Asus ROG Ally X just got its official reveal, and the revamped handheld makes good on the company’s promises of better battery life. In fact, the portable boasts double the capacity compared to the original, not to mention the laptop maker has packed a full-sized 1TB SSD and 24GB RAM into a brand new comfortable shell. It's also available to pre-order as of today, so you won't have to wait long for the Steam Deck rival.
Scheduled to ship next month, the Asus ROG Ally is currently available to pre-order at Best Buy for $799.99. Unlike the original, there's only one model this time around, as there's no non-extreme Ryzen Z1 variant. That should make choosing straightforward, as it comes down to picking up the white OG portable or the newly announced revamp.
I already regard the Asus ROG Ally as one of the best gaming handhelds out there for PC players, and the ROG Ally X follows in the same footsteps. During today’s Computex 2024 launch event, the tech titan confirmed all there is to know about the improved portable, including its enhanced memory and storage specs. However, it also put my mind at ease by delving into the weight side of things, as it’s only 70g heavier despite all the upgrades.
Asus hasn’t completely overhauled things on the design front, but lots of subtle changes help the ROG Ally X keep the weight off. First off, the handheld’s fans are now 23% smaller overall, with the fan blades measuring at half the thickness. Yet, the tweaks mean they now facilitate a 10% airflow increase, so you can rest assured that heat will be shifted away from the portable for maximum performance. The shell has also undergone an ergonomic glowup, and while the difference isn’t massive to the eye, all changes will contribute to keeping the weight increase to just 10%.
If you’ve been waiting for a ROG Ally with better controls, the X does have some changes up its sleeve too. The D-pad is more defined for precision inputs and the thumbsticks have shifted ever so slightly to enhance ergonomics. The back buttons are now smaller, but we’ll need to get hands-on with the portable before knowing whether that’s a good or a bad thing (it’s a pitfall for the Asus ROG Raikiri Pro controller).
Asus ROG Ally vs Asus ROG Ally X - what’s the difference?
At its core, the Asus ROG Ally X is pretty much the same beast as the original. We’re talking the same AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme APU driving a 1080p 120Hz display. The new version’s 24GB RAM upgrade should help those big pesky PC releases run smoother, but you’ll effectively be boosting fps to the same figure as the original. Keep in mind that even the 2023 version pulls ahead of the Steam Deck OLED significantly.
At a glance, you’d be forgiven for thinking the ROG Ally X is just a black version of Asus’ handheld. However, subtle ergonomic differences set the two devices apart, and elements like switching out the original’s 512GB 2230 drive for a full-sized 2280 1TB SSD mean its guts will be in a different arrangement too. That change will save you from forking out for a WD Black SN770M if you crave even more game space, enabling you to poke around the best SSDs for gaming rather than specific smaller variants.
Weirdly, Asus has removed the XG Mobile connector from the ROG Ally X, opting to include a second USB-C port instead. While you’d think using a device with more RAM alongside an external graphics card should be worthwhile, you’ll have to stick with the original if you want to create a hybrid rig. That said, the extra port means you won’t have to immediately think about picking up a Steam Deck dock, as you’ll be able to hook up devices and monitors while keeping everything charged up.
Ultimately, the Asus ROG Ally X is worth considering if you spend a lot of time gaming on the go. The portable PC’s 80Wh battery life will make all the difference to your overall experience, as you’d normally need to reach for your charger after just two hours in the latest adventures. Naturally, I’ll have to put the ROG Ally X to the test myself before knowing if it lives up to its specifications, but if you’ve already been eyeing up premium portables like the Ayaneo 2S, the new Asus model is worth adding to your consideration list.
Already got Valve’s portable? Swing by the best Steam Deck accessories for a collection of great add-ons. Alternatively, take a peek at the best gaming laptops or best gaming PCs if you want a true powerhouse rig.
