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 that 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 — directly on Windows.
Will Xbox Ally become a “real Xbox”?
As revealed by well-known insider Jez Corden from Windows Central, Microsoft is working on a special emulation system that will allow selected Xbox titles to run directly on Windows devices. In practice, this would mean that ROG Ally and its newer version – Ally X – could become full-fledged Xbox consoles.
“Those 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 podcast Xbox Two and on the Discord server Xbox Era.
According to his information, the first results of the work on this system might appear as early as the end of 2025 or the beginning of 2026.
Emulation like from the Xbox 360 era
The new solution is designed to work similarly to the backward compatibility emulator that Microsoft developed for the Xbox 360 and Xbox One. This would allow players to relaunch classics from earlier generations – this time natively on Windows, without the need to own a console.
However, Corden emphasises that not all titles will be available immediately. Much depends on licensing and publisher agreements – this means that emulation will be developed gradually, introducing more games over time.
One system for all
Behind the scenes, this is to be part of a larger Microsoft strategy that will connect all devices within a single ecosystem over the coming years. Consoles, PCs, and handhelds are to benefit from the same environment based on new AMD chips.
In short: future Xbox devices are expected to run games from Xbox and Windows natively, without a division between platforms. It is a vision where it does not matter where you play – what counts is that you are in the Xbox ecosystem.
The revolution is getting closer
If this information is confirmed, Microsoft may be on the brink of one of the biggest changes in the history of its brand. ROG Xbox Ally would no longer be just a portable PC – it would become a full-fledged, portable Xbox, bridging 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 completion, the future of gaming in the Xbox ecosystem could look completely different from what anyone expected.
