Oops! Microsoft's Xbox Mode For ROG Ally Just Leaked For All Gaming Handhelds

Microsoft recently released an update for the Xbox app designed to make gaming on Windows devices, including handhelds, more convenient. Additionally, the company has been working on a full-screen Xbox experience destined for the Asus ROG Xbox Ally, which was meant to be an exclusive feature to better differentiate the device from competitors.

However, a user by the name Gogsi123 on the RogAlly subreddit has discovered a way to enable this experience for anyone with a handheld running Windows. Gogsi123 was able to install it on a first-generation ROG Ally Z1 Extreme without any major issues, although the device’s fans were ramping up significantly while using the Xbox experience. Performance wise, he noted a gain of 2 fps average in Red Dead Redemption 2 and the indie hit Celeste ran while using about 1GB less of RAM.


Anyone interested in running the Xbox experience early will need to have Windows 11 25H2 installed, which is only available to those who participate in the Windows Insider program at this time. If you have this version of Windows then head over to “Settings,” select “Gaming,” then select “Full screen experience.” Under the section labeled “Configuration” there will be three settings. For “Choose home app,” use the drop-down menu to set it to “Xbox,” and then use the toggle to enable “Enter full screen experience on start up.” Once these settings are changed, restart the device to begin enjoying the new experience.

Most gamers probably won’t experiment with this on their own, since it’s currently tied to the Insiders Program and we suspect Microsoft may push out an update that will ensure it only runs on certain devices.