Latest news with #ProjectKennan
Tom's Guide
08-06-2025
- Tom's Guide
ROG Xbox Ally: Everything we know about the two new gaming handhelds from Microsoft and Asus
Hot on the heels of the Nintendo Switch 2, Xbox is joining the handheld party with the ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X. You may also know this as the Asus ROG Ally 2 or Project Kennan, and Microsoft took the chance at the Xbox Games Showcase to show it off ahead of its fall 2025 launch (price yet unknown). With these two new handhelds come new chips, a completely reimagined full-screen Xbox UI (hopefully, this means no more Windows 11 desktop on a handheld screen), and drastically boosted performance that could make these the best gaming handhelds you can buy today. Let's get into what you're getting here, the games you'll be playing on them, and why Microsoft is finally on the right track to taking on SteamOS. You're getting the new Xbox Ally in two flavors. Category Xbox Ally Xbox Ally X Operating System Windows 11 Home Windows 11 Home Processor AMD Ryzen™ Z2 A Processor AMD Ryzen™ AI Z2 Extreme Processor Memory 16GB LPDDR5X-6400 24GB LPDDR5X-8000 Storage 512GB M.2 2280 SSD (upgradeable) 1TB M.2 2280 SSD (upgradeable) Display 7" 16:9 FHD (1080p) IPS, 500 nits, 120Hz refresh rate, FreeSync Premium, Gorilla Glass Victus + DXC Anti-Reflection 7" 16:9 FHD (1080p) IPS, 500 nits, 120Hz refresh rate, FreeSync Premium, Gorilla Glass Victus + DXC Anti-Reflection Graphics AMD Radeon™ RDNA 3 Graphics AMD Radeon™ RDNA 3 Graphics with AI Boost Battery 60Wh 80Wh I/O Ports 2x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C, microSD reader, 3.5mm Combo Audio Jack 1x USB4 Type-C with Thunderbolt 4, 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C, microSD reader (DDR200), 3.5mm Combo Audio Jack Network Wi-Fi 6E (2x2) + Bluetooth 5.4 Wi-Fi 6E (2x2) + Bluetooth 5.4 Audio Dual Smart Amp speakers, Dolby Atmos, AI noise-canceling microphone Dual Smart Amp speakers, Dolby Atmos, AI noise-canceling microphone Dimensions & Weight 11.4 × 4.8 × 1.99 inches, 1.48 pounds 11.4 × 4.8 × 1.99 inches, 1.48 pounds Launch Date Holiday 2025 Holiday 2025 Price Unknown Unknown If you saw the Project Kennan leaks earlier this year, you won't be too surprised by the looks of this new handheld. And while others have been saying this looks like a toy, I actually dig this form factor, along with the small nods to Xbox in this mostly-Asus aesthetic. The proper controller grips look like this will give it a great hand-feel — something proper to hold onto. So far, the only thing that's come close to establishing a good grip has been the new AMD-fuelled MSI Claw A8, but this looks set to take it to the next level. Oh, and you're also getting everything you'd expect from an Xbox controller like HD haptics and Hall Effect L and R triggers. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. Up front, you've got the same 7-inch 1080p panels across the pair, which are IPS screens with 120Hz refresh rate and protection courtesy of Gorilla Glass Victus. There are slight port differences here, as you're getting USB4 in the premium model, and in that pricier model, you're also seeing the battery capacity upgraded from 60Wh to 80Wh. And trust me when I say that additional capacity is needed for what the new AMD chip is able to do. But while the hardware design only hints at the Xbox partnership here and there, the software has had a dramatic overhaul to tackle some of the key problems we've been talking about for well over a year now. Just to address what they are: Well, looks like Microsoft took this on board and has finally done something about it with the re-engineered Xbox app. Not only can you set it to full screen mode to just start up into it, but when you do so, all Windows 11 processes (including the desktop itself) will be disabled. That gives you up to 2GB of RAM back for gaming! So not only do you get a re-engineered UI that gives you an aggregated gaming library across all your libraries like Steam and Game Pass, a controller-centric design for navigating zippily, but all that Windows overhead is being eliminated too, so you can make the most of your system's RAM. As Jez Corden has added over at Windows Central, Xbox has confirmed that this new Xbox app and the re-tooled Windows 11 are exclusive to the Xbox Ally and Ally X until 'early 2026' when 'other devices like the Lenovo Legion Go' will start to get it too. In terms of what is powering the games under the hood, you've got two fresh new chips from AMD: the Ryzen Z2 A and the Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme. We've already caught a glimpse of these at Computex, but without the NPUs to deliver on the AI features. The Ryzen Z2 A is a drastically cut back APU that seems to be aimed at lower-power gaming for indie titles and the such — packing 4 cores/8 threads and being built on the efficient 'Zen 2' architecture for performance configurable up to 20 watts. However, this does mean you're only getting AMD's 5-year-old RDNA 2 graphics. But the real party starts with the Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme — basically the laptop-centric Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 chipset with a new name. 8 cores/16 threads running on AMD's latest Zen 5 architecture for the fastest multitasking, highest power output at 35 watts, and double the GPU core count. The end result? As Microsoft confirmed, Gears of War: Reloaded is capable of running at a 'completely stable 1080p 60 FPS' according to Corden's Windows rep. That's AAA console gaming on a handheld with Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme! As Xbox CEO Sarah Bond said herself, every game announced at the Showcase is Xbox Play Anywhere. So here's what got announced at the Showcase. And of course, you have the rest of the Xbox Game Pass library, as well as anything you bought on Steam, Epic Games Store and more to play. This is the big question mark that's getting me nervous. No company told me the price at Computex, and everybody is quiet here too, and that's because of the tariffs. Nobody wants to jump until they're 100% sure what is happening to all their components, and the uncertainty is driving the cost up. Given these are full purchases with a docking station included too, I'd venture a guess and say the Ryzen Z2 A model is going to come in at around $500, and the top of the line could be anywhere between $800-$1,000. Microsoft has confirmed that there are more accessories being announced soon, so stay tuned for a new case and maybe some device mods! I've been clear about my problems with Windows gaming handhelds, and it looks like Microsoft's taken that personally. On paper, these seem incredible with huge touted performance uplifts, fresh designs that look real comfortable to hold, and a real attention paid to stripping that Windows experience away to give you just the games. We'll know more when we get some proper hands-on time with it closer to its launch this fall.
Mint
08-06-2025
- Mint
Xbox full-screen experience on the cards: Microsoft and Asus collab pays off, here's all about it
Two of the world's top tech giants, Microsoft and Asus, joined hands to develop not one, but two Xbox Ally handhelds, which will give users a full-screen experience, along with a new kind of gaming experience. Both of them are part of the Project Kennan initiative that includes thorough development into newer gaming consoles, making them handheld-friendly and reducing the complexity of the Windows platform. One of them is the White ROG Xbox Ally handheld device, which is designed for a standard 720p gaming experience. Then comes the all-powerful black ROG Xbox Ally, which is equipped to support a 900p to 1080p gaming experience. Both of them share a similar screen size and resolution, but the black is more powerful than the white, especially because of its build and gaming support. It also matches the ROG Ally and Ally X, which also have the same 7-inch 1080p screen along with a 120Hz refresh rate. (This story is under development. Please come back for more information.)
The Verge
08-06-2025
- The Verge
Microsoft and Asus announce two Xbox Ally handhelds with new Xbox full-screen experience
Microsoft and Asus have been working together over the past year to create not one, but two new ROG Xbox Ally handhelds. Both of these Xbox Ally devices, part of the Project Kennan effort I reported on earlier this year, include a new full-screen Xbox experience on Windows that's designed to be more handheld-friendly and hide away the complexity of Windows to focus on gaming instead. The white ROG Xbox Ally is designed for 720p gaming, and the more powerful black ROG Xbox Ally X targets 900p to 1080p gaming on the go. Like the existing ROG Ally and Ally X, the new Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X share the same 7-inch 1080p screen, complete with a 120Hz refresh rate and VRR support. The Xbox Ally uses a previously unannounced AMD Ryzen Z2 A chip, combined with 16GB of LPDDR5X-6400 RAM and 512GB of M.2 2280 SSD storage. The Xbox Ally X upgrades the chip to AMD's Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme processor, 24GB of LPDDR5X-8000 memory, and a 1TB M.2 2280 SSD. All of these specs make them very similar to Asus' existing Windows-powered handheld gaming PCs at heart, but there are some much-needed changes to the software side that could make the Windows handheld experience a lot better. 'We know that to take this handheld experience to the next level, we cannot do this alone,' says Shawn Yen, vice president of consumer at Asus, in a briefing with The Verge, admitting that some gamers have found it 'frustrating and confusing' to navigate Windows with joysticks and button until now. Microsoft and Asus have been collaborating closely on these two new Xbox Ally devices over the past year, and Yen says Microsoft and Asus 'share a joint obsession' on these new handhelds. That joint obsession includes Microsoft making good on its promise to combine ' the best of Xbox and Windows together,' thanks to a new Xbox full screen experience on Windows that's designed specifically for handhelds. Not only can the Xbox Ally devices boot directly to this interface, the companies claim you can easily get back to it using a new dedicated Xbox button on these handhelds — much like an Xbox console. Microsoft doesn't load the full Windows desktop or a bunch of background processes in this full screen Xbox experience, putting Windows firmly in the background and freeing up more memory for games. Instead, you launch straight into the Xbox PC app, which includes all of your PC games from the Microsoft Store, and what Microsoft calls 'other leading storefronts.' This aggregated gaming library means you'll see games from Xbox, Game Pass, and all your PC games installed from Steam, Epic Games Store, and elsewhere in a single interface much like what the GOG launcher offers. Earlier this week we started seeing parts of this unified library appear in the Xbox PC app, and Microsoft says you'll be able to access your full Xbox console library through Xbox Cloud Gaming or Remote Play to an Xbox console. The idea is that you should be able to seamlessly launch any game you own, whether it's actually installed on your handheld, streaming from your Xbox Series X over home Wi-Fi, or streaming from the cloud, though we have yet to try that ourselves. Microsoft has also made some additional tweaks to the Xbox PC app and Game Bar to make this all more handheld-friendly, including the ability to log in via the Windows lockscreen with your controller, no touchscreen taps required. You'll also be able to use this handheld-friendly Game Bar interface to easily launch apps like Discord, or alt-tab between apps and games, or adjust settings without having to fiddle with the touchscreen. You can read all about all the Windows changes in my deep dive look at this new Xbox PC experience right here. These two Xbox Ally devices also have Xbox-like contoured grips. It's as if Microsoft and Asus have taken an Xbox controller and squeezed a screen between the grips, similar to what Sony did with its PlayStation Portal. The grips have been designed like this to make it easier to wrap your hands around the entire controls, so you access all the buttons and triggers. The Xbox Ally X even has impulse triggers like all modern Xbox controllers, so you'll feel things like terrain of roads during racing games or the impact of bullets in a shooter, all thanks to the haptics on the triggers. Asus is also using a USB-C 4 connector that supports Thunderbolt 4 on the more powerful Xbox Ally X, offering the possibility of connecting a powerful external GPU to it, alongside a single USB-C 3.2 port and a UHS-II microSD card reader. The Xbox Ally uses two USB-C 3.2 ports instead. Microsoft and Asus aren't providing any benchmarks or a real sense of performance for these handhelds yet, and both use chips we haven't tested. But interestingly, they appear to be focusing on battery life this time around. 'For this generation the most important thing to us is efficiency. Efficiency is our new superpower,' says Yen. 'The games will be able to play cooler and quieter, and at the same time offer you a longer battery life for gameplay.' AMD told us in January that the Z2 Extreme would be both its most powerful and most efficient handheld chip yet, while the Z2 A is rumored to be based on the Steam Deck's less powerful but battery sipping Van Gogh-based chip. Importantly, the Xbox Ally is using a 60Wh battery, 50 percent larger than the pack that shipped in the original ROG Ally, while the more powerful Xbox Ally X uses an 80Wh battery, tied with the Ally X and the largest you can find in a handheld today. The Windows tweaks may also improve battery, with Microsoft claiming it's already seeing 1/3rd the drain when these Xbox Full Screen Experience systems are idle and asleep. If you want extra performance, you'll also be able to dock these Xbox Ally devices to Asus' XG mobile device that offers up an RTX 5090 laptop GPU to overhaul how games play on these handheld devices. These new Xbox Ally handhelds will launch during the holiday season later this year, and Microsoft and Asus are planning to share pricing and preorder information in the coming months.
The Verge
08-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Verge
Xbox console games are suddenly showing up inside the Xbox PC app
Something strange is going on with Microsoft's Xbox app on Windows. Over the past few days, the Xbox PC app has started showing Xbox console games inside the library. While you can't install games like the original Alan Wake for Xbox 360, it shows up if you own it as part of the 'My PC Games' list inside the Xbox PC app. I don't believe this is a simple bug, but more the result of Microsoft's plans to more closely combine its Xbox and Windows stores. I wrote about this effort in March, when I revealed in Notepad that Microsoft is working with Asus on a Project Kennan handheld. 'It's part of a larger effort from Microsoft to unify Windows and Xbox towards a universal library of Xbox and PC games,' I wrote at the time. So, is xbox cooking??? That's my whole console library right there 👀 — Even When The Heart Stops, The Pain Lingers (@Gaming4all98) June 7, 2025 This effort also involves enabling Steam and Epic Games Store games to be visible in the Xbox PC app library. Microsoft accidentally revealed mockup images showing Steam games in the Xbox PC library earlier this year, and at the time sources familiar with the company's plans told me Microsoft was working on an Xbox app update that will show every game you have installed on your PC. Microsoft has also been working on making the Xbox app the home of PC gaming over the past year, and it has recently started referring to its Xbox PC app as simply 'Xbox PC.' This new branding first showed up in Microsoft's announcement of Gears of War: Reloaded, and a new gameplay trailer for MIO: Memories In Orbit also shows off the Xbox PC branding and logo that we're going to see whenever Microsoft wants to let PC players know the game is available on its Microsoft Store. Microsoft is also combining ' the best of Xbox and Windows together ' for handhelds, in changes that we should see later this year. Microsoft is in desperate need of a response to SteamOS, particularly as PC makers like Lenovo are starting to put SteamOS on their own handheld gaming PCs. All of these Xbox PC changes and the handheld work means we're probably close to seeing exactly how Microsoft lists additional games in the Xbox PC app. The big question will be whether Xbox console games will actually be playable on PC, and Microsoft may need to leverage its cloud infrastructure for that unless it has an emulation breakthrough ready to finally make the dream of playing old Xbox games on PC a reality.
Time of India
30-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Microsoft may have shelved its Xbox Handheld, and the reason is Windows 11
Microsoft has temporarily shelved development of its own Xbox handheld gaming device to prioritize improving Windows 11 performance for third-party gaming handhelds, according to sources familiar with the company's plans. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The decision represents a strategic shift as Microsoft faces mounting competition from Valve's SteamOS platform. The tech giant's internal first-party handheld project, which was targeting a 2027 launch alongside the next Xbox console, has been put on hold while teams redirect efforts toward optimizing Windows 11 for devices like the upcoming Asus ROG Ally successor, codenamed " Project Kennan ." Windows Latest reports that Microsoft announced the reprioritization internally, though no layoffs have occurred as a result of the decision. Microsoft's rumored handheld with Asus remains a priority Microsoft's partnership with Asus remains unaffected by the internal handheld delay. Project Kennan, expected to launch later this year with AMD's Z2 Extreme processor, represents Microsoft's near-term handheld gaming strategy. The hardware development is reportedly complete, with software optimization now the primary focus. The shift comes as SteamOS poses an increasing threat to Windows' gaming dominance. Recent tests show significant battery life and performance improvements when SteamOS is installed on Windows-based handhelds like the Legion Go and ROG Ally, though users lose access to services like PC Game Pass. Microsoft continues developing next-generation Xbox cloud systems at its Redmond headquarters, aiming to match NVIDIA GeForce Now 's latency performance. The company also cancelled its cloud-focused mini console "Hobart" as part of broader strategic realignments. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now While Microsoft maintains long-term ambitions for a native Xbox handheld, the immediate focus on third-party partnerships and Windows optimization reflects the competitive pressure from established platforms like Steam Deck ahead of the company's June 8 Xbox Showcase .
