A founding member of the unique Xbox challenge has weighed in on the brand new Asus Ally Xbox handheld, saying there’s “actually no purpose to purchase” the brand new system, whereas additionally saying that she personally thinks “Xbox {hardware} is useless” now. Previously the director of the Xbox Superior Expertise Group, Laura Fryer shared her ideas in a YouTube video, during which she mentioned Microsoft is now “betting all the enterprise on Recreation Go.”
The brand new Xbox Ally handheld lineup was unveiled in June 2025, and it has an identical spec to the prevailing Asus ROG Ally X, however with the newest AMD Ryzen Z2 {hardware}, somewhat than the older Z1 chips. The system was designed by Asus, somewhat than Microsoft, and has Xbox-style controller grips on the perimeters. It stands in stark distinction to the Steam Deck, which Valve developed itself over a number of years, progressing by means of quite a few prototypes, somewhat than simply sticking Steam branding on a third-party system.
Comparatively, Microsoft is “leaving the {hardware} innovation to their companions at Asus,” says Fryer in her video known as The Way forward for Xbox, which you’ll see above. “It is a lot simpler to slap an Xbox sticker on an current piece of {hardware} and name it a day,” she says. “If you happen to do not care about console gross sales or unique video games anymore, why hassle innovating in {hardware}?”
I am sufficiently old to recollect when the unique Xbox got here out, and whereas it wasn’t fairly (it was an enormous clunky black field with an X on the highest), it introduced new PC tech to the console viewers for the primary time, together with an Intel x86 CPU and an Nvidia GPU with programmable shaders, to not point out a tough drive. Microsoft invested a whole lot of effort and time into the design and ecosystem, securing customized components from key chip makers.
Extra importantly, not like a PC, you knew you might run video games on it without having to improve, and it additionally had exclusives, such because the Halo collection. Likewise, the Xbox 360 introduced us an AMD GPU with a unified shader structure earlier than this tech had even made it to the PC.
That is all fairly completely different from placing Xbox branding on an Asus handheld that runs Home windows and relies on current {hardware}, particularly when you’ll be able to run Xbox video games on PC for essentially the most half now. “This is the issue,” says Fryer. “Xbox would not do exclusives anymore. Xbox Anyplace means I can play that recreation on any platform. I can play it on Xbox or PC – I could even have the ability to play it on the PS5 or the Change. So why would I purchase the ROG Ally?”
And this leads us to the killer line, which is that, in Fryer’s opinion, there’s “actually no purpose to purchase this handheld.” In what’s both a contact of optimism or sarcasm, Fryer provides that possibly subsequent yr “the fog will clear and all of us will see the sweetness in these newest bulletins.”
Whereas Microsoft’s method to the Xbox Ally {hardware} is actually completely different from its method to creating the primary Xbox consoles, there’s additionally little doubt that the corporate now has an enormous array of first-party recreation expertise below its belt. Not solely does Microsoft personal Bethesda and Activision Blizzard as subsidiary manufacturers now, nevertheless it additionally has Double Positive Compulsion, inXile, Ninja Concept, and Playground in its roster.
If you happen to’re trying to purchase a transportable gaming system your self, take a look at our information to purchasing the most effective handheld, the place we take you thru all our favourite choices proper now.
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