Xbox handheld: A single new button gives me hope for an important change in Windows

By
Pramith
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0
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Column: The new Asus ROG Ally 2 handheld was apparently developed in collaboration with Microsoft. I hope this means better optimization of Windows for controllers.

Yesterday, the first images and information about two new gaming handhelds from Asus were leaked. These are very likely the new Asus ROG Ally 2 consoles. One of them is probably the Xbox handheld that was teased by Asus in a video on April 1. Although most people in the community are currently discussing the appearance of the prototypes, something else is bothering me:

Is Windows finally optimized for controllers, or is XboxOS installed?

First things first: the leaked photos show two different white models and one black model with buttons and analog sticks that still look unfinished. So it’s very likely that these are unfinished prototypes. Nevertheless, the images reveal a few things that we can discuss here.

I’m most interested in the black version because we can see an Xbox button on the left side. So it’s very likely that this handheld was developed in cooperation with Microsoft.

But does that also mean that this is a portable Xbox? Maybe. Or maybe not? Previous leaks and reports indicate that Microsoft is working with Asus to develop a handheld device that runs the Windows operating system but is better optimized for controllers. This is indicated by a screenshot accidentally published by Microsoft, which shows the Xbox app with a new button labeled “Steam.”

I would prefer this Asus handheld to have the Windows operating system for full access to all PC games and launchers. If Microsoft were to integrate Steam into the Xbox app, it would make it a lot easier to use on a handheld device.

However, that wouldn’t be enough for me. It appears that the Asus Rog Ally 2 will still not have a trackpad. This would not only be useful for games that are controlled with a mouse, but also for operating the operating system. With today’s Windows handhelds, we often have to interact with the desktop interface, and a trackpad would be helpful there.

It would be better to have Windows 11, which adopts the user interface of the Xbox Series consoles and can be controlled entirely with the controller. The desktop interface should ideally be an option, as with SteamOS, rather than the default.

The Xbox button gives me hope.

What else is known about the Asus ROG Ally 2

The entry at the FCC and stickers on the back of the prototypes reveal the first technical details about the new handheld:

The black model with Xbox button is to be powered by the new AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme with 8 cores and 36-watt TDP. It will also feature LPDDR5-8553 RAM. The RAM capacity is still unclear. The handheld should have either 32 or even 64 GB. It will also feature a particularly large 100 Wh battery.

The white model of the Asus ROG Ally 2 is said to be equipped with a slower chip with AMD Aeirth Plus architecture – a successor to the Van Gogh APU from the Steam Deck. The processor is said to have four cores and a 20-watt TDP, and the RAM is said to be 16 GB. According to the sticker on the back of the prototype, the battery has a total capacity of 60 Wh.

The screen of both models will apparently continue to feature a panel with a diagonal of 7 inches and a refresh rate of 120 Hz. The thick screen bezels of the previous model remain.

Otherwise, the design differs greatly from its predecessor. The handles are now significantly larger and overall it reminds me of the GameCube controller or the PlayStation Portal. The handheld definitely looks very ergonomic. Very comfortable. That’s the most important thing in design, right?