Share with others:
ASUS ROG Xbox Ally X (2025) review – when Windows becomes Xbox, but not entirely
I tested the original two years ago ROG Ally (The Rog Ally X came out a year later), and while it convinced me with its gaming experience, it didn't excite me to the point where I completely lost my mind and headed to a nearby store to pull out a card.
I thought it would take at least three to four years before ASUS would release a new version. Apparently Valve is the exception when it comes to development cycles. MSI, ASUS, Lenovo will apparently launch new handhelds like on an assembly line.
ASUS ROG Xbox Ally X It's not just different because of the longer and harder-to-pronounce name (why not Ally X 2?), they've worked with Microsoft to simplify the interface for gamers and bring the experience closer to the Xbox console. Did they succeed? What about performance? And more importantly, how does the battery life fare?
ASUS ROG Xbox Ally X price and specifications
- ASUS ROG Xbox Ally X: €899 (Z2 Extreme, 1TB)
It is commendable that this time the price is the same throughout Europe, including here.
| Chip | AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme (Zen 5) |
| Graphics core | AMD RDNA 3.5, 16 compute units |
| RAM | 24GB LPDDR5x 8000 MT/s |
| Screen | 7-inch VRR IPS, 120 Hz, 500 candelas, 1920×1200 |
| Drive | 1TB M.2 SSD PCIe 4.0 |
| Battery | 80Wh |
| System | Windows 11 with Xbox interface |
| The rest | Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2 |
ASUS ROG Xbox Ally X – definitely much more comfortable to use
None of the so-called handhelds or Windows handhelds are particularly ergonomic. However, I had the opportunity to use the original ROG Ally with the Killswitch cover and it felt much better than the factory design.
The new ASUS ROG Xbox Ally X has gone to great lengths to make it more comfortable to use, especially after a few hours. The inspiration was definitely Xbox controllers, which you can first notice in the grips, which are no longer flat, but convex and already look like they are suitable for the palms and wrists. The grips are textured with mini ROG patterns for a better grip, especially when those palms start to sweat.
Overall, it makes the computer look more curved, and at least to me, it makes it look more unique and still gamer-like. And on top of that, you get the feeling that this is a new product and not just a refresh.
The controllers and buttons have mostly stayed in the same place. They've shuffled the order a bit on the top (power, volume, SD card slot, etc.), and added a dedicated Xbox button on the front, which clearly indicates that they've collaborated with Microsoft, if that's not clear from the name.
Instead of one USB-C port, you now have two: USB 3.2 Gen 2 (DisplayPort 2.1, PD 3.0) and USB4 (Thunderbolt 4, DisplayPort 2.1, PD 3.0), which you will use for charging and for possibly connecting an external graphics card.
Who does this? Who is willing to pay even more and essentially turn their handheld into a desktop? There are quite a few who like to travel with Ally and play wherever they are, and when they get home, they put it on a stand and connect an RTX 5090 (or any other graphics card) and don't have to worry about whether they will have enough fps and whether the battery will last more than two hours.
What's also new are the pulse L/R triggers (the regular ROG Xbox Ally has Hall-effect triggers), more on those below.
The macro buttons on the back are smaller, and I was a little worried that this would affect their accessibility. Fortunately, they are still raised and in the right places for your fingers to click intuitively. The perforated (hole-shaped) ROG logo has survived the evolution of the computer and still serves as a slot for airflow, and there is also a strip with the ROG inscription next to it.
The body is plastic with a matte finish that repels smudges well, and it weighs about 715 grams (70 grams more than its predecessor), which is not a lot for a device that you'll be holding and carrying around most of the time. The weight is well distributed towards the center, so your wrists don't suffer as much as they could.
The new design also makes the ASUS ROG Xbox Ally X a bit bigger and thicker, but the new design makes it much better to use. On top of that, they've got a bit more space inside for a larger cooling system and a twice as large battery (80 Wh), which is much more important for such a device than a few grams. However, this makes the new Ally less portable, and it will slowly fall out of the "pocket" category. ASUS could have decided to include a travel case. Instead, you only get a cardboard stand, which does its job, but doesn't exude prestige at all. For €900, you could have added something better. I 3D printed a very basic stand in 45 minutes, but it already works much better. These are small things, but in the end they can make a difference.
The speakers are also slightly larger and moved towards the front for a better sense of space, although the sound is still not top-notch. Headphones were still a must-have accessory, at least for me.
The microSD card slot is still on top, and I hope I don't read about similar issues in the coming weeks as I did with the first edition. I've only had the ASUS ROG Xbox Ally X for a week, and I inserted a 256GB SD card because I filled up the 1TB internal drive very quickly. I haven't noticed any issues and I hope it stays that way.
The buttons and controls are good, but not on the level of the best Xbox joysticks
They look similar, but they behave differently. I already mentioned that they added L/R pulse triggers, which means that each trigger has a vibration motor for much better feedback. You will notice and appreciate this most quickly in FPS and racing games (Forza Horizon, COD …).
I compared them to the triggers on Razer controllers Wolverine V3 Pro and GameSir G7 Pro and on both I got slightly better control over the stroke, better resistance and consequently a more satisfying tactile feel. But the improvement compared to the first Ally computer is huge.
There are also minor changes to the ABXY keys. The ROG Ally from two years ago already had more than solid keys, so this time they just adjusted the stroke a little, making it more like a keyboard, and emphasized the click. Nothing shocking, but the upgrade here wasn't even necessary.
The D-pad has remained largely the same. The movement between different directions is smooth, the accuracy is fine, but it still attracts fingerprint smudges quickly. The analog sticks have a slightly shorter profile, the surface is rubberized, which prevents slipping well. There is RGB lighting around each one, which you can turn off or change how it lights up if you wish.
The rear macro buttons M1 and M2 are, as mentioned, smaller, but still in roughly the same places. I didn't accidentally click them very often, but certainly less often than with the ROG Ally.
The goal was to improve the user experience of the controllers and they succeeded in doing so.
The screen is still FullHD and IPS
Screen at ROG Xbox Ally X at first glance it doesn't look significantly different from its predecessor. They didn't opt for OLED, although considering the price I would have expected more than just IPS. The diagonal remains 7 inches (I expected them to increase it, too bad), and the refresh rate is variable up to 120 Hz. VRR (variable refresh rate) is even more important in handheld computers and I'm glad they didn't forget about it.
Although I miss OLED, IPS gave me a good picture. Colors and contrasts are pronounced, the image is relatively balanced, and the transitions between colors and shadows are solid.
The biggest change is that the screen is tilted, which didn't change the viewing experience for me.
They've increased the screen's brightness to 500 candelas (nits), which is 200 more than the ROG Ally. Gaming in bright daylight is now more feasible, but you still won't get a clear picture if the summer sun shines directly on the screen. The fact that they've gone glossy also doesn't do the screen any favors when it comes to light reflections. A matte finish would solve a lot of things, including fingerprints, which quickly cover the entire surface. I'd almost say a microfiber cloth is a must-have accessory.
The screen is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass Victus. There is no official HDR support, which is a minor disappointment, but not a critical flaw.
Touch support is still present, of course, which you'll need to navigate Windows 11.
Is this really a handheld computer that looks like an Xbox console?
The goal of the collaboration between Microsoft and ASUS is to create an Xbox experience on a Windows handheld. So, the versatility of Windows and the simplicity of Xbox. It sounds great, even idyllic.
Unfortunately, at least at this point, I can't say that they've succeeded, at least not entirely. At first I thought I was doing something wrong, that this wasn't what I was looking at at all. In my head, this new Xbox interface looked completely different.
The new Xbox interface, available on the new ASUS ROG Xbox Ally X (it will also be available on the original ROG Ally), and accessed via the new Xbox button, feels more like a regular full-screen mode with an emphasis on easy access to your downloaded apps and games. When you double-click this button, Windows 11 disappears (it still runs in the background) and instead you have a menu on the left with quick shortcuts to everything you need (store, Game Pass, library, everything for socializing, etc.). You can still launch apps (like Adobe, Word) and access all games from all libraries (Steam, Epic, GOG, etc.).
In that respect, they've captured the simplicity that Xbox offers well. It gets a little messy when you launch a game that you've bought on Steam, for example. First you look at the Steam window, wait for Steam to start, and only then are you in the game. That's not like Xbox.
Most of the time, this Xbox “overlay” interface is well optimized. I’ve been using the ROG Xbox Ally X for a week and have encountered random stutters and, in one case, a complete crash. This could be a pre-launch software glitch or a sign that the team still has some work to do. Nothing that can’t be fixed with future updates.
What will be particularly frustrating for those of you who already have a large library of Xbox games is the fact that you may not be able to play them all on the ROG Xbox Ally X (or other handhelds with this interface). How do you know which ones you can play? They must be labeled or part of the Xbox Play Anywhere program. You can see a list of these games here here (thanks to the XboxEra team).
The Xbox overlay interface has another advantage, especially for older handhelds with less system memory. Microsoft's team says that the new interface uses 2 GB less RAM, and in the future this number could be increased. Given that the integrated graphics card borrows system memory, this saving can be very significant. Not so much with the ROG Xbox Ally X, which has 24 GB of RAM, but for example with the regular version of the ROG Xbox Ally, the predecessor of the ROG Ally and others (MSI Claw, Legion GO ...).
I also like the ability to sleep and wake up my computer. If you need a break in the middle of a game and put Ally to sleep, you can also wake her up instantly with the click of a button and pick up where you left off. No more Windows antics when it comes to sleeping and waking up.
Windows 11 is still awkward with a touchscreen, especially one this small, and I'm glad I have an alternative now. Even better, if only SteamOS were available. Maybe I'll play around with Linux (Bazzite).
Ultimately, I would say that the Xbox interface is still a bit underdeveloped, but that's to be expected. It's not quite what I (and probably many others) had envisioned, but it's a step in the right direction.
Goodbye Z1 Extreme, hello Z2 Extreme
| Z1 Extreme | Z2 Extreme |
| 8 Zen 4 cores, 16 threads | 8 cores (3x Zen 5, 5x Zen 5c), 16 threads |
| 3.3 GHz (base frequency), 5.1 GHz (turbo) | 2 GHz (base frequency of all cores), 5 GHz (turbo Zen 5 cores), 3.3 GHz (turbo Zen 5c) |
| 12 RDNA 3 iGPU compute units | 16 compute units RDNA 3.5 iGPU |
Owners of the Z1 Extreme or handhelds equipped with this chip, fear not. It's not that bad. The difference between the two chips is expected, but your investment is still safe, especially for the price you paid.
If I summarize all the stability tests at different TDPs, the newer Z2 Extreme has better single-core performance by 20 %, multi-core by around 5 %, and graphics power has increased by a good 15 %. Revolutionary? I don't think so, but it's still a good leap, which is a bit bitter because of the high price.
| Z1 Extreme (17W TDP) | Z1 Extreme (25W TDP) | Z2 Extreme (17W TDP) | Z2 Extreme (25W TDP) | |
| GeekBench 6 | 1758 (single-core), 7876 (multi-core) | 2382 (single-core), 10501 (multi-core) | 2314 (single-core), 7894 (multi-core) | 2751(single-core), 11155(multi-core) |
| 3DMark Time Spy | 2544 | 3009 | 2904 | 3687; 4007 (35W) |
| 3DMark Steel Nomad | / | 481 | / | 552; 593 (35W) |
A few other synthetic results in the turbo (35 W) profile, for which I unfortunately have no comparison with the original Ally.
- SolarBay Extreme: 2106
- Port Royal: 1989
- Night Raid: 33287
- CrystalDiskMark: 5033 MB/s (read), 3283 MB/s (write)
- PCMark: 6796
See how the chip and the new ROG Xbox Ally X performed in games in the table below.
| Gaming | Average (fps) | 1% Low (fps) |
| Cyberpunk 2077 (720p, Medium) | 61 | 53 |
| Cyberpunk 2077 (1080p, High) | 32 | 25 |
| Batman Arkham Knight (720p) | 99 | 65 |
| Forza Horizon 5 (1080p Medium) | 100+ | 71 |
| Final Fantasy VII Remake (1080p High) | 65 | 53 |
| Oblivion Remastered (1080p, High) | 38 | 29 |
| Kingdom Come Deliverance II (1080p, High) | 28 | 24 |
| The Witcher 3 (900p, High) | 61 | 49 |
| Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (1080p, Low) | 36 | 29 |
| The Last of Us II (1080p, High) | 31 | 25 |
| God of War: Ragnarok (1080p, High) | 34 | 28 |
In games that I can compare to the original ROG Ally X, I noticed that the biggest difference is mainly at lower wattages. For example, I have repeatedly noticed that the ROG Xbox Ally X's silent mode (13 W TDP) almost matched the ROG Ally X's result at 25 W. At 1080p resolution, there was no concrete leap, the differences are minimal, or up to 10 %, which is only a few fps in some games.
ROG Xbox Ally X features 24GB of LPDDR5X RAM at 8000 MT/s, a significant upgrade over the 16GB LPDDR5 at 6400 MHz on the ROG Ally. More memory not only means better gaming performance, more free memory for the integrated graphics card, but also smoother switching between background processes, especially when using Windows 11 with multiple apps open.
Storage is provided by a 1 TB NVMe SSD (PCIe 4.0), which this time is a standard 2280 size, meaning you can replace it without special adapters. You can also insert double-sided SSDs without any problems.
The battery is twice as big (80 Wh), but the gaming time hasn't increased by the same amount. I was able to play Cyberpunk 2077 for two hours before the Ally X needed a rest, which is very similar to the original ROG Ally. In less demanding games, like Hades 2, which I was able to play at a lower TDP, you can squeeze out an extra hour or more. Good result? Yes. Superb? No. I rarely have time to play for more than two hours at a time, so the battery is fine for me. But if you're playing for longer than that, make sure you're near a power outlet.
The battery lasts much longer outside of gaming. I got four and a half hours of battery life at an 8-W TDP, but at 60 Hz, 50 nits of brightness, and 720p resolution. Great if you want to watch a movie or do something for work in an emergency. It charges in about an hour and a half.
Temperatures? Moderate most of the time. During my testing in the turbo profile (35 W TDP), I reached a maximum temperature of 86 ℃, and an average of around 70 ℃. All this heat never gets anywhere near your hands, as the controls and buttons (and the screen) always remain moderate.
In Armoury Crate you can manually adjust (same as in ROG Ally) how much memory the graphics core will borrow. The default is set to 8, the golden point in my opinion is 12 GB, anything more than that often causes problems, for example, you can get a warning during gameplay that you are running out of system memory or even before the game starts. Choose 8, 12 GB or set it to automatic.
What else do I like? Surprisingly, the gyroscope. You can customize it for each game in Armoury Crate and it can be a big help when aiming the crosshair at your opponent, for example. If I were to borrow the handheld for a longer period of time, I would definitely download the reWASD program, which gives me more settings for the gyroscope.
ASUS ROG Xbox Ally X – It's not like an Xbox, but it's still a great handheld
Maybe I had too high expectations, so I'm a little disappointed with the 1080p performance, but on the other hand, I'm amazed at what it can do with lower consumption. The battery has mostly remained the same, at least when it comes to gaming, they've greatly improved the ergonomics and comfort, upgraded certain buttons and controls, the screen has remained the same, just tilted.
The promises of the Xbox experience have not been fully fulfilled, at least not at this time and from my perspective. Your experience may be different.
The overall experience was very positive. It's impressive what such a compact computer can do and how quickly the performance has advanced in just two generations. There are many things they can still improve (like the screen), but above all, I hope they will work on a more competitive price, because it is currently quite high.
Should ASUS ROG Xbox Ally X Should I put it on my shopping list? If you're happy with your existing ROG Ally X (or another similar device) and can play all your games with it, then of course not. But if you'd like to have fewer compromises and less fiddling with settings to hit that golden level of fps, then the ROG Xbox Ally X is a very good choice.
However, if you're considering the regular version of the ROG Xbox Ally, I'd advise you to look at the previous generation, as they are very similar computers.
