Head to head
ASUS ROG Ally X (2024) vs ASUS ROG Xbox Ally X
By ElvisPublished
The 2025 ROG Xbox Ally X keeps the 2024 Ally X's screen, battery and 24 GB of memory, and adds AMD's newer Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme, bigger Xbox-style grips and Microsoft's full-screen Xbox interface. Reviewers measured gains of about 10 to 15%, biggest at low power. At $999.99 against $799.99, the older Ally X is the better value for most buyers, and owners shouldn't upgrade for speed alone.
We haven't tested these handhelds ourselves. This guide draws on published reviews, video tests and each device's sourced spec sheet.
Our take
If you already own an Ally X, keep it. Every review I read lands in the same place: the new chip is a nice step, and nothing more. The one reason I'd consider upgrading is comfort. If the Ally X's grips bother you in long sessions, the Xbox version fixes that, and owners in r/ROGAlly who made the switch say the same.
Buying new, I'd look hard at the price gap. At $200 apart the 2024 Ally X gives you nearly the same games at nearly the same frame rates. The Xbox Ally X makes sense if you play long sessions in your hands, care about battery life at lower power, or find it on sale close to the older model's price.
Elvis
Pick the ROG Ally X if
- You want the same screen, battery and memory for $200 less
- You mostly play plugged in or at higher power, where the gap is smallest
- You want a smaller, lighter body for travel
Pick the ROG Xbox Ally X if
- You play long handheld sessions and want the better grips
- You play at low power to stretch the battery, where the new chip gains most
- You want the Xbox full-screen interface out of the box
Key specs
| Spec | ROG Ally X | ROG Xbox Ally X |
|---|---|---|
| Chip | AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme | AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme |
| Software | Windows 11 Home | Windows 11 Home |
| Screen size | 7″ | 7″ |
| Panel | IPS LCD | IPS LCD |
| Resolution | 1920 × 1080 | 1920 × 1080 |
| Refresh rate | 120 Hz | 120 Hz |
| RAM | 24 GB | 24 GB |
| Storage | 1 TB / 2 TB | 1 TB |
| Battery | 80 Wh | 80 Wh |
| Weight | 678 g | 715 g |
| US list price | from $799.99 | from $999.99 |
Sources for every value are on each handheld's page. See every spec side by side.
What changed, and what didn't
The two share more than the name suggests. Both have a 7-inch 1920x1080 IPS screen at 120 Hz, an 80 Wh battery and 24 GB of LPDDR5X. Windows Central confirms the Xbox Ally X uses the same panel as the earlier Ally X, and calls it a worthy successor.
The chip is the main hardware change. The 2024 Ally X uses the Ryzen Z1 Extreme with eight Zen 4 cores and 12 RDNA 3 GPU compute units. The Xbox Ally X uses the Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme, which AMD lists with three Zen 5 and five Zen 5c cores, 16 RDNA 3.5 compute units and a 50 TOPS NPU.
The body is new too. The Xbox Ally X has larger Xbox-style grips and weighs 715 g against 678 g, and it measures 290 x 121 x 50.9 mm against 280 x 111 x 36.9 mm for the Ally X. Notebookcheck calls it an upgrade in almost every respect, with much more comfortable grips in a bulkier chassis.
Performance: a modest step
Notebookcheck measured the Xbox Ally X 14% ahead of the Ally X in its gaming suite and in synthetic GPU tests, and found CPU performance almost identical despite the newer cores. Its key finding is efficiency: the new model's 17 W Performance mode roughly matches the old model's 25 W Turbo mode.
Tom's Guide saw the same pattern. In 35 W Turbo tests plugged in, the gains over the Z1 Extreme were minor; at 17 W the difference was marked. Tom's Hardware calls the bump nice but not extraordinary, and found Borderlands 3 at 720p barely moved while 1080p improved.
GamesRadar+ measured bigger gaps in some games, with Shadow of the Tomb Raider at 74 fps on the Xbox Ally X against 43 fps on the original Ally X. On the 2024 model, Tom's Guide got a steady 40 fps in Cyberpunk 2077 at medium with FSR, and IGN measured Hitman 3 at 55 fps at 1080p.
The owners agree with the reviewers. In an r/ROGAlly thread comparing the two, commenters put the performance gain at around 10% and said the Xbox version is better mainly for ergonomics and somewhat for efficiency.
Comfort and controls
The grips are the change people notice. Tom's Guide calls the Xbox Ally X the most comfortable handheld it has used, and GamesRadar+ says it feels lighter than its weight. PC Gamer found the extended grips comfortable and noted they leave room for quieter cooling.
The 2024 Ally X was already a big improvement over the original Ally. Ars Technica held it for 60 to 90 minutes without discomfort and calls the textured grips the most underrated change, and Tom's Guide praised its triggers, face buttons and smaller back buttons.
The cost of the new grips is bulk. Tom's Hardware and Notebookcheck both say the wider body is harder to pack for travel. In an r/ROGAlly thread from an Ally X owner tempted to upgrade, comfort came up more than anything else, and owners who found the Ally X tiring in long sessions leaned towards the Xbox version.
Battery, display and heat
Battery capacity is the same, so the difference comes from efficiency at low power. Notebookcheck recorded 2 h 13 min in Turbo mode and 3 h 12 min in Performance mode on the Xbox Ally X. On the 2024 Ally X, Ars Technica's PCMark 10 gaming test suggested 2 h 15 min in Turbo and nearly 3 hours in Performance mode. PC Gamer says the Xbox Ally X's battery life remains among the longest of any handheld.
The screen is unchanged, and so are its limits. Tom's Guide measured 515.8 nits on the Xbox Ally X and 523 nits on the Ally X, and was disappointed both times not to see OLED. Tom's Hardware notes the panel has no HDR support. (Tom's Guide)
Notebookcheck found fan noise almost identical between the two, at about 43 dB(A) in Turbo mode on mains.
Software
Both run Windows 11. The Xbox Ally X boots into Microsoft's full-screen Xbox interface, which Tom's Hardware rates well above the standard Windows desktop but less polished than SteamOS. Windows Central notes Armoury Crate settings now sit in the Xbox Game Bar.
On the 2024 Ally X, reviewers found Windows on a handheld clumsy: IGN calls it terrible on a touchscreen, and Ars Technica found launching a game still a gamble with launchers landing in the background. Both still run any PC game, including ones with anti-cheat that SteamOS can't handle, as Tom's Hardware points out.
Price and value
The ROG Xbox Ally X costs $999.99 and the 2024 Ally X $799.99, both with 24 GB and 1 TB. PC Gamer argues the problem is the price, asking $200 more for a new chassis, a newer chip and an interface overlay, and Tom's Hardware calls it a big jump. GamesRadar+ isn't convinced it's $1,000 worth of improvements.
For upgraders the advice is consistent. Tom's Hardware says owners of an existing Ally may not need to upgrade, and the majority view in an r/ROGAlly upgrade thread was not to switch for performance alone. One owner who did called the jump noticeable but not dramatic, with better comfort.
There's also a third option now. PC Gamer's comparison of the OLED ROG Xbox Ally X20 with the Xbox Ally X notes the X20 costs $300 more with the same chip and memory, and suggests skipping it if you already own the Xbox Ally X.
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