The last (and only) handheld I’ve ever owned was the OG Game Boy. My game library was made up of Terminator 2 and Mortal Kombat, which were both stolen by someone in my grade five class (shoutouts) in 1998, and later Pokémon Blue and Pokémon Red. Since then, I’ve basically had zero interest in portable gaming – that is until this new wave of handheld PCs pried my interest back open.
The concept of having a device powerful enough to play high-end PC games that is also compact enough to fit into a backpack or work bag should appeal to most players. With a handful of devices already on the market, a good amount of R&D had been done by several companies, making one of them plum for a partnership with Xbox in its quest to make everything an Xbox. Asus was the brand that shook Phil Spencer and Sarah Bond’s hands, agreeing to let them utilise its popular ROG Ally contraption to bring its portable Xbox experience to hands all over the world, aptly named the ROG Xbox Ally X. And it could be yours, for a king’s ransom of $1599. But is it worth it?
The short answer is…maybe? Those looking for a tailored Xbox experience are going to be disappointed, because the ROG Xbox Ally X is simply a slightly improved ROG Ally X that can enter a full screen version of the Xbox app. This is not a Nintendo Switch-style Xbox – this is a Windows machine at heart. But in all honesty, that’s probably one of its main selling points. This is not limited or exclusive to the Xbox platform, it can run and play Steam, Epic Games Store and other launcher’s games, and it runs them bloody well most of the time.
The ROG Xbox Ally X is a sleek looking device
The design of the ROG Xbox Ally X is sleek and ergonomic, and weighing in at 715g it feels great to hold. On the front of the device you’ll find the Xbox-style thumbsticks (that have RGB glow), with the right one fittingly placed slightly below the left. On both sides there are Xbox and ROG etchings, which is a nice touch and better than being boringly flat. The left side houses the d-pad, Xbox button that opens Xbox Game Bar, the Command Center (Armoury Crate) button and the View button for in-game/app menus and such. On the right you’ve got your A, B, Y, X buttons, and buttons to open your library and in-game menus. While on the top and back you’ve got left and right bumpers and triggers, volume control buttons, two USB-C ports (one Type 4 and one USB 3.2) with DisplayPort 2.1 support, audio jack input, microSD card slot, power button, and two programmable buttons.
Setting up the Xbox Ally X is easy enough; if you’ve set up a Windows computer in the last decade you’ll be able to succeed here. But while I don’t mind that it’s a Windows machine, I do wish that there was a little more gaming flavour to it. For example, after the machine turns on, you’re presented with the standard Windows PIN login screen – could we not have had a customisable screen that has a gaming feel to it?
Under the hood you’ll find an AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme processor, 24GB of RAM, 1TB SSD, which provides enough grunt to play AAA games with good performance. But despite the very high price point, disappointingly, the ROG Xbox Ally X doesn’t have an OLED screen. Instead, its seven-inch screen is an IPS LCD panel that provides 1080p resolution with a 120Hz refresh rate. The screen isn’t bad, providing good brightness and nice colour output, but I’d be lying if I didn’t think we’d been shortchanged with no OLED. It’s probably not going to be a deal breaker for a lot of people, but dropping $1599 on a handheld you kind of want the bees knees.
It’s Windows
Playing games is what the ROG Xbox Ally X was built for, so thankfully it delivers on its promise here. I threw a range of titles at it, including The Last of Us Part II Remastered (a wild thought), A Plague Tale: Requiem, Resident Evil 2 Remake, Ninja Gaiden 4, Witchfire, as well as a bunch of indie titles, with performance varying between extremely good and solid enough.
How well the game performs will likely depend on the game you’re playing and the operating mode you’ve got selected. There’s a Turbo mode (which provides 35W when plugged in and 25W when not), Performance mode (17W), Silent (13W) and Windows (17W). Some titles may get you 1080p at 60fps or greater, while more resource-heavy titles you’ll need to be on Turbo mode and a lower resolution. Still, even at the lower resolution, playing on the ROG Xbox Ally X is an enjoyable experience.
Surprisingly, battery life on the Xbox Ally X is decent enough, but the game you’re playing and mode selected will impact how quickly the 80Wh battery runs out of juice. Playing a mix of AAA, AA and indie games on Turbo mode, I got a little under four hours. I’m sure playing The Last of Us Part II Remastered would net you under three hours. It sounds like a low number, but a 2–3–hour session is a decent effort for me (or anyone really), and outside of travelling, I can’t see myself needing longer than that at any one time. Plus, a smaller form factor with powerful internals is going to have to make sacrifices somewhere.
Playing The Last of Us Part II on an Xbox!
Between games, using the device is fairly intuitive, at least once you get accustomed to how it all works. It may not be a dedicated Xbox product, but the Xbox Full Screen Experience is as close as we’ll get for now. Booting up the unit will see it load into the XFSE, and from here you can operate it by using the thumbsticks and buttons without the need to leave fingerprints all over the touchscreen. It’s essentially the Xbox app running in full screen, allowing you to access your library, Game Pass, the store and other menus, but what is neat is that with a push or press of the Xbox button, you can seamlessly cycle between launchers and games like you would do apps on a mobile phone. It also negates the need to use Windows Desktop mode unless you really have the need to, which would be a right pain in the arse.
It’s not perfect though, as it can be a little clunky with things not operating as they should, like why doesn’t Steam launch in Big Picture Mode every time? Or why does Windows try to take over at times? There will be times when you need Windows, whether you know it or not, like installing another launcher, or playing around deep in the settings of Armoury Crate, a separate app that lets you customise your ROG Xbox Ally X experience from downloading launchers to nitty-gritty settings. I expect that over time, most of the issues with XFSE will be fixed (hopefully).
I’ll be honest, about 90% of my time with the ROG Xbox Ally X I’ve been using wireless headphones, but when it comes to its audio chops, it’s not bad. It’s not going to be as good or immersive as a good set of headphones, but it does the job. Lastly, you can connect the Xbox Ally X to a gaming monitor or TV if you really want to go big screen gaming, just be mindful that you won’t get a better visual quality, but it’s nice to have the option.
The Armoury Crate over Xbox Full Screen Experience
Final Thoughts
As someone who never really got the fascination with handheld gaming, I can’t say I’ve fully joined the club, but I now understand why people want the option to play high-end games on the go. It feels like the handheld market is moving fast, and I have no doubt that in 1–2 years we’ll be miles from where we are today. But until then, the ROG Xbox Ally X is a great option for anyone chasing high-performance portable gaming who also values comfort. Given its price point would make mere mortals cry, it’s a shame that it hasn’t been designed with an OLED, and some quirks remain with the Xbox Full Screen Experience, but if you want a handheld and you’ve got the cash to spend, then why not.
Review unit supplied by the manufacturer
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