Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Review — “The best handheld available.”

The very first thing we did upon firing up the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X – the brand new handheld gaming PC launched at this time – was obtain Ghost Of Tsushima. Not as a result of we have been itching to replay 2020’s excellent open-world samurai action-adventure, however as a result of we wished to expertise the satisfaction of operating a first-party Sony Studios title on the brand new Xbox-branded {hardware}.

With the sport’s Director’s Cut arriving on PC storefronts final yr, we knew we might play it on the Windows-based machine, however Microsoft and Asus’ spectacular collaboration nonetheless managed to shock us. As anticipated, the previous PlayStation-exclusive will be accessed by way of Steam and the Epic Games Store. What we hadn’t anticipated, nevertheless, was that Ghost Of Tsushima would sit proper alongside our Xbox video games inside the system’s new and improved Xbox app.

But we’re getting a bit forward of ourselves.

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Pros & ConsSpecifications

Pros

• A brand new benchmark for transportable PC gaming, helped by AMD’s Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme processor
• 7-inch 1080p touchscreen with a 120Hz refresh price
• A design that completely balances weight, measurement and luxury 

Cons

• Expensive, if justifiably so

Screen	7-inch, full HD 1920 x 1080p
Storage	1 TB SSD, 2280 PCIe 4.0 M.2
Connectivity	Triple-band AX WiFi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2, USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C x 1, UHS-II microSD card reader x 1, USB Type-C x 1
Battery life	Up to 12 hours
CPU	AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme Processor

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The customary, much less highly effective model of the ASUS ROG Xbox Ally X.

Is the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X a transportable Xbox?

You cannot correctly consider the ROG Xbox Ally X with out realizing precisely what it’s… and what it is not. While some murky messaging and advertising may need you believing it is an Xbox you may play within the palm of your hand, it isn’t that in any respect. It is, actually, far more like final yr’s Asus ROG Ally X than a Nintendo Switch 2 or – for avid gamers of a sure age – a PlayStation Vita.

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All of that is to say, you will not be shoving any bodily discs or cartridges into the gadget, nor will you be natively taking part in video games that are not a part of Xbox’s “Play Anywhere” ecosystem. That program does let you seamlessly get pleasure from over 1500 titles throughout PC and Xbox consoles. But if you happen to’re seeking to play, say, your previous copy of The Evil Within, the very best you’ll do is stream it from the cloud.

Is the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X any good?

While the lack to play even some newer entries, like NBA 2K26, natively could be a disappointment to anybody gearing as much as get pleasure from their complete Xbox library on-the-go, it would not diminish the actual fact the ROG Xbox Ally X units a brand new benchmark for transportable PC gaming. It additionally doesn’t suggest the Xbox branding is merely a reasonably paintjob. In some ways, this Asus/Xbox mash-up delivers the very best of each worlds — a next-gen handheld gaming PC to rival the Steam Deck and an Xbox you may play on the Tube.

The former comes courtesy of what is basically a beefed-up model of final yr’s Asus ROG Ally X, nonetheless extensively thought of among the finest handheld gaming rigs cash should purchase. Powered by the newest and best transportable gaming processor — AMD’s Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme — in addition to 24 GB of RAM and 1 TB SSD, the ROG Xbox Ally X’s specs are nothing to sneeze at. And whereas the system would not embrace the OLED show we would hoped for, its 7-inch 1080p touchscreen — souped up with a 120Hz refresh price — greater than will get the job achieved.

Tech jargon apart, this system harnesses all these horses beneath its hood to ship a spot-on stability of peppy efficiency and fairly graphics, all in a transportable package deal. But whereas its Asus aspect units a brand new customary inside the market, it is the system’s Xbox-flavored options that actually make it the brand new Windows-based gaming handheld to beat. And it does that, largely, by really kicking Microsoft’s ubiquitous working system to the curb.

©Matt Cabral/Empire

Windows who?

Unlike comparable platforms which have come earlier than it, the ROG Xbox Ally X downplays its goal as a fully-functional Windows PC in each its advertising and its person expertise. The OS has been considerably scaled again and streamlined, so it isn’t solely in your face far much less, nevertheless it is not siphoning as many assets that would in any other case, say, make your spells look slick in Hogwarts Legacy.

So, whereas the machine’s already geared up to carry its personal by way of delivering polygon-pushing efficiency and eye-popping visuals, its video games run a bit smoother and look barely higher as a result of there’s much less Windows-based busyness occurring within the background. While these enhancements are principally nominal, this gaming-first strategy is much extra noticeable when navigating the hand held’s Xbox-forward person interface.

Following your preliminary arrange of the system, you merely sign-in — an extremely fast step as soon as you’ve got sorted the fingerprint reader — and boot immediately right into a recent, enhanced tackle the Xbox app. Rather than being greeted with the Windows desktop — and the tedious interfaces, pop-ups, and different boring computer-y stuff that usually comes with it — you are launched proper right into a gamer-friendly person expertise that’ll be acquainted to anybody who’s loved their favourite pastime on an Xbox console.

When you are on this immersive full-screen Xbox interface, you may have entry to all of the anticipated options, out of your gaming library and mates’ listing to your person profile, Game Pass subscription, and far more. The system’s devoted Xbox button works in tandem with the Xbox app, opening the Game Bar to take you deeper into system settings, social features, display capturing, and even different digital storefronts.

That latter inclusion is essential, as you needn’t depart the full-screen Xbox UI to entry different accounts, like Steam. And, as talked about firstly of our ROG Xbox Ally X evaluate, any titles you’ve got not too long ago performed from different PC storefronts will seem within the Xbox app’s prominently featured “Jump back in” part — even when meaning sitting Kratos proper subsequent to Master Chief.

The game-prioritizing platform additionally favours inputs by way of the acquainted Xbox button format, so you may usually spend far much less time fumbling with finicky digital keyboards. Speaking of these unmistakable X, Y, A, and B buttons, you’ll have observed the system seems rather a lot like an elongated black Xbox controller with a giant display wedged between its palm grips.

The design is undoubtedly bulkier than different handheld gaming PCs, nevertheless it additionally hits an surprising candy spot between weight, measurement, and luxury. While comparable devices lean towards lighter, rectangular designs, the ROG Xbox Ally X is a bit heavier, however higher balanced general. And these controller-like grips are the key sauce, offering distinctive consolation even over marathon gaming classes.

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Of course, these palm-pleasing grips additionally home Microsoft’s proprietary Impulse Triggers, upping the immersion in video games that help the nuanced vibration tech. While not Xbox-specific, the system’s shell additionally impresses with a variety of ports, together with an audio jack and microSD card reader. Most welcome is the inclusion of two USB Type-C connections, which permit for simultaneous charging and accessory-use.

Putting the ROG Xbox Ally X via its paces, taking part in all the pieces from power-hungry video games like Cyberpunk 2077 to less-demanding indies, equivalent to Tunic, we have been frequently blown away by the buttery easy efficiency and crisp presentation. And that was with out altering any system settings. PC gaming fans can, after all, tweak and tinker to search out their most well-liked stability between speedy body charges and fairly graphics, however this little beast nonetheless will get the job achieved in default modes.

In phrases of battery life, the system’s 80Wh of juice is not dangerous — and, actually, is healthier than a lot of the competitors. Still, you are taking a look at only a handful of hours max earlier than you may have to plug in. This is not an issue particular to the Ally, however is somewhat par-for-the course for transportable gaming PCs.

Is the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X value shopping for?

What’s more durable to swallow than solely having the ability to play Cyberpunk in Starbucks for just a few hours untethered, is the ROG Xbox Ally X’s bank-spanking price ticket. At £799, it is double what you may shell out for a Nintendo Switch 2, and £230 greater than the highest-end Steam Deck OLED. That’s to not say it is too costly — you are getting what you pay for — and there may be, after all, a less expensive choice within the much less highly effective ROG Xbox Ally, which is able to prevent £300 however at a major hit to efficiency. The standout right here is certainly the ‘X’, nevertheless it’s additionally probably out of many informal avid gamers’ budgets.

That stated, if you happen to have been raised clutching an Xbox controller — and also you possess a brimming library of PC titles throughout numerous digital storefronts — Asus and Microsoft’s sensible marriage of {hardware} and software program is a no brainer. Arguably the very best, strongest handheld now obtainable, the ROG Xbox Ally X is a simple suggestion for anybody considering severely about taking the transportable PC gaming plunge.

The Xbox Rog Ally X was offered to us for evaluate previous to launch and was examined over the course of per week. You can discover extra info on how we check right here.

Matt Cabral is A full-time freelance author who has been masking movie, tv, video video games, and theme parks for 20 years. When not contributing to Empire, or the likes of IGN, Entertainment Weekly, StarWars.com, CNN, Matt can will be discovered within the basement of a haunted asylum hoarding all of the med-kits, ammo crates, and canned items. Matt additionally works as a advisor within the online game business.