ASUS ROG Ally X Review: A masterclass in portable gaming

As someone who’s constantly on the go, leaving my trusty PlayStation 5 behind has always stung. But the ASUS ROG Ally X might just be the cure to my gaming FOMO. This little handheld dynamo is essentially a PC that fits in your hand, and it’s beefy enough to tackle AAA titles without breaking a sweat. After spending some serious time with it, I can honestly say: my console is gathering dust. And I’m not very sorry about it.

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves—this thing isn’t without its quirks. So, buckle up, and let’s dive into what makes the Ally X a solid contender for your next gaming obsession.

Bigger, Chunkier, and (Mostly) Better

First things first: this bad boy is bulkier than the first-generation ROG Ally. If the original was a sleek sports car, the Ally X is more like an SUV. That’s thanks to a larger 80kWh battery—double what the first-gen offered—and chunkier grips that make it feel more substantial in your hands. Bigger isn’t always better, but in this case, it translates to a lot more playtime, which is a win in my book.

The buttons and joysticks have also gotten a facelift. The AXBY buttons now have better tactile feedback (no more mushy presses!), and the joysticks are supposedly twice as durable. The shoulder buttons also click with a satisfying snap, and they’ve got longer travel, which is a nerdy way of saying they feel more responsive. So, yeah—thumbs up on the controls.

However, while ASUS claims the speakers are louder and punchier, I wasn’t exactly blown away. If you’re not playing with headphones, you might find yourself wishing for a bit more oomph.

The Specs Look the Same, But Feel Different

On the surface, it seems like the Ally X hasn’t changed all that much from its predecessor—same Ryzen Z1 Extreme processor, same display. But the 24GB of RAM (up from 16GB) is where things start to get interesting. More RAM means better multitasking and smoother gameplay when you’re juggling resource-hungry apps. It’s like upgrading from a scooter to a motorcycle—you didn’t think it was slow before, but now? It flies.

I ran Horizon Forbidden West on this thing, a game that’s known to make gaming laptops sweat, and the Ally X handled it pretty well. No, it’s not delivering 100+ FPS, but for a handheld, it’s seriously impressive. When plugged in, it unlocks its full potential, making for a smooth gaming experience. But, fair warning: it’s not all rainbows. I did run into a couple of hiccups, like the occasional crash when trying to resume a game from sleep mode (more on that in a second). For the geeky ones here are the stats of some of the games I played in Turbo mode (on battery) in Ultra settings: 



• Horizon Forbidden West- 30fps
• Forza Horizon 5- 50-60 fps
• Remnant- 20-25 fps
• God of War- 20-25 fps

 

The Good, the Bad, and the Battery

Okay, let’s talk sleep mode, because here’s where things get a little… weird. On a Steam Deck, you hit the pause button, put it to sleep, and it’s like hitting pause on a movie—you come back, and it picks up right where you left off. On the Ally X? Not so much. When you press the sleep button, it doesn’t actually go to sleep for a solid 10–15 minutes. The fans keep running, and if you try to force it to sleep, you risk losing your progress. If you’re a gamer with trust issues, this is going to stress you out.

The Windows OS itself, while optimised for handheld gaming, is still more of a battery vampire compared to Steam Deck’s more efficient Linux-based Steam OS. So, while the bigger battery helps, the software tends to chomp through it faster than you’d like. Be prepared for shorter play sessions unless you tweak your settings.

Should You Buy It?

So, is the ASUS ROG Ally X worth your money? If you’re the kind of gamer who’s always on the move but refuses to compromise on game quality, this handheld might just be the dream machine you’ve been waiting for. Yes, there are quirks—some annoying, some just mildly inconvenient—but overall, the Ally X is a major improvement over the first-gen model and a serious competitor to the Steam Deck. When we asked Asus if the ROG Ally X would replace the older, 1st generation model, Asus denied it. This shows that the Ally X is in a segment of its own and maybe the preferred choice for those who want more, not only performance but also battery and the overall experience. 

But be ready to splurge. This little powerhouse doesn’t come cheap, and while it won’t completely replace your console or desktop setup, it’s about as close as you’re going to get in a handheld device.