October 16 Will Be a Battle Between Two Handhelds

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During the early days of the PS4, it seemed like handheld consoles were on the brink of extinction. Major players like Sony and Nintendo were battling to attract new customers as mobile games started taking over their market share. Despite growing a dedicated fanbase eventually, Sony’s follow-up to the PSP, PlayStation Vita, initially flopped, selling fewer than 15 million units throughout its lifespan. Nintendo’s 3DS had better commercial success, but it too faced a rocky launch and sold significantly less than the Nintendo DS. However, after Nintendo’s triumph with the Nintendo Switch, the handheld market underwent a significant renaissance. Various companies such as Valve, Asus, Lenovo, and MSI entered the fray, creating portable gaming devices modeled on the design of the Nintendo Switch.

Now, over 8 years since the launch of the Nintendo Switch’s success, it appears that both Microsoft and Sony are planning to venture into the handheld market. Sony is rumored to be planning a portable PlayStation console for release alongside the PlayStation 6 in 2027/2028, while Microsoft is set to unveil a new line of handhelds later this year.

The ROG Xbox Ally Family of Systems is Coming Out on October 16

At the June Xbox Games Showcase, Microsoft introduced its initial Xbox-branded portable device: the ROG Xbox Ally, developed in partnership with Asus. Essentially, the ROG Xbox Ally and its enhanced version, the ROG Xbox Ally X, are advanced iterations of the existing Asus ROG Ally handhelds. Consequently, these devices can be categorized as portable PCs rather than conventional consoles. Unlike the Xbox Series X/S, they operate on Windows 11 and support games accessible across all contemporary PC marketplaces such as Steam.

The ASUS ROG Xbox Ally doesn’t support playing all games from an Xbox user’s game library directly. As it functions as a PC, it is only capable of running Xbox games that are compatible with the Xbox Play Anywhere feature.

The ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X Seem to be Pretty Expensive

On October 16, 2025, both the ROG Xbox Ally and the ROG Xbox Ally X will hit the market. These systems are expected to be available in countries where Xbox consoles are currently sold. Additionally, they’ll debut alongside a new Handheld Compatibility Program designed to inform users whether their games can run smoothly on these devices. As of now, Microsoft and Asus haven’t disclosed the pricing for the ROG Xbox Ally series, but leaks suggest they might be on the pricier side. If the rumors are true, the base ROG Xbox Ally could cost approximately $599, while the ROG Xbox Ally X could retail for around $899. However, these prices may still be subject to change.

Pokemon Legends: Z-A Will Be Released on the Same Day as the ROG Xbox Ally

Some gamers might be deterred from buying the ROG Xbox Ally because of its steep price. Fortunately, there’s another handheld game coming out on the same day that could pique their interest: Pokemon Legends: Z-A. This new Pokemon game, developed by Game Freak, is a sequel to the 2022 spin-off, Pokemon Legends: Arceus. Unlike its predecessor, Pokemon Legends: Z-A is set in Lumiose City, the location of the Gen 6 mainline Pokemon titles, Pokemon X and Y. It will include a blend of both new and familiar characters from those games, as well as the popular Mega Evolution feature.

Exclusives Like Pokemon Legends: Z-A Give Nintendo’s Handhelds a Leg Up Over the ROG Xbox Ally

The new game called “Pokemon Legends: Z-A” will debut on both the original Nintendo Switch and the newly released Nintendo Switch 2 upon their release. The base price for the game on the original Nintendo Switch is $60, while its version for the Nintendo Switch 2 will cost an extra $10. It’s important to note that “Pokemon Legends: Z-A” will not be compatible with the ROG Xbox Ally or any future PC handheld devices. While the intended user bases for the ROG Xbox Ally and the Nintendo Switch 2 may differ, exclusive titles such as “Pokemon Legends: Z-A” represent a significant advantage that Nintendo’s handheld consoles hold over Microsoft’s upcoming portable device in terms of unique offerings.

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2025-09-09 19:34