ROG Ally X Official Review Thread

[ethomaz]

I don't care that much with PC like huge handhelds but there is people that like it so....
The reviews are great.

IGN: Taking handheld PC gaming to the X-treme. (9/10)

The Asus ROG Ally X is simply the best handheld gaming PC on the market right now. With more and faster memory and double the battery as the original Ally, the Ally X will run any modern game without dying in an hour and a half.

WIRED: I still can't stand Windows on a handheld gaming console. But if you can, the ROG Ally X is leagues better than its predecessor.

I still struggle to say whether or not I explicitly recommend the ROG Ally X. But at least now the answer depends on who's asking. If you're a parent looking to buy a handheld for your kid—or you want one for yourself so you can chill with a game after work with minimal frustrations—then you probably want to skip this one.

However, if you're comfortable fiddling with settings and aren't bothered by user interface annoyances, then the ROG Ally X can give you a nicer experience (in some ways) than other handhelds on the market. Once I got into the game, Hades II felt nicer to play on the Ally X's 120-Hz screen than on the Steam Deck OLED. I had to reach for the charger more often, but at least I didn't feel like I had to be tethered to the wall all the time.

Asus is putting genuine effort into making its handhelds as good as they can be. There are some things only Microsoft can fix, and it might take years for that to happen. But if you want a handheld that can play all your games—not just the ones on Steam—then the ROG Ally X is one of the best options you can get. Just be ready to deal with some jank.

Digital Trends: I haven’t put down the Asus ROG Ally X in the past two days

I've only had a few days with the ROG Ally X, and I'm not comfortable flat-out recommending it right now. Here's what I can tell you for sure.


It's a clear improvement over the original. Battery life is better, some games see a performance uplift, and the ergonomics are massively improved. It's also a lot more expensive. The Ally X is coming in at $800, while at the time of writing, you can pick up the original ROG Ally with a Z1 Extreme for $550 on sale. The Ally X is better, but I'm not sure that it's $250 better.


Then, there's the Steam Deck OLED to deal with, of course. Asus wins with compatibility, and the Ally X is much closer to the true handheld experience than the original model was. But the quirks of Windows still remain, and the Steam Deck OLED provides a much more seamless experience for $200 less. And, as you can see from my benchmarks, the Steam Deck OLED isn't far behind at its native resolution despite sporting a weaker chip on paper.

Tom's Guide: here’s why it’s the best Windows gaming handheld (4/5)

So after successfully avoiding any DMX references, it's fair to say that with everything taken into account, the ROG Ally X is the best Windows gaming handheld. Microsoft tried damn hard to take that away with a subpar OS experience, but Asus has cracked it.

This is a story of listening to player feedback and responding directly — doubling the battery capacity, upping the RAM for better performance, fine-tuning the ergonomics and making it look a whole lot better in its black finish.

Like I said, if you already have a Windows gaming handheld or a Steam Deck, hold off until the next generation for those more significant internal upgrades. But whether I was on a plane, a train or ignoring the weirdos in the bar by playing games, this mini marvel was able to keep up and keep me entertained.

Because the truth is the ROG Ally X is a blessing to whoever gets to really play it…damn it, I couldn't resist!

Windows Central: There's no denying that the ASUS ROG Ally X is a better handheld than the original in many ways, but perhaps not in the way that counts the most (4.5/5)

There is no denying that the ROG Ally X is better than the original Ally in several different ways. The battery lasts much longer, the black casing looks better, the handheld has better ergonomic grips without being too heavy, and the updated buttons and joysticks are responsive. Plus, games run smoothly on the handheld, and the IPS screen still displays imagery really well, thanks to its color gamut and VRR support. But just because something is better doesn't mean it's always the right choice for you.

GamesRadar+: "a needed boost, but not for everyone" (4.5/5)

The Asus ROG Ally X is a neat addition to the brand's range, and the top handheld in the lineup, but it's far from the best value for money. Every upgrade in here is warranted, and worth it if you can spring the cash, but the core experience remains relatively similar throughout. These new features are worth the extra $100 compared to the original device's $699 MSRP, but the Ally still has its place on the shelves with its now reduced $549.99 sale price.

PS. A bit or my own input together with a lot of ERA quotes copy.

 

[JAHGamer]

They should've made it OLED or at least OLED option for an extra price

 

[ethomaz]

They should've made it OLED or at least OLED option for an extra price

ASUS give an official answer for that.
In resume the actual mobile OLED screens doesn't support VRR that is one of the key features of Ally over competition.

At 13:20 or so.

But the things are becoming better... ASUS launched this year the first notebook with OLED + VRR: ASUS ROG Zephyrus... but it is too expensive for a handheld market and not smaller enough yet.. the point is that we will probably see handheld OLED with VRR in the future.

 

[JAHGamer]

ASUS give an official answer for that.
In resume the actual mobile OLED screens doesn't support VRR that is one of the key features of Ally over competition.

At 13:20 or so.

But the things are becoming better... ASUS launched this year the first notebook with OLED + VRR: ASUS ROG Zephyrus... but it is too expensive for a handheld market and not smaller enough yet.. the point is that we will probably see handheld OLED with VRR in the future.

I don't get what he means by OLED consumers more power...OLED is shown to save power

Both the Switch OLED and Steam Deck OLED have much better battery life than the non OLED versions.

And these handheld devices target 30fps so I don't think VRR is a big deal, I would rather have OLED

 

[ksdixon]

They need to sort quality out.

First ally an armoury crate update naffed the left stick, 2nd ally a windows update borked up the OS and only Asus' cloud recovery fixed it.

Im scared to really update AC or WU really, on this 2nd alley, which has since suffered card slot burnout too.

 

[ethomaz]

I don't get what he means by OLED consumers more power...OLED is shown to save power

Both the Switch OLED and Steam Deck OLED have much better battery life than the non OLED versions.

And these handheld devices target 30fps so I don't think VRR is a big deal, I would rather have OLED

Depends of what is being showed…

OLED uses 40% less power showing imagoes primary blacks but 3x more power showing images primary whites.

 

[JAHGamer]

Depends of what is being showed…

OLED uses 40% less power showing imagoes primary blacks but 3x more power showing images primary whites.

in general gaming, OLED saves power. Game for game OLED always performs much better.

 

[Hezekiah]

Double the battery? Sounds like this is what the original should have been.

Portable gaming is still shit though.