The Asus ROG Ally was one of the first “Steam Deck killers” to hit the market and it got a lot of things right. While Asus isn't ready to release a sequel, ROG Ally X Updated It aims to fix some of the annoying issues with the original version. It is already available for purchase, but is considerably more expensive than the regular version of Ally, which costs $799.99.
Asus has kept the same 7-inch 1080p display it used on the last Ally, but the plastic chassis is a little heavier. The increased size is thanks to several hardware upgrades, including the move to a standard M.2 2280 drive, which will make upgrading storage on the Ally X much easier. It does come with a healthy 1TB of space, though. The memory configuration is getting an upgrade, too. It’ll jump from 16GB to 24GB of LPDDR5X RAM.
Gaming performance on the ROG Ally X will certainly be better than the original, but don't expect miracles. The machine still has a AMD Ryzen Z1 Extremean APU with an eight-core Zen 4 CPU and a 12-core RDNA3 GPU. It’ll be able to run most modern games, but more demanding ones will need to be turned down to low settings. You won’t have to sacrifice as much in the name of battery life, though. With a larger 80Wh cell, the Ally X can run at full speed for longer, so you should be able to crank up its graphics settings without immediately reaching for a power cable.
Credit: Asus
If you’re trying to bump up the performance ante, Asus claims the ROG Ally X won’t overheat as easily as the 2023 model. Airflow has been increased by 24%, and the touchscreen surface temperature should be 6 degrees Celsius cooler. With the redesigned cooling system and larger battery, the ROG Ally X is 11% heavier than its predecessor. However, Asus has also redesigned the grips and repositioned the buttons to make it more comfortable to hold.
The rest of the improvements are minor. Asus promises more durable joysticks that will resist slipping and a second USB-C port, meaning you can charge and connect peripherals simultaneously.
Starting today, the ROG Ally X will be available at various retailers for $799.99. It is available at The Best Buy sitebut Asus Store It's still listed as “coming soon.” However, we hope that changes soon. If you can't justify the $800 asking price, the The 2023 Ally is still available for a more acceptable price of $650. with the same Z1 Extreme APU.
Leave feedback about this