Asus ROG Ally X Arms-on Impressions: Upgrades That Matter

When the Asus ROG Ally made its debut final 12 months, it got here with sure caveats. Sure, the gaming efficiency was stable, however the identical did not apply to its battery life. And whereas the design and construct high quality held as much as the competitors, the thermal administration didn’t. Asus’ handheld was absolutely a constructive entry within the phase, but it surely got here with essential limitations that held it again from actually difficult the heavyweights. The ROG Ally might be an alternative choice to the Steam Deck, however by no means a substitute.

Quick ahead a 12 months, and Asus is again with one other gaming handheld. The Asus ROG Ally X made its debut on June 2, simply forward of Computex Taipei. The moveable gaming PC makes an attempt to deal with the obvious flaws of the ROG Ally with tweaks and enhancements throughout the board. The upgrades are small, however significant — the hand held’s battery capability (80Whr) considerably improves on the unique’s (40Whr), it packs extra reminiscence and extra storage, and is alleged to have higher cooling than the ROG Ally. There are different adjustments, as nicely, that make for a greater handheld altogether.

Two days after its launch, the Asus ROG Ally X was current on the firm’s sales space on the Computex flooring, the place Devices 360 bought the prospect to strive it out for an prolonged time frame. It is onerous to inform how the spec bump interprets into real-world efficiency enhancements from an early and temporary hands-on expertise, however first impressions can go a great distance. The very first thing that strikes you is the brand new colourway that makes the ROG Ally X — nicely, satirically — much less hanging. Now in jet black, the hand held gaming PC blends with the competitors (the Steam Deck, MSI Claw A1M, Lenovo Legion Go — all are available in black). The unique Ally’s white colourway, whereas extra liable to filth and dirt out of your arms, did convey a definite aesthetic.

The black colourway makes the ROG Ally X much less hanging

The ROG Ally X retains the design of its predecessor and there is little that is modified on the entrance. It affords the identical 7-inch full-HD (1920 x 1080 pixels) IPS touchscreen show that refreshes on the fee of 120Hz and goes as much as 500 nits of brightness. The D-pad sports activities a extra pronounced design and a brand new matte end — Asus says it has a extra tactile really feel, as nicely. The face buttons are the identical, too, however the firm claims they’re “springier.” The Taiwanese agency has fitted the hand held with new joystick modules which are stated to supply extra management whereas aiming, a smoother really feel and improved sturdiness.

Adjustments are extra obvious if you view the console from its sides and again. Due to the larger battery, the Asus ROG Ally X is barely thicker than the ROG Ally, going as much as 1.45 inches in comparison with its predecessor’s 1.28 inches. With gripping handles which are rounder and fuller, the brand new handheld is extra ergonomic, as nicely. I picked up and performed on each the Ally X and the unique Ally in my arms at Computex; the brand new handheld feels a little bit beefier and extra strong in your arms. It is only a shade heavier, too. However it’s spectacular how Asus has saved the brand new handheld at 678 grams (The usual Ally weighs 608 grams) regardless of the larger battery and bigger handles. The shoulder buttons have been up to date too, with wider, extra ergonomic triggers. The again buttons, alternatively, at the moment are smaller to forestall unintended presses. These adjustments definitely enhance the in-hand really feel for the moveable PC.

The Asus ROG Ally X suits extra ergonomically in your arms

Greater adjustments are, nonetheless, below the hood. The ROG Ally with its 40Whr-rated battery could not final two hours whereas enjoying demanding PC titles. Its under-powered battery was maybe the largest flaw and prevented it from changing into a really moveable handheld. The ROG Ally X addresses that shortcoming with an 80Whr battery that ought to end in longer gaming classes. Playtime numbers aren’t clear but and Asus hasn’t offered particulars on battery efficiency, however these needs to be clear as soon as the gadget is in for an in depth evaluation.

The hand-held’s reminiscence will get an improve, too, the ROG Ally X will get extra RAM — 24GB at sooner speeds of 7500MHz, out of which 16GB might be allotted for the system and 8GB for the GPU. This could possible end in higher gaming efficiency on the whole, however do not anticipate a giant enchancment because the Ally X nonetheless runs on AMD’s Ryzen Z1 Excessive Zen 4 platform with RDNA 3 graphics, similar because the 2023 ROG Ally. The brand new handheld additionally comes with greater storage out-of-the-box — 1TB SSD with assist for the extra frequent M.2 2280-sized drives, as a substitute of the 2230 normal used within the ROG Ally.

Ports have been repositioned, as nicely, and Asus has ditched its proprietary XG Cell port for 2 USB Sort-C ports, one in all which helps Thunderbolt 4. Asus additionally claims it has redesigned the cooling system on the hand held. The ROG Ally X makes use of smaller followers, which make house for the larger battery, however end in higher airflow — about 24 p.c greater than the earlier mannequin, in response to Asus. That is additionally claimed to convey down the touchscreen temperature by as much as 6 diploma Celcius. The 2023 mannequin did battle with warmth administration, so it is a welcome change. However real-world thermal efficiency would solely be clearer upon prolonged use.

Ports have been repositioned and the ROG Ally X now options two USB Sort-C connectors

The one large factor that held again the Asus ROG Ally and works towards the brand new mannequin as nicely is the OS. The ROG Ally X comes with Home windows 11, which whereas providing flexibility and flexibility, stays an unwieldy and unintuitive contact interface for touchscreens. Certain, it permits the hand held to work like a pocket PC with connected controllers, but it surely pales compared to Steam Deck’s SteamOS, which brings a smoother, console-like UI. Asus has, nonetheless, packed a brand new model of Armoury Crate SE software program this time round, which guarantees a extra customisable interface and sport library with simpler navigation.

At Computex, Devices 360 tried out video games like Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon, Palworld, and Tekken 8. The titles have been operating easily, and we didn’t discover overheating points within the brief time with the hand held. This stood in distinction to the hands-on expertise with the Zotac Zone, one other new handheld seen at Computex. Zotac’s Home windows-based moveable crashed whereas operating Horizon Forbidden West and confirmed indicators of overheating. An in depth evaluation will shed extra mild on the brand new Ally X’s gaming and thermal efficiency, however contemplating the enhancements delivered to an already first rate handheld, the ROG Ally X might develop into the best to suggest amongst its Home windows-based friends.

The ROG Ally X is held again by Home windows OS

The upgrades, nonetheless, additionally come at a price. The Asus ROG Ally X prices $799 (roughly Rs. 66,700), up a $100 from the Z1 Excessive model of the 2023 mannequin. India pricing needs to be accessible nearer to launch right here, which Asus has stated ought to occur later this 12 months. And whereas all of the upgrades convey significant enhancements, an OLED display screen, too, would have been a pleasant addition. However, taking the value level into consideration, it appears Asus has made all the precise selections for a mid-gen refresh of its handheld. The decision can wait till an in depth evaluation, however the ROG Ally X left us impressed in our hands-on time with the hand held. It won’t be a real successor to the 2023 mannequin, but it surely appears to be like like a hit.

Disclosure: Asus sponsored the correspondent’s flights and resort for the occasion in Taipei.