Summary
Microsoft has confirmed that specific first-party PlayStation games will be playable on the newly-revealedROG Xbox AllyandAlly X, albeit in a cheeky way. Microsoft’s annual summer Xbox Games Showcase brought with it plenty of news about both theXboxdeveloper’s own franchises and new entries from some of gaming’s favorite series. The developer unveiled highly-anticipated upcoming games likeGears of War: Reloaded, while other studios like Atlus dropped bombshell announcements for new games likePersona 4 Revival. Now, one of Xbox’s most surprising announcements has a fun new update.
During the highly-anticipated Xbox show, Microsoft showed off the developer’s first foray into portable consoles in the gaming brand’s history. The developer revealed it will be teaming up with Asus to launch a handheld console in the same vein as the Steam Deck and Nintendo Switch,showcasing the ROG Xbox Ally. The handheld console will boast access not only to the Xbox library and Game Pass, but other online storefronts like Steam, GOG, and Ubisoft Connect. One particular library, however, brings a noteworthy line of games to an Xbox console for the first time ever.
Xbox’s New Handheld Can Play Some PlayStation Games
As reported by GameFile, a recent secretive presentation of the ROG Xbox Ally has led to an amusing discovery about the Xbox console. The Xbox handheld’s connectivity with the Steam library has now made several games available which had never before appeared on Xbox consoles, including some games from first-party Sony franchises.The PC releases ofGod of WarandGod of War: Ragnarokwere two particularly noteworthy titles, originally released as PlayStation exclusives and brought to Steam in recent years. The console is expected to act as both a standalone handheld and a remote play device.
Xbox’s new handheld console looks to make a major splash in the re-surging handheld gaming market, competing directly with the Steam Deck and recent Nintendo Switch 2. The presence of Steam games on the ROG Xbox Ally will act as an immediate competitor to Steam, looking to move in on the space captured by Valve’s own handheld. The ROG Xbox Ally is even expected to be on par in terms ofperformance with the Steam Deck, with the Ally X reportedly surpassing the Steam Deck. The ROG Xbox Ally is currently slated for release later this year.
Beyond Xbox’s new handheld, Microsoft prepared plenty of other major announcements for the Xbox presentation.Hollow Knight: Silksongwas once again teased during the presentation, with the developer confirming that fans would be able to play the long-awaited sequel on the Xbox Ally. Square-Enix also made severalFinal Fantasyannouncements during the show, withFinal Fantasy 16shadow-dropping on Xbox andFinal Fantasy 7 Remakecoming later this year. Xbox fans should have lots to be excited about throughout the rest of 2025.
