In just over a month, Microsoft and ASUS’ first partner device, the Xbox Ally, will hit store shelves.
The Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X are powered by AMD’s Z2 platform, with should boast superior performance and battery life over the ROG Ally predecessor devices. The Xbox Ally has been fully redesigned with improved ergonomics on the exterior, and we went hands-on at Gamescom 2025 and came away incredibly impressed.
However, frustratingly, Microsoft and ASUS have yet to fully commit to a price. The Xbox Ally’s primary competitor, the Lenovo Legion Go 2, dropped a sticker shocker this week running all the way up to $1350 in the United States. Many have been wondering if the Xbox Ally range will come in at a similar premium. There are some Xbox Ally price rumors that suggest it could be significantly cheaper, but with global tariffs upending global trade, Microsoft seems reluctant to commit.
While we wait, potential Xbox Ally customers recently landed upon a new video that gives us a glimpse at the new device’s internals, ahead of official reviews by ourselves and other outlets.
Spotted by the /r/XboxAlly subreddit (via the lovely folks at PureXbox), the video details how ASUS approached cooling with the Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X.
“Our zero gravity thermal solution operates at peak efficiency no matter what orientation you hold the device. Letting you sit back, relax, and game however you want,” ASUS explains in the video below.
Watch On
If you can’t watch the video, the full transcript is as follows.
“Anti-gravity heat pipes transfer heat away from the processor using an improve capillary structure for the wick that even works upside-down. Both fans have a fluid-bearing design — a tried and tested mechanism with low friction that will keep the Xbox Ally spinning like a top for years to come.”
“The Xbox Ally’s fans are larger in size measuring at 8mm tall with 77 fan blades, and they move 15% more air than the previous generation Ally X. The fan shrouds contain small cut-outs that divert a small amount of air to the area between the motherboard and display panel. This air keeps the touch screen cooler for your fingers, and exhausts out of a third vent on the top of the chassis, keeping noise down when you’re deep into your games. Dust filters cover both air intake vents, keeping the Ally quieter and more efficient over time.”
“In order to accommodate the ROG Ally’s new bumpers and triggers, we redesigned the heat sink. Each of its 90 ultra-thin fins is slightly taller to provide more surface area for heat dissipation. All of this means you get a better gaming experience — more performance, with less noise.”
Oddly, the video is “unlisted” on YouTube, so it’s unclear how it was discovered. The video has been live for just under a month, and it seems a bit odd that ASUS itself hasn’t revealed it yet. It could be that it’s pending publication for story beats at Xbox’s upcoming Tokyo Game Show presentation. Given Japan’s historical penchant for handheld gaming devices, it stands to reason that Microsoft will have another marketing blitz ready for the Japanese audiences therein.
The Xbox Ally is incredibly promising on paper, but it will depend quite heavily on the final price point whether or not it sees significant adoption. PC gaming handhelds in general are already quite a niche segment, more recently popularized by AMD’s Z1 and now Z2 chipsets, alongside devices like the Steam Deck.
It all started with the Nintendo Switch, though, which is why devices like the Lenovo Legion Go co-opted detachable sticks for added versatility. The Xbox Ally is gunning for pure ergonomics and console-like usability, however, which is why Microsoft has essentially been rebuilding parts of Windows 11 to make it play nice with the Xbox app for gaming.
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