The ROG Xbox Ally X is a gaming handheld with a fancy price tag. In India, it is valued at approximately Rs 100,000. With this gadget, one can expect a luxurious and portable PC gaming session.
This exhaustive synopsis examines the new features, the performance, the battery life, and the overall value of the product.
TLDR: A Niche Luxury Device
The ROG Xbox Ally X is a high-spec device. One of its core components is the ultra-potent AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme APU. Besides, it has a whopping 24 GB of RAM, an expansive 1 TB SSD, and a capacious 80 Wh battery.
The exorbitant price, however, makes the worth of the gadget a matter of question when a gaming PC or a console is considered as an alternative. So, it is the right choice for the few, i.e., the heavy gamers, who want to carry the most powerful device with them on their travels.
Handheld History and Unboxing
Before the launch of the original ROG Ally 1 in India, the likes of the Steam Deck and the 1X Player were basically devices that one had to import if they were interested in handheld gaming. After that, the market saw arrivals of the Lenovo Legion Go and MSI Claw.
With the new Xbox Ally X, the collaboration is such that the Xbox features are incorporated into the ROG Ally design.
The device is housed in a cardboard box, which is somehow not in harmony with the idea of a costly product being the content of the package. Along with the cardboard wrapping, the package offers a 65W power adapter, a power cord, and a cardboard stand. There is no pre-applied screen protector.
This high-end model is the Z2 Extreme variant, and the price is Rs 90,000/$750. There is also a Z2 variant that costsRs 70,000 less.
Design and Build Quality
This small form factor device works with Windows 11 and resembles a tiny laptop in function. The display is an all-in-one touchscreen, and the controllers are placed at the sides. Besides, a large screen can be linked to it for use as a full desktop PC.
Design Changes
The design mirrors the previous Ally for the most part, but with a significant feature that distinguishes it: the grips look like an Xbox controller.
With the new Xbox-style grip, extended gaming sessions become more comfortable. The weight of the device is more than the older Ally X (it is 715 grams as compared to 670-680 grams), so the weight is the main cause of hand fatigue if the playtime is in the range of 2-4 hours.
The control set now consists of two sticks, ABXY buttons, and a new Xbox button. Besides that, the new Impulse Triggers with the vibration feedback are the only extra features the old Ally doesn’t have.
Components
The indicator light on the power key is also a fingerprint reader and supports Windows Hello. Your two macros will find a home on the rear side of the device.
This gadget has two Type-C ports. One is a USB 3.2 Gen 2 port that can provide 100W Power Delivery (PD). The other is a Thunderbolt 4 port with more bandwidth that leads to future support for eGPUs. The high price of eGPU enclosures, however, makes this feature not that useful in the Indian market.
The sticks are still of the traditional kind, and the user cannot select the preferred Hall Effect technology like in other devices. What is more, there is a 6-axis gyro feature for eSports aiming.
Features and Core Specs
The handheld is equipped with the AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme APU with 8 cores and 16 threads.
The very first model is equipped with a 45 TOPS NPU, which makes it Copilot+ certified for AI features. Although AI features are barely utilized in handheld gaming at the moment, they could be a great help in future games or when the device is used as a desktop.
This device is equipped with 24GB of LPDDR5X RAM and a 1TB Gen 4 SSD. The SSD can be upgraded to 2TB, and additional storage can be added through a UHS-II microSD card.
Display and Audio
The screen is still a 7-inch Full HD (1080P) IPS panel with a 120 Hz refresh rate and AMD FreeSync Premium. To help with the glare, an anti-reflective coating has been put on.
The speakers are powerful and deliver a loud, high-quality, and immersive stereo sound experience with Dolby Atmos tuning.
User Interface
The gadget boots up in an Xbox full-screen mode. It is supposed to enhance performance by not loading background Windows services that are already running.
The user can change the settings and performance modes via Armoury Crate software.
Performance Benchmarks and Gaming
While on Turbo Mode (35W) and plugged in, the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X is able to demonstrate the best of its power.
Performance Comparison
The main difference between the Z2 Extreme and the old Z1 chip is that the Z2 Extreme can boast only 14% more graphics score in 3DMark Time Spy and about 11% higher single-core score in Cinebench R23. The GPU now has 16 cores (Radeon 890M) as compared to 12 cores on the Z1 Extreme.
The in-game frame rates between the two variants are mostly very close, which means the owners of the current Ally shouldn’t be thinking about upgrading anytime soon.
In-Game FPS (1080P, Turbo Mode)
Thermals are pretty much under control, figuring in the range of 85–90 degrees Celsius. Additionally, the unit can resort to FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution) and Frame Generation to get frame rates that are playable (such as 50–80 FPS) in extremely hard-hitting AAA games like Ghost of Tsushima and The Last of Us 2.
Battery and Charging
The enlarged 80Wh battery is a major upgrade. Battery life varies greatly by usage mode:
It takes a little less than 2 hours for the better part of a 65-watt charger to fully recharge a battery. With a 100-watt charger, the time needed to fully charge the device can be reduced to 1 hour and 30 minutes.
Final Verdict and Pricing
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X is a great handheld device that performs well and whose battery life has been significantly improved. Nevertheless, it can be considered a luxury item for a niche audience.
A consumer with Rs 100,000 could either build a complete gaming PC setup (PC + monitor) or buy a PS5 and a PS Portal together, both of which would give more power for the money spent.
It is a product of desire only for those gamers who already have a primary gaming setup and are looking for the best portable Windows gaming experience.