• A much-needed upgrade of the original

  Asus ROG Ally X

  Dimensions

  11.02 x 4.37 x 1.45 inches (280mm x 111mm x 36.9mm)

  Weight

  1.49 pounds (678 grams)

  Chipset

  AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme Processor (8 cores/16 threads, up to 5.10 GHz boost)

  RAM

  24GB LPDDR5 7500 MHz

  Storage

  1 TB M.2 2280 NVMe PCIe G4x4 SSD

  Wireless Connectivity

  Wi-Fi 6E & Bluetooth 5.2

  The Ally X is the latest addition to Asus’ Republic of Gamers line. This handheld gaming system builds upon the original design with an improved fan system, larger battery, and better specs. It also raises the base price by $100.

  Pros & Cons

  • Powerful AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme CPU
  • Improved thermals
  • Upgraded battery life

  • Slightly larger and heavier
  • Higher price tag

  $799 at Best Buy
• Asus’ first handheld gaming system

  Asus ROG Ally

  Dimensions

  11.02 x 4.37 x 0.83-1.28 inches (280 x 111 x 21.2-32.4mm)

  Brand

  Asus

  Weight

  1.34 pounds (608 grams)

  Chipset

  Up to AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme (8 cores, 16 threads)

  RAM

  16GB LPDDR5

  Storage

  Up to 512GB SSD

  The Asus ROG Ally may not be as polished as its successor, but it still runs games as just as well. It offers the same Ryzen Z1 Extreme CPU, 7-inch IPS display, and massive game library for a lower price.

  Pros & Cons

  • Powerful AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme CPU
  • Beautiful 1080p@120Hz display
  • Runs Windows 11

  • Has overheating issues
  • Mediocre battery life

  $700 at Asus

Although its design left room for improvement, the original Asus ROG Ally was one of the best Steam Deck alternatives when it first came out. At the time, it promised better performance with its Ryzen Z1 Extreme and native Windows support. Unfortunately, its release was ultimately plagued by hardware and software problems, giving a rocky start to this promising handheld gaming system. But rather than give this device a full 2.0 upgrade, Asus has introduced the ROG Ally X as a stopgap. The big question is what it has changed.

In this head-to-head comparison, we’ll review all of the key differences between the new ROG Ally X and the original ROG Ally. This includes changes to the design, display, battery life, and hardware. Let’s start by reviewing the different spec configurations available for both devices.

Price, availability, and specs

Considering that these two handheld gaming devices were released only a year apart, there isn’t a massive difference in their available hardware configurations. The Asus ROG Ally was released on June 13, 2023, and ships with 16GB of LPDDR5 RAM and a 512GB SSD. It is available with either an AMD Ryzen Z1 CPU for $500 or an AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme CPU for $700.

The ROG Ally X, which is slated to ship on July 22, 2024, ships with 24GB of LPDDR5X RAM and a 1 TB SSD. It sports the same AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme CPU as its predecessor and has a higher MSRP of $800. The absence of a new budget option is somewhat disappointing, but perhaps Asus expects shoppers in search of a deal to default to the original ROG Ally.

• 	Asus ROG Ally X	Asus ROG Ally
  Dimensions	11.02 x 4.37 x 1.45 inches (280mm x 111mm x 36.9mm)	11.02 x 4.37 x 0.83-1.28 inches (280 x 111 x 21.2-32.4mm)
  Weight	1.49 pounds (678 grams)	1.34 pounds (608 grams)
  Chipset	AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme Processor (8 cores/16 threads, up to 5.10 GHz boost)	Up to AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme (8 cores, 16 threads)
  RAM	24GB LPDDR5 7500 MHz	16GB LPDDR5
  Storage	1 TB M.2 2280 NVMe PCIe G4x4 SSD	Up to 512GB SSD
  Display	7-inch 1920x1080 IPS touchscreen, 120 Hz, AMD FreeSync Premium	7-inch IPS, 1920x1080, 120Hz refresh rate, touch
  Graphics	AMD RDNA 3 Radeon Graphics	AMD RDNA 3-based graphics, 4 or 12 CUs
  Ports	1x USB-C (with DisplayPort 1.4), 1x USB4, 3.5mm audio combo jack, microSD card reader	1x USB-C, 1x ROG Xg Mobile interface, 3.5mm headphone jack
  Battery	80Wh	40WHr
  Speakers	Dual speakers with smart amplifier and Dolby Atmos	Stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos
  Price	800	700
  Wireless Connectivity	Wi-Fi 6E & Bluetooth 5.2	Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2

Design

The ROG Ally X is an all-around upgrade

The ROG Ally X brings many minor changes to the design of the original ROG Ally, but they are almost all welcome. The biggest improvements are the refined D-pad, redesigned joysticks, and improved thermals. Additionally, the proprietary XG Mobile port has been replaced with a more widely compatible USB4 port. The ROG Ally X is actually slightly larger and heavier than the original because of its new larger battery, but it is a fair trade-off. Most strikingly, Asus has dropped the white colorway of the original in favor of an all-black look that better conceals wear and tear.

Aside from these changes and a few others, the two devices are quite similar. Consequentially, they can share most accessories. The ROG Ally X retains the included dock, Aura Sync lighting, and fingerprint sensor first introduced with the original. They are both comfortable in the hand despite the minor dimensional changes. These similarities underscore just how much the original ROG Ally got right. But when you consider the overheating issues that were common with the original ROG Ally, there’s no denying that the ROG Ally X’s design represents a strict upgrade.

Winner: Asus ROG Ally X

Display

It’s a tie

While the Asus ROG Ally X improves on many aspects of the original, the display isn’t one of them. For better or worse, both models have the exact same 7-inch IPS touchscreen. Some fans were probably disappointed not to see an OLED panel here, but the ROG Ally’s display is still top-tier when compared to other handheld gaming systems.

Its glossy display has a 1080p resolution (920x1080), which gives it a 16:9 aspect ratio. On average, it achieves about 500 nits of brightness. It is able to display 100% of colors within the sRGB range and 75.35% of colors within the Adobe range. Best of all, it has a 120Hz refresh rate and supports AMD FreeSync Premium to offer a variable refresh rate.

For the end user, these specs mean a detailed picture with accurate color reproduction and smooth motion. In other words, it’s got one of the best displays in the handheld gaming system market. Perhaps in time, Asus may feel the need to upgrade the graphical capabilities of the ROG Ally lineup, but for now, it is still plenty competitive even without OLED technology.

Winner: Tie

Performance

The ROG Ally X brings minor improvements

Considering that the Asus ROG Ally X employs the same Ryzen Z1 Extreme processor as the original ROG Ally, there isn’t a huge difference in performance between the two models. But that’s not to say that Asus hasn’t improved the gaming experience. The improved RAM, which is now a very large 24GB, allows games to run more smoothly. While this has diminishing returns, it is still an important metric when running RAM-hungry titles like Cyberpunk 2077 and Returnal. Likewise, the improved airflow allows the CPU to operate at a higher TDP.

Another notable upgrade comes in the form of the updated user interface, Armoury Crate SE 1.5. This update looks to fix many of the problems with version 1.0, and shows that Asus has listened to feedback from its users in making this improvement. That said, this is only a temporary advantage for the ROG Ally X, as the original ROG Ally will soon receive this UI update as well. But for now, there is no doubt that the Asus ROG Ally X offers better performance.

Winner: Asus ROG Ally X

Battery

The ROG Ally X lasts much longer

One of the biggest improvements the Asus ROG Ally X offers over its predecessor is its larger battery. Asus has replaced the ROG Ally’s 40Wh battery with a much larger 80Wh battery at the cost of some extra weight and bulk. But most will agree this is a totally fair tradeoff. The original Asus ROG Ally can only get one or two hours of gaming out of a single charge, with the exact amount varying based on how demanding the software is.

Asus has not provided any marketing figures to estimate how much more game time you’ll get out of the ROG Ally X’s larger battery, nor have we had the chance to test the device out for ourselves. But suffice it to say that it’s doubly large battery marks a notable improvement in this category. We’ll be sure to update this section once we’ve had a chance to measure the difference for ourselves, but for now, consider the ROG Ally X the smarter choice for gaming on the go.

Winner: Asus ROG Ally X

Asus ROG Ally X vs ROG Ally: Which is right for you?

Given how many issues we encountered while reviewing the ROG Ally, it is no surprise that the ROG Ally X represents an all-around upgrade over the original. Anyone who can stomach the higher budget of the ROG Ally X should definitely buy it over the original, as its upgraded specs, improved thermals, and better battery are well worth the extra expense. The platform still has plenty of room for growth, but for now, this is as close as it gets to console-ifying a PC.

That said, the ROG Ally X's high price tag puts it in a tough spot with consumers. $800 is a lot to spend on a stopgap release, especially when the possibility of an eventual ROG Ally 2 still looms on the horizon. That is why the original ROG Ally remains a viable value purchase for users who still want to break into handheld gaming systems but don’t need the additional RAM or battery life.