"Dancing in the Dark"

10 December 2025

77s

Play away from home.

Xbox, unlike Spinal Tap, has never been big in Japan. God loves a trier, though, and the brand continues to plug away at the home of Nintendo and Sony in a number of ways. The Xbox Tokyo Game Show 2025 broadcast promoted Japanese developers, while next year's 'Forza Horizon 6' is set in the island country.

So is this plug for the ROG Xbox Ally for that matter. Set to a cover of Bruce Springsteen's 'Dancing in the Dark' by Cameron Winter, the ad revolves around an American businessman in Tokyo. He makes a decent fist of it—colleagues seem to like him, he only annoys one commuter, et cetera—but he's always got one eye on the time. Why? Because life's about work and play.

To ram home the idea that Xbox is about more than consoles like the Series S and Series X, he plays a handheld ROG Xbox Ally in Japan while his daughter plays one at home. Directed by Mark Molloy, it's a sweet way to round off a turbulent year for the brand that turns twenty-five in 2026. Suffice to say, a lot has changed in that time.

UK

Electronic Gaming