Is Microsoft’s first ever handheld Xbox console worth the wait?

For nearly two decades, there have been rumors of a portable Xbox console that could compete with Nintendo and PlayStation.

Now it's finally here. ROG Xbox Ally has been released worldwide, ending the speculation.

It works natively with the Xbox Game Pass subscription service, meaning members will start with hundreds of games in their library.

But its main trick is that it's actually a portable computer running Windows, which means most digital PC games people already own will work too – as long as they don't need a keyboard and mouse to play.

It's capable of running most modern games at decent resolution, although all that technology doesn't come cheap. The handheld costs £499, or £799 for the more powerful ROG Xbox Ally X.

I got my hands on the console last week and my experience was positive, although the hardware definitely has its hiccups.

So, was it worth the wait?

You might not be surprised to learn that it's similar to a portable Xbox.

The controller that makes up each side of the screen is comfortable to hold. Both joysticks feel nice to the touch, and while the face buttons are a little plasticky for my taste, the triggers on the top of the device feel fine.

So far so good, but what about the games?

The first thing I did with the device was boot up something known for its vibrant colors—2019's Persona 5 Royal—to see how good the screen looked.

Personally, I thought it was fantastic.

Tech geeks like me may have been concerned that Microsoft opted for an LCD display over top-tier OLED displays.

In English, this means that this portable Xbox does not have the best screen available on the market, which may seem like a questionable decision given the price.

But LCD displays have gotten significantly better in recent years, and while they may not have the most vibrant colors, I was amazed at how good Persona 5's deep reds looked on the handheld screen.

The game ran well too, with no visible stuttering or stuttering – although that's certainly to be expected from something that doesn't have the same graphical demands as modern games.

Remember, this is not like buying a game on the Nintendo Switch 2, where you can expect everything to work out of the box.

It's more like buying a game for your home computer.

In other words, you don't know for sure whether the game will work or not.

This is definitely a negative for a portable computer, although PC gamers have been accustomed to this for many years.

Even though it's an Xbox portable, it can also be described as a Windows portable – it has all the downsides of PC gaming, but also the upsides.

For example, Baldur's Gate 3, which can be particularly demanding at times, proved challenging for the device at higher graphics settings, but since it is a PC game, I was able to play around with the graphics settings to get it to run smoothly.

The handheld excels at modern games that don't require the best graphics – as you'd expect for the price.

For example, I had no problems running some of this year's biggest games, such as Hades II, Blue Prince, and Hollow Knight: Silksong.

The device also performed well when playing older games—I had a similar experience with the Steam Deck when it released in 2022—but, oddly enough, my biggest issues were running some of them.

For example, I couldn't get 2001's Sonic Adventure 2 to work properly due to compatibility issues.

Luckily, the PDA is running Windows 11, so I knew how to fix the error.

ROG Xbox Ally has a huge library of potential games, many of which you may already own since it's a portable PC.

But this thing was actually created for Game Pass, Xbox's game subscription service.

Game Pass gives you access to a huge history of classic games like Halo, Gears of War and Fable, as well as modern games including Call of Duty.

Many of these games don't need to be downloaded to your device – they can be streamed via the cloud.

Of course, if the game is streaming from a Microsoft server somewhere, it doesn't require too much from the device to power it – meaning you can get the impressive graphics from modern games like Modern Warfare 3 on a portable computer.

Meanwhile, Game Pass Ultimate also includes subscription services from EA and Ubisoft, giving you access to even more games right away.

However, while Game Pass takes center stage on the device, it is not a requirement.

Remember that this system runs Windows 11. This means that any game made for PC will work here, even if it requires a little fiddling to get it to work properly.

The harsh reality is that it is no longer 2001, when the rumors first surfaced.

Pocket PCs are no longer uncommon, and neither are portable gaming machines.

Nintendo cornered the market with the Switch—one of the best-selling consoles in history—and its Switch 2 only improved on what made the original great.

Sony has its own alternative product, the PlayStation Portal, which can stream games from a connected PlayStation 5 as well as from the cloud.

And most importantly, Microsoft's new device comes three and a half years after Valve entered the handheld gaming market with the Steam Deck.

There's no doubt that the ROG Xbox Ally compares well to many competitors on the market, but at this price point that's to be expected.

Unfortunately, what sets Xbox Ally X apart from its competitors—the fact that it runs Windows natively—is also its biggest strain.

On the one hand, it allows you to do some fun things. It was interesting to mention the co-pilot during the game and ask for advice on what to do next, as well as hear a conversational conversation with the character on the screen in front of me.

But you'll have to deal with Windows, which was hardly designed with a gaming console in mind. I had to sit and wait for several updates to install before I could even play the thing – hardly every kid's dream on Christmas morning.

Simply put, it lacks the finesse you'd expect at a higher price.

But I think the people Microsoft is targeting with this product are unlikely to be turned away by the lack of polish. Moreover, this has no real impact on games.

The question is whether Game Pass's on-the-go appeal will be enough to justify the price of admission.

If the goal was to create something similar to a portable Xbox, Microsoft certainly delivered on its promise, but did it come too late to the market?