SALTZMAN: Game on! ROG and Xbox debut handheld PC

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An estimated 350,000 gamers from around the world – including yours truly – poured into Cologne, Germany to attend Gamescom, the world’s largest convention devoted to computer and video games.

And so, it’s fitting that Asus and Microsoft would choose this massive five-day event, which wraps up Sunday, to officially unveil its ROG Xbox Ally series of handheld gaming PCs, available in Canada on Oct. 16.

As the name suggests, ROG Xbox Ally and the more powerful ROG Xbox Ally X, feature an intuitive Xbox-style user interface and can run Windows games available at multiple storefronts, such as those from Microsoft, Valve (Steam), Epic, GOG, and others.

An integrated display and built-in controllers mean you can play anywhere. Alternatively, connect it to a monitor or TV via one of its two USB-C ports for big-screen gaming when at home, a friend’s house, or even a hotel room.

It also supports “cloud gaming,” which lets you instantly stream games over the internet rather than waiting to download games before playing.

Both handheld PCs feature a sharp 7-inch Full HD display with smooth 120 Hz refresh rate, nestled between Xbox console-like controls: two joysticks, a four-way D-pad, ABXY face buttons, two bumpers, two triggers, and customizable buttons, too.

And yes, should you want to use this Windows 11 PC for productivity, you can connect it to a TV or monitor and add a wired or wireless keyboard and mouse to get work done.

Under the hood, the lower-end Xbox Ally, available in white, houses an AMD Ryzen Z2 A chip with a 4-core Zen 2-based CPU, an 8-core GPU (for graphics performance), 512 gigabytes of storage (but expandable), and 16GB of RAM (system memory). In comparison, the all-black Xbox Ally X is powered by a beefier AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme with an 8-core Zen 5 processor, 16-core PU, 1TB of storage, 24GB of RAM, and neural processing unit (NPU) for AI tasks.

I played both machines at Gamescom. They felt, looked and even sounded great. I previewed games like Forza Horizon 5, Harry Potter: Hogwarts Legacy, Balatro, and a remastered version of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater.

No price has been announced.

Games galore at Gamescom

If my throbbing thumbs are indication, it was a busy week testing tomorrow’s games today.

A few noteworthy games coming soon:

Resident Evil Requiem

Love horror games? The ninth main game in the coveted Resident Evil franchise was frightfully fun.

Not available until Feb. 27, 2026, Capcom’s Resident Evil Requiem introduces players to FBI agent Grace Ashcroft as she awakens in a creepy hospital and faces unspeakable horrors. Seriously, the demo I played was beyond creepy.

Through exploration, puzzle solving and combat, Ashcroft must stay alive long enough to unravel what’s going on here.

Like some other Resident Evil games, you can swap between first and third perspective.

Pragmata

Also from Capcom and out sometime in 2026, Pragmata was playable at Gamescom.

This brand-new franchise is a sci-fi adventure that follows Hugh Williams, a member of an elite dispatch team sent to investigate a lunar facility.

While recovering from an injury, Hugh finds a mysterious android in the form of a young girl, Diana. Leveraging both of their skills, you’ll navigate through a (seemingly) abandoned lunar research station.

It’s atmospheric, intense, and offers a deeper storyline than most other action games.

Deadpool VR

The “Merc with a Mouth” is getting his own virtual reality game.

Developed by Twisted Pixel in partnership with Marvel Games, Deadpool VR will be available for the Meta Quest 3 headset on Nov. 18.

As you might expect from a Deadpool adventure, it’s fun and funny – and gory.

Rather than Ryan Reynolds, the game is voiced by Neil Patrick Harris, but with the same cheeky comments and one-liners found in the popular Marvel movies.

If my 20-minute demo was any indication, you’ll master weapons (dual pistols and swords) and navigate the environment (with parkour moves, wall-running and a grappling hook-like pistol feature) to take down countless baddies for monetary gain (and notoriety, of course).

Hollow Knight: Silksong

To say there was buzz about Silksong prior to Gamescom would be a huge understatement.

Due out next month from Australian independent developer Team Cherry, the sequel to 2017’s Hollow Knight is a 2D platformer with combat elements. It follows Hornet, who explores the dangerous land of Pharloom.

The Gamescom demo begins after a brief cutscene that shows Hornet trapped in a Cinderella-like carriage. Now with new attack skills and abilities, the nimble protagonist can also activate Bind, which heals her and can be used once an onscreen bar level is full.

While it has been in development for several years, Hollow Knight: Silksong looks to be an ambitious sequel with more than 200 new enemies (and 40 new boss fighters), several side-quests (and a journal to take note of them), and a new quest system.

Keeper

While not playable at the show, legendary game designer Tim Schafer previewed Double Fine Productions’ next title, Keeper.

(Schafer, if you didn’t know, is the genius behind games like Grim Fandango, Full Throttle, Psychonauts, Brütal Legend, and Broken Age.)

Set in a surreal world where humanity is long gone and nature has taken over the Earth, Keeper has unique protagonists: a lighthouse (er, that can walk), and a sea bird named Twig. After a violent storm isolates Twig from her flock, she perches on the lighthouse, which awakens it, and so the adventure begins.

Keeper is about the “atmosphere and vibes, and companionship between these two,” says Schafer, who adds there’s no dialogue and no combat. You’ll interact with items (“light puzzles”), and through exploration and introspection, aim to reach the mountaintop of this mysterious island.

Inspired by the art of Salvador Dali, Keeper is visually unique and stunning.

Keeper comes out Oct. 17.

– Based in Toronto, Marc Saltzman is the host of the Tech It Out podcast and the author of the book Apple Watch For Dummies (Wiley)