Kevin Purdy
The first ROG Ally from Asus, a $700 Home windows-based handheld gaming PC, carried out higher than the Steam Deck, however it did so by way of notable compromises on battery life. The {hardware} additionally had a first-gen really feel and software program jank from each Asus’ personal wraparound gaming app and Home windows itself. The Ally requested an ungainly query: “Do you wish to pay practically 50 p.c greater than you’d pay for a Steam Deck for a barely sooner however much more awkward handheld?”
The ROG Ally X makes that query extra attention-grabbing and fewer apparent to reply. Sure, it’s nonetheless a handheld that’s attempting to cover Home windows annoyances, and it is nonetheless lacking trackpads, with out which some PC video games simply really feel unhealthy. And (evaluate spoiler) it nonetheless eats a cost sooner than the Steam Deck OLED on much less demanding video games.
However the enhancements Asus made to this X sequel are notable, and its new efficiency stats make it extra viable for individuals who wish to play extra demanding video games on a relatively crisp display screen. At $800, or $100 greater than the unique ROG Ally with no extras thrown in, you need to actually, actually need the very best handheld gaming expertise whereas nonetheless tolerating Home windows’ awkward match.
Asus
What’s new within the Ally X
| Specs at a look: Asus ROG Ally X | |
|---|---|
| Show | 7-inch IPS panel: 1920×1080, 120 Hz, 7 ms, 500 nits, 100% sRGB, FreeSync, Gorilla Glass Victus |
| OS | Home windows 11 (House) |
| CPU | AMD Ryzen Z1 Excessive (Zen 4, 8 core, 24M cache, 5.10 Ghz, 9-30 W (as reviewed) |
| RAM | 24GB LPDDR5X 6400 MHz |
| GPU | AMD Radeon RDNA3, 2.7 GHz, 8.6 Teraflops |
| Storage | M.2 NVME 2280 Gen4x4, 1TB (as reviewed) |
| Networking | Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2 |
| Battery | 80 Wh (65W max cost) |
| Ports | USB-C (3.2 Gen2, DPI 1.4, PD 3.0), USB-C (DP, PD 3.0), 3.5 mm audio, Micro SD |
| Dimension | 11×4.3×0.97 in. (280×111×25 mm) |
| Weight | 1.49 lbs (678 g) |
| Worth as reviewed | $800 |
The ROG Ally X is basically the ROG Ally with a much bigger battery packed right into a shell that’s impressively not a lot greater or heavier, extra storage and RAM, and two USB-C ports as an alternative of 1 USB-C and one bizarre cell port that no one might use. Asus reshaped the system and altered the face-button really feel, and all of it feels noticeably higher, particularly now that gaming classes can last more. The corporate additionally moved the microSD card slot in order that your playing cards don’t soften, which is sweet.
There’s a bit extra to every of these modifications that we’ll get into, however that’s the brief model. Small spec bumps wouldn’t have modified a lot concerning the ROG Ally expertise, however the modifications Asus made for the X model do transfer the needle. Having extra RAM out there has a large affect on the body efficiency of demanding video games, and you may see that in our benchmarks.
We stored the LCD Steam Deck in our benchmarks as a result of its chip has roughly the identical efficiency as its OLED improve. However it’s actually the Ally-to-Ally-X comparisons which might be attention-grabbing; the Steam Deck has been fading again from AAA viability. If you would like the Ally X to run fashionable, GPU-intensive video games as quick as is possible for a battery-powered system, it may now try this loads higher—for longer—and really feel a bit higher when you do.
The Rog Ally X has higher answered the query “why not simply purchase a gaming laptop computer?” than its predecessor. At $800 and up, you may nonetheless ask how a lot portability is price to you. However the Ally X will not be as a lot of a distinct segment (Home windows-based handheld) inside a distinct segment (reasonably higher-end handhelds).
I usually wouldn’t use this type of handout picture with descriptive textual content embedded, however Asus is correct: the ROG Ally X is certainly far more snug (simply perhaps not all-caps).
Asus
The way it feels utilizing the Rog Ally X
My testing of the Rog Ally X consisted of benchmarks, battery testing, and taking part in some video games on the sofa. Particularly: Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor and Tactical Breach Wizards on the gadgets lowest-power setting (“Silent”), Deathloop on its medium-power setting (“Efficiency”), and Shadow of the Erdtree on its all-out “Turbo” mode.
All 4 of these video games labored principally high-quality, however DRG: Survivor pushed the boundaries of Silent mode a bit when its ranges bought crowded with enemies and projectiles. Most video games might mechanically determine a good settings scheme for the Ally X. If a sport presents AMD’s FSR (FidelityFX Tremendous Decision) upscaling, you need to a minimum of strive it; it’s often a giant boon to a sport operating on this handheld.
Total, the ROG Ally X was a tool I did not discover once I was utilizing it, which is the very best advice I could make. Maybe I observed that the 1080p display screen was brighter, nearer to the glass, and sharper than the LCD (unique) Steam Deck. At handheld distance, the distinction between 800p and 1080p is not big to me, however the distinction between LCD and OLED is extra so. (After all, an OLED model of the Steam Deck was launched late final yr.)
