I’m re-reviewing the Xbox Ally after a month of daily use — Everything I love, desperately want fixed, and why it really is an Xbox

by

I’ve been using the Xbox handheld – the Ally – almost daily for the past four weeks, since it first became available.

A few months ago, we were the first to show you the Xbox Ally, previously known as Kennan. This collaboration between Xbox and ASUS is a new step for Microsoft, allowing its PC partners to use the Xbox name on their own devices.

ASUS is the first to release a device like this (aside from the Xbox Edition Meta Quest), and it’s remarkably good for a first try.

The Xbox Ally is the result of unusually close teamwork between the teams behind Windows 11 and Xbox. Microsoft is working hard to make gaming with a controller feel great on an operating system that wasn’t originally built for it. The Xbox Full Screen Experience, which is part of this effort, was developed in just over a year. Microsoft decided to focus on this feature rather than creating their own dedicated handheld gaming device, allowing them to get something to gamers faster.

Your feedback will help determine what the upcoming Xbox handheld is like, and also influence the design of the next Xbox console. Both devices will run full versions of Windows. However, most customers aren’t interested in paying a lot of money to be early testers of unpolished technology. The big question is: will this device be practical and appealing for the average gamer?

I haven’t done a deep-dive technical review of the Xbox Ally or Ally X – you can find those elsewhere. Instead, I’m sharing my experience after using the Xbox Ally almost every day for a month, along with what I’ve learned from following issues and talking to other users. So, is it worth buying? Here are my thoughts on where the Xbox Ally stands right now.

What I love — The first step towards an exciting Xbox future

Over the last month, the Xbox handheld has really changed how I game. I even wrote about how it’s improved my mental health – I’m spending a lot less time scrolling through negative content in bed and more time enjoying relaxing games like Winter Burrow and Monster Hunter Stories.

I’ve always played PC games on my computer, but handheld devices are now my preferred way to play thanks to their comfortable design and improved access to games. While I enjoy the ROG Ally and Lenovo Legion Go, they weren’t as easy to use as the Steam Deck – it often felt like a lot of effort to turn them on and start playing.

The new Xbox delivers a much faster startup experience – you can jump into games in seconds instead of waiting minutes, all without needing a touchscreen or navigating a complicated desktop. Plus, the Xbox Ally X boasts a significantly improved battery life, so you can play for longer without worrying about finding a charger.

With Xbox Cloud Gaming, Remote Play, or lighter games, the X and base model Xbox Ally can both get around 4 hours of battery life – the base model closer to 3.5. That’s a great way to relax before bed! Trading endless scrolling for a gaming session is a much better idea.

The devices deliver excellent gaming performance overall. While some games aren’t yet optimized for the platform—especially those using Unreal Engine Lumen—they don’t run as smoothly. Specifically, titles like Silent Hill 2 Remake, Silent Hill F, and Cronos: The New Dawn experience some issues. Fortunately, games that *are* optimized run exceptionally well.

I was really impressed with how well games like Ninja Gaiden 4, Gears of War: Reloaded, Hogwarts Legacy, and Forza Horizon 5 performed. PlayStation games that have been ported to PC, such as Ghost of Tsushima, God of War, and The Last of Us, also run surprisingly smoothly on both the Xbox Ally – though sometimes with lower graphics settings – and the Xbox Ally X, which can handle them on medium to high settings.

You can still find hundreds of high-quality, major games on Steam and Xbox PC that look and play beautifully.

I’ve noticed that Microsoft, AMD, and ASUS could improve how their drivers work with certain games. However, there are still tons of big-budget titles on Steam and Xbox PC that run flawlessly. And beyond those, there’s an even larger world of smaller, ‘AA’ or indie games – many with cool retro or 2D styles – that offer a great experience too.

I’ve been having fun discovering games on the Xbox PC store that really shine on the Xbox Ally. It’s led me to play a lot more 2D and visually unique games than usual, like Abathor, Hell is Other Demons, Ball x Pit, DUSK, Blood West, and the Dragon Quest I & II remake.

I’ve found a ton of Xbox Play Anywhere games I wasn’t even aware of! If a game isn’t available, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate with cloud gaming or Remote Play helps fill the gap, and both work really smoothly with recent improvements and a good Wi-Fi connection.

Features like Remote Play, Xbox Cloud Gaming, and Play Anywhere were around long before the Xbox Ally and Ally X. However, the Ally’s comfortable design and easy-to-use interface make cloud gaming much more practical than using a web browser on your phone or pairing a controller with your TV.

The Xbox Ally aims to deliver a simple, hassle-free gaming experience, much like a traditional console. It feels comfortable to use, and its hardware is better than many similar devices. However, it’s not without its flaws and isn’t a perfect system.

What needs fixing — There’s a huge mountain to climb here

The vast majority of the time, I have no issues with the Xbox Ally, but there are plenty of Xbox Ally reviews whose experiences diverged heavily from my own.

Discussing the Xbox Ally with other content creators and reviewers, I found a familiar pattern here — with many of the issues revolving around Steam, and stepping out of the Xbox PC experience.

I think my experience with the Xbox Ally has been such plain sailing because I am an Xbox user, and I am using it as “an Xbox” just as the “This is an Xbox” marketing demands. It is, of course, a PC, meaning that you can step out of the Xbox experience and into other platforms like Steam — which aren’t optimized for a device like this.

You really need some decent Windows experience to navigate some of these issues, which betrays the messaging that this is truly a console-like experience.

Steam and Xbox both fight for control over the Xbox nexus button, for example, which is frustrating as hell. There are a variety of small idiosyncrasies that frustrate the experience on the Xbox Ally to that end. I received a message the other day asking me if I’d experienced issues with the controls becoming unresponsive.

The Xbox Full Screen Experience doesn’t “lock” windows to the device’s display, meaning that windows can lose focus. Windows without focus can no longer detect controller inputs. You can fix it just by tapping on the screen, but a typical console user wouldn’t realize that. You really need some decent Windows experience to navigate some of these issues, which betrays the messaging that this is truly a console-like experience.

Frustratingly, there are three separate apps for updating the Xbox Ally as well. The out-of-the-box experience requires literal hours of updates to get going. Just today, I received a BIOS update via the MyASUS app, rather than the ASUS Armoury Crate.

There’s also Windows Update and the Microsoft Store for patches, too, and there’s no way to open the Microsoft Store without exiting the Full Screen Experience.

Navigating the issues of the Xbox PC app also requires a lot of trial and error. My Xbox PC app still shows Windows Phone games and beta test clients, for example, that aren’t even available to play anymore. There’s no way to hide them. Some games are straight-up broken on the Xbox PC app as well, such as Death Stranding and Fallout 4 — the latter of which is particularly egregious given that Microsoft owns it.

It’s not as if Steam and other PC clients don’t have similar issues with abandonware, but Microsoft’s nascent PC store isn’t exactly setting a good example for itself. There’s a ton of complexity and “caveats” to downloading games on the Xbox PC store, with EA and Ubisoft games not supporting cross-save compatibility, if indeed they will launch at all on the Xbox Ally.

The Xbox PC app also surfaces and recommends games that aren’t fully compatible with the Xbox Ally, with no controller support, despite its “handheld compatibility” program.

I’m irritated that the Xbox PC app is missing tons of features that the Xbox console has. You can’t hide games in the library, you can’t sort games by date acquired, meaning titles will vanish into large libraries and become hard to find. The Xbox PC store search function isn’t always up to par either, and it can be hard to navigate the drop-down menu and other elements with a controller.

As a big Xbox gamer on PC, I have to say the Game Bar’s “Xbox Guide” can be really frustrating. It’s weirdly difficult to click on things that aren’t directly above or below where your cursor is – it’s like the navigation is off. And honestly, it’s a pain that you can’t automatically upload game clips to the Xbox network directly from the Game Bar. You have to go through OneDrive, and that sometimes causes problems of its own. It just feels like an extra, unnecessary step.

Why do I have to switch to the Windows desktop just to use apps like Twitter or Discord? It’s frustrating that they aren’t directly accessible.

You’ll get a much better experience with the Xbox Ally if you use it as a console, similar to an Xbox, rather than trying to configure it like a full gaming PC.

I could point out many more minor problems, but that would make this article extremely long. Fortunately, these issues are generally small and should be fairly easy to resolve over time. Whether you’re willing to wait for those fixes, considering the cost involved, is up to you. Microsoft plans to release updates for the Xbox Ally in 2026, but ideally, these problems would have been fixed when we first received the device.

I’ve found a lot of Xbox PC and Xbox Play Anywhere games that run great on the Xbox Ally. I usually prefer these to Steam games on this device because switching between the two can be buggy. The list of compatible games is always growing, and if a game isn’t available directly, you can easily use Xbox Cloud Gaming or Remote Play instead.

The Xbox handheld works best when used as an extension of the Xbox console experience, rather than a standalone gaming PC. Those already invested in Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, or Xbox Game Pass will especially enjoy it, at least for the time being.

Yes, it really IS an Xbox — but that comes with pros and cons

While you can use PC game stores like Steam and GOG on the Xbox Ally, navigating them with a controller isn’t ideal right now. Until developers make their storefronts more gamepad-friendly and fully integrate with Xbox’s full-screen mode, it will likely feel awkward. Microsoft can’t directly require these changes, so they should concentrate on enhancing the overall PC gaming experience on Xbox.

The full-screen experience on the Xbox PC app has significant problems. These range from missing features compared to the Xbox console, to limited support from PC game developers, and frustrating compatibility issues – and these problems are substantial.

Playing Xbox games on PC has gotten significantly better in recent years, with a growing number of titles supporting Xbox Play Anywhere. Cloud gaming with Xbox is now a realistic option, and remote play is very reliable. It’s clear Microsoft has invested a lot to improve these features, which is impressive considering the competition from Steam and Valve’s efforts in the PC gaming space.

So, is the Xbox Ally worth buying? If you already own an Xbox Series X or S, use Xbox Play Anywhere, and subscribe to Xbox Game Pass, it’s a fantastic addition. Even the basic model is great for playing indie games and lets you enjoy your games on the go, away from your TV. Plus, it gets even more value out of your Xbox Game Pass subscription by combining cloud gaming and Play Anywhere titles.

The main challenges will likely come from PC gamers who don’t already use Xbox on PC. While the Xbox Ally works with Steam, it’s not always a smooth experience, and probably needs help from Valve to get better. Considering very few people own an Xbox Ally and Valve’s own Steam Machine project, significant improvements to the Steam experience on the Ally are unlikely anytime soon.

Any enhancements made to the Xbox Ally also benefit Microsoft’s next-generation Xbox consoles. Therefore, we can expect continued refinements and improvements over time.

Whether this experience is right for you as an early tester really depends on your personal preferences. Even though it’s still a bit rough around the edges, there’s a lot to do and a lot of fun to be had. If you enjoy watching something develop and improve over time – like many early adopters, including myself – you might really like it.

Even this early on, I highly recommend the Xbox Ally to anyone in the Xbox ecosystem looking for more gaming options. Steam users will likely still have a better experience with the Steam Deck, unless they prioritize the powerful Z2E processor and are willing to deal with a few imperfections.

I’ve been really impressed with the Xbox Ally – it’s a much better gaming handheld than older Windows-based devices. I’m looking forward to seeing how it improves over the next year.

Read More

2025-11-17 17:06