Asus ROG Xbox Ally 20X hands-on review: the best Xbox gaming handheld, now upgraded with OLED
Everything we loved about the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X, now made better
🎮 Asus has perfected the ROG Xbox Ally X with a bigger 7.4-inch OLED screen
📺 The new ROG Nebula HDR display adds 1,400-nit HDR brightness and 600-nit SDR brightness with Dolby Vision support
🪟 Also upgraded with a tougher Gorilla Glass Victus and Corning DXC Anti-Reflection coating
🕹️ Directional inputs upgraded with Gulikit TMR thumbsticks and a transforming D-pad
🔴 Small upgrades on every control with rounder buttons, more tactile bumpers, and longer impulse trigger pulls
👓 Comes bundled with Asus ROG XReal R1 mixed-reality glasses that can create a 171-inch virtual screen
🤑 Price TBA, but it’ll be expensive as it combines the $999 Asus ROG Xbox Ally X and $849 ROG XReal R1 glasses into an upgraded, limited edition package.
The Asus ROG Xbox Ally X was practically the perfect gaming handheld except for its aging screen. Well, Asus has a new limited-edition ROG Xbox Ally X20 that fixes all those issues with an OLED screen and other welcome upgrades. Firstly, the new OLED screen is INCREDIBLE. 1,400-nit HDR brightness, 600-nit SDR brightness, pitch-black blacks, Dolby Vision support, and it’s a slightly larger 7.4-inch display, too – this all makes the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20 practically the Steam Deck OLED 2.0.
As if the new screen wasn’t enough to make the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20 stand out, it also has a fantastic transparent shell. Other touches that help elevate this special 20th-anniversary Xbox Ally X are the light-up classic Xbox logo and gold accents. The controls have also been improved with Gulikit TMR thumbsticks and a D-Pad that rotates to switch between four-way and eight-way inputs.
Now the catch is that not only is the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20 a limited-edition model, but it’s also only being sold as a bundle with the Asus ROG Xreal R1 glasses. You can plug the glasses directly into this handheld to enjoy a virtual 171-inch screen. While it’s a nice add-on device, it will only make the bundle more expensive. Asus hasn’t confirmed the price yet, but it’ll probably be in the $2,000-$2,500 range as it combines an upgraded $999 Asus ROG Xbox Ally X with the $859 Asus ROG Xreal R1 Glasses.
🫥 Transparent casing. Electronics with transparent housing are always cooler, and that’s especially true of the Asus ROG Xbox Ally 20X. It looks immaculate, and you can appreciate the circuitry within, vibration motors whirr to life, and how hard the fan is spinning to keep the system cool. I also love the gold accents and the classic Xbox logo that now lights up. The controller handles also have a rubber texture, as Asus has taken inspiration from the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller for the ROG Xbox Ally 20X, which plays into the improved controls too.
🕹️ TMR sticks and a new D-Pad. The Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20 has a new pair of Gulikit TMR thumbsticks that’ll be driftproof forever. TMR sticks are an upgrade over even the Hall Effect sticks on the new MSI Claw 8 EX AI+, as they have a bit more resistance to emulate traditional thumbsticks. If you’re more of a D-Pad person, that’s also been upgraded with a transforming gimmick. Twisting the D-Pad switches it between four-way and eight-way input, a useful feature for playing 2D platformers or fighting games. Asus has also made subtle improvements to every control with rounder buttons, firmer shoulder bumpers, and a longer travel on the impulse triggers.
📺 OLED at last. I’ve been screaming for more gaming handhelds to adopt OLED screens or at least HDR displays, and it’s finally here on the Asus ROG Xbox Ally 20X. The new ROG Nebula HDR display is beautiful to look at, with HDR peak brightness increased to 1,400 nits to support both HDR and Dolby Vision. SDR brightness is a tick brighter at 600 nit, so even if you’re playing an old-school game, you’ll be able to see this screen better anywhere. The pitch-black contrast that only OLED can achieve will also make me want to play all my games on this gaming handheld.
↔️ Bigger screen. Asus’ new OLED screen is also a tiny bit bigger at 7.4 inches. 0.4 inches isn’t a size bump, but it helps spread out the pixels a tiny bit, so I don’t have to squint as hard to see things on the ROG Xbox Ally 20X. I wished the extra screen space would have added another row of vertical pixels, but the screen resolution here is still 1,920 x 1,080.
The display is now also made with tougher Gorilla Glass Victus, so it won’t scratch as easily. There’s also a Corning DXC Anti-Reflection coating that helps block out glare without making the screen matte. The display also supports FreeSync Premium Pro on top of VRR, which includes native HDR support and Low Framerate Compensation when fps dips below the 48-120Hz range that VRR is designed to smooth out.
🌬️ Improved cooling. Asus hasn’t changed anything about the internal components of its limited-edition handheld, but it has improved the cooling. The most notable change is the longer ventilation strip along the top of the ROG Xbox Ally X20, but Asus told me they also rearranged the internals so there’s more airflow going out.
👓 Bundled VR headset. The last new addition to the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20 is that it comes bundled with Asus’ new ROG XReal R1 glasses. These 240Hz micro-OLED FHD gaming glasses plug into the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20 to give you a virtual 171-inch 3D screen. There’s no way to buy the Asus ROG Xbox Ally 20X on its own, so while this will likely increase the price by at least $849, it’s worth it if you’ve ever wished you could play with a huge gaming screen anywhere.
Kevin Lee is The Shortcut’s Creative Director. Follow him on Twitter @baggingspam