Xbox Ally and Ally X "Kennan" gaming handheld: Price, specs, compatibility, launch window, and everything we know so far

I exclusively revealed Xbox's Project Kennan a few weeks ago, detailing the first salvo in Microsoft's bold new hardware direction for its gaming platform. But you want more details, right?

On Sunday 8, 2025, Microsoft and ASUS revealed the ROG Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X to the world.

Kennan was the name of Microsoft's partner program with ASUS, for OEM-built PC gaming handhelds. The program looks to build hardware akin to the ASUS ROG Ally or Lenovo Legion Go; it's set to launch later this year, providing nothing goes awry. Microsoft is working closely with OEMs on making Windows more friendly for dedicated PC gaming devices like this, with a large amount of effort being poured into the Xbox app, Xbox services platform on Windows, and the Xbox Game Bar on Windows.

I've put together this FAQ to answer some of the major queries I've received from you all and read in the comments here on Windows Central (and if you have more, feel free to drop them below).

Here's what we know (so far) about Xbox's "Project Kennan," now known as the Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X.

Who is making the Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X handheld device?

ROG Xbox Ally World Premiere Reveal Trailer | Xbox Games Showcase - YouTube

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I wrote previously, "in news that may not shock you, ASUS has been tipped to build Xbox's Project Kennan device," and now we have the firm evidence, thanks to the Xbox Showcase. The Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X are indeed from ASUS, and will essentially feel somewhat familiar to ASUS ROG Ally owners, albeit with an Xbox-y twist.

According to our trusted sources in an earlier version of this article, the Xbox Ally was set to blend ASUS' stylings with updated design conventions more typical of an "Xbox" style device, with more prominent grips and a dedicated Xbox guide-style button. And the finished product looks almost exactly what we envisioned from our sourcing.

It was unclear whether "Kennan" was going to sit alongside any prospective "ASUS ROG Ally 2" as a separate SKU, but it seems that ASUS and Microsoft have just fully thrown in together for this iteration of the ROG Ally. The Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X essentially serve as the ROG Ally 2 range, complete with Ryzen Z2A and Z2E chips, on the lower and higher end.

Spec sheet

It's hard to predict exactly how performance will shake out with the Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally 2, since we've not really seen any proper benchmarks with the Z2E or Z2A chips just yet.

Microsoft said to us that it can run the new Gears of War: Reloaded at 1080p 60 FPS, offering a "AAA" experience. The previous gen ROG Ally with the Z1E can run AAA games incredibly well. Older, well-optimized titles like Death Stranding and Cyberpunk 2077 easily clear 1080p 60 FPS, perhaps with some compromises. I expect the Xbox Ally X to be even more performant here.

The big question mark pertains to battery life, really. Are the new chips going to be more efficient than their predecessors? The ROG Ally could only get around 45 minutes of battery life at 30w, pushing 3D games at high settings. At that point, you need to basically plug it in to play properly using a 65w charger. For 2D games at 15w power profiles, it was a bit more reasonable, giving around 2 hours on a single charge.

SteamOS and the Steam Deck is still the longevity king as of writing, owing to the "thin" gaming-optimized operating system running on that device. The power of Windows 11 is in its full blown versatility. You could hook up a monitor, and run Adobe Premier on the ASUS ROG, using it as a full Windows 11 productivity suite. You're also not locked to Steam on a Windows 11 device, allowing you to use PC Game Pass and the like.

Price, launch date, and regions

Wait, what about the price and the launch date? For now, Microsoft is keeping quiet about the pricing, although we can speculate a bit.

No current device uses the AMD Z2A chip, so we don't yet know for sure exactly how much these things cost. They are lower power than the Z2E, which I'm expecting to be quite an expensive boy. I wouldn't be surprised to see the Xbox Ally X hit anywhere up to $999 dollars. As for the Xbox Ally regular model, I would hope that it's closer to the Nintendo Switch 2 in pricing, around $499, but that's probably optimistic. It's more likely to be around $599, but even that is perhaps optimistic.

As for launch windows, Microsoft says the Xbox Ally X and Xbox Ally will be available towards the end of 2025, in time for the holiday season.

Microsoft says the Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X will be available in: Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

More regions will be added over time, Microsoft says.

Photos and Design

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On May 7, 2025, the United States Federal Communications Commission inadvertently leaked photographs of the Xbox "Kennan" device, alongside the ASUS ROG Ally 2. The dusty photographs hardly did the device justice. In practice, it actually looks far nicer. Now we have official product renders from Microsoft and ASUS.

These devices are definitively bigger than their predecessors, but ASUS says they are more balanced and weight distributed, with a lower profile for easier button actuation and better grips. Visually they aren't the most impressive, but the trade off might be worth it when you actually get them in your hand.

Will the Xbox Ally run Xbox games or just Windows games?

For those who were hoping the Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X would play Xbox games, I'm sorry to report that this is a tried-and-true Windows PC in essence, meaning that you cannot bring (most) of your Xbox library to the device.

Only games that fall under Xbox Play Anywhere will work as a single-purchase entity across Xbox One, Series X|S, and the Xbox Ally, much like the ASUS ROG Ally and Lenovo Legion Go. Xbox Cloud Gaming will also extend some of the Xbox-only games you could potentially play on this device, but you'll be limited to whatever is in Xbox Game Pass Ultimate there for the most part.

Since it's a "Windows PC" in gaming handheld form, you will also be able to natively run other gaming stores like Steam, Battle.net, GOG, and launchers like the Riot Client and HoYoverse launcher. Microsoft is working towards bringing more Xbox games to Windows via a big push for Xbox Play Anywhere and Xbox Cloud Gaming, but it remains to be seen just how many of the thousands of Xbox platform-bound games it can technologically or even legally bring across.

Can it run Steam? GOG? Epic Games? Mods?

Since I've seen this question a lot on socials, yes. As mentioned, you can install anything you want on this thing, it's just a Windows 11 gaming PC in essence.

This is an "Xbox" handheld in name only, essentially. Otherwise, you can think of it like a regular Windows 11 gaming laptop squashed into a Nintendo Switch-like chassis.

You will be able to open the Windows 11 desktop, download mods, install launchers like HoYoverse, Riot Client, or Battle.net. You will be able to use Microsoft Office, watch Netflix, and do pretty much anything your laptop can do. It might even be more powerful than your laptop. You could probably edit videos in Adobe Premier on the Xbox Ally X. Maybe even the regular Xbox Ally.

The limitations of the "Xbox" brand are more to the detriment of Xbox gamers, really. Xbox console games you own will not run on this thing, unless they have Xbox Play Anywhere support. The majority of modern Xbox games, at least in the last 5 years or so, all support Xbox Play Anywhere. Very few games are retro-actively upgraded to Xbox Play Anywhere though, sadly.

The Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X features

The Xbox Ally range will come in two flavors, white and black, cheaper and more expensive. But, both will work on a suped-up version of Windows 11, complete with a new full screen Xbox app experience that Microsoft is still working hard to deliver.

As detailed during the Xbox Showcase in June 2025, Microsoft revealed that the Xbox Ally range will have exclusive access to a version of Windows 11 that uses 66% less battery life while idle, and can also multi-task using the controllers. Microsoft is working hard to make sure that on devices like the Xbox Ally, you won't need to use a mouse and keyboard, or the touch screen even, to do basic Windows things.

Inside: ROG Xbox Ally - Behind The Scenes Feature - YouTube

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For example, you will be able to sign in to the Xbox Ally using the controller for the first time, navigating the keypad using regular inputs. Additionally, when the new Xbox PC app is running in full screen mode, it will reduce RAM and power consumption by a third, by eliminating unnecessary processes in Windows 11. You will also be able to launch apps and multi-task with the controller, without having to open up the Desktop or Explorer environments. This new multi-tasking feature could have huge implications for Windows in general, particularly on devices and user scenarios where having a mouse and keyboard isn't viable.

Both devices will have Wi-Fi 6E, ideal for cloud gaming and remote streaming. They will also have Bluetooth for every day Windows accessories, and a variety of buttons, inputs, back buttons, and more. The ASUS command center for controlling power profiles and the like will be baked into the Xbox Game Bar this time around, eliminating the need to open into ASUS' software to change up the TDP power settings and such.

Will Xbox still make its own handheld?

I've argued in the past that Xbox has no choice but to make its own gaming handheld, and I believe that to still be the case, despite the reveal of the Xbox Ally.

Microsoft is working on bringing more of Xbox to Windows, but it remains true that tens of millions of players own digital Xbox games that can only work on an "Xbox" device, per licensing agreement terms with publishers and developers. Every game Microsoft revealed at this year's Xbox Showcase came with Xbox Play Anywhere, but that does nothing retroactively for the hundreds of games I already own, locked to Xbox consoles.

As such, in order to run games designed for the Xbox One / Series X|S "ERA" development environment, Microsoft would need to either build a device that is natively "ERA," or features some kind of emulation. It's unclear if Microsoft has the licenses to actually simply emulate "ERA" games on Windows-based devices, which is almost certainly what the next-gen Xbox consoles are going to be. It's unclear if it's even technologically possible in a device as small as a handheld with modern chips.

Indeed, Xbox lead Phil Spencer has been hinting for a long time that the next Xbox console will be more Windows-like than ever before, potentially with the ability to run third-party stores like Steam and GOG. If Microsoft can execute on that vision, building a console that is essentially a TV-friendly PC with the openness and compatibility of Windows, it could be a game changer. What is less clear is what would happen to current Xbox players, who have invested billions of dollars into content that is locked to the Xbox "ERA" development environment.

These are by no means insurmountable hurdles hopefully, particularly so for a company like Microsoft. Whether it's emulation, updated licensing agreements, or native Xbox Play Anywhere ports, I'm told Microsoft was working on its very own Xbox handheld for native gaming, slated for a 2027 launch window. It has since been side-lined, in favor of doubling down on the Xbox Ally with ASUS.

As the battle for consumers' free time rages, Microsoft and other game publishers more than ever need to meet players where they are. The ability to take my Xbox experience with me, without needing to rely on an internet connection, would dramatically increase my playtime hours, and most likely many others as well. Xbox's PC handhelds will improve Microsoft's footprint in the space, but they will struggle to compete with Steam, which has far more games to buy, and a mature app platform that comes equipped with a tablet-friendly Big Picture mode already.

Either way, it's increasingly intriguing where all these handheld shenanigans are going. Definitely watch this space, and drop more questions below, and I'll try to get them answered.