Despite being one of the first gaming machines From a major PC manufacturer, ASUS achieved a lot with the original ROG Ally. It offers better performance in a smaller chassis than Valve’s Steam Deck, but without a huge increase in price. As it is based on Windows instead of Linux, it provides almost universal gaming compatibility. However, issues like poor battery life and faulty SD card slots left a lot of room for improvement. So, in the new Ally X, ASUS made almost everything except the chip and the display. But that’s what we got this time a fully armed and operational battle station that I always wanted.
Design and display
From a distance, it might look like all ASUS did was change the color of the Ally X’s chassis from white to black. But the second I picked it up, I noticed a lot of small changes, including clearer grips, slightly taller face buttons, and smaller paddles on the back that are harder to hit accidentally. There’s also a new D-Pad, which is a huge improvement over the vanilla Ally, although I prefer the traditional cross or one of Sony’s pentagonal arrangements.
Photo by Sam Rutherford
Thanks to some subtle design changes and major hardware upgrades, ASUS has turned the ROG Ally Xi into the flagship Windows gaming handheld it was meant to be.
- Improved ergonomics
- Double the battery
- More RAM
- Bright VRR screen
- It now comes with two USB-C ports
- More expensive than before
- Windows on handhelds is still struggling
- A built-in stand or a box would be nice
- No hall effect joysticks
On the inside, ASUS added stiffer springs to the Ally X’s joysticks, making them tighter and more responsive. However, ASUS stopped short of switching to Hall Effect sensors like its competitors. Lenovo Legion Go. There’s also a third vent and a new fan system that improves cooling and airflow, though the back of this thing still gets pretty red at full load.
But the best part is that despite all these changes and a handful of new components inside (more on that later), the Ally X is no bulkier than its predecessor. The original ROG Ally weighs 1.34 pounds and measures 1.28 inches at its thickest, while the Ally X is 1.49 pounds and 1.45 inches. I was even told by an ASUS representative that the Ally X is compatible with the official case of the original Ally, although I haven’t verified this myself because, unlike the Steam Deck, you don’t get one bundled with the system.
Finally, the Ally X has a 1080p display, one of two components identical to its predecessor. It has excellent brightness with around 500 nits peak (our review unit was actually a touch better at around 515 nits) and has a variable 120Hz refresh rate. It’s exactly what you want in a system of this size and in brighter environments, its black levels are so good I’ve mistaken it for an OLED panel.
Performance
Another key component that hasn’t changed is Ally X’s AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme chip. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t any performance improvements. That’s because ASUS massively upgraded the rest of the components, with 24GB of faster LPDDR5X-7500 RAM (up from 16GB) and a larger 1TB M.2 SSD (up from 512GB). This time, ASUS even opted for a full-sized 2280 module, so if you’re looking to upgrade your memory consistently, you’ll have more options than the smaller 2230 sticks used in the previous model. Plus, I can’t stress this enough, ASUS has also had extra time to polish the Ally X drivers. As we saw in the original, improved software support can make a huge difference in performance, especially in a category that would benefit a ton from better optimization. And depending on the title, we saw a 5-10 percent increase in performance, assuming the chip didn’t change.
In Shadow of the Tomb Raider at 720p on high graphics, the Ally X hit 54 fps in performance mode and 64 fps in Turbo mode, compared to 54 fps and 60 fps for the original. Meanwhile playing time Cyberpunk 2077I saw even bigger gains with the Ally X getting up to 78 fps in Turbo mode, versus just 69 fps for the vanilla Ally. Much of this improvement appears to be due to the increased RAM that the Ally X shares with the handheld’s GPU. Unlike a laptop or desktop with discrete graphics, the Z1 Extreme’s Radeon 780M does not have dedicated memory.
But regardless of how it got there, all these changes make the Ally Xi one of the most powerful handhelds on the market. This is because while Legion Go uses the same processor, it has 8GB less RAM, so it generally lags three to five fps in games.
Software
Windows-based gaming hardware continues to be a bit cumbersome when you have to switch between different game launchers and menus, but ASUS has improved Armory Crate to be more responsive and easy to use. It’s generally less buggy and better equipped to be a one-stop shop for connecting all the different games (and launchers) or changing settings quickly. For all that, it’s still less connected than Valve’s Steam OS. And despite the recent improvements, I still ran into things like Armory Crate that started automatically after restarting Windows (thankfully you can turn it off).
Battery life and ports
One of the biggest problems with the original Ally was its short battery life, lasting only an hour or an hour and a half at best. When you have a system that needs to be plugged into the wall every so often, it calls into question how good a gaming handheld it really is.
But in the Ally X, ASUS doubled the battery capacity to 80Wh. Now it can easily play for at least two to two and a half hours (or more, if you don’t mind fiddling with the settings). When you remember that the Ally X isn’t that much heavier than its predecessor, you appreciate even more how much extra juice ASUS managed to pack inside.
I also appreciate that ASUS has replaced the original model’s dedicated XG Mobile connector with a second USB-C port that supports Thunderbolt 4. This means you can still connect an external graphics dock if you want, while giving you the flexibility to connect. all kinds of peripheral devices. This allows the Ally X to serve as a better portable desktop, as you can connect accessories like a mouse and keyboard without the need for external docks or dongles.
Collection
While the Ally X isn’t a true 2.0 version of its predecessor, ASUS has addressed nearly all of my complaints about the original and then some. Its joysticks are tighter, performance is better, and battery life has doubled. Even ASUS’s Armory Crate is easier to use, though it still hasn’t quite solved the problem of feeling confusing on Windows PC handhelds. Although a touch is thicker and heavier than before, these changes do not affect its portability. ASUS claims it is too Improved the RMA process to better support people who need service or repairs after numerous customer complaints. But it’s too early to tell if it will make a difference.
Indeed, the biggest obstacle for the Ally X is its price. At $800, it’s $150 more than the original Ally or the closest equivalent Steam Deck. For those who bought its predecessor, this may still make it a tough sell after only a year. I’d also argue that Valve’s handheld remains the simpler and easier-to-use option thanks to Steam OS. But make no mistake, if you’re talking about the best PC gaming handhelds on the market, the Ally X sits right up there with the Steam Deck.
