Xbox cooking up a handheld gaming console became the best worst-kept secret in recent months, but the suspected and confirmed ROG Xbox Ally X was finally unveiled during the June 8 Xbox Games Showcase.
At first, shoving “Xbox” in the name didn’t sound so innovative. How does it compare to the Asus ROG Ally X? An Xbox button alone wouldn’t be enough to get people to upgrade. But once we got a closer look, we realized that this isn’t just a branded Ally X. This might as well be the ROG Ally X 2.
Obviously, we don’t have hands-on time with the ROG Xbox Ally X, but let's jump into how the ROG Ally X and its successor compare from afar.
ROG Ally X vs. ROG Xbox Ally X: Specs
Asus ROG Ally X |
ROG Xbox Ally |
ROG Xbox Ally X |
|
Processor |
AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme (30W) |
AMD Ryzen Z2 A (20W) |
AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme (35W) |
Memory |
24GB |
16GB |
24GB |
Storage |
1TB |
512GB |
1TB |
Display |
7-inch, 1080p, 120Hz, IPS panel |
7-inch, 1080p, 120Hz, IPS panel |
7-inch, 1080p, 120Hz, IPS panel |
Battery |
80Whrs |
60Whrs |
80Whrs |
ROG Ally X vs. ROG Xbox Ally X: Pricing and configurations
We have no idea how much the ROG Xbox Ally X is going to cost, and I’m honestly terrified. Right now, you can get the ROG Ally X for $800 on Asus’ website. Apparently, YouTube leaker Extas1s recently suggested that the ROG Xbox Ally X would be priced at $800.
That’d be sick as hell, but considering the current Ally X’s price and that the ROG Xbox Ally X features the new AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme (35W) chipset, I’m not so sure. Apart from the chipset, the rest of the specs are the same, though.
However, there will be a cheaper model, called the ROG Xbox Ally, which is outfitted with the AMD Ryzen Z2 A (20W) chipset and even offers the same ergonomic boost. The aforementioned leaker suggested this would be priced at $500, which also matches the current price of the base model of the ROG Ally on Asus’ website.
The difference in specs there, however, is that the new ROG Xbox Ally sports a 60Whr battery versus the original’s 40Whr battery.
ROG Ally X vs. ROG Xbox Ally X: Design and comfort
Yes, performance and battery life are great and all, but the design and comfort of a handheld device can absolutely make or break it.
Jumping from the Asus ROG Ally to the Ally X, we saw a major leap in ergonomics. Everything from the triggers and bumpers to the joysticks and grips became more comfortable and satisfying to use.
I’m hoping that we’ll see a similar leap going to the ROG Xbox Ally X, and it looks like we might. The biggest upgrade that we can see is that shiny Xbox button (just kidding). But seriously, it’s the grips. They look like actual controller grips.
Obviously, I can’t say for sure, but this looks way more comfortable than most handheld gaming devices, especially the Nintendo Switch 2 (don’t get me started).
Naturally, this comes at the cost of some portability. The ROG Ally X comes in at 1.5 pounds and 11 x 4.4 x 1~1.5 inches, and the ROG Xbox Ally X bumps up to 1.58 pounds and 11.4 x 4.78 x 2 inches. It’s actually not too bad, but you’ll still notice a difference when compared side by side, especially with the height.
Overall, the design and comfort improvements of the ROG Xbox Ally X look to be a more than welcome upgrade.
ROG Ally X vs. ROG Xbox Ally X: Performance and battery life
The ergonomics are exciting, but what’s getting fans of handheld gaming PCs hyped up the most is the new AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme (35W) chipset.
The ROG Xbox Ally X will be the debut for this particular AMD chipset, and while it will likely make its way into other gaming handheld devices, like the first Z1 Extreme chip, I am also clamoring to see what this baby can do. AMD also added “AI” to the name, so you know it’s going to be good (again, kidding).
For context, the ROG Ally X could run Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree at 1080p, maximum graphics (with ray tracing), and hit anywhere from 27 to 35 frames per second.
That’s pretty impressive in and of itself. I’m not expecting a miracle out of the Z2 Extreme, but it would be nice to see those numbers stay consistently above 30 fps and even dip into the mid-40s.
Playing that same game with the same settings, the Ally X survived 2 hours and 15 minutes. Considering that the ROG Xbox Ally X features the same 80Wh battery, I’m just hoping for similar numbers.
That may be more of a challenge because of the higher performance, but we’ve seen AMD pull through on battery life before, especially with gaming laptops.
Outlook
I haven’t even touched the ROG Xbox Ally X and I know it’s going to be way better. The ergonomics alone look amazing. The biggest unknown right now is the performance. It’ll be better for sure, but by how much? And how will that impact the battery life?
It may be that the ROG Xbox Ally X isn’t a worthy enough improvement to upgrade, but if it’s the same price as the Ally X, it’ll likely be the better buy if you don’t have a handheld gaming PC at all. But like I said, we’ll have to wait and see. We don’t even know the official release date yet. (Holiday 2025 could be anything in that season.)
