Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Review – Big Power, Small Screen, Premium Price

Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Review

If you’ve followed gaming and tech trends, you’re probably aware that the past few years have seen the release of a growing number of handheld devices. The Steam Deck (original or OLED version) remains a popular choice. There’s also the Lenovo Legion Go (and Go 2), MSI Claw and the ASUS ROG Ally and Ally X. Each of these machines is sort of miraculous in their own way – to one degree or another they can all handle demanding, AAA-games – and they all have some drawbacks. Price is one, battery life is another, longevity and ergonomics all figure in. Releasing just in time for the holidays, the ASUS ROG Xbox Ally and Ally X are Xbox ecosystem handhelds with Windows 11 underneath. I have been lucky enough to spend some quality time with Ally X. 

Like all the devices mentioned, the ROG Xbox Ally X is a highly capable machine. But capable doesn’t always mean fun, affordable or easy to use. No handheld is going to be a perfect fit for everyone. So let’s take a look at the ROG Xbox Ally X and see what it’s great at, where it needs a little improvement and whether it is the handheld gaming rig you’ve always dreamed of.

Black and White–The Specs

The ROG Xbox Ally comes in two flavors: the Ally and the more powerful – and pricier – Ally X. The $599 Ally is built on an AMD Ryzen Z2A processor, has a 60Wh battery, 16GB LPDDR5-6400 of RAM and a 512GB M.2 2280 SSD. It boasts a 7” FHD (1080p) IPS display running at a 120Hz refresh rate. Connectivity includes Wi-Fi 6E (2 x 2) + Bluetooth 5.4, and 2x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C with DisplayPort 1.4 / Power Delivery 3.0 1x UHS-II microSD card reader (supports SD, SDXC and SDHC) 1x 3.5mm Combo Audio Jack. 

The ROG Xbox Ally weighs in at 670 grams (just shy of 1.5 lbs). By comparison, the original Steam Deck is 669 grams. The Lenovo Legion Go 2 is a whopping 202 grams, or just over 2 lbs.

In other words, under the hood the ROG Xbox Ally is roughly comparable to the OLED Steam Deck. Though of course, the ROG Xbox Ally is a Windows 11 PC disguised as a handheld. The OLED Steam Deck has a slightly larger and, depending on your preference, better display.

Top of the Line

That brings us to the luxurious ROG Xbox Ally X, which ups the game – pun intended – in significant ways, including its $999 price tag. The processor is a top shelf and future-proof AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme Processor, it has an 80Wh battery, 24GB LPDDR5X-8000 of RAM and a 1 TB SSD. Unlike the ROG Xbox Ally, the ROG Xbox Ally X has impulse triggers. This and other features help to slightly increase the weight to 715 grams.

In the audio department, the ROG Xbox Ally X features Dolby Atmos support, a Hi-Res certified headphone jack, a 3.5mm audio jack, built-in front-firing stereo speakers, an integrated array microphone with AI noise-canceling, and an interface for ROG’s XG Mobile docking station. I’ll say this right now: it sounds fantastic. The bass won’t rattle your fillings but the sound is precise and the spatial separation is truly impressive. 

The form factor for both models is the same, with grips inspired by the familiar and comfortable Xbox controller. The ROG Xbox Ally comes in white, while the ROG Xbox Ally X is black.

Get Some Experience

Specs are obviously important because they shape what the machine is capable of. But in the case of the ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X, it’s the OS and software that defines these handhelds and helps them claim a unique space in the market.

The ROG Xbox Ally and OG Xbox Ally X are not portable Xbox consoles. They don’t play legacy Xbox games except via streaming and a subscription to Xbox Game Pass. They’re portable PCs focused around an optimized version of Windows, and positioning the Xbox Dashboard PC app as the hub and core user experience. The machine has a dedicated button that brings you back to the Xbox software that’s already familiar to Xbox console and PC Game Pass gamers. Incidentally, the version of the Xbox Dashboard on the ROG Xbox Ally X (and the Xbox itself) will soon be standard on all devices.

The pitch is that your library just doesn’t include titles from the Xbox store, but any PC games you’ve downloaded from Steam, Epic, GOG, Ubi, EA and others. They’re all playable from the aggregated library without the need to open the associated apps in Windows first. It’s a very cool feature and by and large, works great. It absolutely makes the Xbox app feel like the only one you need. And of course, there’s the Xbox Full Screen Experience.  Booting up into it — instead of a Windows desktop — makes it feel more like an OS and less like an app. 

Keep in mind that while the ROG Xbox Ally has a dedicated Xbox button and Xbox-style grips, the Xbox Dashboard works equally well on the original — and now less expensive — ROG Ally X, not to mention other Windows PCs. Getting to it means going through Windows first, however.

Hidden in the Crate

Hand in hand with the Xbox app is Armoury Crate, which has been a part of the ROG Ally and Ally X. Armoury Crate adds diagnostics, performance displays and system tweaks. Armoury Crate has undergone a significant facelift and is much easier to use, but it can occasionally get in the way, and it does take up some processing power of its own.

While it wants you to ignore it as much as possible, the ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X are still Windows 11 computers. It’s relatively easy to switch to the Windows desktop when needed. And it will be needed. You still have to download other game site apps initially, configure hardware like new drives and make all the usual performance and accessibility tweaks Windows users are familiar with. As Windows PCs go, there isn’t much bloatware or processes that slow things down. Windows 11 will always have its share of issues but nothing about the handhelds makes them worse. 

The size of the 7″ touchscreen makes it perfect for checking email, scrolling social media and watching video. Beyond that, any real productivity probably requires connecting it to a monitor and using a keyboard. At that point, it’s easier just to use a laptop or desktop PC. The much heavier Lenovo Legion Go has an 8.8″ screen and detachable grips, potentially turning it into a viable Windows tablet. The Legion Go 2 is also $1349.

Why We’re Here

Games are why this device exists. And generally speaking, it’s where the ROG Xbox Ally X absolutely shines. 

I’m not going to catalogue every game I threw at the ROG Xbox Ally X, but performance was almost always very impressive. For older, or relatively non-demanding games like Hades 2, frame rates at high or ultra settings were consistently 120-200fps+. Triple-A, graphically intense games often had to be dialed back to medium or high settings with FSR or frame gen, but then hit a solid 60fps without chugging at all. There wasn’t a huge difference in performance between Xbox Game Pass games and Steam library or other Windows titles. Xbox is rolling out a handheld game rating system similar to “Steam Deck Certified.” 

In my review time there were some glitches and bugs that might be charitably attributed to the pre-final release software I was using.  Sometimes switching to the Windows desktop was unresponsive. A few more demanding games consistently crashed. In other words, there were a few rough edges. I predict they’ll be sorted out by the October 16 launch date.

Hold Me

Ergonomically, the ROG Xbox Ally X is a pleasure to hold, especially if your hands are molded by thousands of hours with Xbox controllers. The D-pad, thumb sticks and triggers are snappy and responsive. Thanks to the impulse triggers, it’s a bit top weighted. It’s a little less balanced than the Steam Deck, but still very comfortable over long play sessions. The device is incredibly quiet, even in Turbo mode when pushing around pixels in demanding games. Most of the time, it’s inaudible.

Speaking of turbo mode, battery life is always a pain point with the majority of high-performance handhelds. However, the ROG Xbox Ally X is no slouch. The 80Wh battery lasts around 3 hours at peak power consumption, which is better than average. Expect at least 8 hours battery life watching video and even more playing less demanding games at low power settings.

Buy-in

The ROG Xbox Ally X is an impressive piece of technology. But, as Poison used to sing, every rose has its thorns. Let’s start with the price. The Xbox Ally X lists for $999 US (the Xbox Ally is $599). It’s obviously positioned – and priced – as a high-end luxury item. But it doesn’t include any kind of case, an item standard with even the entry-level Steam Deck. The stand is thin, cheap plastic. Unlike the Xbox Pro controller, the grips aren’t rubberized. The display is not OLED, as it is in the gen 2 Steam Deck and Lenovo Legion 2. Build quality is solid, but as a package it lacks some of the luxury details that should come standard with a thousand dollar device. 

Finally, the ROG Xbox Ally X is obviously tied to the Xbox Game Pass ecosystem, which has recently seen a notable price increase. Spending $1000 on a gaming handheld and then potentially another $400 for a top-tier annual Game Pass subscription is the definition of painful. The Ally X does include a 3-month subscription to Game Pass Premium.

This Could Be the One

When it comes to handheld gaming, consumers have a lot of options. The original Steam Deck, Legion Go, ROG Ally and ROG Xbox Ally are entirely capable machines. Naturally, they each have strengths and drawbacks. Higher-end devices like the ROG Xbox Ally X have one clear advantage. Thanks to their more powerful processors, they are considerably more future proof than the less expensive models. Spending more now for a handheld that will be viable for several years makes sense if price isn’t a factor.

Though at its beating heart a Windows computer, the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X feels functionally like an Xbox in a handheld form factor. The Xbox-centric features harmonize well, and having one device that plays nice with other PC game services is a real bonus. Ergonomics and performance are excellent, and it’s an easy recommend for those heavily invested in Xbox and PC gaming, if they can afford it. At the same time, it’s missing a few features and high-end details that should be included for its $999 price tag, and the size of the display makes it impractical as a PC replacement. The Asus ROG Xbox Ally X might not be the ultimate winner in the handheld gaming market, but it makes a very compelling choice in a crowded field.

***ROG Xbox Ally X provided for review***