While the naming might suggest that theROG Ally Xis the next generation ofAsus’ PC gaming handheld, it’s more like the definitive version of the 1.0 model. It makes some slight adjustments to the design of the device, but it’s what’s under the hood that makes all the difference. In the ROG Ally X, Asus has solidified its place alongside the numerous PC gaming handhelds out there and made a strong case for why it’s one of the best options out there.
The Asus ROG Ally X Design
Little More Comfortable
Just looking at theROG Ally X, you would be remiss to think it’s merely the same device in black instead of white. Asus hasn’t changed too much about the esthetics of the device, but rather, it has refined the design to be a little more comfortable. There’s a better grip to the thumbsticks on the ROG Ally X compared to the ROG Ally, the D-pad has bumps to indicate 8-directional movement, the grip feels better on the backside of the device, the face buttons are raised a little more than they were, and the back buttons have been made smaller and easier to activate from a variety of angles. Preference for offset joysticks versus symmetrical is always going to vary, but I find the ASUS ROG Ally X’s thumbsticks to be plenty comfortable and fit nicely in my grip.
Outside of a D-pad that tended to get squeaky, I never had any major issues with the originalAsus ROG Ally design, but it’s nice to see the Ally X make adjustments, even if they are minor. Almost every PC gaming handheld has a bit of a learning process as you get acquainted with the thumbstick layout, the give on the triggers, and the height of the face buttons, but it typically all comes out in the wash for me. I like the ROG Ally X’s feel – it’s not too bulky or heavy, and it fits comfortably in my hands.
Asus ROG Ally X Performance Upgrades
This Is Where It Truly Shines
Battery life is where a lot of PC gaming handhelds make their greatest sales pitch, and thanks to anew 80-watt-hour battery, the ROG Ally X can offer longer gaming sessions at higher settings. The ROG Ally’s 40-watt-hour battery was a sticking point for the device because it meant that the best you could do at the highest TDP was about an hour of game time on a more demanding title. With the ROG Ally X, you can conceivably push that closer to 3 hours and get even more mileage on less graphics-intensive games. For example, I tested the new metroidvaniaNine Solson the ROG Ally X and was able to play for about 3.5 hours at 60 FPS on a combination of medium and high settings.
The performance also gets a boost thanks to the additional 8GB of RAM in the ROG Ally X, up from the 16GB on the ROG Ally. It’s also LPDDR5X RAM as opposed to LPDDR5. The extra RAM isn’t going to necessarily boost the graphics processing on the ROG Ally X – it still features the same Z1 Extreme processor from AMD – but it does make everything much snappier and helps increase those frame rates. ForElden Ring, I was able to get a consistent 60 FPS with the recommended settings for the system.
Where the Asus ROG Ally X has improved the most is under the hood.
The Asus ROG Ally X offers four operating modes:
Storage also gets a bump in the ROG Ally X, offering up to 1TB now. On top of that, Asus has switched to theM.2 2280 form factor for the SSD, so it’s much easier to swap for an even higher-capacity drive. You can also pop in a microSD card for extra storage as well.
ASUS has even made some tweaks to Armoury Crate, its gaming hub used on the ROG Ally, to be a little more user-friendly. It lets you access Steam, Xbox, Ubisoft Connect, and more from a central HUB, and can even create launchers for individual games.
How Windows Perform On The ROG Ally X
Windows on PC gaming handhelds still isn’t where it needs to be, but Armoury Crate helps make the process of getting into your games a little easier. That being said, Windows still doesn’t like to consistently play nice with handheld devices, and that’s no different on the ROG Ally X. Navigating using the touch screen is always preferable because using the D-pad and face buttons can sometimes leave you lost. Similarly, the quirks of PC gaming on a desktop can sometimes pop up with a handheld, and it’s not as easy to troubleshoot with a quick Alt-F4 or Ctrl-Alt-Delete. That’s no fault of Asus (or any PC gaming handheld, for that matter), but the hope is that Windows will eventually make things a lot easier.
The trade-off, though, is that the ROG Ally X is a handheld gaming PC, and therefore, you can access apps like Xbox Game Pass or Epic Games Store without doing any trickery like with the Steam Deck. Eventually, both processes will be streamlined and ubiquitous, but for now, that is a major plus for the ROG Ally X, where the less-techno-savvy folks are concerned.
Overall Impressions
The ROG Ally was good, but the ROG Ally X is great, thanks to some smart improvements by Asus. The added boost to the battery is easily the biggest game-changer, allowing you to get more gaming time out of the handheld before needing to charge. Handheld PC gaming is always limited by the capacity of its battery (or your willingness to lower the TDP), and the bigger battery lets me play for longer at higher spec. The design tweaks, the bigger SSD, and the120Hz screenare bonuses that push the ROG Ally X even further into the top tier. If you want that PC gaming experience in handheld form, the ROG Ally X has made an excellent case for why it’s the definitive option.
Asus ROG Ally X
The ASUS ROG Ally X is the successor to the ROG Ally, and it comes with a host of improvements. It is powered by the same Z1 Extreme APU but comes with 24GB of RAM and 1TB of storage with the M.2 SSD being a standard 2280 form factor. There is an additional exhaust vent to keep the mainboard cool.
The Asus ROG Ally X is available now for $799. Game Rant was provided a unit for this review.
