In simply over a month, Microsoft and ASUS’ first companion machine, the Xbox Ally, will hit retailer cabinets.
The Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X are powered by AMD’s Z2 platform, with ought to boast superior efficiency and battery life over the ROG Ally predecessor units. The Xbox Ally has been absolutely redesigned with improved ergonomics on the outside, and we went hands-on at Gamescom 2025 and got here away extremely impressed.
However, frustratingly, Microsoft and ASUS have but to totally decide to a worth. The Xbox Ally’s major competitor, the Lenovo Legion Go 2, dropped a sticker shocker this week running all the way up to $1350 in the United States. Many have been wondering if the Xbox Ally range will come in at a similar premium. There are some Xbox Ally price rumors that suggest it could be significantly cheaper, but with global tariffs upending global trade, Microsoft seems reluctant to commit.
While we wait, potential Xbox Ally customers recently landed upon a new video that provides us a glimpse on the new machine’s internals, forward of official evaluations by ourselves and different shops.
Spotted by the /r/XboxAlly subreddit (by way of the beautiful people at PureXbox), the video particulars how ASUS approached cooling with the Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X.
“Our zero gravity thermal solution operates at peak efficiency no matter what orientation you hold the device. Letting you sit back, relax, and game however you want,” ASUS explains within the video beneath.
If you’ll be able to’t watch the video, the total transcript is as follows.
“Anti-gravity heat pipes transfer heat away from the processor using an improve capillary structure for the wick that even works upside-down. Both fans have a fluid-bearing design — a tried and tested mechanism with low friction that will keep the Xbox Ally spinning like a top for years to come.”
“The Xbox Ally’s fans are larger in size measuring at 8mm tall with 77 fan blades, and they move 15% more air than the previous generation Ally X. The fan shrouds contain small cut-outs that divert a small amount of air to the area between the motherboard and display panel. This air keeps the touch screen cooler for your fingers, and exhausts out of a third vent on the top of the chassis, keeping noise down when you’re deep into your games. Dust filters cover both air intake vents, keeping the Ally quieter and more efficient over time.”
“In order to accommodate the ROG Ally’s new bumpers and triggers, we redesigned the heat sink. Each of its 90 ultra-thin fins is slightly taller to provide more surface area for heat dissipation. All of this means you get a better gaming experience — more performance, with less noise.”
Oddly, the video is “unlisted” on YouTube, so it is unclear the way it was found. The video has been stay for just below a month, and it appears a bit odd that ASUS itself hasn’t revealed it but. It could possibly be that it is pending publication for story beats at Xbox’s upcoming Tokyo Game Show presentation. Given Japan’s historic penchant for handheld gaming units, it stands to motive that Microsoft can have one other advertising blitz prepared for the Japanese audiences therein.
The Xbox Ally is extremely promising on paper, however it’s going to rely fairly closely on the ultimate worth level whether or not or not it sees vital adoption. PC gaming handhelds usually are already fairly a distinct segment phase, extra lately popularized by AMD’s Z1 and now Z2 chipsets, alongside units just like the Steam Deck.
It all began with the Nintendo Switch, although, which is why units just like the Lenovo Legion Go co-opted removable sticks for added versatility. The Xbox Ally is gunning for pure ergonomics and console-like usability, nevertheless, which is why Microsoft has basically been rebuilding components of Windows 11 to make it play good with the Xbox app for gaming.