Asus ROG Ally X Evaluate: Gen 1.5 of Home windows Gaming Handhelds

7.8/ 10
SCORE

Asus ROG Ally X

Execs

• Helps a wider library of video games than non-Home windows gadgets
• Good efficiency for its elements
• Paddles for macro combos and a few fundamental Home windows navigation
• Bumpers really feel clicky and responsive

Cons

• Costly
• Show would not assist HDR and solely has sRGB gamut
• Urgent the ABXY buttons solely registers within the heart
• No set off stops

The ROG Ally X is an up to date model of the a lot less-expensive ROG Ally (it begins at $499), often thought-about among the finest of an uneven lot of Home windows-based handheld gaming consoles. Its rivals embrace high-profile fashions just like the Lenovo Legion Go or MSI Claw in addition to a number of choices out there largely in different areas. The Ally X is comparatively costly at $800, although, which can justifiably provide you with pause, regardless of a number of design tweaks and higher efficiency.

In a class the place the working system kind of defines what video games you’ll be able to play, Home windows is a combined blessing. On one hand, it gives the infrastructure to allow you to play any recreation out there for PC — utilizing any Home windows-based launcher such because the Epic Video games Retailer, Xbox Recreation Go, Steam and extra — which implies you have got entry to the biggest library of video games doable. 

The Nintendo Swap can solely play Swap video games, by comparability. The Steam Deck can solely play Steam video games (though you’ll be able to mod it to develop assist), the PlayStation Portal is tethered to the PS5 and PS video games, the Logitech G Cloud can solely play cloud or Android video games and so forth.  

However on the flip facet, Home windows is ill-suited to small screens and never simply skinned for seamless, console-like operation. Rage quitting as a result of recreation mechanics are dangerous is irritating sufficient. Rage quitting since you hold hitting some mysterious set of buttons that repeatedly throw you out to Home windows or the primary launcher app is a complete different stage of argh. Etching the 4 menu buttons with glow-in-the-dark ink and even high-contrast labels would assist decrease accidents whenever you’re coming from different controllers or gadgets. By the point the ink wore off you’d have memorized the features.

Watch this: Asus ROG Ally X Gaming Handheld: First Look

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Even should you use the compact contact keyboard, it nonetheless can block the fields (like electronic mail tackle and password) that you simply’re attempting to sort into. Once I hit important mass, I would join a keyboard and mouse by way of Bluetooth, which was suboptimal however far much less annoying. And coming off the MSI Claw, which I’ve simply began testing, the Ally X appears a positively streamlined implementation.

The opposite factor to recollect is that every one these Home windows handhelds use chips with built-in graphics, which circumscribes what you’ll be able to play and the way nicely it should play. Even on the Ally X’s display decision (1080p) older AAA video games like Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Guardians of the Galaxy or Horizon Zero Daybreak run at considerably lower than 60fps with out turning the standard method down. So it isn’t a terrific selection if you wish to hook up with a better-than-1080p exterior show.

Nevertheless, if you wish to play lighter-weight video games, it performs surprisingly nicely; it is corresponding to a low-power laptop computer with an AMD Ryzen 7 8840HS with built-in graphics in Hades 2 I often had sustained body charges over 200fps. You may also allow AMD’s optimization applied sciences in its Adrenalin driver or in video games with FidelityFX assist to present efficiency a lift.

Upgrades that assist velocity the Ally X up regardless of utilizing the identical AMD Z1 Excessive processor are extra and sooner reminiscence with 8GB devoted to the iGPU by default, a sooner SSD (63% sooner on 3DMark Storage benchmark) and bumps within the wattage allocations within the unplugged gaming profiles (resembling leaping from 15W to 17W in Efficiency mode).

And though we did not have battery life checks for the unique Ally, the Ally X has double the capability (80Wh in comparison with 40Wh), and it lasted roughly 4 hours taking part in Hades 2, Have A Good Demise, plus cloud-based Flock and Maquette gameplay and a few library browsing. It was at about 3.5 hours at 9% remaining after I had to fall asleep. Whereas that is not terrific, it isn’t horrible both. Regardless of having elevated the charging capability to 100W, it nonetheless ships with a 65W charger.

Asus has up to date the cooling system to enhance the machine’s pores and skin temperature — it isn’t as quiet on battery as earlier than — however I often felt the air venting out the highest and the floor behind it was on the new facet.

Streamlined design

Let’s get a number of the private preferences out of the way in which. Asus has added texture to the grips, however they’re nonetheless plastic: I like them with extra of a rubbery really feel. The corporate additionally tweaked the controls, altering the D-pad to eight-way and making the ABXY buttons “extra tactile.” However all of them nonetheless really feel sort of mushy to me. 

Extra annoying, the ABXY buttons do not appear to register except I strike them within the center, which was initially an issue for my  Sprint+Assault (A+X); on the Steam Deck, I can hit them nearer to the perimeters with out difficulty. It is not an enormous downside, however did take a adjustment of my hand placement. And like most triggers, the Ally X’s have a comparatively deep pull: I like set off stops so I can set one to a fast, shallow pull.

On the flip facet, I like how clicky the bumpers are. And the scale — slightly smaller than the Steam Deck — is nice for my palms (I put on ladies’s measurement 7 gloves, for reference). Regardless of my emotions concerning the grip texture, they’re fairly snug. Asus has shrunk the paddles on the again to scale back unintended presses, and I like the scale and really feel.

Notably, Asus has changed the proprietary combo XG Cell eGPU/USB-C connector with one USB-C 4.0 port that helps an exterior GPU along with a USB-C 3.2 port.

The display hasn’t been upgraded, which is disappointing. The Ally X’s display is 1080p and barely bigger, and it could actually get moderately shiny in addition to dimmer than earlier than. However I am used to the high-contrast, HDR-capable OLED display on the Steam Deck. The Ally X’s has minimal reflectivity, although, which is sweet.

And I’ve to present Asus some props for Armoury Crate SE, its pores and skin and utility software program. I hate the total Armoury Crate that is on the corporate’s ROG laptops, largely as a result of it is a scorching mess of conflicting locations to alter settings. SE is designed to run on a smaller display and is extra manageable, although nonetheless a bit complicated. Along with important options, like management binding for each gamepad and desktop modes and lighting management, it additionally enables you to manually regulate the fan and energy settings, change the amongst of reminiscence devoted to the iGPU (although I did not check it) and extra.

Between the worth, the issues inherent in grafting a console-like expertise on Home windows and the uncertainty of how nicely any specific recreation could run on it, particularly in a few years, it is onerous to present something apart from a professional advice for the Ally X. The Lenovo Legion Go has extra {hardware} flexibility for barely much less, however in some methods it is overdesigned. The unique Ally is notably slower, however notably cheaper, so if you wish to play retro video games it would swimsuit. I just like the Ally X, and if you wish to play light- to middleweight Home windows video games that are not from Steam and might comfortably afford the $800, it is in all probability your greatest guess.