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There's no denying that the ROG Xbox Ally (X) has some impressive hardware under the hood, but the issue with the ROG Ally range for me hasn't been the hardware, but rather the software. Windows might be great for compatibility, and Microsoft has improved the Xbox app with gamepad support, but it still doesn't match SteamOS in terms of ease of use on a handheld device where you have no keyboard or mouse.

This brings us to the latest news from Xbox, where they detail how they will be improving the experience on the ROG Xbox Ally handhelds.

ROG Xbox Ally X

First up, Xbox is promising "Default Game Profiles" soon, likely within 2025. Essentially, these seem to be preset settings for selected titles that let you prioritize whether you want visual quality or battery life, much like performance choices on modern consoles.

From early 2026, Microsoft plans to add support for its "Automatic Super Resolution" upscaling, their version of FSR/DLSS, as well as improving the experience when using an ROG Xbox Ally handheld while it's docked.

The company is also keen to point out that some of these enhancements don't just benefit ROG Xbox Ally users, but all Windows users. For example, the Xbox app can now use "Advanced Shader Delivery", which can reduce stutter in games caused by shader compilation, much the same as when your Steam Deck downloads pre-cached shaders for a game.

The Xbox app can now also detect games you have on other storefronts, such as Steam, and launch those games from within the app, which allows ROG Xbox Ally users to rely on the Xbox app instead of having to juggle launchers.

More is planned for the ROG Xbox Ally in the future, but we'll have to wait and see what Microsoft has in store for the devices. Regardless, getting better handheld compatibility on Windows isn't a bad thing in my book.

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Oliver Stogden
Oliver began playing video games at an early age, starting with the SNES console and Commodore Amiga computer. Nowadays, his interest is in the future of portable technology, such as handheld gaming systems, portable power stations/banks, and portable monitors. And seeing just how far we can push these devices.
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