OPINION: The Xbox Ally X handheld is too rough for me right now, but I see the vision — and I’m still extremely excited for Xbox’s next-gen

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I’ve been using my Xbox Ally X a lot in the evenings for the past couple of weeks. I like to play games like Slay the Spire or Spider-Man: Miles Morales while relaxing in bed with a TV show on in the background.

This handheld device is really well-suited for its purpose, and it’s clear what Xbox intended with it. It’s perfect for casual gaming when you just want to unwind and play something without a lot of effort.

I’m really disappointed with the installation and how buggy the software feels right now. It’s left me with a bad first impression, and I think a significant update is needed to fix these issues.

The first boot up

I was incredibly excited when my Xbox Ally X arrived! It felt like Christmas morning, and I couldn’t wait to open the box – it was delivered around 10 AM on Monday.

I had a straightforward plan: update everything immediately. When I first powered on my Xbox Ally X, it went through the standard Windows setup. I’d seen many reviews mentioning this, so I wasn’t surprised, but it did immediately make the device feel less like a game console.

I don’t want to focus on minor details, but this really disrupted my enjoyment. I started the process around 10 AM on purpose, but it took until 7 PM to finish updating everything and install a couple of games. I’m pretty sure my fast internet connection wasn’t the problem.

Ultimately, playing games on this device is a really great experience. It’s incredibly powerful and handles everything I’ve tested with ease – even new releases like ARC Raiders, which consistently runs at over 100 frames per second.

The Xbox App is a good option if you prefer to stay within the Microsoft gaming environment. However, it does have some drawbacks. Specifically, the app can be slow and sluggish when you first start up your device, and reinstalling games often requires extra steps with Windows, which interrupts your gaming experience.

The idea of a full-screen Xbox experience is exciting, but the Xbox app needs improvement to really make it great. Fortunately, it looks like a redesigned app might be coming next year.

I should also mention I had a frustrating week with the Wi-Fi on my Xbox Ally X – it completely stopped working. I managed to fix it myself after some troubleshooting, and I’ve created a Wi-Fi troubleshooting guide for anyone else who experiences the same issue.

Gaming outside of the Xbox App

As I hinted when I brought up Spider-Man: Miles Morales, I do use Steam. The Xbox App tries to combine games from different stores like Steam and Epic Games, but honestly, it doesn’t work very well and feels a bit glitchy.

Beyond just fixing existing issues, I really hope they let users add their own games and apps to the Xbox app. Steam already does this, and it’s a feature I’d love to see on Xbox.

I’ve been a Steam user for over 13 years and have collected a library of more than 600 games. I’d like to play those games on my Xbox Ally X, and thankfully, it’s fairly straightforward. I just need to install Steam on the Windows desktop and then install all my games through the Steam application, which works as expected.

The actual experience leaves a lot to be desired and has a fair bit of what I would call jank.

Problems arise whenever you have to restart your device to return to fullscreen mode. After restarting, you’ll find you need to install a Game Bar widget to consistently access Steam (or navigate to the apps section within the Xbox App). Launching Steam games through the Xbox App can be a slow and cumbersome process. While the games run flawlessly once launched, exiting a game sends you back to Steam instead of the Xbox App.

Switching between apps in Fullscreen is done by swiping up from the bottom of the screen. This shows all your open windows, and you can easily move between them using the LB and RB buttons. Pressing X closes an app or game, and A lets you quickly return to what you were doing.

I often have trouble with the left and right buttons for navigating. Pressing them frequently returns me to the first item I chose, forcing me to tap the screen to move forward. Plus, you can only see part of each window at a time. While it doesn’t happen constantly, it’s a noticeable issue.

Yet I am still excited for the future of Xbox

I recently shared my thoughts on the Xbox Ally X, and unfortunately, my experience wasn’t great enough to recommend it right now. I know that’s not what people want to hear, especially with Christmas coming up, but I want to be honest about what I think.

Despite the challenges, I’m still really hopeful about the possibility of an Xbox PC. If Microsoft can address the issues I’ve noted and make everything run smoothly, it could be fantastic. It might be quite expensive, given the current trends, but it would still be worth it.

I’ve been an Xbox fan since the very beginning. Although it’s tempting to criticize Microsoft’s recent choices, what I really want is a system where I can easily play all my Xbox games and enjoy the huge selection of PC games without any frustrating technical issues.

I’m a loyal Xbox customer and hope they continue to deliver a great experience. I’ve been with Xbox for almost 20 years and don’t want to switch. While I’m not a big fan of most PlayStation games, I’ve grown tired of the typical third-person action-adventure style, especially after being let down by Uncharted 4.

I’m still holding onto hope that Xbox will eventually give me the console experience I’m looking for. Even though my time with the Xbox Ally X felt a bit like testing unfinished software, I get a sense of the same exciting future that Jez Corden talks about whenever I use it. It’s that vision that keeps me optimistic.

With Xbox celebrating its 25th anniversary next year, we likely won’t have to wait long to find out what they have planned.

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2025-12-14 17:15