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Asus ROG Xbox Ally X: Two-minute review
When the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X (and its less powerful, slightly more affordable ROG Xbox Ally) handhelds were announced earlier this year, it came as a bit of a surprise.
For years, there had been rumors that Microsoft was working on an Xbox-focused handheld games console. The success of Nintendo’s handheld/home console hybrid Switch (and its follow-up, the Switch 2), plus the emergence of PC gaming handhelds like the Steam Deck, made those rumors seem even more likely.
However, the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X was a surprise because, despite the name, this is not a handheld Xbox console. It’s, in fact, yet another PC gaming handheld with Xbox branding and a few choice upgrades. This is not a bespoke bit of hardware built from the ground up with a dedicated gaming operating system that finally brings the ease-of-use of games consoles to PC gaming handhelds. Instead, its hardware is very similar to the existing Asus ROG Ally X, a powerful gaming handheld I reviewed last year, but it still uses that awkward combination of Windows 11 (an operating system designed for traditional PCs and laptops) with a console-like interface placed over it to make launching games using the handheld’s controls easier.
Where to buy the Asus ROG Xbox Ally handhelds
If you’re looking for the latest information and retailer links for where to buy the Asus ROG Xbox Ally handhelds, then our full guide has you covered.
In fact, the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X actually makes it a bit more awkward as it adds two interface overlays on top of Windows 11 – Asus’ Armoury Crate software, like its Ally and Ally X predecessors, which can be used to launch games, as well as the new Xbox Full Screen Experience, which adds a console-like interface to Windows 11. All of these extra layers, while essential for making Windows 11 usable on a handheld device, mean that the slick experience of using a console is again missing from the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X, especially when you start needing to update different bits of software at different times.
Maybe even more surprising is that this collaboration comes at a time when the Xbox brand is arguably at its lowest ebb. Poor sales of the Xbox Series S/X consoles, no true exclusive games, a spate of studio closures and layoffs, and huge price increases to Xbox Game Pass have led to some fans and critics wondering just how much of a future Xbox has (despite Microsoft denying it was exiting the console business).
It almost seems like the Xbox brand could hinder the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X more than help it. Not just because of the negativity around the brand at the moment, but because, like other PC gaming handhelds, your enjoyment of this device will depend a lot on your expectations, and I worry that the Xbox connection could lead to people going in with the wrong expectations.
So, this isn’t a handheld console with games and software designed to maximise performance on a set hardware configuration, and sold at a loss to keep prices down and increase adoption.
Instead, the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X is very much a premium PC gaming handheld, with all the pros and cons that brings.
For existing fans of PC gaming handhelds, like myself, that means a huge amount of flexibility, especially if you’re comfortable with leaving the console-like interface and digging into Windows 11 for some good old-fashioned tweaking. So, you can install other game launchers, games from various sources, and as the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X is running the full version of Windows 11, you can even install desktop applications such as Microsoft Office.
Hook it up to a USB-C dock, including Asus’ own ROG Bulwark Dock, and you’ll be able to attach any peripheral (including monitors and TVs) that works with Windows PCs, rather than having to rely on officially licensed (and therefore expensive) accessories. You can even uninstall Windows 11 and install a rival operating system, such as the Linux-based SteamOS. These are all things you’d never be able to do with the Switch 2, or (I’m fairly sure) any future official Xbox handheld console.
On the cons side of things, being a PC gaming handheld means dealing with an operating system that still isn’t fully designed to be used with a handheld device, and this can mean menus and dialogue boxes opening with text that’s too small to read on the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X’s 7-inch screen, and some parts of the interface that are tricky to navigate via touch or controller. Usual PC annoyances, like various update requests and the occasional crash, are also present, and while PC gamers will no doubt roll their eyes and boot the game back up, console-only gamers probably won’t be as forgiving.
For example, while playing Cyberpunk 2077 on the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X (which initially involved me going through the Xbox app to launch Steam in Big Picture Mode – another interface – to then launch the game), Windows 11’s command prompt window opened up and loads of text appeared on the screen, before disappearing. As someone used to PC gaming, I wasn’t too annoyed. Obviously, some app was updating in the background, but it did mean that I could no longer control the game until I had made Windows 11 focus back on the game’s window. During that time, I was killed by enemies (in-game, I should add).
For a PC gamer, this is a frustration, but nothing too out of the ordinary. For a console gamer used to how things work with Nintendo or Sony consoles, this could be a truly baffling ordeal that makes them not want to pick up the device again.
It also means that to get the best gaming performance from the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X, you’re going to have to do some tweaking to a game’s graphical settings. For seasoned PC gamers, this isn’t a problem – and for some, it’s even part of the fun. For people used to consoles, where games are made to a limited number of hardware specifications, developers can set these options so the game launches with the best combination of graphical settings and performance. If you buy the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X knowing that this is a handheld gaming PC, you might not be disappointed, but as I mentioned earlier, the use of the Xbox brand might mean people aren’t getting what they expected.
Graphically demanding open-world games like Cyberpunk 2077 proved to be too much for the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X, unless you seriously drop some of the graphical settings. However, games like Forza Horizon 5 run brilliantly without too many compromises made to graphics settings, and less graphically demanding (yet still great-looking) games such as Hades II and Hollow Knight really shine.
However, perhaps the biggest stumbling block for people expecting a handheld console, rather than a handheld gaming PC, is that the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X comes with an incredibly high price tag – $999.99 / £799.99 / AU$1,599. Even the more affordable ROG Xbox Ally still comes with a $599.99 / £499.99 / AU$999 price tag.
In comparison, the Nintendo Switch 2 starts at $449.99 / £395.99 / AU$699.95, while the Xbox Series X (a much more powerful device) launched at $499 / £449 / AU$749.
In the context of handheld gaming PCs (and PC gaming in general), however, the price isn’t quite as much of a shock (though that doesn’t make it any better value). The ROG Ally X launched at $799.99 / £799 / AU$1,599, while the MSI Claw 8 AI+ costs $999, and neither of these aren’t quite as powerful as the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X. You’d also be hard-pressed to find a gaming laptop or gaming PC for under $1,000 these days.
While it’s probably the best premium handheld device on the market, because of the high price and the feeling that the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X still fails to offer a truly console-like experience, this is a niche product in an increasingly competitive space, and the Xbox tie-in won’t be quite enough to make it stand out.
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X: Price & availability
- How much does it cost? Starts at $999.99 / £799.99 / AU$1,599
- When is it available? Goes on sale October 15, 2025
- Where can you get it? Available in the US, UK, and Australia
The Asus ROG Xbox Ally X goes on sale on October 15, 2025, for $999.99 / £799.99 / AU$1,599. This is an incredibly high price tag for a console, though it’s becoming increasingly common for handheld gaming PCs.
The Nintendo Switch 2, for example, starts at around half the price at $449.99 / £395.99 / AU$699.95. Even premium consoles like the PS5 Pro come in a lot cheaper at $699.99 / £699.99 / AU$1,199.
While the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X is more powerful than the Switch 2, offers portability that the PS5 Pro lacks, and features the versatility of a gaming PC (you’re not tied to a single storefront, can install full Windows 11 applications and even new operating systems) that consoles lack, it means for people expect console-like prices for a gaming device branded with the Xbox logo, the actual price will come as a shock.
To soften the blow somewhat, there’s also the lower-powered ROG Xbox Ally, which costs $599.99 / £499.99 / AU$999 and puts it closer to the Nintendo Switch.
In the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X’s favor, PC games are usually cheaper than console editions, and because you’re not tied to a single store, you can shop around for the best deals. Valve’s Steam, for example, often has huge sales, while the Epic Games Store gives away free games every week. Over the years, the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X could end up costing you less than a Nintendo Switch.
Due to the Xbox branding, it’s no surprise that the Xbox app that acts as the main interface pushes Microsoft’s Xbox store, and makes a big deal of Game Pass, Microsoft’s game subscription service, which was once dubbed ‘the best deal in gaming.’
‘Once’ is the operative word here, as Microsoft’s recent price hikes of Game Pass couldn’t really have come at a worse time, as it no longer feels like the huge deal it once was. Game Pass for PC now costs $16.49 / £13.49 / AU$19.45 per month, and while there are cheaper Game Pass tiers that include PC games, it feels like this is a service that will continue to offer less value.
Meanwhile, the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X seems a bit more competitively priced compared to PC gaming handhelds – though it’s still one of the most expensive you can buy. The ROG Ally X launched at $799.99 / £799 / AU$1,599, while the much lower-powered Steam Deck OLED costs $549 / £479 / AU$899.
As with other gaming PC handhelds, if you’ve already got a substantial library on Steam or Epic Games Store, for example, you’ll be able to install and play them on the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X without having to buy them again, which, again, could help lower the overall cost of the ROG Xbox Ally X over its lifespan. Xbox owners should also be able to play their games without having to rebuy them, and if you’re already subscribed to Game Pass, you can now use that subscription for both consoles and PC (even the cheapest ‘Essential’ tier).
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Specs
There are two versions available: the high-end ROG Xbox Ally X and the more affordable ROG Xbox Ally.
|
Component |
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X |
Asus ROG Xbox Ally |
|---|---|---|
|
Display |
7-inch FHD (1080p) IPS, 500 nits, 16:9 120Hz refresh rate AMD FreeSync Premium (Variable Refresh Rate) Corning Gorilla Glass Victus + DXC Anti-Reflection |
7-inch FHD (1080p) IPS, 500 nits, 16:9 120Hz refresh rate AMD FreeSync Premium (Variable Refresh Rate) Corning Gorilla Glass Victus + DXC Anti-Reflection |
|
CPU |
Octa-core AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme Processor |
Quad-core AMD Ryzen Z2 A Processor |
|
Graphics |
AMD Radeon Graphics |
AMD Radeon Graphics |
|
RAM |
24GB LPDDR5X-8000 |
16GB LPDDR5-6400 |
|
Storage |
1TB M.2 SSD |
512GB M.2 SSD |
|
Port selection |
1x USB4 Type-C with DisplayPort 2.1 / Power Delivery 3.0, Thunderbolt 4 compatible, 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C with DisplayPort 2.1 / Power Delivery 3.0, 1x UHS-II microSD card reader (supports SD, SDXC and SDHC; UHS-I with DDR200 mode), 1x 3.5mm Combo Audio Jack |
2x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C with DisplayPort 1.4 / Power Delivery 3.0, 1x UHS-II microSD card reader (supports SD, SDXC and SDHC), 1x 3.5mm Combo Audio Jack |
|
Weight |
715g |
670g |
|
Dimensions |
290.8 x 121.5 x 50.7mm (WxDxH) |
290.8 x 121.5 x 50.7mm |
|
Battery |
80Wh |
60Wh |
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X: Design
- Similar design to Asus ROG Ally X
- Grips make a big difference to comfort
- microSD slot makes adding more capacity easy
Despite the branding, the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X is first and foremost clearly an ROG Ally device, and that means it share a lot of the design with the ROG Ally X. This includes the non-symmetrical analogue thumb sticks on either side of the screen (with LED rings around each one), left-hand D-pad, face buttons (X, Y, B and A, all in the same location, though not colored, unlike the ROG Ally X), front-facing speaker grilles, top USB-C ports, microSD port, volume controls and a power button that includes a fingerprint reader.
Triggers and bumpers are all in the same place, as are the Command Center, View, Library, and Menu buttons, so if you’re used to playing on a ROG Ally, you’ll find the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X very familiar. Asus’ ROG branding is still present on the body and on the bezel beneath the screen.
One of the biggest changes to the design is the addition of the Xbox button to the left of the Command Center and View buttons. While the Command Center button opens up Asus’ Armoury Crate interface to launch games, the Xbox button opens up Windows 11’s Xbox Game Bar, which lets you change settings and launch games from there. A long press of the button brings up the Task View, which lets you swap between open apps and games using the controls, which is handy.
Other than that, the Xbox button does a very similar job to the Command Center button – it just opens a different overlay.
The biggest difference in design, however, is with the two grips on either side of the ROG Xbox Ally X (and the non-X version), rather than the curved 90 degree angled corners of the Ally X. These make the ROG Xbox Ally X look and feel more like a game controller, and while I’m pretty used to the more boxy design of the standard ROG Ally X (which is similar to most PC gaming handhelds, including the Steam Deck), the grips make a big difference to how comfortable the ROG Xbox Ally X is.
Playing Sonic Generations (thanks to its mashup of classic 2D platforming and modern 3D, it’s a great game for playing on these powerful handhelds, especially for those of us who always dreamed of a follow-up to the Sega Game Gear handheld) felt comfortable and intuitive on the ROG Xbox Ally X, with the responsive-feeling buttons in easy-to-reach locations. I also found that the grips helped with overall comfort when playing, as it meant the corners of the device weren’t resting in my palms, as with the Ally X. The grips also meant it didn’t feel like my palms were taking the brunt of the weight of the ROG Xbox Ally X – instead the weight felt much better distributed, reducing fatigue during long play sessions.
When it comes to the 7-inch screen, it’s not the best you’re going to find on a handheld, but games look good.
The 1080p resolution hits the sweet spot between graphical fidelity without stressing out the hardware. Its 120Hz refresh rate and support for AMD FreeSync Premium Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) mean fast-paced games look and feel snappy and responsive, and during my time, I saw no sign of screen tearing in the games I played.
However, the IPS panel pales in comparison to the OLED panels found in the likes of the Steam Deck OLED. This means colors aren’t as vibrant, and contrast levels aren’t as striking. Viewing angles are also diminished, with the colors getting a bit more washed out when you’re not looking at the screen directly from the front. Of course, as this is a handheld device, that’s not much of an issue, as you’ll be holding and viewing the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X directly in front of yourself, but anyone hoping for a premium display to go alongside the other high-end components in the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X, as well as its very high price, may be disappointed.
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X: Performance
- Better performance than ROG Ally X
- Best suited to less graphically-intensive games
- Xbox Fullscreen Experience doesn’t fix my main issues with Windows 11 on gaming handhelds
Benchmarks
Here is how the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X performed in our suite of benchmark tests:
3DMark Port Royal: 2,006; Fire Strike: 9,141; Time Spy: 4,033
GeekBench 6.5: 2,788 (single-core); 12,883 (multi-core)
F1 23 1080p (Ultra) 14fps
Cyberpunk 2077: 1080p (Ultra) 8.49fps
Web Surfing (Battery Informant): 7:53:15 hours
PCMark 10 Battery Life (Gaming): 2:56 hours
The Asus ROG Xbox Ally X is noteworthy for being one of the first handhelds (along with the MSI Claw A8), which features AMD’s latest Ryzen Z2 Extreme chip, which has been built from the ground up for handheld PCs (the Xbox Ally comes with the lower-powered AMD Ryzen Z2 A processor).
The Z2 Extreme aims to offer a tempting mix of high performance and high efficiency, so modern games should run well without the battery depleting too fast. The 24GB of LPDDR5X RAM is certainly very generous (it’s more than a lot of gaming laptops come with), which keeps Windows 11 and all the various different launchers and interfaces feeling reasonably spritely. It even means multiple games can be open at once, making it quick to switch between them, though this has big repercussions for the performance and battery life of the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X.
The Z2 Extreme isn’t just a processor; it also has an integrated graphics processor. As far as integrated GPUs go, the Z2 Extreme is impressive, powered by AMD’s RDNA 3.5 technology, which again has been designed for gaming handhelds.
While this has exciting implications for the gaming performance of the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X (and other handhelds powered by the Z2 Extreme chip), it’s also important to keep expectations in check. If you’re a PC gamer, you’ll know that an integrated GPU will not provide as much performance as a discrete (dedicated) graphics card, and while it’s obvious that Asus was never going to be able to fit a desktop-class GPU into a portable handheld, laptop GPUs have come a huge way in recent years, allowing the best gaming laptops to rival gaming PCs when it comes to game performance.
The reason I bring this up is again to set expectations correctly. With its integrated graphics, the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X simply can’t offer the same kind of gaming performance that a gaming laptop around the same price (don’t forget, this thing retails for around $1,000) can achieve when playing demanding triple-A games.
For example, I loaded up Cyberpunk 2077, and on the default graphics settings, the game felt sluggish and unresponsive. Changing the graphical settings to the ‘Steam Deck’ preset, which was added to the game to make it run on a much less powerful handheld, got better results, with the game hitting an average of 30fps, which is playable, though not exceptional.
When compared to the Acer Nitro V 15, a budget gaming laptop that’s far from the most powerful laptop, and costs around the same price, you’re looking at around 230fps, with higher quality graphics settings.
Of course, it’s undeniably impressive that a game like Cyberpunk 2077 can run at all on a device that you can hold in your hands, but it’s also clear that if you want pure gaming performance for your money, you’re better off getting a gaming laptop.
A lot of the premium price tag is because of the handheld factor, and while it’s certainly a more portable and convenient way of playing PC games than a gaming laptop, you’ll have to weigh up if that’s enough to sacrifice gaming performance. When the Steam Deck launched in 2022, this sacrifice was much easier to make, as the handheld cost $399 / £349 for the model with the least amount of storage space, while the high-end model cost $649 / £569. The lesser performance was far easier to swallow as there simply was no competition – not just because PC gaming handhelds were in their infancy, but because there were no gaming PCs or laptops at that price point.
The Asus ROG Xbox Ally X has a much harder job of justifying its price – there are more handhelds to choose from, for a start, with Asus’ main rivals such as Acer, Lenovo, and MSI all having their own handhelds on the market, not to mention the recent Nintendo Switch 2.
The $999.99 / £799.99 / AU$1,599 price tag also means that there are gaming laptops that are viable alternatives.
In our benchmark tests, running Cyberpunk 2077 at 1080p at Ultra settings, the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X managed a very spotty 8.49fps. The older ROG Ally X managed 4.94fps in the same test. Now, you could say that’s a near doubling of performance, but when the results are still that low, that’s not saying much. F1 2023 showed similar results, with the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X hitting 14fps at 1080p and the highest settings, while the Ally X scored 7fps.
While running these games at such high settings is done for stress testing the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X, in reality, you shouldn’t be trying to play these games with everything set to max, and with a bit of tweaking, these games can run much better, but at the cost of graphical quality. These benchmarks do show, however, that the Z2 Extreme chip offers a boost to performance over the Z1 Extreme in the ROG Ally X, at least. The performance difference isn’t enough, however, for ROG Ally X owners to feel like they need to upgrade.
The relatively disappointing AAA performance shouldn’t come as much of a surprise to anyone keeping an eye on PC gaming handhelds, but for newcomers who see the Xbox branding, along with the very high price tag, might expect a level of game performance that will lead to disappointment.
Forza Horizon 5 was a much better experience, with the optimized settings of the game allowing for solid and fluid performance whilst also looking really good, and is a fine showcase for the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X.
The Asus ROG Xbox Ally X excels, as with other gaming handhelds, with less graphically demanding games, especially from indie developers. Hades 2, for example, looks, plays, and sounds (thanks to the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X’s powerful speakers) utterly fantastic, as does Hollow Knight.
Games that focus on art direction rather than pushing the envelope when it comes to cutting-edge graphics, along with gameplay that suits the kind of pick up and play style that a lot of us use handhelds for, really do shine on the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X, and thanks to its support for a large range of stores, including Steam, Epic Games Store and GOG.com, you have access to thousands of great indie games, some of which you might have otherwise not played.
The Asus ROG Xbox Ally X is also a great device for revisiting older games, and no other gaming platform has the back catalogue of PC. As I mentioned earlier, playing Sonic Generations on the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X was a brilliant experience with fast, fluid action and graphics that still look great on a 7-inch screen.
As with many other PC gaming handhelds, the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X runs on Windows 11, and as I said in my ROG Ally X review, Microsoft’s operating system just isn’t suitable for gaming handhelds.
The Asus ROG Xbox Ally X attempts to fix that with the ‘Xbox full screen experience’ – an interface similar to the one found on Xbox consoles, and therefore much better suited to gamepad controllers (rather than a mouse and keyboard). Because the usual Windows 11 experience is so poor on gaming handhelds, this was the most exciting part of the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X for me.
However, while it’s a move in the right direction, the Xbox full-screen experience doesn’t go far enough and ends up being a disappointment.
This is because, rather than a bespoke version of Windows 11 designed for handhelds, which many of us have been wanting, the Xbox full-screen experience still runs on the standard Windows 11 operating system, and the Xbox full-screen experience is simply a full-screen app that opens on startup. If you stay within the Xbox full-screen experience, using it to buy games and launch games you’ve bought from the Microsoft Store, the experience isn’t bad at all.
However, there are still times when Windows 11 makes its presence known, usually when there’s a new update or the operating system encounters a problem. You’re then left trying to work with an interface designed for larger screens, and a mouse and keyboard combo, by jabbing the touchscreen.
There are some nice features of the Xbox Full Screen Experience – I particularly liked the idea behind the Handheld Compatibility Program, which highlights games in the Xbox Store that are optimized for gaming handhelds, and by loading them up, their settings should be configured so you can get playing without having to tweak.
It’s similar to what Valve does with its SteamOS operating system, with Steam Deck Verified games, and it’s a great way to bring a console-like simplicity to running games. Meanwhile, ‘Windows Performance Fit’ is designed to give you an idea of how well a game will play on your device (in this case, the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X) without having to look into specifications and minimum requirements (something us PC gamers are fine with).
The reason why I say I like the idea behind these features, rather than liking the features themselves, is that while reviewing the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X, most games I checked out in the Xbox Store didn’t have a rating for the Handheld Compatibility Program. This is something that will probably come later as the Xbox team works to validate games. To be fair, that’s the same thing that happened with Valve – it took quite a few months before enough games were given a Steam Deck Verified status for the feature to be useful.
Another issue is that this only seems to work with games on sale from the Xbox Store. Microsoft has, to its credit, allowed you to launch games that you’ve bought from rival stores, but it does feel like you’re not getting the full experience. None of the games from other stores appear to be part of the Handheld Compatibility Program, and icons are very basic; there’s no additional information about the games. For games bought from the Xbox Store, you get much nicer-looking icons, and the game pages that open when you launch the game are full of information.
Essentially, you feel like you’re being punished slightly for buying a game from anywhere other than the Xbox Store.
Buying from another store also means opening a new app, sometimes one that’s not designed for a handheld. Steam, at least, has its Big Picture Mode, but that means you have yet another, different interface running.
Asus’ own Armoury Crate SE interface, found in the regular ROG Ally handhelds, is also present and correct, and for some tasks, you need to use that. It can all get a bit confusing, and it is a far cry from the unified experience that consoles offer. Valve, with its custom SteamOS operating system, comes closest to this, but you’re limited to Steam games unless you start tweaking.
Because I’ve been playing on my ROG Ally X for quite a while, I’ve come to appreciate Armoury Crate SE. It’s not the best-looking interface, but it works with a controller and lets you run games from various sources, which means the Xbox Fullscreen Experience feels a bit superfluous, adding yet another interface on top of others.
It’s understandable that the Xbox interface pushes you to buy through the Xbox store, but be prepared to also get other Microsoft services forced onto you. Unsurprisingly, Game Pass is highlighted throughout the interface, and there’s a dedicated menu item for it. There’s also a Cloud gaming part of the interface, but this is exclusively for Xbox Cloud Gaming – which is a part of Game Pass. Adverts for games on the Xbox Store also appear on the home screen, and there’s a dedicated Xbox Store section of the interface as well.
This is all fine in principle – Valve does similar with SteamOS – and if you are already part of Microsoft’s Xbox ecosystem and signed up to the likes of Game Pass, then this interface will likely work really well.
But if you’ve got a big Steam library, are subscribed to a rival cloud gaming platform like GeForce Now, and have no interest in Game Pass, then you’ll again feel like you’re not getting the whole benefit of the Xbox Fullscreen Experience. You can run all of those, but you’d be better off using the Armoury Crate SE interface, which sort of undermines some of the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X’s selling points.
Overall, the performance of the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X when gaming is good but doesn’t blow away the competition (especially with demanding games), and outside of gaming, the problems with Windows 11 persist. The new Xbox Full Screen Experience is welcome (and is coming to other handhelds in the future), but it’s yet another overlay, rather than a brand-new operating system, and its usefulness will depend on how invested in the Xbox ecosystem you are.
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X: Battery life
- Improved power efficiency
- Lasts just under three hours of intensive gaming
The AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme chip inside the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X has been designed to offer a balance between performance and energy efficiency, which means performance when using the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X on battery is better than the Z1 Extreme of the Ally X.
As with the Ally X, the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X features different ‘Operating Modes’ which change the amount of power the handheld uses depending on certain situations. For the most part, it uses the ‘Turbo’ setting, which runs the Z2 Extreme at 25W, giving more performance but at the cost of battery life (it automatically switches to this mode when plugged in, as obviously then battery life isn’t an issue). There’s also ‘Performance’ mode and ‘Windows’ mode, which both run at 17W, and ‘Silent’ mode, which offers the longest battery life, but at the cost of performance.
You can switch between these modes by pressing the Command Center button to bring up the Armory Crate interface and selecting the mode you want. This is a pretty easy process, but it does highlight the issue I have with the addition of the Xbox Fullscreen Experience – while you can use that interface for various tasks, you can’t use it to switch power modes, you need to use Armoury Crate, so rather than getting a unified and cohesive interface, you end up having a more disjointed experience as you switch between the various interfaces.
The Asus ROG Xbox Ally X comes with an 80Wh battery (the ROG Xbox Ally has a smaller 60Wh battery), and along with Armory Crate’s power profiles, the Xbox full-screen experience has been designed to pause certain processes and tasks, making Windows 11 use less power when you’re playing games.
All of this work to make the battery of the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X last as long as possible is great to see, as short battery lives are a common complaint with PC gaming handhelds, and to keep these devices as portable as possible, manufacturers are limited by how big a battery they can include, so maximising power efficiency is key.
In our battery benchmarks, the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X lasted just short of eight hours when browsing the web. This sounds pretty impressive, but this isn’t a device you’re going to be doing much web surfing on. In our gaming battery benchmarks, the battery depleted a lot faster, lasting just under three hours, which is about what we expect from a PC gaming handheld. With some tweaking, and depending on what game you play and how demanding they are, you may be able to eke out longer battery times.
If you play games via cloud streaming services like Xbox Cloud or GeForce Now, the battery life should be closer to the web browsing times.
However, it’s clear that while Asus, AMD, and Microsoft’s efforts to maximise efficiency are commendable, the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X doesn’t buck the trend of handheld devices that can’t go too long when playing games on battery.
Should you buy the Asus ROG Ally X?
|
Value |
This is an incredibly expensive gaming device, with a price tag that’s hard to justify. |
2 / 5 |
|
Design |
A premium design, plenty of ports and the addition of grips means it’s a good looking (and feeling) device. |
4 / 5 |
|
Performance |
AAA open-world games struggle, but with some tweaking you can get good results, and indie games run fantastically. |
4 / 5 |
|
Battery Life |
Battery life is around what you’d expect from a PC gaming handheld. |
3 / 5 |
|
Total |
The Asus ROG Xbox Ally X is a capable gaming handheld, but it doesn’t quite offer the console-like experience many of us were hoping for. |
4 / 5 |
Buy the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X if…
Don’t buy it if…
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| Header Cell – Column 0 |
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X |
Asus ROG Ally X |
Lenovo Legion Go |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Price |
$999.99 / £799.99 / AU$1,599 |
$799.99 / £799 / AU$1,599 |
$699.99 / £700 / AU$1,299 |
|
Display |
7-inch FHD (1080p) IPS, 500 nits, 16:9, 120Hz refresh rate, AMD FreeSync Premium |
7-inch FHD (1920 x 1080), 120Hz, 500 nits |
8.8-inch QHD+, 144Hz, 500 nits, 97% DCI-P3 color gamut |
|
CPU |
AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme Processor |
AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme |
AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme |
|
Graphics |
AMD Radeon Graphics |
AMD Radeon Graphics |
AMD Radeon Graphics |
|
RAM |
24GB LPDDR5X-8000 |
24GB LPDDR5X-7500 |
16GB LPDDR5X (7500Mhz) |
|
Storage |
1TB M.2 SSD |
1TB M.2 2280 SSD |
Up to 1TB M.2 2242 SSD |
|
Port selection |
1x USB4 Type-C with DisplayPort 2.1 / Power Delivery 3.0, Thunderbolt 4 compatible, 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C with DisplayPort 2.1 / Power Delivery 3.0, 1x UHS-II microSD card reader (supports SD, SDXC and SDHC; UHS-I with DDR200 mode), 1x 3.5mm Combo Audio Jack |
2x USB Type-C ports, 1x combo jack, 1x SD card reader slot |
2x USB Type-C ports, 3.5mm headphone jack, microSD slot |
|
Weight |
715g |
678g |
854g |
|
Dimensions |
90.8 x 121.5 x 50.7mm (WxDxH) |
280.2 x 114 x 36.9mm (WxDxH) |
298.83 x 131 x 40.7mm (WxDxH) |
How I tested the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X
- Tested for around a week
- Pushed it as hard as possible, gaming-wise
- Explored various settings
I played various games on the ROG Xbox Ally X every day before writing this review. The games ranged from lightweight indies like Hades 2 to more visually-intensive games like Forza Horizon 5, Sonic Generations, and AAA games like Cyberpunk 2077.
I also ran various benchmark tests to stress the hardware, including game benchmarks with the highest graphical settings and upscaling tech disabled. When gaming, I tweaked the graphics settings and enabled upscaling to get the best possible performance – this often meant dropping the graphics to their lowest settings.
We pride ourselves on our independence and our rigorous review-testing process, giving attention to the products we review and making sure our reviews are updated and maintained, regardless of when a device was released – if you can still buy it, it’s on our radar.
- First reviewed October 2025
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