ASUS ROG Xbox Ally X: what the reviews agree on

Reviewers agree the Z2 Extreme is the fastest Ryzen handheld chip tested so far. They disagree on how much it matters. Gains over the 2024 Ally X are modest, and recent AAA games still need lowered settings or upscaling.

• Notebookcheck measured 14% higher gaming results than the old Ally X and 6% over the MSI Claw 8 AI+, and its Performance mode (17W) roughly matched the old model's Turbo mode (25W).
• Tom's Guide found the gains over the Z1 Extreme minor in its 35W Turbo tests but clear at 17W. Tom's Hardware calls the bump nice but not extraordinary and says current Ally owners need not upgrade.
• In Cyberpunk 2077 on the Steam Deck preset, Windows Central saw an average of 45 fps, which rose to 83 fps with HYPR-RX enabled. TechRadar saw about 30 fps on the same preset and 8.49 fps at 1080p Ultra.
• GamesRadar+ measured a 54 fps average in Cyberpunk 2077 at 1080p in 25W Turbo mode, and 99 fps with upscaling and frame generation. Shadow of the Tomb Raider ran at 74 fps against 43 fps on the original Ally X.

The 80 Wh battery is unchanged from the 2024 Ally X. Reviewers got roughly two to three hours in demanding games, depending on power mode, and call that typical for a Windows handheld. Light games and tuned settings last longer.

• Tom's Guide got just over three hours after tuning power settings. Tom's Hardware extrapolated about three hours from tests at 17W, 50% brightness and 60 Hz.
• GamesRadar+ played for 2.5 hours in Silent Hill F with Turbo mode and half brightness before Windows asked for a charger.
• Windows Central logged 1 h 53 min in Cyberpunk 2077 at 25W and 60% brightness, and 5 h 6 min in Celeste at 13W and 25% brightness.
• Notebookcheck recorded 2 h 13 min in Turbo mode, 3 h 12 min in Performance mode and about 4 hours in Silent mode. TechRadar's PCMark 10 gaming test ran just under three hours and it scored battery life 3/5.

The screen is the same 7-inch 1080p, 120 Hz VRR IPS panel as the 2024 Ally X. Reviewers call it good for gaming and still wish a $999.99 handheld had OLED.

• Tom's Guide measured 515.8 nits and 77.9% DCI-P3 and was disappointed to see no OLED at this price. Tom's Hardware reports the same figures and notes the panel has no HDR support.
• Notebookcheck measured a maximum of 490 nits, just under the advertised 500, with an average near 459 nits, and found the panel really good for gaming.
• TechRadar says colours and contrast fall short of OLED handhelds and viewing angles are weaker, but saw no tearing and called 120 Hz with VRR snappy. Windows Central still saw some tearing in demanding games at maximum performance settings.

Every reviewer praises the permanently attached Xbox-style grips as the biggest change. Comfort over long sessions beats the 2024 Ally X, at the cost of a wider, bulkier body at about 715 to 718 g.

• Tom's Guide calls it the most comfortable handheld it has used, with even weight distribution. GamesRadar+ ranks it among the most comfortable, and says it feels lighter than its 715 g.
• Tom's Hardware and Notebookcheck both note the grips make the body wider and bulkier for travel, while Notebookcheck says the 718 g weight was no issue and returning to a traditional handheld feels worse.
• Tom's Hardware found the bumpers a bit cheap and the trigger vibration on the impulse triggers fun but weak, and notes there is no touchpad. Windows Central rates the controls excellent but found the fingerprint reader inconsistent.

Reviewers found the cooling adequate: grips stay cool, hot air leaves from the top, and noise is moderate except at full power in Turbo mode.

• Notebookcheck measured about 43 dB(A) in 35W Turbo mode with the charger, about 37 dB(A) on battery and up to 31 dB(A) in Performance mode. It found the grips stay cool.
• Windows Central measured vents at a peak of 125 °F (about 51.9 °C) after a 20-minute CPU stress test, grips at 75 °F, and fan noise around 49.8 dB, with one 60.4 dB burst after waking from sleep.
• GamesRadar+ was surprised how quiet the fans were, with temperatures a chunk under 70 °C. Tom's Hardware's 15-run Metro Exodus stress test averaged 63.44 fps and stayed consistent, which it takes as a sign the cooling is adequate.

The Xbox full-screen experience is praised as a big step up from the Windows 11 desktop. Reviewers also list rough edges: launcher quirks, Windows prompts that break through, and Play Anywhere gaps. It is still not as polished as SteamOS.

• Tom's Hardware calls the full-screen mode significantly better than standard Windows 11, and says it is not as polished as SteamOS. Tom's Guide says it gives SteamOS a run for its money on ease of use.
• Tom's Hardware found some launchers awkward, with Epic needing touch input and Steam games sometimes waiting a minute on a launcher. Windows Central could not pin apps like Discord to the Xbox guide and had to reboot to return to full-screen mode.
• TechRadar was disappointed that Windows 11 still shows through during updates and problems, and found most games in the Xbox Store had no Handheld Compatibility rating at the time of review.
• Tom's Guide and Tom's Hardware warn that Xbox Play Anywhere is not available for every game, which can confuse people expecting their whole Xbox library.

Price is the most common complaint. At $999.99 the Ally X costs $200 more than the 2024 model, and reviewers point to gaming laptops and cheaper handhelds as alternatives.

• Tom's Hardware notes the price is up from $799 for the 2024 Ally X and calls it a big jump for the new chip and slightly new design. GamesRadar+ is not convinced it is $1,000 worth of improvements.
• Tom's Guide would pay $999 itself but says only serious gamers with large PC libraries should, and notes gaming laptops cost the same. TechRadar scored value 2/5.
• Windows Central says the hardware, engineering and performance make sense for the cost, and notes the Legion Go 2 starts higher at $1,099.99.