The biggest game of the next week, or weeks, is a long-awaited indie sequel you may have heard of: Hollow Knight Silksong. The game, after being expected for years, just suddenly dropped like a magic back-to-school gift.
While it's available for a number of platforms including Nintendo Switch, Xbox, PlayStation and PC, I got a chance to play a Silksong for about an hour on the upcoming Asus ROG Xbox Ally X handheld, a Windows-based game handheld that promises better support of Microsoft's game library and services than previous Windows handhelds have offered.
It's a big handheld, but the Xbox Ally X feels comfy. Scott Stein/CNET
CNET already got a look at the Rog Ally X in person, and a full review will come when the hardware launches in October. I didn't even get to see the OS or Microsoft's new extra secret sauce in this device that may make things work better, and potentially give the device an advantage over its rivals in the handheld space. All I did was play some Silksong, a game that doesn't demand much processing power at all. Much like Hollow Knight, Silksong puts you in a subterranean world of murky mazes and charming but dangerous bug characters, finding secret switches and doors to open on the way to what – hopefully – is the right way forward.
Silksong looks as lovely as the previous Hollow Knight game, and I can't wait to really wander around and discover its secrets (and actually go back and play Hollow Knight more!). But I was more focused on the Ally X's controls, which felt generous and comfy like an Xbox game controller.
The Ally X's button layout makes sense, and the analog sticks are solid -- not too stiff, not too loose. The trigger placement felt just right. And the handheld's size, while big, didn't feel too heavy (the Ally X weighs 715 grams, compared to the Steam Deck OLED's 640 grams). I'm getting used to big gaming handhelds anyway, having spent years with the Steam Deck and now adjusting to the larger Nintendo Switch 2.
I like the d-pad and analog sticks, and the whole button layout. Scott Stein/CNET
I was also impressed by the onboard haptics, which seemed to rumble in subtle ways that felt very organic to the game -- in this case, giving me little jolts when hitting (or getting hit by) enemies with Silksong's sword. The whole handheld feel was as comfy as any regular console controller experience, and like many PC handhelds, I found the controls to feel better than the Switch 2's – I didn't accidentally press the shoulder buttons like I do on Switch 2, and the responsive sticks and sturdy grips were useful for quick movement. Also, the d-pad is a great way to play.
But will the Xbox Ally and Ally X end up transforming the Windows gaming handheld landscape, offering something like a true long-awaited Xbox handheld, or will this be a stepping stone to a better one in the future? I have no idea. But I'm as curious as anyone else, especially now that the Switch 2 has opened a larger door into the possibilities of graphics-boosted next-gen handhelds.