Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Review

Review of Asus ROG Xbox Ally X

If you've been keeping up with gaming and technology trends, you probably know that over the past few years, more and more portable devices. Steam Deck (original or OLED version) remains a popular choice. There's also the Lenovo Legion Go (and Go 2), the MSI Claw, and the ASUS ROG Ally and Ally X. Each of these machines is amazing in its own way – they all handle demanding AAA games to varying degrees – and they all have some shortcomings. Price is one thing, battery life is another, durability and ergonomics all matter. Released just in time for the holidays, ASUS ROG Xbox Ally and Ally X are handheld devices in the Xbox ecosystem running Windows 11. I was lucky enough to spend some time with Ellie H.

Like all the devices mentioned, the ROG Xbox Ally X is a very powerful machine. But capability doesn't always mean fun, accessibility, or ease of use. No laptop is perfect for everyone. So let's take a look at the ROG Xbox Ally X and find out what makes it good, where it needs a little improvement, and whether it's the portable gaming rig you've always wanted.

Black and white: characteristics

The ROG Xbox Ally comes in two flavors: Ally and the more powerful—and more expensive—Ally X. The $599 Ally is powered by an AMD Ryzen Z2A processor, has a 60Wh battery, 16GB of LPDDR5-6400 RAM, and a 512-capacity M.2 2280 SSD. GB. It features a 7-inch IPS display with Full HD (1080p) resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. Connectivity includes Wi-Fi 6E (2 x 2) + Bluetooth 5.4 and 2 USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C ports with DisplayPort 1.4 / Power Delivery 3.0 1 microSD UHS-II card reader (supports SD, SDXC and SDHC) 1 3.5mm audio combo jack.

The ROG Xbox Ally weighs 670 grams (just under 1.5 pounds). For comparison, the original Steam Deck weighs 669 grams. The Lenovo Legion Go 2 weighs a whopping 202 grams, or just over 2 pounds.

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

Top of the line

This brings us to the luxurious ROG Xbox Ally X, which improves the game significantly (pun intended) including the $999 price tag. The processor is a high-end and future-proof AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme processor and is equipped with an 80 Wh battery, 24 GB LPDDR5X-8000 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 increase the weight slightly to 715 grams.

In terms of audio, the ROG Xbox Ally X features Dolby Atmos support, a certified Hi-Res headphone jack, a 3.5mm audio jack, built-in front-facing stereo speakers, a built-in artificial noise-canceling microphone array, and an interface for the ROG XG Mobile Dock. I'll say it right now: it sounds fantastic. The bass won't shake your hardware, but the sound is precise and the spatial separation is truly impressive.

The form factor of both models is the same, and the handles resemble the familiar and comfortable Xbox controller. ROG Xbox Ally comes in white, while ROG Xbox Ally X comes in black.

Get some experience

Specifications are obviously important because they determine the capabilities of the machine. But in the case of the ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X, it's the OS and software that define these portable devices and help them carve out a unique place in the market.

ROG Xbox Ally and OG Xbox Ally X are not Xbox portable consoles. They don't play legacy Xbox games except through streaming and Xbox Game Pass. These are portable computers that focus on an optimized version of Windows and position the Xbox Dashboard app for PC as the central and primary user interface. There's a dedicated button on the machine that takes you back to the Xbox software already familiar to Xbox and PC Game Pass gamers. By the way, the version of Xbox Dashboard on ROG Xbox Ally X (and on Xbox itself) will soon become standard for all devices.

The bottom line is that your library doesn't include games from the Xbox Store, but any PC games you've downloaded from Steam, Epic, GOG, Ubi, EA, and others. All of them can be played from the combined library without the need to first open the associated applications in Windows. This is a very cool feature and overall it works great. This makes the Xbox app seem like all you need. And, of course, Xbox full screen mode. Booting into it – instead of the Windows desktop – makes it feel more like an operating system rather than an application.

Keep in mind that while the ROG Xbox Ally has a dedicated Xbox button and Xbox-style grips, the Xbox control pad works equally well on the original—and now less expensive—ROG Ally X, not to mention other Windows PCs. However, to get to it, you first need to go through Windows.

Hidden in a box

Running alongside the Xbox app is Armory Crate, which was part of ROG Ally and Ally X. Armory Crate adds diagnostics, performance displays, and system settings. Armory Crate has undergone a major overhaul and is much easier to use, but it can sometimes get in the way and requires 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 machines. Switching to the Windows desktop is relatively easy when needed. And this will to be needed. You'll still have to first download other applications from the gaming site, set up hardware such as new drives, and make all the usual performance and accessibility tweaks that Windows users are familiar with. Windows PCs don't have a lot of bloatware or processes that slow things down. Windows 11 will always have its problems, but nothing about portable devices makes them worse.

The 7-inch touchscreen is ideal for checking email, browsing social media, and watching videos. Beyond that, any real productivity probably requires connecting it to a monitor and using a keyboard. At this point, it is easier to use a laptop or desktop computer. The much heavier Lenovo Legion Go has an 8.8-inch screen and removable handles, potentially turning it into a full-fledged Windows tablet. Legion Go 2 also costs $1,349.

Why are we here

Gaming is what this device is for. And overall, this is where the ROG Xbox Ally X shines.

I won't list every game I ran on the ROG Xbox Ally X, but performance was almost always very impressive. In older or relatively low-demand games like Hades 2, frame rates on high or ultra settings were consistently 120-200 fps or higher. In graphically intensive Triple-A games, I often had to revert back to medium or high settings with FSR or frame generation, but then reach a stable 60fps without any stuttering. There wasn't a big difference in performance between Xbox Game Pass games, the Steam library, or other Windows games. Xbox is launching a portable game rating system similar to “Steam Deck Certified.”

There were some glitches and bugs during my review that could charitably be attributed to the software I used prior to the final version. Sometimes switching to the Windows desktop did not respond. Several more demanding games kept crashing. In other words, there were a few rough edges. I predict they will be resolved by the October 16th launch date.

Hold me

Ergonomically, the ROG Xbox Ally X is a pleasure to hold, especially if your hands have been honed by thousands of hours of use with Xbox controllers. The D-pad, joysticks and triggers are fast and responsive. Thanks to the impulse triggers, it is a bit overloaded. It's a little less balanced than the Steam Deck, but still very comfortable for long periods of gaming. The device is incredibly quiet, even in Turbo mode when moving pixels in demanding games. Most of the time you can't hear him.

Speaking of turbo mode, battery life is always an issue with most high-end laptops. However, ROG Xbox Ally X is not far behind. The 80Wh battery lasts about 3 hours at peak power consumption, which is better than average. Expect at least 8 hours of battery life when watching videos and even more when playing less demanding games on low power settings.

Buy-in

ROG Xbox Ally X is an impressive piece of technology. But as Poison sang, every rose has its thorns. Let's start with the price. Xbox Ally X costs $999 (Xbox Ally costs $599). It's obviously marketed (and priced) as a high-end luxury item. But the package doesn't include any kind of case, a standard item even for the entry-level Steam Deck. The stand is thin, cheap plastic. Unlike the Xbox Pro controller, the grips are not rubberized. The display is not OLED like the 2nd generation Steam Deck and Lenovo Legion 2. Build quality is good, but the package lacks some luxury features that should be standard on a thousand-dollar device.

Finally, ROG Xbox Ally X is clearly tied to the Xbox Game Pass ecosystem, the prices of which have increased significantly recently. Spending $1,000 on a gaming laptop and then maybe another $400 on a top-tier annual Game Pass subscription is the definition of painful. Ally X comes with three months of Game Pass Premium.

This could be the one

When it comes to portable gaming, consumers have many options. The original Steam Deck, Legion Go, ROG Ally and ROG Xbox Ally are all capable machines. Naturally, each of them has strengths and weaknesses. Higher-end devices like the ROG Xbox Ally X have one distinct advantage. With more powerful processors, they are significantly more future-proof than less expensive models. Spending more now for a laptop that will last several years makes sense if price isn't a factor.

Even though the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X is a Windows PC at its core, it functionally feels like an Xbox in a portable form factor. The Xbox-centric features harmonize well, and having one device that works well with other PC gaming services is a real bonus. Ergonomics and performance are excellent, and it's an easy recommendation for those investing heavily in Xbox and PC games, if they can afford it. At the same time, it lacks some of the features and high-end parts that should be included in its $999 price, and the display size makes it an impractical PC replacement. The Asus ROG Xbox Ally X may not be an absolute winner in the portable gaming market, but it is a very compelling choice in a crowded field.

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