Technologies

The Xbox Ally’s Biggest Specs Upgrade Could Just Be Better Windows 11 for Handhelds

The hardware is willing, but the software is weak.

The same thing that makes Windows gaming handhelds desirable also holds them back.

It’s never been the hardware. The designs aren’t perfect in a lot of the devices — even the best of the lot, the Asus ROG Ally and ROG Ally X, which are the basis of the forthcoming ROG Xbox Ally — but they’re generally playable.

The culprit has always been Windows. It simply isn’t an operating system designed for a dedicated gaming handheld, and that needs to change.

Of course, we’d all love the Xbox Ally to be cheap, somewhere in the range of the Nintendo Switch 2‘s $450. But while we don’t yet know the real pricing, $600-plus seems more likely given the specs. With the exception of the processor, which is designed with handhelds in mind, the specs are the same as what you may find in a full Windows laptop.

Specifications

	ROG Xbox Ally	ROG Xbox Ally X
Operating system	Windows 11 Home	Windows 11 Home
Processor	AMD Ryzen Z2A	AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme
Memory	16GB LPDDR5X-6400	24GB LPDDR5X-8000
Storage	512GB M.2 2280 SSD for easier upgrade	1TB M.2 2280 SSD
Display	7 in. FHD (1080p) IPS, 500 nits, 16:9; 120Hz FreeSync Premium	7 in. FHD (1080p) IPS, 500 nits, 16:9; 120Hz FreeSync Premium
I/O Ports	2x USB-C (2 x DP 2.1, PD 3.0), 1 x microSD, 1 x analog audio	2x USB-C (1 x USB4, 1 x USB 3.2 both w/ DP 2.1, PD 3.0), 1 x microSD, 1 x analog audio
Network and communication	Wi-Fi 6E (2 x 2) + Bluetooth 5.4	Wi-Fi 6E (2 x 2) + Bluetooth 5.4
Dimensions	29.1×12.2×5.1 cm	29.1×12.2×5.1 cm
Weight	670g	715g
Battery	60Wh	80Wh

I can’t vouch for the lower-end model of the Ally — I’ve only tested the higher-end one — but on the last-gen hardware, many games run well, at least at 1080p, and people have been known to output as high as 4K with an optional docking station.

But Windows has a lot more to overcome.

Windows annoyances, writ small

There are a lot of chunks of the operating system that serve as a useful base — many of which it shares with the Xbox — and which make it possible to run games from any game store on Windows, one of the big reasons we want the handheld. Those parts also make connections to peripherals and communications possible, as well as supply an architecture for incorporating AI (where it makes sense) for games.

But layered atop that scaffolding are the millions of lines of code (if not more) necessary for an OS that tries to be all things to all people, along with an interface intended to serve a multiplicity of uses. It can make just getting to play a game a misery. Microsoft has the opportunity — really the necessity — to strip Windows down to its gaming essentials in order to make the Xbox Ally the gaming handheld people want to love.

Things need to change for gaming handhelds, and many of those things would make Windows an operating system we could hate a little less.

Windows Update: Frequent updates have become a fact of life, and gaming devices are no exception. And if an update brings gaming-related bug fixes or feature enhancements, that’s fine. But when I’m ready to game and have to sit through 10 minutes (or more) of updates for parts of the OS that have nothing to do with gaming, I get pissed. You can postpone for a while, but at a certain point, it gets angry and things begin to stop working. Then there are times when updates insist on happening even though you’ve postponed it. As I write this, I’ve gotten a pop-up notification on the Ally X that it needs to restart, and the update is estimated to take 30 minutes. «NO. THANK. YOU.»
Windows sign-on: By default, Windows 11 forces you to sign in to a Microsoft account; that’s an annoying but common practice on a lot of devices, including consoles. But it should be much easier to do on a handheld, such as with a barcode scanned by a phone, the way you can log in to Steam, as well as an easy way to tell it to bypass authentication if you don’t need it. The on-screen keyboard isn’t bad, and a PIN code can be short, but it’s still a pain and not accessibility friendly. Face ID doesn’t work for these, and adding an IR camera on the long edge for Windows Hello would elevate what’s already a high price. I could go on, but I’ll spare you the rant I reexperience for every system I test.
Windows desktop: On a gaming-only device, you should never, ever have to see the Windows desktop unless you choose to, the same way you can use a Steam Deck (or SteamOS handheld like the Lenovo Legion Go S) without ever having to know the Linux desktop even exists. Every one of these I’ve used has, at best, an app to consolidate the game launchers and some other game-related perks. But they’re rarely persistent enough, and you always end up in the standard Windows interface at some point. Imagine you’ve only used Macs and are confronted by this experience. Yuck. The interface for a handheld like the Xbox Ally has to be more than skin deep — a lot more.
Crapware: I have a fairly broad definition of crapware: Anything installed that I didn’t ask for and that’s not essential to a device’s operation. Seriously, Microsoft — the standard trial versions of Microsoft Office, Teams, LinkedIn, and more are an even bigger waste of space on a gaming handheld than on a laptop. Games are huge, storage tends to be too small for cost reasons, and every byte of storage should be dedicated to things required to play them.
Controller navigation throughout: On a screen so small, touch alone doesn’t cut it for an operating system and applications designed for use with a mouse, and it can throw you out of the gaming experience.
HDR: You shouldn’t have to remember to go to the display settings and turn HDR on; it should be able to autodetect it when you turn it on within a game. You generally can’t leave HDR enabled on screens this dim — usually only as high as 500 nits — without messing up the display of the non-HDR elements. But as far as I can tell, the only Windows handheld with HDR is the OLED Zotac Zone.

And those are just the things that stand out in my memory. There are a lot of places that could use some interface streamlining as well, like Wi-Fi (have you ever tried to find your own network listed when you live in an apartment building with at least 50 different SSIDs within range?).

And most of these would significantly improve the experience for PC Windows users as well.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Saturday, June 28

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for June 28.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? It’s Saturday, so it’s extra-long, and might take you a while. Read on. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

The Mini Crossword is just one of many games in the Times’ games collection. If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: Detachable parts of a dress form
Answer: ARMS

5A clue: Catering container containing caffeine
Answer: TEARUN

8A clue: Climbing structure offered in pet stores
Answer: CATTREE

9A clue: Gets into town
Answer: ARRIVES

10A clue: Frédéric Chopin or Ray Charles, notably
Answer: PIANIST

11A clue: They don’t hold water
Answer: SIEVES

12A clue: ___-jerk reaction
Answer: KNEE

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: With some chance of failure
Answer: ATARISK

2D clue: Prepare for a new job, maybe
Answer: RETRAIN

3D clue: Midday Broadway showing
Answer: MATINEE

4D clue: Goal of a noted reality show set on an island
Answer: SURVIVE

6D clue: Witherspoon who portrayed June Carter in «Walk the Line»
Answer: REESE

7D clue: Lodgings for larks
Answer: NESTS

8D clue: Souvenir from a baseball game
Answer: CAP

Technologies

Facing Billions in DMA Fines, Apple Lets EU iPhone Users Install Apps Outside the App Store

A last-minute rule change lets European iPhone owners download apps from rival stores and developer websites, while introducing new fees that Apple hopes will satisfy regulators in Brussels.

In a scramble to sidestep penalties that could soar into the billions, and with Brussels regulators watching closely, Apple has agreed to let Europeans download iPhone apps from outside its own App Store.

With just hours left before an EU compliance deadline, the company said residents of the 27-nation bloc will soon be able to grab apps from rival marketplaces or straight off a developer’s website. The change rolls out later this year with iOS 18.6 and iPadOS 18.6, and also lets users set a different browser engine and choose a third-party wallet at checkout.

For everyday EU iPhone owners, that means the download button could pop up in more places than just Apple’s storefront. After you select the new setting, iOS shows a one-time permission sheet confirming you’re leaving Apple’s marketplace. The app then passes a quick notarization scan meant to weed out malware. Apple notes that off-store downloads work only inside the EU, and disappear if you stay outside the bloc for more than 30 days.

Cost to developers

Developers do gain fresh distribution freedom, but there’s a price tag. A new two-tier Store Services fee asks for 5% of outside sales in exchange for basic services like app reviews and support in what’s called Tier 1, or 13% for the full bundle of perks, including automatic updates and App Store promotions in Tier 2.

Apple will take a 5% «Core Technology Commission» on any purchase made outside its own payment system. That new cut will phase out the current €0.50-per-download fee and become the sole charge across the EU when a unified pricing model arrives on Jan. 1, 2026.

Apple insists «more than 99%» of devs will pay the same or less under the revamped math.

Why now?

In April, the European Commission fined Apple €500 million ($585 million) for blocking developers from steering users to cheaper payment options, and warned that daily penalties of up to 5% of global revenue could follow if it failed to comply.

Throughout the back-and-forth, Apple has accused the commission of «moving the goalposts» on what counts as compliance, with a spokesperson saying the company has invested «hundreds of thousands of hours» to meet the EU’s evolving demands.

Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney blasted the 5% tier as a «malicious compliance scheme» that «makes a mockery of fair competition.»

If regulators decide Apple still hasn’t gone far enough, the iPhone maker could face steeper sanctions, or even be forced to separate its App Store business.

Technologies

Today’s Wordle Hints, Answer and Help for June 27, #1469

Here are hints — and the answer — for today’s Wordle No. 1,469 for June 27. Some players need a new starter word now.

Looking for the most recent Wordle answer? Click here for today’s Wordle hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.

Today’s Wordle puzzle isn’t too tough, but somehow, it has a starting letter I never seem to guess. Some posters on Reddit say it was one of their starter words, so now they’re in the market for a new way to begin the game. If you need a new starter word, check out our list of which letters show up the most in English words. If you need hints and the answer, read on.

Today’s Wordle hints

Before we show you today’s Wordle answer, we’ll give you some hints. If you don’t want a spoiler, look away now.

Wordle hint No. 1: Repeats

Today’s Wordle answer has no repeated letters.

Wordle hint No. 2: Vowels

There are two vowels in today’s Wordle answer.

Wordle hint No. 3: First letter

Today’s Wordle answer begins with P.

Wordle hint No. 4: Placement

The two vowels are next to each other.

Wordle hint No. 5: Meaning

Today’s Wordle answer can refer to something that is not decorated and is simple.

TODAY’S WORDLE ANSWER

Today’s Wordle answer is PLAIN.

Yesterday’s Wordle answer

Yesterday’s Wordle answer, June 26, No. 1468 was OFFER.

Recent Wordle answers

June 22, No. 1464: THRUM

June 23, No. 1465: ODDLY

June 24, No. 1466: ELITE

June 25, No. 1467: COMFY

Will Wordle run out of words?

When Wordle began, creator Josh Wardle used a list of five-letter words he’d shared with his partner, picking only the words they recognized. While that’s more than 2,000 words, more than half of them have already been used.

Wordle editor Tracy Bennett admitted that the game will eventually have to come to grips with the fact that the word list is not eternal.

«One possibility is that we could recycle old words at some point, like when we get close to the end,» Bennett told a Wordle player on TikTok.

She also said the editors might throw all the words back in and reuse them, or allow plurals, or past tense, something that’s not done now.