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

For virtually 20 years, rumours have swirled a couple of handheld Xbox console to rival Nintendo and PlayStation.

Now, it is lastly right here. The ROG Xbox Ally has been launched worldwide, placing an finish to the hypothesis.

It works natively with Xbox’s Game Pass subscription service out of the field, that means members will begin off with lots of of video games of their library.

But its massive trick is that it is actually a transportable pc operating Windows, that means most digital PC video games folks already personal will work too – as long as they do not want a keyboard and mouse to play.

It’s able to operating most trendy video games at a good decision, though all that tech does not come low cost. The handheld prices £499, or £799 for the extra highly effective ROG Xbox Ally X.

I’ve had my fingers on the console for the previous week and my expertise has been constructive – although the {hardware} actually has its hiccups.

So, has it been definitely worth the wait?

You is probably not stunned to listen to it looks like a handheld Xbox.

The controller that makes up either side of the display is comfy to carry. Both thumb sticks have a stable really feel to them, and although the face buttons are a bit plastic-y for my style, the triggers on prime of the machine really feel nice.

So far so good – however what concerning the video games?

The very first thing I did with the system was boot up one thing recognized for its vibrant colors – 2019’s Persona 5 Royal – to see how good the display appears.

Personally, I assumed it regarded implausible.

Tech nerds like me might have had issues that Microsoft went for an LCD show fairly than the top-tier OLED shows.

In English, which means this moveable Xbox does not have one of the best display obtainable in the marketplace, which can seem to be a questionable resolution contemplating the value.

But LCD shows have gotten considerably higher in recent times, and whereas it might not have essentially the most vibrant colors attainable, I used to be fairly blown away by how good Persona 5’s deep reds regarded on the hand-held display.

The recreation performed nicely too, with no seen stutters or freezes – although that is certainly to be anticipated for one thing that does not have the identical graphical calls for as trendy titles.

Remember, this is not like shopping for a recreation for the Nintendo Switch 2, the place you’ll be able to count on issues will work out of the field.

This is rather more like shopping for a recreation in your dwelling pc.

In different phrases, you do not know for positive whether or not a recreation will work or not.

It’s positively a mark in opposition to the hand-held, although it is one thing PC players have been used to for years.

As a lot as this can be a handheld Xbox, it is also described as a transportable pc operating Windows – all of the downsides of PC gaming are current right here, however so are the upsides.

For instance, Baldur’s Gate 3, which is understood for being notably demanding at instances, proved a problem for the system on larger graphics settings, however as a result of it is a PC recreation I may mess around with the graphics settings to make it run easily.

The handheld carried out admirably with trendy video games that do not require one of the best graphics – as you’d count on for the value.

For instance, I had no points operating a few of this 12 months’s greatest video games resembling Hades II, Blue Prince and Hollow Knight: Silksong.

The system additionally labored nicely when enjoying older video games – the same expertise I needed to the Steam Deck when that launched in 2022 – however funnily sufficient, my greatest issues got here getting a few of them to start out.

For instance, I could not get 2001’s Sonic Adventure 2 to work correctly due to compatibility issues.

Thankfully, the hand-held runs Windows 11 – so I knew easy methods to repair the bug.

The ROG Xbox Ally has received an enormous library of potential video games – a lot of which you’ll already personal – because of being a transportable PC.

But this factor was actually constructed for Game Pass, Xbox’s subscription service for video games.

Game Pass offers entry to an enormous historical past of basic video games resembling Halo, Gears of War and Fable, in addition to trendy titles together with Call of Duty.

With many of those video games, you needn’t obtain to the system – you’ll be able to stream them over the cloud.

Of course, if a recreation is being streamed from a Microsoft server someplace, it is not asking an excessive amount of of the system to energy it – that means you may get some spectacular graphics from trendy video games like Modern Warfare 3 on the hand-held.

Meanwhile, there are subscription providers from EA and Ubisoft additionally bundled into Game Pass Ultimate, providing you with entry to but extra video games from the off.

Still, regardless of Game Pass being front-and-centre on the system, it’s not a requirement.

Remember, this method is operating Windows 11. That means any recreation made for PC goes to work right here – even when it takes a little bit of fiddling to make it run correctly.

The harsh actuality is that this isn’t 2001 anymore, when the rumours first began.

Handheld PCs are not a rarity, and neither are handheld video games machines.

Nintendo has cornered the market with the Switch – one of many best-selling consoles in historical past – and its Switch 2 has solely improved what made the unique nice.

Sony has its personal various product within the area, the PlayStation Portal, which may stream video games from a related PlayStation 5, and from the cloud too.

And critically, Microsoft’s new system comes three and a half years after Valve entered the PC gaming handheld market with the Steam Deck.

There’s no query the ROG Xbox Ally compares nicely to many of those rivals within the area – however on the worth level, you’d count on it to.

Unfortunately, the very factor that makes the Xbox Ally X stand out in comparison with its rivals – the truth that it natively runs Windows – is on the identical time its greatest rigidity level.

On the one hand, it permits for some enjoyable issues. It was entertaining to convey up Copilot whereas enjoying a recreation and ask for recommendation on what to do subsequent – and to be informed in a conversational approach to discuss to a personality on-screen in entrance of me.

But it’s a must to cope with Windows, which was hardly developed with a video games console in thoughts. I needed to sit and await a number of updates to put in earlier than I may even play the factor – hardly each kid’s dream on Christmas morning.

Simply put, it is missing that bit of additional polish you may count on at a premium worth.

But I do assume the folks Microsoft is concentrating on with this product are hardly going to be turned away by an absence of polish. Especially because it has no actual influence on the video games.

The query is whether or not the attract of Game Pass on-the-go goes to be sufficient to justify the value of admission.

If the purpose was to make one thing that looks like a handheld Xbox, Microsoft has actually delivered on its promise – however has it come to market too late?