Xbox Has a Full-Blown Identification Disaster

The $1,000 Asus ROG Xbox Ally X alone gained’t be sufficient to tide players over till the next-gen Xbox arrives. It’s an element of value and expectation. Even if the subsequent so-called Xbox is way extra of a PC than what players are used to, that doesn’t imply it has to really feel like a Windows machine. The downside is gamers don’t perceive what’s happening behind the scenes, and it’s time the corporate turned extra clear about what’s in retailer to assist us perceive what’s on the road for Xbox’s future.

In an interview with Variety, Xbox President Sarah Bond reconfirmed the corporate is making a next-gen Xbox. However, for now, it’s nonetheless attempting to re-contextualize what “Xbox” even means anymore. Bond mentioned Microsoft set the worth of the ROG Xbox Ally and Ally X primarily based on Asus, “because this is their hardware.” Of course, Asus is likely one of the main PC unique gear producers (OEMs) that’s tapped into the computing market, not essentially consoles. Asus and fellow PC maker Lenovo set their costs of their top-end handheld PCs at $1,000 or extra. For occasion, Lenovo’s 2023 handheld, the Lenovo Legion Go, value $700 at launch with AMD’s top-end handheld chip. The sequel, the Lenovo Legion Go 2 with a display and chip improve (the identical AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme because the ROG Xbox Ally X), prices $1,350.

See ROG Xbox Ally X at Amazon

See ROG Xbox Ally X at Best Buy

PC makers have been put by means of the wringer over President Donald Trump’s rotating, usually nonsensical tariffs and ensuing worldwide commerce battle. These firms (Asus is headquartered in Taiwan and Lenovo in China) can’t subsidize their {hardware} almost as a lot as Microsoft can. And nonetheless, Microsoft boosted the worth of the five-year-old Xbox Series X by $150—as much as $650. This 12 months, Microsoft additionally hiked costs of its Game Pass Ultimate subscription from $20 to $30. Getting entry to all of Game Pass’ day-one titles would find yourself costing gamers $360 a 12 months.

‘Is it actually just a branded laptop with joysticks?’

Xbox is treating the ROG Xbox Ally like a true-blue Xbox, although any common console gamer may get confused once they load up their system and notice OneDrive and Microsoft Teams come pre-installed, and their Xbox-specific video games can’t run on the hand-held {hardware} (although some cross-saves between console and PC will work on the ROG Xbox Ally). Bond repeatedly defined that the corporate bought out of Xbox Ally X units on the Xbox Store. That could also be extra indicative of what number of Asus and Microsoft determined to fabricate. PC makers don’t count on to promote tens of millions upon tens of millions of models, not less than judging by gross sales numbers from analyst agency IDC cited by The Verge.

The new handheld runs on a model of Windows with a singular interface referred to as the “full screen experience.” It permits customers to function the Xbox Ally with a controller and nonetheless entry the Xbox app and different recreation launchers like Steam. The UI makes the Xbox Ally probably the greatest Windows handhelds so far. It’s nonetheless removed from completed. There are a number of points placing the system to sleep, together with one which drains the battery quickly after urgent the facility button, however Xbox advised us it’s engaged on correcting these flaws.

The greater problem is how Xbox players seem to be they don’t perceive what the system is. The unique Xbox that launched in 2001 was primarily based round PC parts and a model of Windows, but any base consumer might hardly inform it was a PC in console clothes. The man who’s usually credited as the daddy of the unique Xbox, Seamus Blackley, lately wrote on Bluesky, “Is it actually just a branded laptop with joysticks?” referring to the Xbox Ally.

Talking to Variety, Bond repeatedly tried to insinuate that the hand-held was an Xbox, however that the ROG Xbox Ally X was an choice for the “power players.” The common $600 Xbox Ally that tries to implement gaming at 720p as a substitute of the display’s native 1080p is for a “casual” crowd. The argument falls flat when you think about how a Switch 2 handheld prices $450 and can play many video games on the native 1080p decision.

We want one thing extra from Xbox in 2026

There are a number of main video games Xbox is selling on the finish of the 12 months. It has titles like Ninja Gaiden 4 to remind us of the unique hard-as-nails ninja motion title on the unique Xbox. There’s additionally Obsidian’s satirical The Outer Worlds 2 and indie darling Double Fine’s Keeper launching this month. That’s a hearty variety of new video games, and I wouldn’t dub any of them much less worthy of consideration simply because they’re being buoyed by Xbox.

And nonetheless, the bigger Xbox viewers has been feeling down within the dumps lately. It’s laborious to get enthusiastic about gaming when every thing prices extra. These upcoming video games weren’t constructed with the Xbox Ally X in thoughts, however they’re all playable on the hand-held as long as you don’t thoughts reducing graphics settings. If this had been an actual console launch, Xbox would have compelled builders to design across the 7-inch Xbox Ally display and create default settings to make the titles look good regardless of {hardware} limitations. Just have a look at how effectively Cyberpunk 2077 and Star Wars Outlaws run on the Switch 2, all due to fine-tuning from the video games’ builders.

All of this comes right down to {hardware}. The next-gen Xbox—and PlayStation for that matter—will probably make use of AMD RDNA 5 microarchitecture. Who cares? The huge replace past efficiency enhancements is that it’ll let extra players entry AMD’s FidelityFX AI upscaling. This takes frames rendered at a decrease decision and makes use of AI to upscale them whereas protecting the higher efficiency. The Switch 2 is making use of a comparatively previous Nvidia SoC, or system on a chip. But as a result of it has entry to Nvidia’s AI upscaling tech—specifically DLSS—it could actually run intensive video games at a secure body price on the handheld’s native decision.

There are causes to get excited, however Xbox wants to inform players why it issues. Bond mentioned in regards to the Xbox Ally, “What we saw here was an opportunity to innovate in a new way and to bring gamers another choice, in addition to our next-gen hardware.” The subsequent Xbox console is probably not right here till 2027. It might be an extended, lengthy 2026 if we don’t hear from Xbox in all that point.

See ROG Xbox Ally X at Amazon

See ROG Xbox Ally X at Best Buy