A little rogue, so to speak, the next-generation giveaway hit the jackpot at Gamescom 2025! The gaming community, in any case, is partying to this; five vouchers for the forthcoming Mafia: The Old Country were up for grabs on Gamesplanet UK, though the real attraction lay with the brand-new ROG Xbox Ally handheld. As for the comment section? Total mayhem. The best kind, I might add.
It was that simple: just like the post, discuss your take on the ROG Xbox Ally, and go with a Mafia voucher if you got lucky being one of five winners. However, weirdly, the game wasn’t really the topic of discussion-let alone a single comment went deep into that subject. Everybody was just going berserk over that one new handheld thing. It was like the giveaway was just an excuse to set people off over that hardware. I honestly believe that was the smartest move of the entire company.
So what is this ROG Xbox Ally, really? From everything we’ve managed to glean from the tweet and the outright unrestrained responses, it appears the most plausible guess is that it’s ASUS’s new big play in the handheld gaming space, with a whole lot of serious Xbox integration put into it. That is huge. People are calling it revolutionary, the next step in handheld gaming, and honestly, maybe we should hop on that bandwagon.
Steven Salamanca said, “It looks really cool and comfy. I’m really looking forward to getting one!” For real! Then there was Jay, already hyped beyond belief, who can’t wait to see how it takes portable gaming to the next level. Playing Mafia on the go would be “unreal,” he said. That guy’s not wrong. Just imagine: fleeing cops in an old-timey car, headed to your dentist appointment. This is the future.
Constructive criticism was given, though. To be fair, Izod expressed a preference for an OLED but hopes they will skip it to keep costs down. Ryan aka OliePlays had a mixed reaction to it; he adores the Xbox full-screen integration but is less keen about how it looks or the screen itself, even drawing an unfavorable comparison to the Legion Go screen; for all that, he still called it a “great product.” Very honest. I do enjoy that kind of review.
Afterward, Harry August said the Ally was “alright,” wishing it had a mouse/touchpad like the Steam Deck. Valid. Then Kurozzz mentioned it all depends on how good it feels in the hand and how good it feels to carry it because “what good is power if it feels like holding a brick?”
But mostly, the vibe is very, very positive. Lucas called it a “very impressive handheld mobile device” with “top-notch engineering.” Richie Quick just screamed out “Lets gooooo!! Asus ROG is just the best atm!” So true. Russell López simply said, “The best 𓁹‿𓁹,” and that’s just adorable. Blanko said, “The best option for best gaming experience.” Big praise.
These gamers are describing their upgrades. John McCole said, “I think I’m gonna have to upgrade from my z1 extreme,” and Warmarck is currently saving for the ROG Xbox Ally X. The hype is real, and it’s building.
Michael T even gave the system a go, saying, “ergonomics are awesome.” He experienced “light-weighted” feeling, with great performance after playing Sea of Thieves, Forza Horizon 5, and Gears of War: Reloaded. He concluded, “Can’t wait to get my own Xbox Ally X! Well done!” So people are not just liking it for its specs on paper-they are actually trying it.
That’s a giveaway all right. It ends tomorrow, so if you’re interested in that Mafia voucher, you’d better stop messing around and hit up ASUS ROG’s tweet and drop a comment. At this point, it really sounds like people just want to talk about the handheld.
All joking aside, portable gaming is booming. Steam Deck, Legion Go, and ROG Xbox Ally: What an exciting time for a gamer who plays away from home. Full Xbox integration, now that’s the magic man. Imagine having your whole Xbox library in your hands wherever you are. No more chained from your TV. Amen to that.
There’ll be a few skeptics in the crowd, of course. FanosSlapVT claimed that he hasn’t been gaming on the go since the days of the Game Boy Color, preferring consoles and setups on desktops instead, but still, it’s better to see kids play this than some “stupid mobile games,” which is a very old generation remark, but at least he’s there supporting.
Then there’s just James Hunter wanting Destiny 3. Same here, James.
But overall, the response has been overwhelmingly positive. Players are excited about the specs, the design, the comfort, and especially the Xbox integration. It feels like ASUS might have made another hit, and the Gamescom reveal just fueled that fire.
So, watch this space. The ROG Xbox Ally might just be the next big thing in handheld gaming. And judging by the reaction to this giveaway, it’s going to be huger than big. Now, if I may be excused, I need to jump in this contest. A man really needs his Mafia fix already.
