility program
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insider preview
lenovo legion go
oem drivers
ram savings
registry
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rogally
stability issues
storefront compatibility
vivetool
windows 11
xbox app
xbox full screen experience
Microsoft's new handheld-focused, full‑screen Xbox interface for Windows 11 can already be unlocked on many in‑market Windows handhelds thanks to a Release Preview of the Windows 11 25H2 update and a handful of community-discovered switches — meaning you don't have to wait for the ROG Xbox...
25h2
background services
battery efficiency
console like ux
console style launcher
controller-first-ui
driver compatibility
driver maturity
explorer suppression
full screen
game bar
game pass
gaming
handheld
handheld compatibility program
handheld gaming
hardware compatibility
insider builds
insider preview
lenovo legion go
memory optimization
memory savings
oem
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oem updates
performance gains
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ram reclamation
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registry
release preview
rogally
storefront compatibility
storefronts
system stability
unified library
vivetool
windows 11
windows handhelds
xbox
xbox app
xbox full screen experience
xbox mode
Microsoft’s new Xbox Full screen experience for Windows handhelds can already be forced onto existing devices — but early testers warn that getting it running is only the first step; making it stable, usable, and genuinely advantageous is another matter entirely.
Background
Microsoft and ASUS...
controller
driver alignment
fragmentation
game bar improvements
handheld
handheld compatibility program
handheld gaming
memory headroom
oem drivers
rogally
switching modes
third-party launchers
vivetool
windows handhelds
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xbox app
xbox full screen experience
xbox insiders
Microsoft and ASUS have accelerated the handheld-PC arms race by shipping the ROG Xbox Ally family with a purpose-built Xbox full‑screen experience layered on Windows 11 — and, crucially, that same console‑like launcher is already being enabled on many existing Windows handhelds via the Windows...
auto sr
console style launcher
console-like ui
game bar
handheld compatibility program
handheld gaming
rogally
shader delivery
windows 11
windows handhelds
xbox ally
xbox app
xbox full screen experience
Microsoft’s new handheld-focused Xbox Mode — the full-screen, controller-first Xbox experience layered on Windows 11 — is already being run on a wide range of in-market Windows handhelds, and community ports plus an Insider-channel push mean owners of existing devices can try the experience now...
battery life
community ports
controller
game bar
handheld
handheld compatibility program
handheld gaming
insider builds
rogally
windows 11
windows handhelds
xbox app
xbox mode
Microsoft’s handheld gambit has quietly moved from concept to something you can try on your own device: a controller‑first, full‑screen “Xbox” experience built into Windows 11 is rolling out as part of the platform’s handheld work, and enthusiasts are already using the new handheld view and...
25h2
ally x
asus
battery life
compact mode
console-like ui
controller
fse
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game bar
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memory optimization
oem
oem integration
performance gains
performance tradeoffs
performance tuning
rogally
vivetool
windows 11
windows apps
windows insider
xbox
xbox ally
xbox mode
The community has already started peeling back the seams of the ROG Xbox Ally’s new “Xbox Mode,” and hobbyist modders have managed to run the console-style, full‑screen Xbox experience on a range of other Windows handhelds — a development that short-circuits manufacturer timelines, accelerates...
battery life
early access
firmware
game bar
handheld compatibility program
handheld gaming
registry tweaks
rogally
windows 11
windows handhelds
xbox mode
Microsoft’s handheld push has taken a new turn: the Xbox-style, full‑screen “Xbox Mode” that will ship as the default experience on the ROG Xbox Ally family is already appearing on other Windows 11 handhelds — in community builds and hacks — ahead of the Ally’s retail launch, forcing a rapid...
25h2
ai features
asus
auto sr
battery life
community ports
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modding
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oem integration
oem rollout
performance gains
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registry tweaks
rogally
security risks
shader delivery
software mods
vivetool
windows 11
windows handhelds
windows insider
xbox
xbox app
xbox integration
xbox mode
xbox ui
Windows handheld owners who’ve been frustrated by Windows’ desktop baggage can try Microsoft’s new Xbox‑focused, controller‑first “Xbox mode” today — without waiting for the retail 25H2 release — by enrolling in the Xbox Insider previews and switching on the compact/full‑screen Xbox UX in the...
background services
battery life
console-like ui
desktop suppression
game bar
handheld gaming
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insider preview
launcher
memory optimization
memory savings
pc gaming preview
preview build
rogally
steam and epic
windows 11
windows handhelds
xbox app
xbox insiders
xbox mode
Microsoft’s new handheld-focused Windows 11 “Xbox full‑screen” experience — the controller‑first launcher being trialed on the ROG Xbox Ally family — can be shoehorned onto older hardware like the original ASUS ROG Ally, and the early hands‑on results make clear where the performance wins...
aggregated library
anti-cheat
apu
asus handheld
controller first ux
game bar
handheld gaming
restart tax
rogally
ryzen z2
sleep reliability
startup apps
task view
windows 11
windows handhelds
xbox full screen experience
zen 5
Microsoft’s console-first pivot for small screens lands in a surprisingly usable form, and testing Windows 11’s new Handheld Gaming Mode on an OG ROG Ally shows both what’s changed and what still needs work for real-world handheld PC owners.
Background / Overview
Windows 11’s new Handheld Gaming...
anti-cheat
battery life
battery life handheld
console like ux
console style launcher
controller
controller first ux
desktop switching friction
drm
game bar
gaming
handheld
handheld compatibility program
handheld gaming
idle power reduction
memory optimization
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pc portability
performance gains
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rogally
startup apps
task view
unified library
windows 11
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xbox app
xbox full screen experience