Xbox announces ROG Ally handheld console to rival Switch 2

Microsoft has confirmed details of its long-awaited handheld console, the ROG Xbox Ally.

• READ MORE: Nintendo Switch 2 review: easy to pick up, almost impossible to put down

Last year, Xbox teased it was working on a handheld console to rival the Nintendo Switch. In June, boss Phil Spencer said “the future for us in hardware is pretty awesome. The work that the team is doing around different form factors, different ways to play, I’m incredibly excited about.”

A few months later he said that the “expectation is that we would do something” in the handheld gaming space, with a team already working on prototypes.

Now Microsoft has confirmed two new handheld consoles will be released later this year.

The ROG Xbox Ally is “the essential handheld at a great value for everyone from the casual player to the avid enthusiast” while the ROG Xbox Ally X will be “the ultimate high-performance handheld, built for the most demanding players.”

“Everything at Xbox starts with the player,” continued a statement from Microsoft. “That’s why we’ve dedicated years to reimagining how to make it easier to enjoy the games you love—wherever you are. Whether you’re at home or on the go, your favourite games should follow you.”

The handheld consoles will see Microsoft collaborate with Taiwanese manufacturer ASUS and include several “new and first-of-their kind features on both devices—from an immersive Xbox full screen experience, an aggregated gaming library with access to installed games from leading PC storefronts, and more.”

It’s been confirmed that ROG Xbox Ally owners will have access to all games that are available on Xbox Game Pass, while Fortnite will also be playable on the handheld.

Details about price, release date and pre-order details are yet to be confirmed, but Microsoft has shared the technical specifications for the new console here.

Players in Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States will be able to get the ROG Xbox Ally later this year, while other markets will have to wait until 2026.

In other news, Microsoft has confirmed 18 huge Day One releases will be available for Xbox Game Pass subscribers in the coming months including the recently-announced Call Of Duty: Black Ops 7. The sequel to last year’s Black Ops 6 will be set in 2035 and star Milo Ventimiglia, Kiernan Shipka and Michael Rooker.

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