ASUS ROG Ally X review: A fully armed and operational handheld battle station
Despite being one of the first gaming handhelds from a major PC maker, ASUS got a lot right with the original ROG Ally. It offers better performance in a smaller chassis than Valve’s Steam Deck, but without a huge increase in price. And because it’s based on Windows instead of Linux, it delivers almost universal game compatibility. That said, issues like weak battery life and faulty SD card slots left plenty of room for improvement. So on the new Ally X, ASUS tweaked almost everything aside from its chip and display. But this time, what we’re getting is the fully armed and operational battle station that I wanted all along.
Design and display
From afar, it may appear like all ASUS did was switch the color of the Ally X’s chassis from white to black. But the second I picked it up, I noticed a lot of little changes including more pronounced grips, slightly taller face buttons and smaller paddles around back designed so that they’re harder to hit by accident. There’s also a brand new D-Pad which is a big improvement from the one on the vanilla Ally, though I’d still prefer a traditional cross or one of Sony’s pentagon-shaped arrangements.
Photo by Sam Rutherford 87 100ASUS ROG Ally X
The best Windows-based handheld gaming PC
Thanks to some subtle design tweaks and major hardware upgrades, ASUS has turned the ROG Ally X into the flagship Windows gaming handheld it was meant to be.
Pros- Improved ergonomics
- Double the battery
- More RAM
- Bright VRR display
- Now comes with two USB-C ports
- More expensive than before
- Windows on handheld PCs still feels clunky
- A built-in kickstand or an included case would be nice
- No Hall effect joysticks
On the inside, ASUS added stiffer springs to Ally X’s joysticks, making them tighter and more responsive. However, ASUS stopped short of switching to Hall Effect sensors like the ones on rivals like the Lenovo Legion Go. There’s also a third vent and a new fan system that improve cooling and airflow, though at full
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