It’s the vacation season, and maybe you’re planning to offer (or obtain!) a ROG Xbox Ally or ROG Xbox Ally X. To assist get you taking part in as shortly as doable, we’ve up to date our information to one of the best ways to get began together with your model new handheld.
Congratulations on choosing up your new ROG Xbox Ally or ROG Xbox Ally X! Whether or not you’re a handheld gaming veteran or simply getting began, you’ve joined a rising and vibrant group of gamers who recognize the pliability of Home windows and the ability and ease of use of Xbox within the palm of your arms. When you in all probability picked up your Xbox Ally to dive proper into your favourite video games (we share a few of our handheld favorites right here), you’ll shortly uncover that these handhelds provide great flexibility to personalize your gaming expertise. That can assist you hit the bottom working, we’ve pulled collectively some must-know tricks to take advantage of out of your new Xbox Ally.
When you’re simply setting your machine up, try the informative information at Xbox Assist for step-by-step directions. Of observe: Don’t skip the choice to arrange the fingerprint reader; unlocking your Xbox Ally with only a contact is quick and feels somewhat bit magical. As soon as setup is full, you’ll boot up straight into the immersive Xbox full display screen expertise, a purpose-built gaming expertise.
Able to go? Right here’s a number of useful pointers.
Navigating your Xbox Ally
Grasp the Menus: The Xbox Ally provides you a number of methods to search out what you’re searching for— you should use the d-pad, joysticks, shoulder and face buttons to make alternatives, or just faucet the responsive touchscreen straight. As an illustration, to achieve the all-important Recreation Bar settings menu, you may press the Xbox button and hit the appropriate bumper, or just swipe from the left fringe of the display screen towards the middle. Swapping between apps? Lengthy press the Xbox button or swipe up from the underside to entry the Activity Switcher, making switching between apps and video games seamless.
Get Acquainted with Command Middle: ASUS Command Middle is now built-in into Recreation Bar, providing you with prompt entry to many superior options to personalize your expertise, each inside and out of doors of video games.
For a extra expansive set of superior settings and customization choices, you can too launch the full-featured Armoury Crate SE proper from this overlay.

Meet Gaming Copilot (Beta) — Your Private Sidekick: You may entry Gaming Copilot on the Xbox Ally, the place it provides suggestions, suggestions, and insights while you want them. To get began, lengthy press the Command Middle button to open the Gaming Copilot widget in Recreation Bar, and full the onboarding expertise. After that, if you wish to verify your subsequent achievement or get recommendation for a tricky boss combat with out leaving your recreation, lengthy press the Library button after which launch to start out your dialog with Gaming Copilot.

Play What You Need
Browse Your Video games Library: Now it’s time to search out some issues to play! Head to the Library by urgent the devoted Library button above the appropriate thumbstick to search out video games you already personal, in addition to these obtainable with Recreation Move, and titles playable through the Xbox Cloud Gaming. Notice: you may choose a couple of class at a time; highlighting Owned and Installable lets you buy groceries in your personal closet for video games that play natively in your Xbox Ally. On the lookout for one thing new? You’ll discover the Retailer on the left rail as properly.
Entry Your Video games, From Main PC Storefronts: With the aggregated gaming library, you may simply add your titles from main PC storefronts to your library, to see all of your video games in a single place. All you need to do is head to the My Apps tab in your Library, and choose the PC storefront you need to set up.

When you don’t see your required launcher, open Edge (additionally situated in My apps), navigate to the shop’s web site, and obtain it.
Play Wherever—Together with Offline: Handheld freedom means you’re sure to play in locations with out WiFi. Whereas many titles work finest on-line, most single-player video games run nice with out a connection. Earlier than you journey, check your video games offline, pre-download any updates or DLC, and be sure to’re signed in. For detailed offline setup, see our information: Play video games in offline mode on Home windows | Xbox Assist. And when you’re flying, don’t overlook to change to airplane mode to save lots of battery and keep away from interruptions.
Personalizing your Setup
Play Your Approach Utilizing Accessibility Options: With the Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X, the Xbox expertise and Recreation Bar have been optimized for handheld use, bringing alongside acquainted accessibility options from Xbox consoles and Home windows 11 PCs. Most visible, cognitive, and sensory accessibility options might be discovered by choosing the Profile & Settings icon within the higher left of the display screen, choosing Settings, then Accessibility. Enter accessibility settings, together with on-screen keyboard, enter customizations, and the power to re-map your Xbox Ally’s buttons are present in Armoury Crate SE.
Join Exterior Controllers: Pair Xbox Wi-fi Controllers to your Xbox Ally similar to you’ll with a PC. Flip in your controller, maintain the Pair button, and search for the join notification. Missed it? Open the Recreation Bar, navigate to Settings > Bluetooth > Handle gadgets, choose Add machine > Bluetooth, and observe the prompts.
And don’t miss the intelligent element: contained in the underside of your Xbox Ally field lid, you’ll discover a light-weight, sturdy paperboard stand—excellent for holding your Xbox Ally whereas charging or taking part in with an exterior controller with out blocking the display screen. This pairs properly with the following function:
Docking for the Huge Display screen: The Xbox Ally–is your excellent gaming companion while you’re on the go, and while you’re at house it supplies much more choices to play. It’s straightforward to attach an exterior monitor or TV for a bigger, much more immersive expertise . Merely join your Xbox Ally on to a monitor or TV or to a dock through the USB-C port,. For optimum efficiency, it’s finest to make use of “Second Display screen Solely” to match your TV’s decision and refresh price.
Customise the Joystick Ring Lights: The Xbox Ally’s colourful lights surrounding the thumbsticks are one in every of its defining visible thrives, however generally chances are you’ll need to dim them for a red-eye flight or when you’re taking part in in darkish room. To regulate them, open Armoury Crate SE and choose Lighting to alter how they pulse, or flip them off fully.
Keep updated: The Xbox Ally you’re taking out of the field is simply the place to begin. Final month, we shared updates to the ROG Xbox Ally handheld expertise, together with Default Recreation Profiles (Preview) which robotically steadiness body price (FPS) and energy consumption for 40 supported video games, Recreation Save Sync Indicators, which offer you real-time affirmation that your progress is uploaded to the cloud, in addition to different enhancements to ship a smoother, quicker, and extra dependable expertise. Xbox and ASUS will proceed so as to add new options and performance to boost your expertise, which we’ll share over time. To make sure you’ve at all times acquired the newest updates, there are two locations you’ll need to verify now and again.
Home windows OS Replace:
- Open Recreation Bar > Settings Widget > Extra Settings > Open Home windows Settings > Home windows Replace
- Set up all updates and restart your machine when prompted
Replace Armoury Crate SE:
- Open the Command Middle
- Choose “Open Armoury Crate SE”
- Choose Replace Middle > Test for Updates > Replace All
We are able to’t wait to see the place your new Xbox Ally or Xbox Ally X takes you. Whether or not you’re having fun with handheld gaming on the sofa or setting excessive scores on the go, the following pointers will allow you to get probably the most out of each session.

