Microsoft's gaming handhelds are packed with power, yet come with compromises

Months after Nintendo launched the Switch 2, the followup to its immensely popular handheld, Microsoft is launching two portables: the Xbox ROG Ally and the more powerful Xbox ROG Ally X.

Casual players should take note, however, that the Ally is a different beast from the Switch 2.

A co-production between Microsoft and PC maker Asus, these machines have more in common with PC handhelds like the Steam Deck — which offer more games and more customizability than a traditional console, but also more complexity.

While packed with computing power, they also come at a strange time for Xbox adherents, who have seen subscription prices increase, and highly anticipated games cancelled amid company-wide layoffs at Microsoft.

Microsoft sent the Xbox ROG Ally to CBC News for a review. It retails for $799, $100 more than the Switch 2.

The more powerful Xbox ROG Ally X, meanwhile, will cost you $1,299; that gets you a more powerful processor and memory, and one terabyte of storage versus the Ally's 512 gigabytes. (ROG stands for "Republic of Gamers," Asus's long-running line of gaming products.)

Gamers on the go should note that the Xbox ROG Ally isn't a shrunken-down version of the Xbox Series console you hook up to your TV. It's really a miniature PC running Windows 11, optimized for Xbox's PC storefront.

Most new games on Xbox are also playable on a PC. And since the Allys run Windows, you can play PC games from other companies' digital stores, including Epic Games (think Fortnite) or Steam, as long as it can run on Windows 11.

But because it's a PC at its heart, an Ally won't be able to natively play games only available on an Xbox console; you'll have to use Microsoft's cloud streaming service to access those, and the experience can get dicey depending on your internet connection.

On Allys, the new"full screen" mode puts games front and centre instead of a full Windows desktop experience (unless you want it).

This "makes launching games easier, but it's still a bit of a complicated experience," said Patrick O'Rourke, editor-in-chief for the mobile and gaming site Pocket Lint.

"It's still not the same as buying an Xbox Series X or S and hooking it up or a PlayStation 5 or even a Switch."

To its credit, the Xbox ROG Ally is an impressive piece of hardware. Its screen is gorgeous and vibrant. The speakers pump out voluminous sound and music that rival or surpass multimedia laptop computers.

Full-sized joysticks, buttons and handles feel basically identical to a regular Xbox controller. That makes playing games the demand quick action and accuracy a lot more comfortable than the Switch 2's smaller-than-average buttons and sticks.

With that design, however, come some tradeoffs: while the Ally's height and width are about the same as a Switch 2, it's far thicker and its bulkier handles make it much less portable.

That said, the Ally's a lot lighter than its size may suggest, so hour-long play sessions didn't stress my hands at all. The Ally X is a bit heavier thanks to a larger battery.

Microsoft promises "seamless PC gaming on the go for casual players and enthusiasts alike" with the device.

Sticking to games most recommended for the Ally by Microsoft can bring some good results.

Forza Horizon 5, a flagship racing game released in 2021, ran as quickly and smoothly as the tuned-up cars in the game itself. Fortnite played well with medium settings. Both needed notably long startup times — but once the action started, things ran smoothly.

Performance on newer games was mixed. Indie games like Hades 2 ran almost perfectly, though I did get some minor freezes and even the occasional crash, which I haven't had playing the same game on the Switch 2.

And it struggled with more demanding 2D games. This year's Doom: The Dark Ages on low settings is almost playable, but a wobbly frame rate and excessive motion blur to get it running means you’re better off playing it on a traditional PC or console.

Patrick O'Rourke, editor-in-chief for the mobile and gaming site Pocket Lint reviewed the Ally X model, and said it handily ran newer games like Avowed at a stable 30 to 45 frames per second (30 is about the sweet spot most games aim to hit in order to be considered comfortably playable).

Mat Piscatella, executive director of video games at the U.S. market research company Circana, sees the Allys as targeting the "most enthusiastic and least price-sensitive consumers, which is a very small but powerful buying group."

That market is "becoming older and more affluent than they had been even five years ago," he said, as younger players gravitate to cheap or free-to-play games on phones or tablets.

Despite — or perhaps because of — its high-end design and performance, you'll probably not feel forced to choose between the Xbox ROG Ally and a Nintendo Switch 2 come this holiday season. But it could be the machine to beat in its smaller enthusiast corner of the gaming pie.