Microsoft introduces ‘ROG Xbox Ally Certified’ verification system

One of Valve biggest successes with the Steam Deck was its ever-increasing support from developers and their games – with thousands of titles achieving Steam Deck Verified status within months of the handheld system’s launch. It seems Microsoft is taking another page out of Valve’s book for its upcoming handheld, announcing its own ‘ROG Xbox Ally Certified’ label.

Announcing this new verification label, the official social media pages for ASUS ROG wrote: “[Gears of War Reloaded] releases August 26 and it’s officially ROG Xbox Ally certified! Get ready to relive the legend in the most epic way possible on the go.”

While the release date for Gears of War Reloaded is nothing new, what is new is the ‘ROG Xbox Ally Certified’ label – confirming Gears as the first game under this new program.

It is currently unknown what exactly it means to be ‘ROG Xbox Ally Certified’. In the case of the Steam Deck, it takes relatively little for a game to be verified, with the main roadblocks being security software; a lack of controller support and small font sizes among other incompatibilities.

While it’s possible that Xbox’s requirements are similar, here’s to hoping that ROG Xbox Ally Certified games have more going for them than a simple compatibility check – perhaps even dedicated graphics presets? We will have to wait and see how this system is implemented, and whether 3rd party developers will take advantage.

KitGuru says: What do you think of this new system? How could it improve over Valve’s own Steam Deck Verified program? Will ROG Xbox Ally certification gain traction? Let us know your thoughts down below.

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