Asus and Microsoft will be launching their ROG Xbox Ally series of handheld gaming PCs starting October 16, according to an Asus announcement that went out today.

Microsoft announced Wednesday during Gamescom 2025 that not only will its Xbox Ally handhelds be released on October 16, but the company is spinning up a new initiative to support optimized gaming on these devices called the Handheld Compatibility Program.

Today, Microsoft has made its release date official, declaring that on October 16 we’ll be able to get hold of both models, with pre-orders due “in the coming weeks.” Despite this, we still don’t have a price for either model. However, rumors about the potential cost continue to appear—see below.

Asus and Xbox have introduced a ROG Ally Certified program that will help players discern what will work on the upcoming handheld, and what won't.

Valve's Steam Deck is going to bring a new feature for the hybrid portable console, and it is the arrival of the Xbox Cloud Gaming that Microsoft's online that both had worked for the venture.

Microsoft’s latest Steam Deck support for Xbox Cloud Gaming comes just weeks after the company detailed its Xbox Game Studios titles for the handheld. The Steam Deck is also now able to run ...

Still, 2025 is a very different time from 2022. Nintendo is back with a vengeance, and there are more powerful handhelds like the ASUS ROG Ally. Even Xbox is looking to get in on the action, so if you’ve not picked up a Steam Deck as of yet, have you missed your chance, especially as rumors swirl of a Steam Deck 2?