Microsoft breaks ASUS ROG Xbox Ally Armory Crate
If there’s a handheld that Microsoft shouldn’t break, it’s the Xbox branded one.
Windows 11 users are reporting that Smart App Control is blocking ASUS Armory Crate on the Xbox Ally lineup, including the higher-end Xbox Ally X. When the control app fails, basic handheld functions get harder to manage, even though the hardware is sold as an Xbox-branded experience.
Reddit threads and an ASUS forum discussion describe Windows Security pop-ups claiming Windows cannot confirm the publisher for Armory Crate components, followed by Armory Crate errors and broken functions. Microsoft and ASUS put extra software on these handhelds for a reason. Armory Crate is the control center for profiles, settings, and device features. If any Windows update or security toggle should be regression-tested, an Xbox-branded handheld’s core control stack should be on that list.
According to Windows Central, the workaround is very simple: turn Smart App Control off in Windows Security, then reboot. However, Microsoft’s own Smart App Control FAQ says re-enabling Smart App Control requires a Windows reset or reinstall, because the feature is only enabled on clean installs. That makes the suggested fix feel like a one-way door on affected systems.
If you are using a preview build, Microsoft is Microsoft has been testing changes that allow Smart App Control to be toggled on and off in preview builds, which would remove the reset requirement, but that is framed as “in testing” rather than a guaranteed fix for stable channel devices right now.
If Microsoft and ASUS ship an Xbox-branded Windows handheld, Windows updates need a tighter “do not break” bar for the control layer. A security feature blocking the vendor’s own signed utilities, and pushing users toward a reset-level tradeoff, is the kind of failure that undercuts the whole “console-like” pitch.
