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Posts published in “Microsoft”

ICYMI: Microsoft and Asus intros ROG Xbox Ally series

June 15, 2025

Microsoft and Asus recently unveiled the new ROG Xbox Ally series: ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X. Design-wise, both handhelds will look identical; the difference between the two will be what’s “under the hood.”

Let’s first talk about the specs that both the ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X share. Both will be running a custom version of Windows 11, which Microsoft said “has been optimized for the ROG Xbox Ally.” Both will have a 7” FHD display with 1080p resolution, 500 nits, a 16:9 aspect ratio, and a 120Hz refresh rate. The display is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass Victus with DXC Anti-Reflection. Both will also have similar I/O Ports, Network and Communication, and dimensions. You can check out the specs comparison table below.

As for the specs that separate the two, first we have the processor. On the Ally, it will be using the AMD Ryzen™ Z2 A Processor, while on the Ally X, it will be using the new AMD Ryzen™ AI Z2 Extreme Processor. The RAM and Storage will also be different: the Ally will have 16 GB of RAM and 512 GB for storage, while the Ally X will have 24 GB for RAM and 1TB for storage. The Ally X will also have a bigger 80Wh battery, while the ROG Ally will be using a 60Wh battery.

ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X Specs

ROG Xbox Ally ROG Xbox Ally X
Operating System Windows 11 Home Windows 11 Home
 Comfort & input   Contoured grips inspired by Xbox Wireless Controllers deliver all-day comfort. ABXY buttons / D-pad / L & R Hall Effect analog triggers / L & R bumpers / Xbox button / View button / Menu button / Command Center button / Library button / 2x assignable back buttons / 2x full-size analog sticks / HD haptics / 6-Axis IMU Contoured grips inspired by Xbox Wireless Controllers deliver all-day comfort, complete with impulse triggers for enhanced control.  ABXY buttons / D-pad / L & R impulse triggers / L & R bumpers / Xbox button / View button / Menu button / Command Center button / Library button / 2x assignable back buttons / 2x full-size analog sticks / HD haptics / 6-Axis IMU
Processor AMD Ryzen™ Z2 A Processor AMD Ryzen™ AI Z2 Extreme Processor
Memory 16GB LPDDR5X-6400 24GB LPDDR5X-8000
Storage 512GB M.2 2280 SSD for easier upgrade 1TB M.2 2280 SSD for easier upgrade
Display 7” FHD (1080p) IPS, 500 nits, 16:9
120Hz refresh rate
FreeSync Premium
Corning Gorilla Glass Victus + DXC Anti-Reflection		 7” FHD (1080p) IPS, 500 nits, 16:9
120Hz refresh rate
FreeSync Premium
Corning Gorilla Glass Victus + DXC Anti-Reflection
I/O Ports 2x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C with DisplayPort™ 1.4 / Power Delivery 3.0 1x USB4 Type-C with DisplayPort™ 2.1 / Power Delivery 3.0, Thunderbolt™ 4 compatible
1x UHS-II microSD card reader (supports SD, SDXC and SDHC) 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C with DisplayPort™ 2.1 / Power Delivery 3.0
1x 3.5mm Combo Audio Jack 1x UHS-II microSD card reader (supports SD, SDXC and SDHC; UHS-I with DDR200 mode)
1x 3.5mm Combo Audio Jack
Network and Communication Wi-Fi 6E (2 x 2) + Bluetooth 5.4 Wi-Fi 6E (2 x 2) + Bluetooth 5.4
Dimensions 290.8*121.5*50.7mm 290.8*121.5*50.7mm
670g 715g
Battery 60Wh 80Wh
Included ROG Xbox Ally  65W charger  Stand ROG Xbox Ally X  65W charger  Stand

The Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X are now available in Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States, with availability to follow for other markets where ROG Ally series products are sold.

The ROG Xbox Ally X will retail in Saudi Arabia for SAR 3,499.00, while the price for the 2024 ROG Xbox Ally is yet to be announced.

Microsoft to shutdown Skype this May 2025

March 1, 2025

Microsoft will be shutting down Skype this May 2025. The company said that the service will remain available until May 5, 2025.

Microsoft explained that during this transition period, Skype users will have the ability to sign-on to Microsoft Teams (Free) on any supported device, this will transfer any skype chats and contacts to Microsoft Teams. At the same time, Skype users will be able to call MS Teams users and vice versa.

If skype users does not want move MS Teams, they will have the ability to export their skype data including chats, contacts, and call history. Then import the information their preferred video chat and messaging service.

With the impending shutdown, Microsoft added that the company will “no longer offer paid Skype features to new customers, including Skype Credit and subscriptions that allow users to make and receive international and domestic calls. Current Skype subscription users can continue to use their Skype Credits and subscriptions until the end of their next renewal period. Skype Credit users can also continue to use their remaining Skype Credit. After May 5, 2025, the Skype Dial Pad will be available to remaining paid users from the Skype web portal and within Teams.”

Launched in 2003, Skype is a P2P IP-based videotelephony, videoconferencing and voice calls. The company was acquired by Microsoft in 2011 for $8.5 billion and used it to replace their Windows Live Messenger.

Microsoft acquires Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion

October 15, 2023

Microsoft has officially acquire Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion, the deal has now been finalized after a lengthy regulatory review. The announcement was made by both company and published official statement on their respective website. Bobby Kotick will continue to serve as CEO of Activision Blizzard, and he and his team will maintain their focus on driving efforts to further strengthen the company’s culture and accelerate business growth. Once the deal closes, the Activision Blizzard business will report to Phil Spencer, CEO, Microsoft Gaming and will be part of Microsoft’s Xbox Team.

Activision Blizzard is one of the largest and most successful video game companies in the world. It is the publisher of popular franchises such as Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, Candy Crush, and Diablo. Microsoft is already a major player in the gaming industry with its Xbox console and Xbox Game Pass subscription service. However, the acquisition of Activision Blizzard gives Microsoft a significant boost in market share and makes it the third-largest gaming company in the world, behind Tencent and Sony.

When the deal was first announced, it faced regulatory pushback and was delayed due to concerns about competition in the cloud gaming market. To address these concerns, Microsoft made several concessions, including giving consumers in the European Economic Area free licenses to stream their Activision Blizzard games. Microsoft also signed agreements with console rivals Nintendo and Sony, promising them access to Call of Duty games for 10 years.

The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) was the last regulator to approve the deal. The CMA stated that the concessions made by Microsoft were a “game-changer” that would allow for competitive prices and better services.

Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer and Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick, write a letter/email to announced the acquisition.

SABIC partners with Microsoft to create the first consumer electronic product made with recycled ocean plastic

October 1, 2021

Saudi Basic Industries Corp (SABIC), one of the world’s largest petrochemicals manufacturers, and Microsoft just announced that they will be launching the ‘Microsoft Ocean Plastic Mouse’ – the first consumer product made from recycled ocean plastic. The Microsoft Ocean Plastic Mouse is made from 20% recycled ocean plastic.

According to SABIC;

Ocean plastic is defined as plastic that has been certified by a third party as recovered from any ocean or ocean-feeding waterways or where it washed ashore from these locations. Ocean plastic differs from ocean-bound plastic in that ocean-bound plastic is recovered from ocean-feeding waterways, shorelines, and inland areas within a 50-kilometer radius of the ocean. The two recycled products play complementary roles in helping address the issue of ocean plastic waste.

Microsoft design team initially goal was to create a new plastic resin with 10% ocean plastic, after several rounds of reformulation, SABIC was able to exceed Microosft’s 10% goal and then final product contains 20% recycled ocean plastic by weight in its external casing or “shell.”

SABIC added that “this project has also provided a blueprint to demonstrate to the broader industry sector that recycling and reusing valuable plastic resins that have been recovered from the ocean, ocean – feeding waterways or where they have been washed ashore from these locations, is achievable when value chain partners use their knowledge and expertise and work together.”

SABIC added that “the SABIC-Microsoft collaboration envisions SABIC providing a new XENOY™ resin for Microsoft product use that is comprised of 20% ocean plastic, as part of SABIC’S TRUCIRCLE™ portfolio and services. This new XENOY™ resin with recycled ocean plastic can help reduce plastic waste in the ocean. For example, based on a resin grade comprised of 20% recycled content, for every 1kT of product containing recycled ocean-plastic XENOY™ PC/PET compound, an equivalent of 24 million single-use 0.5liter PET water bottles is removed from the ocean, ocean-feeding waterways, or ocean-adjacent shores.”

Microsoft first unveil the “Microsoft Ocean Plastic Mouse” during their September 2021 Event, which will can be pre-order in selected market for $24.99 or around SAR 94.00.

You can read SABIC’s official announcement here – SABIC AND MICROSOFT COLLABORATE TO CREATE MICROSOFT’S FIRST PRODUCT MADE WITH RECYCLED OCEAN PLASTIC

Microsoft’s Project Natick

September 15, 2020

An interesting experiment by Microsoft, wherein they drop an entire data center (864 servers) to the bottom (117 feet deep) of the Scottish sea, aways from human’s physical interaction and away from the daily elements.

Earlier this summer, marine specialists reeled up a shipping container-size datacenter coated in algae, barnacles, and sea anemones from the seafloor off Scotland’s Orkney Islands. The retrieval of the Northern Isles datacenter launched the final phase of Project Natick, a years-long research effort that proved the concept of underwater datacenters is feasible as well as logistically, environmentally, and economically practical.