Verdict
The Asus ROG Ally X not only fixes big ill with the original Ally , but propels it to the top of the handheld gambling console pack with a serious hike to battery life story , plenty of computer memory and RAM and top - last performance .
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
The Asus ROG Ally X fix the big complaint consumers had with the original ROG Ally , but it ’s way more than that .
The small changes on offer , from a more ergonomic design and improved control emplacement to boosted RAM and storage , make a big difference in the day - to - solar day purpose of the handheld console table .
Not only that , but with a monolithic 80Wh battery that ’s comfortably larger than that of any of the contention , the ROG Ally X comes closer than any so far to delivering the stamen that PC gamers need from a portable gaming station .
Of course , this comes with an increased price tag , set about at a not - peanut £ 799/$799 , but is it worth the extra cost compared to the ilk of theSteam Deck OLEDandLenovo Legion Go ? Depending on your anteriority , it just might .
Design
The RGB - emblazoned ROG Ally X is immediately recognisable as anROG Allydevice , but with a new color scheme , improved ergonomics and other betterment , it offers an improved experience in much every way .
That means that , with a deeper curve to the hold at either death of the Ally X , it ’s nice to hold and play over long periods , with other tweaks to the control and triggers that further aid this purpose – but more on that in a little while .
The shell is made from plastic , but it does n’t feel cheap and plasticky , with overnice textured traction , and I think the new all - calamitous cultivation looks right smart more sleek and premium than the black - and - white Ally .
It ’s slightly heavier than the Ally , at 678 gm liken to 608 g , but that ’s mainly down to a much larger barrage . The crucial takeaway is that it does n’t turn the Ally X into a giving , bulky equipment ; it ’s still more of a portable equipment than the relatively chunky 854 gee Lenovo Legion Go .
Then there are belittled details , like Asus moving the microSD card slot by from the fan fumes after complaint about performance issues when running game via the microSD , and the exponent clit is now much closer to the correct - hand side for easier Windows 11 log - in with the built - in fingerprint scanner .
You ’ve also got an additional USB - C port on the top of the gadget , bringing the full count up to two , allowing you to both deliver power and use USB - coke accessory at the same time – a big charge about the original . Not only that , but it ’s aThunderbolt 4port , allow you to potentially connect a 4 K monitor for at - family gaming .
basically , Asus has n’t redesigned the wheel here , instead call for on client feedback and fixing the heavy complaints about the design of the original ROG friend with the Ally X , and all those small change certainly add up to a more well - project product . This is what the original ROG Ally should ’ve been .
Controls
Asus has included all the same controls as the veritable ROG Ally , but as with the oecumenical design , elements have been tweaked to improve overall performance .
That means that elements like the Xbox - style ABXY button on the right of the screen have move down somewhat , making them easier to turn over with the veracious hand , and the LED - backed analog stick have been locomote to improve reachability too .
There ’s more curvature to the rear triggers than with the original Ally , and while it ’s still textured , it ’s a somewhat different coarse-textured grip . The trigger also extend out slightly further for a magniloquent and wide footprint , minimise the chances that you ’ll pass on for and miss the induction in the oestrus of an in - game fight .
The D - Pad has also had an rising slope for the Ally X , with Asus replace the stock 4 - direction directing domiciliation with an 8 - direction alternative that resemble that of the Xbox Elite wireless controller for better control in games ( usually Indie game ) that still requires the use of a D - Pad .
Flip the ROG Ally X over and you ’ll see the regaining of two Macro keys , though they’remuchsmaller this clip . Some might witness them a slight hard to locate in the heat of the moment compared to their larger counterparts , but as someone who would often accidentally activate the Macro keys on the original , I welcome the modification .
They ’re still just as useful in games too , with customisable visibility that let you attach different macro instruction to each button depending on the game you ’re flirt .
These sound like rather small change – and , individually , they are – but lots of little change all add up to deliver a gaming handheld that ’s much more comfy to obligate and use compared to the original ROG Ally – and I did n’t really have many complaint about the original until I used the Ally X.
Changes away , it ’s very much business as usual in the ROG Ally X controls department , which is to say that it deliver a high - final stage gaming experience .
Like its forerunner , the ABXY buttons feature haptic feedback when pressed for a nice tactical buzz , and the charismatic sensors within the triggers and bumpers that Asus title wo n’t wear down even after years of use have made a return for this gimmick too .
And , yes , you could still customise the propulsion point of the triggers – tech that ’s perfect for meliorate your reaction times in online shooters .
You ’ll also notice the same smattering of shortcut buttons surrounding the concealment , including a dedicated Armoury Crate SE button that consume you to Asus ’ platform for controlling the ROG Ally X and accessing games , a button that render quick admittance to performance , presentation and gimmick toggles , and the even Options / Menu button you ’ll get on an Xbox comptroller to access in - game menus .
Display
Asus has done a great job of fixing common Ally botheration points with the Ally X , from general design to ascertain feature and more that I ’ll get to afterward – but one area that remain totally unswayed is the screen .
Do n’t misconstrue me ; at 1920 x 1080 , the FHD gore still packs a better resolution than the competing Steam Deck and Modern Steam Deck OLED , and with a 120Hz refresh pace compare to theSteam Deck ’s 60Hz , the screen is smooth , feels more antiphonal and is capable of delivering up to 120fps when possible .
However , the decision to stick with IPS LCD screen tech is a disappointment , especially study the Steam Deck OLED is now a thing . It ’s not just tech for technical school ’s sake either ; there are monolithic welfare to OLED sieve tech , from brighter , more vivid colours and deeper , darker Negro to supply detail , particularly in the light-headed and dark areas of the screen .
The latter is still something that needs to be address on the Ally X , with the projection screen ’s 1000:1 contrast proportion not capable to treat those darker shade quite as well as OLED alternative . In darker areas of games ( like dungeons ) in particular , you ’ll either require to squint or boost the silver screen ’s brightness to see what ’s snuff it on .
Still , with a 400nit vertex luminance , the silver screen can get plenty lustrous at a moment ’s notice . That not only helps with the coloured , dingy aforementioned dungeons but also the ability to use the ROG Ally X outside .
It chum up in comparing to the ridiculously specced Lenovo Legion Go , with its huge 8.8 - in IPS LCD , 120Hz refresh rate and pixel - packed QHD resolution , but when it come to the on - the - go use these handheld twist are designed for , I ’d rather a depressed resolution and slightly more stocky display to achieve better barrage life – and that ’s something the Ally X has in nigga . There ’s a balance to these things .
Plus , with an additional USB - deoxycytidine monophosphate interface that affirm Thunderbolt 4 , you’re able to always plug the Ally X into a proper gaming monitor or even your TV for a honest at - home gambling experience .
Performance
Asus was keen to channelise out that this is not the ROG Ally 2 , and as such , the handheld amount with the sameAMD Ryzen Z1 Extremeprocessor as the original ROG Ally , as well as the competing Lenovo Legion Go .
It ’s not a risky matter either ; the chipset is build on the late Zen 4 computer architecture with 8 cores and 16 thread , with integratedRDNA 3 graphicsalso offer support for game - hike up feature likeFidelityFX Super Resolution . It ’s also well more powerful than the chipset within the Steam Deck OLED .
That said , there is a boost in the RAM department , now romp 24 GB of LPDDR5X RAM compare to the 16 GB offering of the Ally . This mainly boosts processor performance , with a slight boost in benchmark results compared to the original , though it also means you may apportion more RAM to the RDNA 3 - power gaming tools to raise the smell and performance of your games .
And , more than anything , I welcome the boost in storage , offer a whopping 1 TB of warehousing as standard . If that ’s not enough for your substantial on - the - go game library , you may expand storage via both the microSD menu slot and the fresh M.2 2280 SSD slot within the flesh .
However , I ’ve find 1 TB to be plenty in my time test the gimmick , capable to set up the likes of Horizon Zero Dawn , Starfield , Returnal , Cyberpunk 2077 and more without get to the limit of the built - in storage .
But how does it perform ? For the ROG Ally X , I go benchmarks in three games , all set to the highest level of graphics , at 720p . I did this both in Performance ( 17W ) and Turbo ( 25W ) to give you an musical theme of the performance hike you could potentially get . And , being a portable handheld first and foremost , all the bench mark tests were perform unplug from a battery charger .
As you may see from the above event , there are n’t significant encouragement to overall plot performance when equate to the ROG Ally in Performance mode , though it does comfortably beat the Legion Go and Steam Deck OLED in DIRT Rally and Horizon Zero Dawn benchmark tests .
If anything , it register just how much better public presentation is when Turbo mode is spark – and the smasher to assault and battery life is nowhere nigh as substantial this time around , stool it a viable choice for on - the - go gaming .
Titles like DIRT Rally image a massive 21fps boost to inning rate , and although it was n’t the case across the board – Horizon Zero Dawn only attend a 6fps increase – it record that the ROG Ally X can deliver operation you wo n’t find from much of the handheld rival , reckon on the title you ’re playing .
While the ROG Ally X and its like are designed primarily for on - the - go gaming , it ’s also honorable to get an idea of how they ’ll execute in day - to - sidereal day use – especially if you require to hook up the Ally X to a screen , keyboard and computer mouse for a portable version of a Windows 11 desktop .
As you may see , the ROG Ally X ’s Z1 Extreme chipset can deliver with child performance in the CPU department , remaining fairly private-enterprise with the mainframe you ’ll find in 2024 gaming laptops as well as the handheld challenger .
The ROG Ally X also has great SSD performance , with a read speeding of 5,010.26MB / s and a write speed of 3,376.44MB / s that suggests burden screens should pass about as quickly as your average gaming laptop , and game installs should n’t take too long either .
Asus has worked severely on its cooling system with the Ally X , which is surprising yield how we felt the arrangement on the original was already reasonably good at funnel out heat without getting too trashy in the cognitive process . However , the Ally X has small , sparse lover that improve airflow , along with two small tunnels to direct air and a third exhaust venthole to expel that hot aviation .
That all said , I did n’t discover the Ally X ever get anywhere near hot to the touch , even when maxing out Turbo Mode at 30W when plugged into its adapter . Sure , I could hear the fans kick in as internal temps start out to rise , but in anything but a completely silent elbow room , it ’s basically inaudible .
Battery Life
If there ’s one reason , and one reason only , to get ( or even kick upstairs to ) the ROG Ally X , it ’s battery aliveness .
The 40Wh jail cell of the original could only muster around 90 bit of Horizon Zero Dawn in Performance mood , and just 60 minutes with Turbo mood activated . That ’s not gravid , though it was pretty consistent with what you ’d get from the Steam Deck .
Well , that 40Wh cell has been doubled , with a whopping 80Wh cellular phone found in the Ally X , and this delivers the good bombardment aliveness we ’ve seen yet . For context , the Steam Deck OLED sports 50Wh , while the Lenovo Legion Go tender 49.2Wh , so it ’s not just right for an Ally , but for a play - focussed handheld in general .
That all said , in the same test of running Horizon Zero Dawn with Ultra art in Performance mode at 720p , I hit just diffident of the three - hour mark before the Ally X run dry . In fact , I manage to act Starfield on Medium graphic at 1080p in Turbo way for around two hour and 15 minutes before it require a top - up .
These are substantial improvements , and stats that simply ca n’t be mate by the competition . It also imply that you ’re no longer tied to the dumb ( 13W ) or even execution ( 17W ) modes when using the Ally X away from a courser , with the turbo mode ( 25W ) delivering marked improvements in skeletal frame rate , even at its FHD resolution , without a massive hit to barrage life .
Of naturally , electric battery longevity depend on the plot you ’re work so it will vary , and you could further better things by tweaking the resolution , graphics place setting and even CRT screen brightness depending on your needs . disregarding , this performance makes the ROG Ally X a corking companion for long trips .
That ’s backed up by bench mark tests too , with the Ally X endure an impressive 2 hours and 55 minutes in the PCMark 10 Gaming shelling test that simulates high - closing gaming , while the Lenovo Legion Go – with the same barrage fire - effective chipset – lasted just 1 hour and 27 proceedings .
The bigger battery means charge is n’t quite as speedy as the Ally was to reload , even when using the boosted 100W arranger that comes with the Ally X , but it ’s still not egregiously long either . Rather than an 60 minutes to get a full commission , the 80Wh cell now takes 1 hour and 46 minutes to go from flat to full .
It ’s slower than the Legion Go ’s tight charging tech that also hand over a charge in an minute , and the Steam Deck OLED manage it in around 90 moment , but I think the trade - off to overall assault and battery life is more than worth it .
Games and Software
The ROG Ally X comes with Windows 11 , and it ’s a level of two halves . Windows 11 is n’t what I ’d describe as a touch - well-disposed operating system , and it got quite fiddly at times , peculiarly when install apps and tweaking the system configurations . The on - cover keyboard is also pretty monolithic , taking up well over half the silver screen and sometimes totally obscuring the text field I ’m trying to fill out .
However , the impudent side is that Windows 11 allows you to install much anything you ’d care , a much more open system than the Linux - based Steam Deck . you’re able to install game from any PC storefront including Steam and Epic Games , as well as any even microcomputer apps you want to apply on the go , and you ’re free to dabble in cloud play as long as you ’ve got a Wi - Fi connexion .
What makes the experience enjoyable is Asus ’ ROG Armoury Crate SE software , approachable anywhere in Windows 11 by a dedicated button to the right hand of the cover .
It ’s fundamentally a accountant - well-disposed app that lend all your downloaded games , storefront and organisation preferences into one piazza , easy navigated using the analog control stick and triggers of the handheld . Think of it as a console - focused UI , much like that of the Steam Deck .
It ’s fast , well - design and pretty simple to get the bent of , a stark change to the sluggish Legion Space software of the Legion Go .
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Should you buy it?
The ROG Ally X ’s 80Wh battery is comfortably big than any other handheld on the market in 2024 , and the multi - 60 minutes battery life reflects this .
With the same 7 - column inch IPS LCD exhibit as the veritable ROG Ally , the Ally tenner misses out on the mystifying blacks , vivid colours and honest assault and battery efficiency of theSteam Deck OLED‘s panel , and it ’s not as pel - packed as the QHDLegion Goeither .
Final Thoughts
The Asus ROG Ally X may not boast a new processor or snazzy OLED screen door tech , but it fixes practically every complaint that consumer had about the first - gen handheld . It ’s more ergonomically shaped with practiced control placement , offer better cooling , encourage RAM and storage and , most importantly , a monolithic betterment in battery living .
In fact , I ’d argue that the ROG Ally X ’s 80Wh battery isthemain reason to opt for it over competing handhelds like the ROG Ally , Steam Deck OLEDandLenovo Legion Go , even at a more premium cost detail .
The handheld delivers essentially double what you ’d get from the regular Ally , offer around three hours of battery liveliness in AAA games at the highest graphical preferences in Performance mode , and over two hours in Turbo mode , with importantly good performance in sure titles .
It ’s still not go to tick something like theNintendo Switch OLED , but for a PC play - focussed handheld , it leads the pack .
Trusted Score
How we test
We test the Asus ROG Ally X by playing a variety of unlike games at unlike graphics options , while checking the average physical body pace either via in - game benchmarks or an FPS overlayer .
We also conducted various battery tests by playing games for long stretches of meter , try out a variety of artwork preferences to determine whether they made an impact .
FAQs
The ROG Ally X offer not only an improved pattern with better control condition arrangement than the ROG Ally , but it comes with a boosted 24 GB of RAM and 1 TB of storage , ameliorate temperature reduction and a much larger 80Wh battery .
The ROG Ally X campaign Windows 11 , allowing you to instal game from any PC shopfront .
