A few months back, Asus rolled out the ROG Ally X to us Aussies, promising a suite of upgrades over the original ROG Ally. The first Ally was a game-changer, helping push Windows handheld gaming PCs into the mainstream. But let’s be honest—it wasn’t without flaws. Battery life was a joke, software bugs plagued early adopters, overheating issues bricked MicroSD cards, and Asus’s warranty support left a lot to be desired.
Now, in comes the Ally X. At first glance, it might seem like a stealthy, blacked-out version of its predecessor, but the real changes are under the hood. Asus claims to have tackled many of the Ally’s shortcomings, but does it deliver? I waited until September to get my hands on one, giving Asus a chance to iron out the early bugs. After two months of real-world use—not the cushy reviewer treatment—how does it hold up?
More importantly, can it keep up with fresh competition like the Lenovo Legion Go and the newly launched Steam Deck OLED, which is finally landing in Australia? Spoiler: while the Ally X addresses many of its predecessor’s problems, it still isn’t the ultimate portable gaming machine we’ve been waiting for.
Design & Build: Sleek, Stealthy, and Thoughtfully Refined
The ROG Ally X ditches the original Ally’s bold white aesthetic for a matte black finish that exudes stealth and sophistication. Initially, I wasn’t thrilled about the switch—I loved the standout look of the white Ally—but the black grows on you. It’s got that high-end gaming gear vibe, blending seamlessly into any premium setup.
At 676 grams, the Ally X is a touch heavier than its 608g predecessor, with a slightly thicker frame. The rounded grips feel more comfortable, and Asus smartly shrunk the back buttons to minimize accidental presses. The size bump? Totally justified by the internal upgrades.
First up: the cooling system. Asus revamped it to tackle the notorious overheating issues that fried MicroSD cards in the original Ally. While I didn’t test this directly (thanks to the generous 1TB SSD, I didn’t need extra storage), the lack of complaints online suggests they’ve nailed it. In my experience, the Ally X stayed cool—even during marathon gaming sessions. The fans? Barely noticeable.
Port-wise, Asus made some smart changes. The proprietary ROG XG Mobile connector is gone, replaced by two USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C ports. Both support DisplayPort out and power delivery, making it easier to hook up to a monitor with a single cable for charging and playing. Plus, dual ports mean no more USB hubs for peripherals. My one gripe? I wish one port was on the bottom for more comfortable handheld charging during gameplay.
You still get a 3.5mm combo audio jack and a UHS-II microSD card reader, plus improved speakers that are louder and clearer. The face buttons now have a satisfying, clicky feel, and the D-pad is noticeably better. As for the back buttons? They’re… there. Smaller and positioned higher, they felt awkward for my grip, making them pretty much forgettable after a while.
The 7-inch 1080p display with a 120Hz refresh rate returns, and while I hoped for one of Asus’s stunning Nebula HDR OLED panels, this screen holds its own. Thanks to VRR support and 500 nits of brightness, games still look sharp and feel smooth. Sure, it’s not OLED, but it gets the job done beautifully.
Performance: Balancing Power and Efficiency
Under the hood, the ROG Ally X sticks with the tried-and-true AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme chip from the original Ally, but there’s a significant boost: 24GB of RAM, up from 16GB. This extra memory gives the Ally X a clear edge in multitasking and handling memory-intensive games. Whether you’re running AAA titles or juggling emulators and background apps, the extra RAM makes a noticeable difference.
The larger 1TB SSD is another welcome upgrade—double the storage of its predecessor. Even with hefty installs like Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, I never found myself stressing over space, a far cry from the constant storage shuffle on the original Ally.
Game performance feels smoother across the board. I didn’t run formal benchmarks this time, but gameplay on both the 13W Silent and 17W Performance profiles felt consistently stable. A major reason? AMD FSR 3. Frame generation and AI upscaling work wonders, and turning it on in the Armoury Crate is a breeze. The performance boost is immediate, making demanding games run noticeably better.
I’ve spent hours with Lies of P, Black Ops 6, and Diablo IV, and all three hover around or exceed 60fps at 900p on medium to high settings. Sure, there are occasional dips into the 40s, but the display’s VRR support smooths things out, keeping gameplay fluid. That said, don’t expect ultra settings at 1080p—this is a 7-inch handheld, and pushing those settings only hurts performance without delivering a noticeable visual payoff. Medium settings at 900p strike the perfect balance for this screen size.
Speaking of the display, while the 1080p 120Hz panel is solid, I can’t help but wish for a 900p OLED with VRR. Not only would it look stunning on a screen this size, but it could also boost battery life, making the Ally X an even better portable gaming machine. Here’s hoping Asus hears us for the next iteration.
Windows 11: Still a Love-Hate Relationship
Running Windows 11 on the ROG Ally X is a mixed bag. On one side, you get full access to the PC ecosystem—Steam, Xbox Game Pass, and even productivity tools like Photoshop and Slack. It’s ideal for anyone wanting a device that can handle both work and play. But here’s the catch: Windows is still Windows—bulky, resource-hungry, and not exactly optimized for handheld gaming. Navigating the interface with a joystick and touchscreen feels clunky compared to a streamlined, console-like OS.
Then there’s the headache of updates. You’ve got Armoury Crate, MyAsus, and Windows Update all competing for attention. Sure, Asus has done a great job making Armoury Crate an overlay for most tasks, and those annoying hidden-window issues when launching games are gone. But at the end of the day, it’s still an overlay slapped onto Windows, and you’ll often find yourself dragged back into the Windows environment for various tweaks and fixes.
One big win, though? Sleep and hibernate. Asus has finally nailed it—press the power button, and the Ally X actually suspends properly, holding your game exactly where you left off. When you wake it up, it’s ready to jump back into action without a hitch.
Compare this to the Steam Deck OLED running SteamOS, and the difference is stark. SteamOS feels more like a console experience—smooth, intuitive, and built from the ground up for gaming. Yes, you’ll lose out on the flexibility of a full PC unless you’re willing to dive into desktop mode, but for pure gaming, it’s hard to beat.
Ultimately, while Asus has made impressive strides in refining the experience, Windows 11 remains the Achilles’ heel of the Ally X. It works, but it’s far from seamless, and too often, you’re reminded that this is a PC trying to be a console—not quite succeeding at either.
Battery Life: A Serious Upgrade
When Asus announced they’d doubled the battery from 40Wh to 80Wh in the ROG Ally X, expectations were sky-high. But does this mean double the battery life? Not quite, but it’s close. For context, the original Ally lasted around 2 hours running Diablo IV at 900p on medium to low settings in performance mode. The Ally X? A solid 3.5 hours—just 30 minutes shy of doubling that time. And for me, that’s a game-changer. The constant battery anxiety I had with the original Ally? Gone.
Things get even better at the 13W Silent profile. Here, the Ally X stretches to over 5 hours. I’ve handed it off to my 8-year-old for weekend Xbox Cloud Gaming marathons, and she’s disappeared for hours, returning with 30% battery still left. That kind of endurance makes the Ally X my go-to for cloud gaming, where I can kick back knowing it’ll last without constant recharging.
In fact, I’ve only had the Ally X completely die on me two or three times over several weeks. And even then, it was my fault—leaving a game running in the background while adult life got in the way. But that’s a rare slip-up, thanks to Asus’s vastly improved deep sleep and standby modes. I’ve left mid-session in Lies of P, come back the next day, and picked up right where I left off with barely any battery drain.
This year’s battery gains are a huge leap forward, making the Ally X far more practical as a portable gaming device. And with the prospect of a Zen 5 AMD APU next year, I can’t help but get excited about where Asus takes battery efficiency next.
Verdict
At $1,600, the ROG Ally X is priced $400–$600 higher than the original Ally, which now frequently sees discounts. That price puts it squarely in gaming laptop territory and even above the $1,199 PlayStation 5 Pro. While the Ally X offers the versatility of a portable gaming PC that can double as a desktop with the right accessories (at an extra cost), it’s hard to ignore the compromises—especially compared to consoles that just turn on and play.
Then there’s the elephant in the room: the Steam Deck OLED, now officially available in Australia starting at $899 for the 512GB model and $1,049 for the 1TB version. That’s a $600 difference at the top end. The Steam Deck, with its SteamOS, delivers a console-like experience—intuitive, streamlined, and optimized for gaming. Plus, its vast library of Steam-verified games means less fiddling with settings and more playing.
That said, the Ally X does have one big advantage: Windows 11. Unlike the Steam Deck, you’re not limited to Steam. You can access Xbox Game Pass, Epic Games Store, EA Play, Ubisoft Connect, and pretty much anything else. For gamers like me, who rely heavily on Xbox Game Pass and Epic Games, the Ally X’s flexibility is a big deal. Add in its superior performance, battery life, and ability to handle non-Steam apps, and it becomes easier to justify the price—if you need that versatility.
However, there’s the rub: Windows 11. No matter how great the hardware, Windows constantly gets in the way. I’ve had moments where I just want a quick 15- to 30-minute gaming session, only for Windows to derail me. WiFi issues, controller disconnects, random troubleshooting—things that don’t happen on a console but happen just enough on the Ally X to make me hesitate. Just last week, I couldn’t jump into a quick Black Ops 6 match because the controls bugged out. Moments like these kill the convenience factor, making me reach for my Xbox instead.
After months of using the Ally X, my conclusion is clear: it’s an excellent piece of hardware—ergonomically better, with stronger performance and battery life. But it’s still not as seamless as a console. That’s not on Asus; it’s on Microsoft. If Windows were optimized for handhelds, this device would be a no-brainer. Until Microsoft releases a lite, handheld-optimized version of Windows, the Ally X remains a near-perfect machine hampered by its OS.
For now, it’s close—but not quite there yet.
Asus Australia kindly loaned the ROG Ally X to PowerUp for the purpose of this review
