Asus ROG Ally X

With a price point that's $100 higher than the existing high-end ROG Ally, it's hard to make a case for someone to run out and upgrade from that device to the Ally X. However, this is a case study in why early adoption is occasionally for suckers. It may not be the ROG Ally 2, but the Ally X seems like the device the original version should've been. A handful of thoughtful internal and external changes give it real potential, especially in a suddenly crowded handheld gaming PC market.

Hands on: I can’t wait for a review unit of this handheld, because battery is king in handheld gaming PC world, and the Ally X is about to be king of handheld battery packs. Just don’t necessarily expect it to dethrone the Steam Deck OLED, because there’s only so far Asus can go without a more efficient chip and screen — and because I’m still not sure how I feel about Asus’ deteriorating reputation for support.

Hands on: The Asus ROG Ally X price is set at $799, making it more expensive than the original version of the handheld, and considerably more than the Steam Deck and Steam Deck OLED. We’ll just have to wait and see if it delivers the performance to justify that price.

Hands on: Compared to the original Ally I didn’t notice a huge difference in terms of size or weight, which is fine, because the original felt pretty good. I would have preferred a larger screen, but the Ally’s 7-inch, full HD LCD panel with 120Hz of refresh is already one of the better ones available. With the much better battery, more RAM, and aftermarket upgrade options, the Ally X is a superior machine in plenty of metrics

Hands on: For anyone who has been as enamored with the recent wave of gaming handhelds as I have, it’s really encouraging to see these devices mature so quickly. Plus, starting at $800, which is just $100 more than the original Ally, the Ally X feels very reasonably priced.

Hands on: The display is largely unchanged. You're still getting a 1080p display with a refresh rate of 120Hz and a peak brightness of 500 nits. It would have been nice to see the Asus ROG Ally X get the same OLED upgrade the Steam Deck enjoyed last year, but the display is still really nice.

Hands on: 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

Hands on: Asus has used community feedback to improve its ROG Ally X, the middle ground between the original ROG Ally and the upcoming ROG Ally 2. The result is a system that has been upgraded in nearly every way that matters, except for its display and processor.