ROG Xbox Ally Update Introduces “Hand-Crafted” Default Game Profiles Across 40 Titles

ASUS and Xbox have rolled out the most substantial feature update yet for the ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X, introducing new Default Game Profiles designed to deliver optimized performance, reduced power consumption, and a more seamless handheld gaming experience. The update was announced through an official Xbox Wire post.

This marks the first major feature addition since the launch of the ROG Xbox Ally lineup last month, following several rounds of stability fixes and refinements from ASUS. With Xbox’s involvement, the ecosystems around the Ally and Ally X are now receiving deeper platform level enhancements that reflect the broader strategic direction hinted at by Xbox President Sarah Bond during the debut of the Xbox Full Screen Experience (Xbox FSE).

Default Game Profiles: Hand-Crafted Optimization for Portable Play

The new system introduces ROG Ally and Ally X–specific tuning across 40 supported games, each built to balance frame rate, power consumption, and thermal behavior. The profiles are engineered by Xbox to automatically select optimal TDP, FPS limit, and other performance parameters whenever a supported title is launched on battery power.

According to Xbox’s internal testing, the change can produce meaningful real world gains. For example, Hollow Knight: Silksong reportedly achieves an additional hour of battery life while still maintaining 120 FPS thanks to intelligent power management within its tailored profile.

Players are not locked into the feature. Default profiles can be overridden manually at any time, and they activate only during untethered play. When plugged in, the Ally reverts to the player’s chosen settings.

Although Xbox confirmed 40 optimized titles at launch, only 16 were highlighted, including:

• Call of Duty: Black Ops 6

• Call of Duty: Black Ops 7

• Call of Duty: Warzone

• DOOM Eternal

• DOOM: The Dark Ages

• Fortnite

• Forza Horizon 5

• Gears 5

• Gears of War: Reloaded

• Gears Tactics

• Halo: The Master Chief Collection

• Hollow Knight Silksong

• Indiana Jones and the Great Circle

• Minecraft

• Sea of Thieves

• Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4

However, there is currently no storefront tag specifically indicating whether a game supports Default Game Profiles. Users will only discover compatibility after launching the title and checking Armoury Crate’s Command Center for profile activation.

Additional Improvements Included in the Update

The November update also delivers a number of quality-of-life enhancements across the broader system experience:

• Improved gamepad responsiveness after login

• Faster Library loading, particularly for players with extensive collections

• Improved Cloud Gaming page performance

• New Game Gallery filter by “Performance Fit” to highlight how well each title runs on the device

• General bug fixes and under-the-hood performance optimizations

Upcoming Features: Game Save Sync Indicator

Next week, ASUS and Xbox will introduce a Game Save Sync Indicator, a highly requested feature that provides clear real-time feedback when cloud save synchronization is occurring. This addition is designed to prevent data loss and eliminate uncertainty, especially when switching between PC and handheld play.

With hand-crafted performance profiles, expanded system polish, and ongoing feature support, ASUS and Xbox continue strengthening the ROG Ally platform as a flexible, high-performance handheld ecosystem poised to evolve in parallel with Xbox’s broader hardware ambitions.

Are you using the new Default Game Profiles on your Ally or Ally X? Tell us which game saw the biggest improvement.