The $ 800Asus ROG Ally Xis one of the most expensive gambling handhelds you may buy . It ’s a good affair that it ’s also the most various gaming handheld I ’ve used . It ’s a mid - round refresh of theROG Ally , but make no mistake , this is the one you need . It ’s better in most ways than its predecessor and it ’s one of the good modest - package gaming experience compare to most other handheld PCs on the market . The Ally X has more store , slightly good performance , and , most importantly , a two - multiplication large barrage than the original Ally .
The Ally X baby-sit next to theSteam Deck OLEDas a prize example of what ’s possible with a play handheld . It would be near complete , but Windows 11 and Microsoft ’s inattention to its OS on modest screens makes everything harder than it needs to be . Also , that ’s a all-fired high price for any handheld , no matter how near it is .
Asus ROG Ally XTC
There’s more than just a black coat of paint that makes the Ally X so appealing. Photo: Artem Golub / GizmodoPhoto: Artem Golub / Gizmodo
The redesigned ROG Ally is a better console in almost every way that matters . It ’s only held back by its high cost and Windows 11 .
Pros
con
Photo: Artem Golub / Gizmodo
Some folk proclaim that the only way to toy on a handheld console , whether a Steam Deck , Lenovo Legion Go , or ROG Ally , is with the gimmick plugged in . That is a far bad way to make for any hand-held plot , whether it ’s a Nintendo Switch or your old Game Boy Color . This form factor promises it ’s release ; it can go anywhere : woodworking plane , trains , car , you name it . If you ’ll always bequeath it plugged in , why would n’t you purchase abudget gaming laptopand seek to stuff it in your luggage ?
The trouble with handhelds has been their battery . you could get a solid academic term with the other - access version ofHades IIon most of these devices , but not with any biz that pushes computer graphic and solid framerates . On the ROG Ally X with the new 80Wh electric battery ( double as big as the Ally ’s 40Wh ) , I got two to nearly three hour in demanding games likeBaldur ’s Gate IIIandCyberpunk 2077.Some player would say that ’s not enough , but they ’re wrong . It ’s enough playday before being reminded that taking a break is full . Three hour is most of a domesticated sheet flight . It ’s twice as much as my distinctive train commute .
Its redesigned build and buttons make it my favorite handheld since the Steam Deck OLED . Will it interchange Valve ’s Deck as my most recommended hand-held PC ? No , unfortunately not . The Ally X is $ 800 compared to $ 650 for the 1 TB OLED Deck . Asus ’ equipment also uses Windows 11 , and no matter how much its built - in Armory Crate SE UI has improved , it ’s still too annoying to jump into your game through multiple launchers on such a small screen .
Photo: Artem Golub / Gizmodo
But if you know what you ’re doing , the Ally X is a beast . It perform better than the steady friend in CPU and secret plan benchmarks , thanks to the better RAM and battery with admission to mellow received TDP . It ’s one of the most expensive handhelds you’re able to get , but it ’s also descend the penny-pinching to extolling the full hope of this nascent aim .
I want a gaming PC with the portability of a Nintendo Switch and the shelling life of a Game Boy . We also need it to be as controllable with thumbsticks and face buttons as it is with a mouse and keyboard . In that way , the Steam Deck OLED is still your practiced first selection , especially if you ’re on a budget . The Ally X is a close second .
See Asus ROG Ally X at Best Buy
Photo: Artem Golub / Gizmodo
Asus ROG Ally X Design and Display
It’s a Bigger, More Comfortable Handheld PC
There ’s more than a wide-eyed color swap gone into the Ally refresh . It ’s just a few mm thicker and a slightly gruelling console at around 1.5 Pound . The new equipment redesigned the feel of the thumbsticks , trigger , and backplate . Overall , it ’s a far more well-fixed build . No more ridgepole along the back acts as an awkward shelf for your ringing digit , and it ’s much easier to grip the induction now that they pitch more towards the handheld ’s side .
There ’s a new 8 - directive d - pad as well , but the thumbsticks are easy the self-aggrandising melioration overall . The quondam Ally ’s stick felt fragile , but the refreshed theoretical account has more heft without being flicky . Asus claim it ’s easier to replace the stick if there ’s any issue this time . The only thing I feel missing from the design is RGB backlights in the face buttons , perhaps the only well affair I had to say aboutMSI ’s Ally - aping Claw .
The rear melodic phrase vents are all found in the same place , but if you ’ve used an Ally before , you ’ll notice the buttons along the top have been shuffled around . There are no more XG Mobile port ; instead , you have two USB - C port that can charge the equipment ( though only the lefthand one supports Thunderbolt 4 ) . Many common Steam Deck dockage , such as a psychometric test unit provided by Gulikit that look like an old SNES , will have difficulty get to over to plug into that port . Still , it ’s an overall advance .
Photo: Artem Golub / Gizmodo
The South Dakota Card slot has been reposition to the top right side of the Ally . That come after some substance abuser andThe Vergecited issue with the original Ally now and again cooking SD cards . We have n’t experienced any problems on that front , but it will take many more weeks and the luck of the draw to discover any issues .
There ’s only one variation of the Ally X available to buy . It has to have a full 1 TB of storage , which will still fill up rapidly if you ’re not sparing about your installs . It ’s a shame none of that time and attending give-up the ghost to the showing . The Modern hand-held sports the same 7 - inch , 1080p screen as last twelvemonth ’s . It was n’t a bad filmdom , and it can still exhibit 120 Hz refresh rates , but it still looks dull compared to the Steam Deck OLED or even theNintendo Switch OLED .
Asus ROG Ally X Battery Life
It Lasts Long Enough for a Solid Gaming Session
I ’ve been doing regular sessions with my brother , playingBaldur ’s Gate IIIco - op . He ’s at his computer , and I ’m lurk hedonistically on the couch , sipping George Herbert Mead and reveling in my comrade ’s hump uncomfortableness . The problem with this apparatus is that I ca n’t get more than a few hours before leaving my throne and search for a courser , at least with my Steam Deck OLED .
On the Ally X , I ’ve managed to get between two and a half to three 60 minutes of battery life without dipping below 20 % , enough for our regular session before calling it quits for the night .
I put the Ally X next to the Ally and set both to linger onControlat the same TDP and art configurations . While the older Ally was fully eat in less than two hour , the Ally X was still going strong at 60 % . I managed to get close to four hours on less demanding games running at higher - performance configurations . you’re able to mash out more time if you tune down art and speeds , but I recognize few gamers will make that trade-off .
Photo: Artem Golub / Gizmodo
I ’d go further than merely contend that handhelds are better played unplugged . Asus ’ devs claims they did a lot to rework how the twist deal heat , but even so on a red-hot summer ’s evening playing the Ally X I felt that the machine could get pretty uncomfortable for my left mitt with my index finger precariously close to the USB - hundred port . With the handheld plugged in and not pass any games , I registered around 104 stage Fahrenheit with a laser thermometer around where the gimmick was charging . The rest of the console , including the screen , was comparatively coolheaded to the pinch .
Despite the extra heat from the battery , I did n’t notice any departure in framerate even after a multi - hour sitting plugged in . ROG has proved capable of managing rut with itsZephyrus laptop , so I ’m glad the streak continues with the Ally X. Even then , I would still propose you play unplugged for the best and most sodding hand-held experience .
Asus ROG Ally X Performance
A Small Performance Bump Over the Ally
The Asus ROG Ally X uses the same central processor as the top - end Ally from last class , the AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme . It ’s the same check also found in the Legion Go , and it has met with some of the best public presentation compared to other AMD or ( beleaguered ) Intel Meteor Lake silicon chip . That ’s not the end of the tale for the Ally X since the expectant difference now is RAM and battery upgrades .
The newfangled Ally interlingual rendition has 24 GB of LPDDR5 computer storage versus 16 GB on the last handheld . The Modern duplicate random-access memory stick also have a fast speed , but the enhanced battery is pushing the Ally X ahead , which allows for better magnate draw . I was genuinely surprised at the increment in execution from last year ’s Ally to Ally X.
In 3DMark Time Spy tests , the Ally X mark around 200 points higher than the Ally , which is n’t much but considerable , mention it ’s the same mainframe . On basic central processor benchmarks like PCMark10 , Cinebench , and Geekbench 6 , I saw similar gain in functioning of a few hundred points .
The difference is more important in games . In Forza Horizons benchmarks under the same options , include AMD FSR move around to operation , I was seeing 15 more FPS than on the aged Ally . It was less significant in other game , likeCyberpunk 2077,where the jump was from 21.52 FPS to 25.86 FPS , with nonpayment average - to - in high spirits preferences and FSR set to auto .
Compared to the Lenovo Legion Go with its 16 GB of 7500Mhz LPDDR5X RAM and Z1 Extreme , the Ally X still did rather well in our tests . With its larger screen set to a 25 TDP , the Legion Go experienced 30 FPS less than the Ally X inForza : Horizonsand 20.64 FPS in theCyberpunkbenchmark . Tune down the higher resolution on the Legion Go ’s big filmdom , and you ’ll see scores closer to Ally X but not quite at the same grade .
This is the one gaming handheld from a major OEM that could offer as snug to the full PC experience without as many compromise . Still , you should choose some less intensive games if you want to game for longer . The new Ally promises you may get good TDP in tacit and performance mode , up to 13 W and 17 W , severally . You would never have a problem with top - down deed likeHades IIon Steam Deck , Ally , or any major handheld , but it ’s nice to know you may draw more power and still be fair to good on battery life .
Asus ROG Ally X Software
Microsoft Needs to Do Something About Windows 11 on Handheld
The latest updates to Armoury Crate SE do a caboodle to cover up the lallygag , dazzling issues with Windows 11 in a handheld format . Despite a few bugs leave in casual icy screen and other issue that should have been set with the latest 1.5.11 plot of ground , the UI makes take dissimilar games and rocket launcher comparatively painless . It ’s pretty easy to fix the reflex control and graphics setting profile for each game through Armoury Crate or the Command Center .
But it ca n’t take you all the way there , and it ’s why the Steam Deck will stay on sovereign until Microsoft decides to make a hand-held - centric version of Windows . Loading in Steam from Armoury Crate opens the app in Big Picture mode , which is still better for accountant , but the same ca n’t be aver for Epic Games Store , GOG , or even the Xbox app despite Microsoft’srecent improvements .
There are still so many instances of biz launchers conk out to recognize your controller ’s inputs and require handsome function of the touchscreen ( and then applying a microfiber cloth to not muddy up your visuals ) . Windows 11 loves popups , and even though you’re able to turn many off , it ’s much more challenging if you do n’t have an easy way to secure in a black eye and keyboard .
Microsoft and Xbox still seemhesitant to pull the induction on an Xbox handheld . Microsoft ’s Xbox head , Phil Spencer , antecedently said his handheld for on - the - go gaming was the ROG Ally . He , of all people , should know the tribulations of using Windows 11 on such a small machine . Perhaps if he gets his hands on the Ally X , he might have more impetus to pull the right lever at his company and get things moving on amobile - first version of Windows .
The Ally X Will Become Your Lively, Capable, and Very Expensive Friend
The Ally X is estimable than its predecessor in every way . If the Steam Deck OLED is the prettiest and easy to habituate of all the mainline handheld gaming devices , then the Ally X is the best if you desire all the options and the best battery spirit .
It also costs a premium , and there are no lowly store option that would typically aid keep the costs down . It ’s $ 150 more than the 1 TB Steam Deck OLED , $ 100 more than the Lenovo Legion Go , and $ 150 more than the younger Ally . It ’s the same price as thehighest - end MSI Claw , but the Ally X can apologize its cost , whereas the Claw ca n’t .
It also take a shit going back to the previous Ally that much harder . I can switch back to my Steam Deck , especially because I enjoy its exhibit and UI far well than the Ally X. Other than the toll , the original Ally has no benefits compared to the X.
If you do n’t take care the special effort it takes to run Windows 11 on a 7 - in screen , and if you go on to have 8,000 pennies ramble around in your desk drawer , then the Asus ROG Ally X is your friend .
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