Image missing.
What is an Xbox?

Tom Warren

created: June 26, 2025, 4 p.m. | updated: June 26, 2025, 6:39 p.m.

Ever since Microsoft unveiled its ROG Xbox Ally handheld devices earlier this month, I keep hearing from friends that are asking about an “Xbox handheld.” YouTubers with millions of followers have positioned these handheld gaming PCs as “the first Xbox handheld,” which is true if you believe in Microsoft’s marketing, but false in reality because they don’t natively run Xbox games, only PC versions. Microsoft’s answer to this potential confusion is that the Xbox Ally devices will be able to stream your library of Xbox games from the cloud or another Xbox console. This Xbox PC branding has appeared in trailers for games in recent weeks, but even Microsoft can’t decide whether it’s “Xbox PC” or “Xbox on PC” as it has used both recently. Bond’s video also shed some light on how the Xbox PC initiative will allow you to play Xbox games. While Bond largely talked about an AMD partnership for co-engineering silicon, she also confirmed that this next generation of Xbox devices includes “maintaining compatibility with your existing library of Xbox games.” That’s a promise that Microsoft hasn’t been able to deliver for the Xbox Ally devices, and it makes it seem like the company is confident it will deliver some form of Xbox game emulation on Windows for its next generation of devices.

1 day, 13 hours ago: The Verge