Katarzyna Petru
Last week Microsoft celebrated the launch of the ROG Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X, the first portable devices with official Xbox branding. But it seems this is just the beginning of a larger change. According to the latest leaks, the giant from Redmond may be preparing for official emulation of older Xbox games — and directly on Windows.
Will Xbox Ally become a "real Xbox"?
As revealed by well-known insider Jez Corden from Windows Central, Microsoft is reportedly working on a special emulation system that will allow selected Xbox titles to run directly on Windows devices. In practice, this would mean that the ROG Ally and its newer version – Ally X – could become fully-fledged Xbox consoles.
“People who say that Xbox Ally is not a real Xbox because it doesn’t run games from the console might be in for a big surprise next year,” Corden revealed on the Xbox Two podcast and on the Xbox Era Discord server.
According to his information, the first effects of the work on this system could appear as early as late 2025 or early 2026.
Emulation like from the Xbox 360 era
The new solution is expected to operate similarly to the backward compatibility emulator that Microsoft developed for the Xbox 360 and Xbox One. This way, players could relive classics from earlier generations – this time natively on Windows, without needing a console.
However, Corden emphasises that not all titles will be available right away. Much depends on the licensing and agreements with publishers – this means that emulation will be developed gradually, introducing more games over time.
One system for all
Behind the scenes, this is part of a larger strategy from Microsoft, which in the coming years will connect all devices within a single ecosystem. Consoles, PCs, and handhelds are set to use the same environment, based on new AMD chips.
In short: future Xbox devices are expected to be able to run games from Xbox and Windows natively, without platform segregation. This is a vision where it doesn't matter where you play – what counts is that you're in the Xbox ecosystem.
Revolution is getting closer
If this information is confirmed, Microsoft could be on the brink of one of the biggest changes in the history of its brand. ROG Xbox Ally would cease to be just a portable PC – it would become a fully-fledged, portable Xbox, merging the worlds of consoles and computers.
This could be the moment when Xbox stops being a device and becomes a platform – one, cohesive and available on every hardware.
A true revolution is on the horizon.
If Microsoft brings this project to fruition, the future of gaming in the Xbox ecosystem could look completely different than anyone expected.
