The First Xbox Handheld Could Be Coming Sooner Than You Think

Microsoft may be ready to announce an official release date for its long-awaited Xbox handheld (or at least, the one that’s not actually being made by Xbox). The most recent reliable leaks suggest the Asus ROG Xbox Ally and Ally X will hit the scene in October, with Microsoft planning to share pricing and preorder info later this month. The end of the year is shaping up to be open season for handheld PCs, though I’m still biting my bottom lip to get used to the sting of what may be very expensive gaming machines.

French-language tech news site Dealabs reports that Microsoft could announce its Xbox handheld release date on Aug. 20 during Gamescom. That’s plenty obvious since the company already said it will have demos of both the Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X at its booth. Dealab’s consistent leaker “billbil-kun” went a step further and claims the handhelds will hit the scene on Oct. 16. While that may refer specifically to an EU release date, it matches with previous statements from Asus and Xbox about a launch this fall.

So we won’t have to wait long to see the first truly new Xbox-branded gaming hardware in action. However, the real sticking point may be pricing. Dealabs claims the lower-end ROG Xbox Ally will be 599 euros, or close to $697 in U.S. The Xbox Ally X, which contains the AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme chip built for high-powered handhelds, may demand 899 euros, or closer to $1,047. Leaked store listings on Google also gave credence to those prices, though Microsoft has not confirmed anything yet. Those listings could refer specifically to EU prices, which may not be the same as what you’ll see in the U.S. The Asus ROG Ally X, which was the blueprint for the Xbox version, also costs 900 euros in France. It’s currently $900 in the U.S. at Best Buy.

The Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X are the first Windows-based handhelds that use Microsoft’s revised operating system built specifically for the small screen. The device will boot straight into an Xbox app layout that removes much of the software bloat that would slow down these lower-powered systems. The Windows for handhelds OS will let you access your PC or Game Pass games, alongside other third-party launchers like Steam and Epic Games Store. Microsoft has yet to say if it will support third-party launchers like GOG as well. We should expect you won’t be loading up your favorite retro emulators from this UI, either. However, the ROG Xbox Ally dual boots with a regular version of Windows, which means you’ll be able to access any of your regular Windows apps.

If you’d rather opt for another handheld—one that could run SteamOS if you’d rather eschew Windows—there are several more mobile gaming devices yet to hit the scene. MSI is planning to launch its Claw A8 later this year and we’ve already seen leaked benchmarks of the device in action. Then there’s the Lenovo Legion Go 2 with its large OLED display with a larger resolution than the Steam Deck OLED’s 720p screen. Neither MSI nor Lenovo has announced an expected price or a release date for either of its two handhelds. Both companies could be waiting on Microsoft, which has promised it would allow its handheld version of Windows to operate on third-party devices.