With the ROG Xbox Ally gaming handhelds now available to preorder, Microsoft has announced a Handheld Compatibility Program to ensure that games work well on the new devices.
“The Handheld Compatibility Program is a new Xbox initiative designed to make more games ready to play on your supported handheld,” Microsoft corporate vice president Roanne Sones writes. “We have worked with game studios to test, optimize, and verify thousands of games for handheld compatibility, allowing you to jump into the game without having to tweak settings, or requiring only minor adjustments.”
The ROG Xbox Ally are the first Xbox-branded gaming handhelds but they run Windows PC games, not Xbox console games. And those are typically optimized for keyboards and mice, and not controllers, and PCs with beefier specifications and bigger displays than these devices. So the compatibility program will help the first customers navigate this confusing market by clearly identifying those titles that have been customized to work well on them.
You will see one of two badges on compatible games:
Handheld Optimized. These games are ready to go immediately with default controller inputs, an intuitive text input method, accurate iconography, clear text legibility, and appropriate resolution in full-screen mode, Microsoft says.
Mostly Compatible. These games work but may require some in-game setting changes for an optimal experience on handheld.
Games will also feature a Windows Performance Fit indicator—a “Should play great” or “Should play well” badge—to quickly explain how well they will perform on the ROG Xbox Ally devices. If a game is marked as both “Handheld Optimized” and “Show play great,” you will get the best experience.