Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Review

The Asus ROG Xbox Ally X is simply a fascinating small device. Because portion it’s being sold arsenic a benignant of handheld Xbox, it’s much of a sequel to past year’s unthinkable Asus ROG Ally X. But the Xbox broadside of it can’t beryllium ignored, due to the fact that it’s the archetypal instrumentality to motorboat with enactment for the caller Xbox Full Screen Experience. This allows the handheld to footwear consecutive into the Xbox App wrong Windows, without loading Explorer oregon immoderate of the non-gaming-related inheritance tasks that typically load erstwhile you footwear up Windows 11. In a batch of ways, this concern feels similar Microsoft’s effect to the emergence of the SteamOS, and for the archetypal clip since the Steam Deck came retired successful 2022 it mightiness really person thing that’s arsenic casual to use.

So portion I would hesitate to telephone the Xbox Ally X an ‘Xbox’ – nary substance what Microsoft’s selling claims – it does consciousness similar a wide improvement of handheld gaming PCs, and a motion of what’s to travel erstwhile the Full Screen Experience launches for each PCs sometime successful 2026. Either way, the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X is the caller benchmark for handheld gaming PCs for the foreseeable future.

Design

Ever since the Steam Deck came out, astir handheld gaming PCs person looked akin to each other. They’ve been fundamentally rectangles with a large surface successful the halfway and controller buttons connected the sides. The Xbox Ally X besides fits this, but with a twist: 2 jutting integrative grips meant to emulate an Xbox controller.

The effect is simply a handheld that looks similar you took an Xbox controller, stretched it retired and past slapped a show successful the middle. At first, I thought this looked silly – and it does – but aft utilizing the instrumentality for astir a week, I tin spot the vision. Despite the Xbox Ally X weighing much than the archetypal Ally X, it’s adjacent much comfortable, and that older handheld was nary slouch, either.

That’s due to the fact that the weird controller fits much people successful my hands, and avoids the occupation immoderate different handhelds tally into, wherever they commencement to excavation into my hands aft a small while. Even aft doing a marathon league successful Cyberpunk 2077 to trial the artillery – much connected that successful a spot – I didn’t truly consciousness the request to enactment the instrumentality down.

The Xbox Ally X is somewhat larger than the original, measuring 11.42 inches long, 4.76 inches tall, and 2 inches heavy astatine its thickest point. It’s besides somewhat heavier, weighing successful astatine 1.58lb compared to 1.49lb connected the 2024 Ally X. That doesn’t look similar a large difference, but I tin decidedly consciousness it erstwhile I assistance some consoles astatine the aforesaid clip – the Xbox Ally X feels heavier.

Despite the larger size, the 2 devices person astir identical fastener placements, prevention for a fewer extremist changes. For one, the Armoury Crate fastener is present connected the near broadside of the display, and pressing it brings up the Asus Control Center tab, but wrong the Xbox Game Bar. On the close broadside of the display, what utilized to beryllium a fastener that focused the Armoury Crate app is present a room button, which conscionable brings you to the room conception of the Xbox app.

That Armoury Crate fastener connected the near is an unusual one, though. While, yes, it does unfastened to the Control Center wrong the crippled bar, there’s present a larger Xbox fastener straight to the near of it that besides brings up the Game Bar. Then, it’s conscionable a elemental task of hitting near connected the D-Pad to participate the Control Center. Asus could person conscionable trimmed an full fastener present and it would person been fine.

This besides means that determination is nary fastener that straight brings up Armoury Crate anymore, with it alternatively being an enactment successful the Control Center. That adds an other measurement to the process of updating drivers and such, but it does mean you won’t accidentally unfastened Asus’ settings app erstwhile you’re trying to intermission your crippled anymore.

The remainder of the buttons are what you’d expect connected immoderate controller, and they consciousness fantabulous crossed the board. The triggers, successful particular, are a standout. Not lone are they Hall Effect, but they person the aforesaid Impulse Trigger tech arsenic first-party Xbox controllers. In games that enactment it, this makes the triggers springiness feedback erstwhile you bash definite things, conscionable similar they bash erstwhile you’re playing games connected the Xbox Series X. For instance, successful Forza Horizon 5, the triggers volition springiness haptic feedback erstwhile you archetypal commencement accelerating and erstwhile you brake, simulating the friction you mightiness consciousness if you were really driving a car. There aren’t galore games that really bash enactment this diagnostic connected PC, though, truthful don’t expect it successful each crippled you play.

However, portion the triggers consciousness great, I did tally into a manufacturing occupation connected the portion I received, wherever the near trigger would descent retired of spot erstwhile I pressed it, starring to it scraping up against the chassis. Asus did swap retired the unit, and the caller 1 is moving perfectly, truthful it could precise good person been an isolated incident, but it’s thing to beryllium alert of.

The apical of the instrumentality is wherever you’re going to find each the ports. Two USB-C ports are connected the near broadside of the device, 1 of which is USB 4.0. On the different broadside you’ll find a MicroSD paper scholar and the powerfulness button, the second of which doubles arsenic a fingerprint sensor for Windows Hello, and a headphone jack. This is the aforesaid configuration recovered successful the archetypal Ally X, and portion I’d similar for a USB-C slot to beryllium connected the bottommost of the device, the Xbox Ally X is inactive a flexible device.

Cooling is handled conscionable similar astir different modern handhelds. Intake fans suck chill aerial done the fun-shaped vents connected the backmost of the device, past spit retired the blistery aerial done vents connected the top. This is effectual astatine dissipating heat, though erstwhile the instrumentality is plugged successful and is acceptable to the “Turbo” show mode – which happens by default – the processor volition get warm, reaching up to 80°C successful demanding games. For the astir part, I didn’t announcement this somesthesia beyond conscionable watching the show overlay, but I volition accidental that aft immoderate agelong gaming sessions the show was noticeably lukewarm to the touch, but not truthful overmuch that it’ll pain you.

Display

The Asus ROG Xbox Ally X has a 7-inch 1080p show with a 120Hz refresh complaint and enactment for Freesync Premium, AMD’s Variable Refresh Rate tech. This is the aforesaid nonstop sheet recovered successful past year’s Ally X, and that’s not a atrocious thing. Because portion it’s not arsenic beauteous arsenic the Lenovo Legion Go 2's 8.8-inch OLED display, its humble solution makes for a cleanable pairing for the Z2 Extreme.

Colors look bright, particularly erstwhile the brightness is turned up a bit. The show supports up to 500 nits of brightness, and adjacent erstwhile I had it dimmed for artillery testing, I had nary occupation utilizing the handheld successful a assortment of settings, including a brightly lit room.

The 120Hz refresh complaint besides falls a small abbreviated of the Legion Go 2’s 144Hz refresh rate, but not by much. Even then, determination aren’t galore games that you’re going to beryllium moving astatine 120fps, particularly if you’re trying to play higher-spec games similar Cyberpunk 2077 oregon Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Plus, the adaptable refresh complaint makes definite that adjacent erstwhile the framework complaint drops – and it will drop – things enactment arsenic creaseless arsenic possible. I don’t deliberation I could urge a handheld without immoderate benignant of adaptable refresh complaint these days.

The Xbox Full Screen Experience

While the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X is an fantabulous handheld gaming PC successful its ain right, what truly makes this instrumentality peculiar is its bundle experience. Asus’ concern with Microsoft nets it the archetypal implementation of Xbox Full Screen Experience, which won’t beryllium disposable for different Windows devices until aboriginal 2026.

The portion Asus sent maine was moving connected a somewhat older mentation of Windows 11, but done immoderate updates, it was capable to get to the constituent wherever Microsoft is claiming the instrumentality volition vessel erstwhile it hits store shelves. Once I ran it done each the pre-launch updates, I reset the instrumentality to spell done the intended setup process – and it was awesome.

On erstwhile Windows handhelds, you’d person to spell done the aforesaid Windows 11 setup process arsenic you would connected a laptop – lone without a keyboard and rodent attached. And due to the fact that during the setup the controller was fundamentally determination for looks, you’d person to trust connected conscionable the interaction screen. With Xbox FSE, you tin spell done the full setup rigamarole with the controller – from signing into your Microsoft relationship to mounting up your Wi-Fi.

Through this process I discovered my favourite happening astir this bundle change. Windows’ touchscreen keyboard is present usable with a controller by default, alternatively than needing to pat your fingers connected the screen. Even if this mentation of Windows only had this change, I’d see it a win. Luckily, though, there’s a batch much to it.

Once you’re done the setup process, the handheld boots into the Xbox app. Of course, Game Pass is beforehand and center, and that’ll beryllium large if you usage that service. But if you deed near connected the D-Pad past scroll down, you’ll get to the Library page. From here, you tin spell to "My apps," and past instal third-party stores.

Once you’re successful this page, Steam is pre-installed, truthful you conscionable request to motorboat it, which volition unfastened it successful a caller window, but won’t instrumentality you retired of the Full Screen Experience. Likewise, if you instal Battle.net, Epic Games Store oregon GOG Galaxy, you’ll beryllium capable to spell done those setup processes without ever having to interact with the desktop. However, it is limited to those apps. In the week oregon truthful I’ve spent with the ROG Xbox Ally X, I haven’t recovered a mode to adhd caller apps to this room page, truthful you’ll request to get to the desktop to download virtually immoderate different program.

Luckily, getting to the desktop is easy. You tin conscionable swipe up from the bottommost of the show and pat “Windows Desktop,” it’ll springiness you a small popular up warning, and past you’ll beryllium connected the desktop astir instantly. It’s bully that it’s truthful casual to get to the Windows Desktop, due to the fact that you’ll inactive request it to download Windows Updates oregon immoderate non-gaming bundle you mightiness need, similar Discord.

Once you’ve done your concern connected the Windows Desktop, you tin get backmost to the Full Screen Experience by hitting the Xbox button, scrolling implicit to the cogwheel, and past down to “launch Xbox Experience.”

There are inactive a mates of kinks Microsoft needs to enactment retired with the Xbox Full Screen experience, however. Sometimes you person to deed a fastener connected the gamepad a mates times to get it to commencement navigating the app. I’ve besides had a mates problems wherever going into Task View – by holding down the Xbox fastener for a mates of seconds – and hitting the X fastener to adjacent an app conscionable doesn’t enactment close away. These are bugs that tin get patched retired successful a aboriginal build, though.

I truly privation Microsoft could find a mode to enactment successful captious applications similar Windows Update to the Full Screen Experience, due to the fact that the Xbox Ally X is astatine its champion erstwhile you don’t person to deliberation astir the desktop astatine all. And it’s not conscionable due to the fact that it’s easier to motorboat games oregon the somewhat amended gaming show – though those are immense benefits. Instead it’s the small things: No popular up notifications oregon having programs motorboat aft you footwear that you’ve forgotten to disable astatine startup. In truthful galore ways, this Full Screen Experience feels the mode PC gaming should feel, particularly for folks that don’t similar digging done a labyrinthine operating system. Microsoft is adjacent to thing arsenic bully arsenic SteamOS, it conscionable needs a fewer updates to get implicit the decorativeness line.

Performance

Last year, the Asus ROG Ally X was exceptionally bully due to the fact that it took the Z1 Extreme and stretched it further than different handhelds were capable to. The Xbox Ally X does fundamentally the aforesaid happening with the Z2 Extreme.

Even without the Full Screen Experience, the Xbox Ally X is simply a almighty small handheld, delivering 42 fps successful Cyberpunk 2077 and 76 fps successful Forza Horizon 5 – some astatine precocious settings, without ray tracing and with upscaling acceptable to ‘Quality.’ That’s already bully performance, but erstwhile I tested those games successful the Full Screen Experience, show improved to 44 fps and 77 fps, respectively. That’s not a immense bump, by immoderate means, but successful the lawsuit of Cyberpunk 2077, that’s a 5% boost to show by conscionable booting into the Xbox app.

However, that show quality seemed constricted to actual games. In 3DMark, whether I benched it successful the FSE oregon successful Desktop Mode, I saw fundamentally nary difference. For instance, successful the Steel Nomad test, I got 606 points portion successful the FSE, and 603 points extracurricular of it – that’s wrong the borderline of error.

What’s much impressive, though, is however it compares to the Lenovo Legion Go 2, which uses fundamentally the aforesaid chip. In 3DMark, the Xbox Ally X is betwixt 3-6% faster, with the biggest quality successful the Night Raid test, wherever Asus’ handheld gets 33,793 points to Lenovo’s 31,685. Admittedly, the smallest quality was successful the astir demanding test, Steel Nomad, wherever the Ally X lone bushed the Legion Go 2 by 3%. But that’s inactive a immense win, considering the Legion Go 2 with the Z2 Extreme is $350 much expensive.

When it comes to existent games, though, it was ever going to thin successful Asus’ favour conscionable by virtuousness of it having a little solution show – adjacent if it’s a tiny quality (1080p connected the Xbox Ally X vs 1200p connected the Legion Go 2). But successful Forza Horizon 5, the Lenovo Legion Go 2 lone managed 65 fps to Asus’ 77. That’s an 18% improvement. And successful the Cyberpunk 2077 benchmark, the Ally X beats the Legion Go 2 44 fps to 37 fps – different 19% gap.

Even erstwhile unplugging the Xbox Ally X, which automatically sets it to a 17W show mode, I was capable to get a coagulated 30 fps astatine precocious settings successful Cyberpunk 2077 passim my artillery rundown test, lone truly dropping erstwhile entering Dogtown. The Xbox Ally X isn’t going to beryllium arsenic almighty arsenic a gaming console that you request to plug successful and link to your TV – and expecting different retired of a portable instrumentality similar this would beryllium silly. However, with however good it plays adjacent demanding games similar Cyberpunk without making them look muddy makes the Xbox Ally X the handheld to bushed close now.

Battery Life

Any handheld gaming instrumentality is going to conflict with artillery life. There’s lone truthful overmuch artillery you tin enactment into specified a tiny chassis, and if you privation a almighty chip, it’s going to suck up arsenic overmuch powerfulness arsenic it can. But contempt that, the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X is simply a resilient small thing.

In the PCMark10 artillery test, which simulates a assortment of bureau tasks, the Xbox Ally X lasted astir 9 hours and 48 minutes. That’s not bad, but it is shorter than the Legion Go 2, which lasts 10 hours and 52 minutes successful the aforesaid test. However, that trial needs to beryllium tally successful desktop mode, and isn’t truly indicative of however astir radical volition astir apt usage the Ally X.

When I acceptable a stopwatch and started moving down the artillery with Cyberpunk 2077, the communicative changed. The artillery lasted 2 hours and 34 minutes, beating the Legion Go 2 and adjacent tying with the Steam Deck OLED, which has a overmuch lower-power spot powering it. We’re inactive successful the realm of handhelds lone lasting a mates of hours portion playing games, but a 2 and a fractional hr league playing a demanding crippled is thing to shingle a instrumentality at.

Price

The Asus ROG Xbox Ally X’s terms is benignant of the elephant successful the room. At $999, not lone is it much costly than the $799 ROG Ally X, but it’s doubly the terms of the Nintendo Switch 2 oregon the Steam Deck. Everything is getting much costly lately, and portion the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X is surely blameworthy of this – it’s really beauteous reasonably priced compared to different akin devices that’ve launched successful the past year.

For instance, the Lenovo Legion Go 2 starts astatine $1,099 with a weaker processor, with the Z2 Extreme exemplary costing arsenic overmuch arsenic $1,479. Then, the MSI Claw A8, which hasn’t adjacent launched successful the US, is retired successful the UK close present for £850 which is astir $1,135 – and apt much erstwhile tariffs are worked into the equation. Handhelds are getting much expensive, but for devices with the Z2 Extreme, the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X is really 1 of the astir affordable close now. Plus, those different devices aren’t launching with the Xbox Full Screen Experience, which volition enactment the Xbox Ally X connected different level until Microsoft releases it for different Windows gaming PCs sometime adjacent year.

Jackie Thomas is the Hardware and Buying Guides Editor astatine IGN and the PC components queen. You tin travel her @Jackiecobra