ASUS ROG Ally X – a new game console was announced at Computex

ASUS announced a new gaming console ROG Ally X, improved compared to previous models that already visited our Test Laboratory.

This updated model has been developed with user feedback in mind and includes significant improvements:

• The AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme processor remains at the heart of the device.
• The amount of RAM has been increased to 24 GB of dual-channel LPDDR5X-7500, which improves performance.
• The volume of SSD in the top modification has increased to 1 TB.
• The new motherboard supports the M.2 2280 form factor, which makes it easier to replace and upgrade SSDs.
• Battery capacity has doubled to 80 W*h, which significantly increases battery life. The weight of the device increased by only 70 g.
• Installed stronger joysticks and two USB-C connectors instead of XG Mobile.

ASUS ROG Ally X will start at $799 and will be available next month.

Impressions from ASUS ROG Ally on AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme

As a portable console, with our PC-centric editorial, the ASUS ROG Ally delivers a cool user experience. First of all, it is comfortable and does not tire either the body or the eyes. Ergonomics and a high-quality display also had an impact here. Games are bright, objects are clear and expressive. And Armory Crate includes a set of experience-enhancing customization profiles.

As for the iron, it is enough for a moderate gaming load under the conditions of the specifications of the extreme version of the AMD chip. So far, ROG Ally is more powerful than Steam Deck. The question is whether ASUS will be able to attract many users of the Valve console in the coming year. If not, the performance gap will close with the next generation, with new games coming out. Although now it should be noted that the developers mentioned the word “optimization”. Large worlds and cool graphics with a lot of scripts again fit into a hundred or two gigabytes. Prior to this, volume expansion occurred in a geometric progression. The only thing worth increasing is the SSD in the portable console.

As for gameplay and settings, we’ve chosen them with a balance between performance and quality. One way or another, what compromises have to be made. In addition, by changing different resolutions, you can get more frames per second and extend battery life. It is good that the official ASUS website has publications describing the optimal settings for popular games. You will not have to act by the “escape” method. And even cooler is that there are practically no compatibility restrictions. Unless the game doesn’t know what to do with the controllers, but that’s rare.

It was unexpected that in addition to being a portable console, ASUS ROG Ally can also be used stationary by connecting a keyboard, mouse, external monitor and an external branded video card ROG XG Mobile (we saw this with the ROG Flow gaming laptops). A little more and it would be a gaming device with the capabilities of an office laptop (recently this has been constantly claimed). But little autonomy works against both scenarios.

The experience with Windows 11 is different, but here from the point of view of management it is as clear as possible – it is none. However, nothing prevents you from reading the forums and installing skins that are better suited for gaming consoles on ROG Ally.

In our impressions, it seems that there are more negative conclusions than positive ones, but their overall weight is negligible, except for autonomy, compared to how successful the ASUS ROG Ally turned out to be as a gaming portable device.