Late last week, at the preview event for the ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X, I had the opportunity not only to get hands-on time with the upcoming devices but also to speak with ASUS’s gaming division marketing team. Our conversation covered the devices’ reception, the current handheld ecosystem, improvements from the original ROG Ally series, and more.
**Shacknews:** Since you folks were at Gamescom, how was the reception for the ROG Xbox Ally, considering that was a more public event?
**Sascha Krohn, Director of Technical Marketing, ASUS:** The reception was great. People were super excited. Especially at Gamescom, which is all about games, seeing enthusiasm for hardware is always a very positive sign. People loved it.
We had numerous demos set up, and attendees tried all sorts of games on the device. The feedback was really great. Interestingly, most people initially had concerns about the aesthetics. But once they held the device, they were like, “Oh wow, this feels amazing. It’s so comfortable. It doesn’t feel heavy at all.” All those concerns melted away.
There were some skeptics, of course. But they came over, got hands-on experience, smiled, enjoyed themselves, and walked away happy. Overall, the reception was very positive.
**Shacknews:** For people who already own a handheld system like the Nintendo Switch 2 or Steam Deck, how does Microsoft want to entice players who already have a means to play handheld games?
**Krohn:** From our perspective, we have so many different products, and often people ask why we release something similar again. The answer is simple: more options are better. We’re not one size fits all. We want to provide people with as many choices as possible.
We welcome competition in the market. For PC gaming handhelds, we believe we’ve nailed it and are dominating the competition. We’re actually getting copied a lot—others are using the same panels, internal layouts, and joysticks as us. It’s great to see what others are doing.
Even those who are happy with their Steam Deck or Switch 2 will appreciate having more alternatives. I encourage gamers to give the ROG Xbox Ally a try. It offers really interesting and fun performance, especially for those who want more power.
Many people like the Steam Deck for its ergonomics, but personally, I think our device’s ergonomics are even better. No offense—I love you, Gabe [Newell].
**Shacknews:** When playing intensive games, handhelds can overheat quickly or have very loud fans. How does the ROG Xbox Ally address cooling and noise for high-profile games?
**Krohn:** For both the original ROG Ally and the Ally X, we already did a good job with cooling and performance—most users are happy with it.
For the ROG Xbox Ally series, we improved cooling even further: the fan is much thicker, and airflow has been significantly increased. This was necessary because the Z2 Extreme processor now has a higher Thermal Design Power (TDP) of 35 watts instead of 30.
Our goal was to maintain the same low fan noise and acoustics as the previous generation despite the higher wattage. As a result, whether in performance mode or silent mode, the new ROG Xbox Ally produces the same noise level as before, with potential headroom to reduce noise by 2-3 decibels even further.
This is important because many people play in bed at night with the device close to their face—where even a whisper can be noticeable. We’ve enhanced both thermal management and acoustics to improve the overall experience.
**Shacknews:** For Xbox players, is it easy to transfer their game library to the ROG Xbox Ally? Is it a seamless experience?
**Whitson Gordon, Senior Manager of Marketing Content, Gaming at ASUS:** I’ll explain how the game library functions. Different games respond a bit differently.
If you have a game that’s playable anywhere—over a thousand games in the Xbox Library fall into this category—your saves will sync automatically, and you won’t need to think about it.
For older Xbox titles that aren’t playable anywhere, many can be streamed via Xbox Cloud Gaming. So regardless of the game, your library is generally accessible and synced across devices.
**Shacknews:** Typically, it takes many years to release an improved version of a product. How did you manage to do it in just two years? When did you expedite development?
**Gordon:** Both our team and Xbox’s team have been working extremely hard on this. Microsoft wanted to get a handheld out quickly, recognizing that this space allows for agility since we are primarily a hardware manufacturer.
We already had the original handheld and were thinking about the next generation. When Microsoft expressed the desire to deliver a handheld as soon as possible, collaboration with ASUS made sense to achieve a release in about a year.
We strive to offer a seamless console experience and foster strong relationships with developers so they can target this hardware and enhance the gaming experience.
The collaboration between Xbox and Windows teams has been unprecedented. Their ability to discuss and optimize background processes is new and exciting for them.
Hardware-wise, we’re very agile. For instance, just a year after the original ROG Ally, we released the Ally X. We can quickly adapt when there is clear demand and enthusiastic user support.
The reaction from the community to the original ROG Ally was one of the most passionate we’ve ever seen. We’re always thinking about what’s next, though we can’t always disclose our plans publicly. But make no mistake—we’re actively working on the future.
**Shacknews:** How has the public reception been for the ROG Xbox Ally so far?
**Gordon:** It’s been very positive. We had early media previews with good responses, but seeing the public try it is different.
At Gamescom, it was exciting to watch people test it and hear their feedback. One common piece of feedback was that the device “feels so much lighter than expected.”
This surprised me, but it makes sense—the ergonomic grips spread the weight distribution differently compared to the original Ally, which rested more on the palms and put more pressure on them.
When a device is more comfortable, your brain perceives it as lighter. You never know what changes will resonate most with people until you see their reactions.
**Shacknews:** One major issue with the predecessor was battery life—some intensive games lasted only about an hour. How have you addressed battery life this time around?
**Gordon:** When building the original ROG Ally, weight was a top priority with the aim of making it as lightweight as possible.
However, we quickly learned that users care more about battery life than just the weight.
That’s why, with the Ally X, we doubled the battery size—slapping in an 80-watt battery.
Now, battery life is a top priority. For anyone holding onto an older handheld, this device represents a significant and exciting leap forward in many respects.
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The ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X exemplify ASUS’s commitment to creating high-performance, portable gaming devices. With improvements in ergonomics, battery life, cooling, and game compatibility, the new generation sets a new standard in the handheld gaming landscape.
https://www.shacknews.com/article/146354/asus-developer-rog-xbox-ally-interview
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