Keen-eyed readers might know we already covered the Xbox Ally updates previously.
The Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X are now available in 45 countries.
So, let’s break down exactly what the Xbox offers today and what is planned for the future of the Xbox Ally.
What the Xbox Ally offers today The Xbox Ally comes in two models: the standard Xbox Ally and the Xbox Ally X.
What makes the Xbox Ally stand out is its deep collaboration between Xbox and Windows.
As astute readers may recall, we have already discussed the Xbox Ally updates. It is worthwhile to examine what will happen next, though, given the volume of news and coverage that has been generated about the handheld this week.
Xbox has released a more detailed roadmap for the Xbox Ally’s future, detailing its plans to improve the device over time with software upgrades and extended support.
45 countries now offer the Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X. With its AMD Z2 Extreme chip and collaborative development with ASUS, the handheld represents Xbox’s first significant foray into portable gaming. On paper, the idea is compelling. Game Pass, community, achievements, and your Xbox library are all accessible while on the go. However, it is not yet flawless.
The hardware has been praised in some early reviews, but most people agree that Windows and software limitations make the user experience difficult at times. Understanding this, Xbox has now outlined what users can anticipate in the upcoming months. Let’s examine what the Xbox currently offers and what the Xbox Ally is expected to get in the future.
What is currently available on the Xbox Ally.
The Xbox Ally X and the standard Xbox Ally are the two models available. With a design influenced by the Xbox controller, both are made to feel comfortable in the hands. AMD’s new Z2 A chip, which provides a slight performance boost over the Steam Deck, powers the standard model.
With the Z2 Extreme processor, the Xbox Ally X goes one step further and should handle more demanding games with greater performance.
The close partnership between Xbox and Windows is what distinguishes the Xbox Ally. In order to create a console-like experience, it introduces a new Full Screen Experience, or FSE, that boots the device directly into the Xbox app.
Additionally, it turns off unused Windows background processes to conserve system resources—something that handheld Windows PC users have been requesting for years and that other devices should eventually be able to do as well.
Although it is unable to install your Xbox library natively, the handheld is compatible with PC storefronts such as Steam and Epic Games. You can play some of the games you already own on the Xbox on the Ally for free because it supports Xbox Play Anywhere titles.
You can now stream games across all Game Pass tiers thanks to Xbox Cloud Gaming. Xbox Remote Play allows you to stream games straight from your home console even if they aren’t accessible via the cloud or PC.
The Xbox Ally is still in its infancy, but the idea is intriguing. Game Pass on the go and portable access to the Xbox ecosystem are things I’ve desired for years. However, it is not without faults.
Parts of the user experience have been criticized in early reviews, but the hardware has been praised. Several reviewers have referred to the Full Screen Experience in particular as incomplete, stating that it still feels like a beta. Xbox has released a roadmap detailing the Ally’s future improvements, suggesting that it recognizes this. What fans can anticipate next is as follows.
The Xbox Ally’s roadmap outlines the device’s future developments.
Microsoft has confirmed that Xbox Ally users can anticipate the following updates in the upcoming weeks and months.
Standard game profiles.
improved docking quality.
Super Resolution powered by AI.
AI highlight reels.
Although it may not seem like a long list, these updates will also include general enhancements to performance, usability, and stability. Numerous frequent grievances regarding the software should be addressed by that. That is the hope, anyway.
Settings will be automatically changed for each game by default game profiles. Without requiring users to adjust settings each time they start a game, I assume the objective is to strike a balance between performance and battery life.
The concept of the improved docking experience is obvious, though it is still a little hazy. Microsoft wants the Ally to function better when plugged into a TV or monitor. Docking would provide a more console-like experience in an ideal world. In practice, it will probably result in more stable performance free from display issues, improved display scaling, and fewer glitches when alternating between handheld and docked mode.
Auto SR, or Automatic Super Resolution, is one of the more intriguing additions. It makes use of the NPU rather than the CPU or GPU to improve games and visual quality while minimizing performance issues. Since the Xbox Ally is the less powerful of the two, it will improve games that run at lower resolutions so they appear more like 1080p or even 1440p.
This is especially significant because it will be the first Auto SR indication on a non-Qualcomm device. Up until now, the Snapdragon X platform was the only one with the tool.
For content creators and sharers, AI highlight reels are a quality-of-life feature. Again, I’m making assumptions because the information is hazy, but the Xbox Ally would automatically identify gameplay moments that it deems valuable and record them for you, saving you the trouble of manually documenting every moment.
It’s a good beginning, but the real test is about to start.
There is obvious long-term potential here, and the Xbox Ally is off to a good start. It now seems as though Xbox is moving toward a PC-based future in which the ecosystem itself will be more significant than hardware.
It’s exciting to see a combined library from Steam, Epic, and Xbox on a system created by Xbox, particularly if native Xbox console libraries are eventually included in that plan.
The experience still requires improvement. Between being a portable PC and a real Xbox handheld, the Ally feels torn. User reviews and comments point to the same issue: Windows obstructs the way.
Updates to ASUS’s Armoury Crate software and the Xbox app slow down the setup process, and unneeded apps like Microsoft Teams clutter the initial boot experience. Neither does it feel console-like nor streamlined just yet.
You shouldn’t feel like a $1,000 device is still in beta testing. Using its Insider Program prior to release would have allowed Microsoft to largely avoid this criticism.
The good news is that Xbox has acknowledged that work has begun to improve the experience. The roadmap is a positive start, but it must now be implemented.
It remains to be seen if Xbox can transform the Ally from a fantastic idea into a fantastic product. For now, make sure to read our comprehensive review if you’d like a more in-depth analysis of the hardware, software, and performance.
