Microsoft and Asus' answers to SteamOS and the Steam Deck launch on October 16
Briefly

Launch is scheduled for October 16 for two ROG Xbox Ally handheld Windows gaming PCs with Xbox branding. Both run a controller-first, Xbox-style Windows 11 Home interface that preserves broad Windows game and storefront compatibility while disabling extra desktop features. Both models share a 7-inch 1080p 120 Hz IPS display, Wi-Fi 6E, and Bluetooth 5.4. The lower-end Ally uses an AMD Ryzen Z2 A (4-core Zen 2 CPU, eight-core RDNA2 GPU), 512GB storage, and 16GB LPDDR5X-6400. The Ally X uses a Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme (8-core Zen 5 CPU, 16-core RDNA3.5 GPU), 1TB, 24GB LPDDR5X-8000, and an NPU. Batteries are 60 WHr (Ally) and 80 WHr (Ally X). Pricing has not been shared.
An Xbox-branded extension of Asus' existing ROG Ally handheld line, the basic ROG Xbox Ally and more powerful ROG Xbox Ally X, both run a version of Windows 11 Home that's been redesigned with a controller-first Xbox-style user interface. The idea is to preserve the wide game compatibility of Windows-and the wide compatibility with multiple storefronts, including Microsoft's own, Valve's Steam, the Epic Games Store, and more-while turning off all of the extra Windows desktop stuff and saving system resources.
The lower-end Xbox Ally uses an AMD Ryzen Z2 A chip with a 4-core Zen 2-based CPU, an eight-core RDNA2-based GPU, 512GB of storage, and 16GB of LPDDR5X-6400-specs nearly identical to Valve's 3-year-old Steam Deck. The Xbox Ally X includes a more interesting Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme with an 8-core Zen 5 CPU, a 16-core RDNA3.5 GPU, 1TB of storage, 24GB of LPDDR5X-8000, and a built-in neural processing unit (NPU).
Read at Ars Technica
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