Asus ROG Xbox Ally X hands-on review: a new hope for PC gaming handhelds
The first-ever Xbox handheld is here, and it vastly improves Windows 11 gaming
✅ Pros
📈 AMD Z2 Extreme can run games at higher-quality settings
🔋 Z2E efficiency mode may match the performance of Turbo mode on a Z1E handheld
🎮 Xbox UI is fully navigable using just gamepad controls
🙅🏻♂️ Xbox Mode almost completely eliminates having to use the Windows desktop
😌 New fully sculpted Xbox controller handholds make the system feel infinitely more comfortable to hold
❌ Cons
📺 No screen upgrades
🧳 Thicker and bigger design make this handheld harder to pack into a bag
The Asus ROG Xbox Ally X just entered the chat as a serious contender for gaming handheld of the year. It’s not only the first Xbox handheld, but it’s the first gaming handheld that doesn’t feel or perform like a cumbersome PC. This is the first Xbox handheld that comes running a streamlined version of Windows 11 with fewer background processes. Its unique Xbox UI also almost completely eliminates having to deal with the desktop experience with frustratingly tiny touchscreen icons.
Performance on the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X is higher and more efficient thanks to the new AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme processor inside. I was able to run Hogwarts Legacy at a high-quality setting and still have a smooth frame rate. A current-generation Z1 Extreme handheld, like the Asus ROG Ally X, struggles to deliver 60fps even with lower medium quality settings. Asus has also promised that the Z2E in its 15-17W efficiency mode can deliver the same FPS as the Z1 Extreme at its 25-30W turbo frequency. That’s a big promise we can’t test yet, but that should yield greatly improved battery life on the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X.
I’m not in love with every aspect of the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X yet. The lack of any screen upgrades means you’ll be looking at the same 7-inch non-HDR LCD screen from the original Asus ROG Ally. The new design is chonky thanks to an added pair of fully sculpted Xbox controller handholds, but at least they make this handheld feel infinitely more comfortable to hold than all other PC gaming handhelds that lock full controller grips.
The Asus ROG Xbox Ally X is set to release on October 16 for a $999 price. Stay tuned, as we’ll be getting more hands-on time with the system soon to tell you if it's genuinely worth buying.
🤝 Big grip. The Asus ROG Xbox Ally X’s big grips weren’t a huge gripe, as I thought they’d be. Yes, they make the handheld thicker, but it makes the whole system so much more comfortable to hold. Instead of having to brace the back of the handheld just with your fingers, you can wrap your hands around the fully sculpted grips. This design also helps put more of the weight of the system on your wrists, so your hands won’t get as tired as quickly from holding the system up.
🚀 AMD Z2 Extreme upgrade. I got my first taste of how much more powerful the AMD Z2 Extreme was in our MSI Claw A8 hands-on, and I continue to be impressed by AMD’s 2nd-generation handheld gaming processor. The Asus ROG Xbox Ally X ran Hogwarts Legacy smoothly, even at high settings. In contrast, my Z1 Extreme-powered Asus ROG Ally X struggles to keep the same game running at over 50fps with medium quality settings. Unfortunately, Armory Crate and Steam’s performance overlay were locked out on all the demo units, so I couldn’t record an exact frame rate.
🚗 Highway gas mileage. The new Z2 Extreme chip isn’t just more powerful; it's promising huge efficiency claims. According to Asus, the 15-17W efficiency mode on the Xbox Ally X gives you the same FPS as 25-30W turbo range on the original Ally X. This, in theory, should allow Asus’ new gaming handheld to last for 4-6 hours of strenuous AAA gaming rather than the 2-3 hours I see now. I certainly hope it's true, as the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X sports the same 80Wh battery as the Ally X.
📺 Same ol’ screen. There’s absolutely nothing new about the Xbox Ally X’s display. If you’re coming from the Asus ROG Ally or Ally X, the display is the same 7-incher with a 1080p resolution, 500-nit brightness, and 120Hz with VRR. I was hoping for a lot more like OLED or at least an HDR rating to help it keep up with the Nintendo Switch 2. In person, the screen still looks good and made the sun-drenched grand hall in Hogwarts Legacy look, well, grand. But the HDR rendering of the same scene on the Steam Deck OLED and Switch 2 is even more gorgeous.
🎮 Gamepad interface. Amazingly, I did not see the Windows 11 desktop once during my demo. Upon startup, the Asus ROG Xbox Ally immediately greets you with the cleaner Xbox UI. It’s easy to browse the system’s library, reply to messages, and even enter your login using just the gamepad controls. Also, instead of switching between apps using the taskbar, swiping up on the screen or long-pressing the Xbox button brings up a quick switcher that displays full-screen apps like games and Discord as separate desktops you can swipe through and select on the touchscreen.
🔪 Cutting the fat. Windows 11 hasn’t just been minimized on the UI; the system starts up with a simplified version of Windows 11 that reduces background processes. This also explains how the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X is squeezing more performance out of the Z2 Extreme chip, even compared to other handhelds with the same chip. To be clear, the system still comes installed with the full-fat Windows 11 OS, and you can switch to the full desktop mode if you need to dive into deeper settings. It’s easy enough to switch the handheld back into Xbox mode, but you’ll carry all those background processes in tow, so you’ll need to restart the system if you want to start fresh for another round of gaming.
🎮 More than an Xbox. You might think this Xbox handheld will only run games from Game Pass Ultimate, but Microsoft plans to allow the Xbox app to aggregate games from other platforms. This feature wasn’t integrated yet, but Asus explained that the system will automatically scan itself and update the library with titles from Steam, Blizzard, Epic, and other launchers.
🛠️ Upgrades. The Asus ROG Xbox Ally X also sports a few other upgrades. Notably, one of the handheld's two USB-C ports is now USB-4, allowing you to connect it to almost any external graphics card. The other port offers USB 3.2 Gen 2 support, allowing you to charge the device, plug in a headset, or push DisplayPort 2.1 video out. Lastly, the microSD card slot has been upgraded to UHS-II, so you can slide in faster reading/writing storage in case you need more space beyond the included 1TB SSD.
🤑 $899 rumored price. The rumored $899 will probably burst the bubble on this gaming handheld for most casual gamers. That’s more than the price of two Nintendo Switch 2 consoles – assuming it doesn’t see a tariff-affected price increase like the PS5 Pro and Xbox Series X. At least the non-X Asus ROG Xbox Ally is rumored to sit at a more approachable $549 price.
Kevin Lee is The Shortcut’s Creative Director. Follow him on Twitter @baggingspam.