Xbox’s handheld era just went from rumour to reality. The ROG Xbox Ally and Ally X—Asus’ Windows gaming handhelds built in deep partnership with Microsoft and AMD—are now on sale in Australia, promising your Xbox library, Game Pass, and PC storefronts in one portable rig, complete with the new Xbox Full Screen Experience.
Pricing and availability in Australia
Let’s get the burning question out of the way. The ROG Xbox Ally X (the black, higher‑end model with Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme, 24GB RAM, 1TB SSD and an 80Wh battery) is A$1,599 RRP locally. You’ll find it at JB Hi‑Fi and other major retailers, as well as the ASUS AU Store. The standard ROG Xbox Ally (white, Ryzen Z2 A, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD, 60Wh battery) is A$999 RRP.
Stock looks healthy at launch, but expect the Xbox Ally X to move fast; it’s the one most people will want if they care about performance and battery life. If you’re hunting bundles, keep an eye on retailers advertising “three months of PC Game Pass or Game Pass Premium” in select markets—availability may vary in Australia.
What you’re actually getting
This is a proper Windows 11 gaming handheld, but it de‑Windows the experience. The Xbox Full Screen layer pulls your library together across Xbox, Steam, Epic, GOG and more, and leans into controller-first navigation so you don’t have to peck at tiny desktop buttons. You can play installed PC titles, stream from your home Xbox via Remote Play, or hop into the cloud with Game Pass.
It’s not an OLED panel—7-inch 1080p IPS at 120Hz—but it’s bright, fast and FreeSync Premium helps keep frame pacing sane. Hardware I/O is solid: dual USB‑C (including USB4), microSD, 3.5mm up top, and those very Xbox-like grips with impulse triggers feel designed for long sessions, not five-minute bus sprints.
Microsoft and ASUS are promising a cadence of feature drops: Default Game Profiles to balance frame rate and energy use, AI‑powered Auto Super Resolution, highlight reels, and docking improvements. Some of the flashier bits are slated for early next year or into 2026, so don’t buy this purely for the AI sizzle; buy it for what it does today with a runway to get better.
Quick review round-up
PCMag Australia calls the Ally X “the new best handheld gaming PC,” praising the comfy grips, efficient battery and the Xbox Full Screen’s frame-rate benefits, while noting a premium price and early software hiccups. The Guardian’s review is similarly bullish on the horsepower and ergonomics, with caveats about Windows-y setup friction, occasional UI weirdness, and the non‑OLED display that still impresses in practice. Across the board, early impressions frame the Xbox Ally X as the most comfortable Windows handheld yet, with performance that can hang with modern AAA titles if you’re realistic about resolution/refresh settings. Price headlines as the major pain point—welcome to Australia.
Our take (for now)
PowerUp is still waiting on our review units from ASUS. Once we’ve lived with the Ally and Ally X—on Brisbane commutes, couch sessions, and docked to a big telly—we’ll deliver our proper verdict. First blush, though? The promise is huge: an Xbox-first UI on a flexible Windows handheld, Game Pass in your bag, and enough battery to survive a couple of Hades II runs without hunting for a wall socket. If ASUS and Microsoft can sand down the UI splinters and deliver the promised features on schedule, the Xbox Ally X could be the Windows handheld to beat. Watch this space.
