Last month’s release of the ROG Xbox Ally and its enhanced version, the ROG Xbox Ally X, marked an exciting collaboration between ASUS and Xbox. These handheld devices introduce Xbox’s Full Screen Experience, offering a glimpse into the company’s future console innovations. Since their debut, users have experienced a series of updates addressing software issues. However, today marks the introduction of a significant new feature: Default Game Profiles, as announced by Microsoft.
Introducing Default Game Profiles
The new Default Game Profiles are designed to enhance the gaming experience on the ROG Xbox Ally and Ally X by automatically optimizing game settings. This feature is available for 40 titles initially, aiming to balance frame rate and power consumption, ensuring smoother gameplay and extending battery life without manual adjustments. This update signifies a leap forward in user convenience, as players can now enjoy more seamless gameplay with optimized settings.
For example, Hollow Knight Silksong now offers an additional hour of playtime while maintaining a full 120 FPS, thanks to its optimized power consumption. Players can still manually adjust settings if desired, and the profiles activate only when the device is on battery power, not when plugged in. Upon launching a supported game, the system will automatically apply a tailored game profile with recommended power and FPS limits specific to that game.
Supported Games and Additional Enhancements
While 40 titles are supported, the announcement highlights 16 games, including popular options like Call of Duty: Warzone, DOOM Eternal, Fortnite, and Minecraft. Currently, games optimized for the ROG Xbox Ally feature a “Handheld Optimized” notice, though a specific tag for Default Game Profile support is not yet available. Players can discover if a game supports this feature by launching it and checking the Armoury Crate Command Center.
The recent update also brings a host of improvements: enhanced gamepad response, quicker library loading, improved cloud gaming page performance, and a new Game Gallery filter by Performance Fit. These updates are complemented by bug fixes and performance enhancements for better stability and responsiveness.
Future Updates and Improvements
Looking ahead, the ROG Xbox Ally and Ally X will receive a Game Save Sync Indicator next week. This long-awaited feature will provide clear status updates, ensuring players know when their progress has synced to the cloud, eliminating any guesswork or potential data loss. This advancement underscores the commitment to continually improving the gaming experience on these devices.
For more insights on the ROG Xbox Ally devices, you can explore interviews with ASUS executives and detailed reviews of the ROG Xbox Ally X.