Microsoft's Phil Spencer says the Xbox Ally is "the tightest collaboration" he's seen between the gaming and Windows teams "in my 3 decades at the company"

Xbox boss Phil Spencer says the recently unveiled ROG Xbox Ally handheld represents the closest collaboration between Microsoft's Windows team and its gaming division he's seen in his three decades with the company.

Over the weekend, Microsoft finally lifted the lid on its long-rumored gaming handheld device during the Xbox Games Showcase. The device comes in two variants; the ROG Xbox Ally and the souped up ROG Xbox Ally X, both being roughly comparable to the non-Xbox branded ROG Ally and ROG Ally X in terms of specifications, although the Xbox Ally has custom grips, buttons, and a dedicated Xbox button and interface that automatically boots up when you start up the system.

Given that it's a Windows-based system, it makes sense that the gaming team at Xbox is working very closely with Microsoft's Windows team, and Spencer said in a recent episode of the official Xbox podcast that the two groups have essentially been operating as a single unit while making the system.

"This is the tightest collaboration I've seen between the gaming organization and the Windows team in my three decades at the company," said Spencer. "It's really amazing to see the teams focusing on opportunities to make the experience better, and working really as one development team to realize that."

Despite Microsoft hyping up its handheld as a uniquely Xbox experience, it's still a Windows-based handheld PC, which means it's an open platform that lets you use whatever available apps and storefronts you want.

Still, Spencer said "there's some uniqueness then when you're supporting an open platform but you want it to work as appliance-like, as a game console, and I think that's where these two teams coming together can really create something great together."

So, what makes it an Xbox device specifically, beyond the branding? Spencer touted Xbox's nearly 25 years of experience making dedicated game consoles as something that'll give ROG Xbox Ally users the "freedom of Windows to use the storefronts and applications that you want to use but it feels like a device that's purpose built."

He also added that there's work being done "under the hood" to address things like battery life, interruptions, and performance that'll further distinguish Xbox's handheld from the existing options.

For a breakdown of the two Xbox handheld's specs, don't miss our guide to ROG Xbox Ally vs ROG Xbox Ally X.