Xbox Just Made a Handheld, and I’m Trying Not to Want It

Thanks Xbox. Okay, so real talk—trying to keep up with video games in 2025 is basically a full-time job. Just last week, my 13-year-old daughter begged me for the brand new Nintendo Switch 2. I caved. Of course I caved. It’s shiny, it’s fast, and apparently, all her friends are getting one too. I thought that would be the end of it for a while. But nope. Now I might be the one wanting a new console. And this time, it’s not from Nintendo.

Enter: the ROG Xbox Ally and the ROG Xbox Ally X—two brand-new handhelds coming holiday 2025. These aren’t your average gaming devices. Xbox teamed up with ASUS (yes, the high-performance PC legends) to build something that combines Xbox power with Windows freedom. Translation: I could play Halo, Forza, and even PC games—all on a handheld. Anywhere. On the couch, at work, hiding in the break room… don’t judge me.

But here’s where it gets a little confusing. There’s two versions. The Ally and the Ally X. I’m guessing the X is the “deluxe” version—kind of like the Xbox Series X I bought a while back. I love it, but was the extra money worth it? Eh… hard to say. I’m not made of money. And the price for these new handhelds hasn’t been announced yet, but if I had to guess, it’s probably more than the Switch 2. Maybe a lot more.

Still, the idea of being able to play all my Xbox games on the go is tempting. Between Xbox Cloud Gaming, Game Pass, and Remote Play, I could literally pick up a game where I left off—no matter where I am. That’s kinda amazing. If you’re someone with a busy schedule (hi, it me), a handheld like this could be a total game-changer.

So will I be getting one? Maybe. I’ll wait to see how much it costs and whether I can squeeze it into the budget without selling a kidney. But it’s on my radar for sure. And hey, if the kid gets a Switch, maybe it’s only fair I get my own toy too. Right?

Let’s just hope I can actually find the time to play it.