Xbox Ally Review - A Solid System, Not A Perfect One
In the world of PC handhelds, there are two camps: Steam Deck and the rest. Steam’s Linux-based operating system has always held the edge in terms of performance and ease of use when compared to Windows-based systems, but it isn’t without its problems. Getting games from other storefronts to run on a Steam Deck is a real pain, especially if you don’t have a solid understanding of computers. Added to that, Linux tends not to play nicely with anti-cheat software, so some big titles simply won’t work. It is these reasons that I have always been in the Windows-based camp, specifically the ROG Ally X. I have a huge collection of games on other stores, and I want to be able to play on the go, and being tech inclined, I can put up with the (many) frustrations of using Windows 11 on a handheld. But what if there was a best of both worlds offer? One that combined the ease of the Steam Deck and the flexibility of Windows? Well, that is what the new Xbox Ally range promises, but the million-dollar question is, does it deliver?
Thanks to Xbox Australia, I have been playing with the Xbox Ally for a couple of weeks now. This is the base model version, with a more reasonable price point. I say reasonable, but that is entirely based on perspective. It is still about $1000, so that isn’t really cheap, but it is significantly cheaper than the much higher-specced Xbox Ally X and about the same price as the top-end Steam Deck. The price point is something that really does need discussion, simply because of the type of system this is. The Xbox Ally struggles with a lot of AAA games, simply due to its internals. That’s totally fine; that’s not what it is really designed for. This is a fantastic indie and/or older backlog machine that will allow players to bring their collections on the road. But are people willing to pay 1K for that privilege? I am not so sure, and that will be down to a personal preference thing.
That said, the Xbox Ally did surprise me in a lot of ways, especially with how it performed with some titles. On Forza Horizon 5, for example, set to medium (which looks great on the small screen), I managed to hit an average of 49 FPS, while on my higher-specced ROG Ally X, I was hitting about 65-70 FPS on the same settings. Not too shabby, really, and with a little tweaking, 60 FPS should be achievable. From my experience, any game from the PS4/Xbox One era should be absolutely fine, and quite a few from the more recent generation will work too. It was only the really recent titles like The Outer Worlds 2, Ninja Gaiden 4, and Assassin’s Creed: Shadows that seemed to really struggle, all games that I can play on the ROG Ally X in an acceptable (if not perfect) manner.
Playing these bigger games comes with one drawback, and that is battery life. If you are looking at playing these sorts of games, expect 2 hours at best. However, the less demanding the game, the better the battery. I got about 3.5 hours out of Skyrim and 5 hours out of Dead Cells, so if you are planning on taking it on the road, maybe pick the games appropriately or grab yourself a decent power bank. The system, just like the ROG Ally before it, comes with handy quick power settings that allow users to adjust power usage depending on the type of game at the press of a button. This is a fantastic concept and one that can literally add hours to your play time if you remember to use it.
Perhaps my favourite thing about the new Xbox Ally is the shape. Sure, it looks a bit obnoxious, but boy, it feels nice to play in your hands. The simple addition of the controller grips makes it sit beautifully and really helps with comfort. Going back to the ROG Ally X felt awkward by comparison, and it was even worse when using the Nintendo Switch 2. This is easily the best design for a handheld I have ever used, despite the extra size it creates. The rest of the system also has a nice texture to it that helps with grip, the buttons are wonderfully tactile, and the thumbsticks feel almost perfect. It is clear that the design team took a lot of inspiration from the actual Xbox controller with the design, and it is a better system because of it.
One of the big PR points in the lead-up to the release of the Xbox Ally series was the new version of Windows that comes pre-installed. It was supposed to improve performance and make life easier for people using the operating system on a handheld device, and I have to say, it is on its way to succeeding in those areas, but not quite yet. Firstly, I should clarify, this isn’t a whole new version of Windows; it is still a Windows 11 base, it just boots into a wrapper that lets players load all their games (no matter the storefront) with the controller. It is a nice little GUI with an easy-to-use interface, and once you have it set up, there is no real need to dive into the actual Windows desktop. That said, when setting up the device, it pays to have a keyboard and mouse handy because setting up Windows 11 on a touchscreen is an exercise in frustration. This handheld Windows, while absolutely heading in the right direction, still feels like it needs some work, not really a surprise considering how software development works these days, but I can see it getting to a point where people will want this installed on normal gaming PCs so they can ignore all the bullshit that comes with Windows 11.
As for the supposed performance improvements this software brings, well, it is hard to tell. Games loaded a shade quicker from this interface when compared to the full Windows desktop, which is nice, but as for in-game, I couldn’t see any massive improvements, at least to my eye. Once again, these improvements may be in the works, and as the software matures, we may see more and more obvious enhancements to the gaming experience, but at this stage, it is hard to see the performance benefit.
So the question is, is the Xbox Ally worth the entry fee? I would say that depends. If you just want to play Steam games and don’t really want to get into online play, I would just go with the Steam Deck at this point in time. It is still easier to use, and the software is much more mature. If, however, you have a large collection of non-steam games, online is important, and you really want to take your indies and older games on the road, then the Xbox Ally is a wonderfully capable system that will do all of those things with ease. It still has a ways to go on the software side of things, and AAA gaming is a shade out of reach. It is hard to say that a $1000 is an entry-point system, but that’s what this is, a good entry-point system, but an entry-point nonetheless. Keep that in mind when deciding if the Xbox Ally is for you, because you may be better off saving for a little longer and getting the more powerful Xbox Ally X, but for a solid handheld gaming device, the Ally will meet your needs and feel good doing it.
The Xbox Ally was reviewed with a unit kindly provided by Xbox Australia.
