As a seasoned gamer with decades of experience under my belt, I must say that the Asus ROG Ally X has truly impressed me. Coming from someone who has seen gaming evolve from the humble beginnings of Pong to the immersive worlds of today, this handheld powerhouse is a marvel in my eyes.
These days, it seems like there are countless portable gaming computers on the market, and what was once a small, pricey niche has become mainstream. Devices for gaming can now be found at major retailers such as Best Buy in the U.S. and Curry’s in the U.K. Today’s gamers have an abundance of choices, and the recently launched ROG Ally X by Asus, a Windows-based handheld computer for gaming, is just one more addition to this growing list. However, as manufacturers strive to keep costs low without compromising functionality and performance, many devices fall short in some way. But with its latest product, Asus appears to have achieved the ideal balance, meeting all the necessary criteria to earn high marks where others have not. We’ve been testing the ROG Ally X for a few weeks now, and in summary, it is likely the best portable Windows-based gaming PC available today.
The Asus ROG Ally X is a portable PC powered by Windows 11, featuring a sleek black design and a vibrant, glossy 7-inch Full HD display that refreshes at 120Hz. Essentially, it’s an enhanced edition of the original ROG Ally released in 2023, addressing issues such as faulty memory card slots and less-than-optimal battery life that were present in its predecessor. Asus has made several improvements to enhance user experience, making a good device even better. The most significant update is in the Ally X’s battery: boasting a 80 Wh capacity, it’s twice as large as the original, promising gamers twice the playtime. In our testing, we found this claim largely accurate, though performance can vary based on factors like game settings, screen brightness, and the type of games played. Remarkably, in certain scenarios, the Ally X’s battery performed better than double its expected capacity, such as during low-level gaming like retro console emulation. Furthermore, we noticed that the Ally X’s battery performance remained consistent from full to empty without any significant drops in game performance when the battery was nearly depleted – meaning you can enjoy strong in-game performance even at battery levels as low as 10%.
Ghost of Tsushima / Photo: Felix Young
The improved energy efficiency of the Ally X is significantly boosted by its enhanced RAM. The new model boasts 24GB of high-speed LPDDR5X RAM as a standard, which is an upgrade of 8GB over the initial version’s slightly slower LPDDR5-6400 RAM. This upgrade makes a tangible difference, making operations generally smoother and transitioning between games and apps (even with some games running in the background while starting another) an effortless experience on the Ally X. As anticipated, we found the increased RAM to be particularly beneficial, especially in graphics-heavy games, where rendering happens faster and frame rates stay consistent throughout gameplay, unlike the original Ally which might have experienced stuttering in certain situations.
In two distinct variants, the initial Ally model featured either the standard AMD Ryzen Z1 or the more potent AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme CPU. Interestingly, Asus opted for the powerful version in the Ally X, a decision that seems justified given its past performance. Our expectations were already high from our experience with the original Ally, but the CPU in the Ally X surpasses even those expectations. Games such as Red Dead Redemption 2, Forza Horizon, Cyberpunk 2077, Starfield, and the Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 beta ran flawlessly (after adjusting settings) on the Ally X. These titles performed smoothly at full resolution with frame rates consistently ranging from 50-60fps.
The ROG Ally X isn’t limited to playing top-tier PC games; it’s also an excellent choice for emulation enthusiasts. With ease, it can run a variety of emulators. We successfully ran popular emulators for consoles as new as the Nintendo Switch, including ones for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and similar games, which played at higher frame rates on the Ally X than they do natively on the Switch. Moreover, we were able to run PlayStation 3 games, known for being challenging to emulate, by adjusting a few settings in the RPCS3 emulator. Essentially, you can take your PS3 game library with you wherever you go on the Ally X.
Forza Horizon 5 / Photo: Felix Young
One notable enhancement Asus has implemented in the Ally X compared to its predecessor is the overall comfort. The Ally X boasts improved ergonomics due to a clever modification in the design of its back panel, providing additional room for your hands. This change ensures a comfortable experience throughout, even during prolonged use. It’s worth mentioning that despite weighing slightly more than its predecessor (678 g or 1.49 lbs versus 608 g or 1.34 lbs), the redesign is barely perceptible. Interestingly, we anticipated a significantly heavier device when we learned the battery was twice as large. Lastly, the new fans on the Ally X are relatively quiet, especially at lower game settings, and do an effective job of keeping the device cool.
In the enhancements Asus made on the Ally X that stood out to us are the addition of a second USB-C port (previously the ROG XG mobile port), an upgraded D-Pad for eight-directional inputs, and redesigned M1 and M2 buttons that are smaller and less likely to be pressed accidentally. The onboard storage has been doubled from 500 GB to a full 1 TB, which is particularly convenient given the size of modern games. However, what truly makes a difference is the Ally X’s use of 2280 M.2 NVMe SSDs instead of the 2230 M.2 NVMe drives in the original Ally. These larger 2280 SSDs are more common and cheaper to find in larger capacities, so upgrading the stock 1TB drive to a larger capacity will cost less on the Ally X compared to the original model.
Asus ROG Ally X / Photo: Felix Young
The ROG Ally X, being nearly flawless in the realm of portable gaming PCs, carries a hefty price tag of £799 GBP ($799 USD), a slight increase from its predecessor. However, considering the improvements Asus has incorporated, this rise is understandable. Interestingly, the initial Ally models, including the Z1 Extreme and the more affordable Z1 versions, have seen considerable price reductions since the launch of the Ally X. Therefore, if your requirements for a handheld device are less demanding, the original Ally could be sufficient. However, the enhanced 80 Wh battery in the Ally X is truly transformative – after experiencing it, you might find it hard to revert back.
In recent times, gaming has undergone significant transformations, and this trend persists. Previously, console gaming was distinct from PC gaming due to the ease of use associated with consoles. However, with the rising popularity of portable gaming PCs such as the Asus ROG Ally X, prices have decreased and the performance capacity of these devices has increased. Nowadays, manufacturers are not only concentrating on hardware, but also developing custom-built operating systems or applications (like Asus’ Armoury Crate) that simplify game launches to a single click. This development erodes the previous advantage consoles held over PCs.
Not long ago, it seemed like handheld gaming might become obsolete in the annals of video game history. However, today, it has emerged as one of the preferred methods for gaming. The technology we now carry in our pockets is astounding, considering that even the most basic smartphones today can perform tasks that required a powerful computer just a few years ago. Although Asus’ latest gaming handheld, the ROG Ally X, isn’t exactly pocket-sized, its existence demonstrates the direction the video game industry is heading: it’s essentially a high-end PC with a built-in 1080p high-resolution screen, compact enough to be taken anywhere but powerful enough to play most of your AAA games library.
The Asus ROG Ally X offers a blend of exceptional performance and life-enhancing upgrades, making it a standout choice among handheld gaming PCs. In terms of value for money, it’s hard to beat this device at the moment. It’s now available for purchase through Asus, priced at £799 GBP or $799 USD.
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2024-10-06 23:56