The ROG Ally X represents a major evolution in ASUS’s handheld gaming vision. Co-engineered with Xbox and Windows, the Ally X keeps the same sleek 7-inch form factor as its predecessor but with a completely reworked chassis. The grips are more ergonomic, designed to mimic an Xbox controller’s natural feel, reducing hand fatigue during long gaming sessions.
While the original ROG Ally was already impressive, the Ally X feels like a mature second act — one that focuses on endurance, refinement, and the kind of polish that turns a great idea into a complete product.
Design and Build Quality
At first glance, the Ally X looks familiar, but the differences are instantly felt in the hand. The chassis has been subtly reshaped with deeper, more sculpted grips inspired by the Xbox controller, making it more comfortable for extended play sessions. The weight has gone up slightly to around 715 grams, but that’s a welcome trade-off for a sturdier internal frame and the much larger 80Wh battery tucked inside.
The buttons and triggers feel firmer, the analog sticks more responsive, and even the back paddles — often criticized on the original Ally — have been redesigned to prevent accidental touches. The matte-black finish gives the device a more premium, understated look, and ASUS has clearly refined the overall build quality. It’s a device that feels less like a concept and more like a console — ready to take on anything from cloud streaming to high-end PC gaming.
What’s New With the Ally X
The ROG Ally X is not just a minor refresh. It’s a substantial reengineering of the handheld. Powering it is the AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme processor — an 8-core, 16-thread beast capable of hitting up to 5GHz, backed by a dedicated NPU that delivers AI-assisted performance optimizations. Compared to the original Ally’s Ryzen Z2 A chip, this is a huge leap in both power and efficiency.
The 24GB of LPDDR5X memory provides better multitasking and smoother gameplay in demanding modern titles, while the 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD doubles storage and improves load times. The new cooling system keeps temperatures stable even under full load, and the expanded battery gives nearly 40% more playtime, solving one of the biggest complaints about the first Ally.
Connectivity has also evolved — the Ally X now includes a USB4 port compatible with Thunderbolt 4, allowing users to connect external GPUs, faster drives, or displays without compromise. Every part of the device feels like it has been built for longevity and performance.
Xbox Game Pass
This is where the Xbox collaboration truly shines. The Ally X is designed to launch directly into the Xbox Full-Screen Experience, blurring the line between console and PC. With support for Xbox Game Pass, Play Anywhere, Cloud Gaming, and Remote Play, the handheld becomes a portable Xbox ecosystem in itself.
The interface feels console-like but retains the flexibility of Windows, meaning you can jump between Game Pass titles, Steam, Battle.net, or Epic Games in seconds. Pair it with a fast Wi-Fi 6E connection, and Xbox Cloud Gaming becomes practically indistinguishable from native play. The seamless integration, coupled with 3 months of Game Pass Premium included, ensures that even casual gamers have something to dive into right out of the box.
Gaming Experience and Performance
In practice, the ROG Ally X handles modern games with remarkable confidence. Titles like Doom: The Dark Ages and Forza Horizon 5 run smoothly at medium-to-high settings, while esports staples like Fortnite deliver high frame rates with minimal input lag thanks to the 120Hz FHD display and AMD FreeSync Premium support.
The device maintains stable performance even during long sessions, thanks to the upgraded dual-fan cooling system and more intelligent power management. The AI-assisted Game Profiles automatically balance performance and battery life per title, allowing for smoother sessions without manual tweaking.
When paired with the Armoury Crate SE software, players can fine-tune everything from button mapping and haptics to trigger sensitivity and gyro control. The inclusion of Impulse Triggers with localized haptics adds another layer of immersion — subtle vibrations during combat or acceleration in racing games genuinely enhance the experience.
Features and Innovations
Beyond raw power, the Ally X introduces several future-facing features. The Gaming Copilot acts as an in-game assistant, offering insights and performance suggestions without leaving your session. The upcoming Auto Super Resolution (Auto SR) uses the built-in AI engine to upscale visuals and maintain smoother framerates. ASUS and Xbox also plan to introduce AI-driven highlight captures, allowing players to automatically record epic in-game moments for social sharing.
Even small quality-of-life improvements stand out — such as faster shader caching for select games, more consistent save synchronization, and better microSD management. Together, these refinements make the Ally X not just a handheld, but a platform evolving with each update.
Verdict
The ROG Ally X is everything the original Ally aimed to be — faster, smarter, and far more refined. It bridges the gap between console convenience and PC power, offering players a truly portable, high-performance gaming experience without compromise. Whether you’re streaming Forza Horizon 5 from the cloud, or diving into Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, the Ally X handles it all gracefully.
With its improved battery, larger memory, and deep Xbox integration, the ROG Ally X sets a new benchmark for handheld gaming PCs. It’s not just a better version of the Ally — it’s a bold step toward the future of portable gaming. The ROG Ally X is the handheld gaming device to beat — versatile, powerful, and built for the long game.
Price: AED 3499
ROG Ally X AED 3499
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Final Rating
Summary
The ROG Ally X handles modern games with remarkable confidence. Titles like Doom: The Dark Ages and Forza Horizon 5 run smoothly at medium-to-high settings, while esports staples like Fortnite deliver high frame rates with minimal input lag.
