The Ultimate Gaming On-the-Go: Navigating the World of ASUS ROG ALLY X

Gaming is evolving, and with that — along with another tech tenet — comes portability. The latest attempt to take everything that was a blessing in the original Asus ROG Ally X gaming system and scale it up is the Asus ROG Ally. Portability seems to have become a near-mandatory trait in the world of gaming, and this looks like a great addition to the ‘handheld’ category, capable of offering a degree of fidelity only slightly less than the console-quality experience I’ve come to enjoy on my PC. Admittedly, I already own one of the original Asus ROG Ally X models. Here’s the problem: I love the portability of it. Will I be swayed by the Asus ROG Ally? I’ve gotta ask — is this really necessary? I’m a big fan of portability; I spend more time out and about with my tech than I do at home with it. For the past few years, until Asus came along with this tiny, elegant little gaming machine that runs the most recent SteamOS-powered Steam Deck, I’ve used a bit of kit a solid three or four days a week. I even took it with me on holiday.

Upgrading to ASUS ROG ALLY X: A Leap Worth Taking?

Making the Case for the New Asus Powerhouse

Gamers appeared to perk up at the announcement of the 2024 release of the Asus ROG Ally X at Computex 2024. Its ergonomics have been improved, it has beefed up battery life, and everything else about it is considerably better than its predecessor, the ROG Ally. Or is it? The ROG Ally X has some radically improved specs.

Unveiling the ASUS ROG ALLY X: Where Improvement Meets Innovation

Listening and Implementing: Asus' Commitment to Excellence

It’s difficult not to give Asus credit. The ROG Ally X looks like Asus took all the community feedback about the Stealth and built a device that alleviates almost every complaint. From a fully revamped design allowing you to truly hold the device and better control, to an increase in battery life from roughly five hours to around 10, Asus doubled down on bringing a superior gaming experience in your hands.

Exciting Features and Slight Snags

While the ROG Ally X is in many ways a significant upgrade to the ROG Ally – better thermals, black colourway for some grown-up gravitas, a swanky new motherboard that’s compatible with up-to-2TB SSDs – it shares almost nothing in common with the laptop it’s meant to replace. Not the bare-metal portability. Not the embracing of its ‘un-laptop’ identity. And notably, not the processor. Sticking to the exact same chip the ROG Ally was built around – that’s the Ryzen Z1 Extreme – means the performance improvements are on the very minor side of things, especially seeing as the price jumps up to $800.

The ROG ALLY X: Not a Clear-cut Upgrade but a Different Beast

A Pricey Proposition with a Familiar Core

Such parity in compute capability begs the question: should today’s ROG Ally owners upgrade? To the new buyer, the ROG Ally X is nearly the perfect handheld gaming machine. To the owner of the original ROG Ally, the absence of a chip refresh might be a deal-breaker.

A Look Into the Future: The Arrival of ROG ALLY 2

The True Successor Awaits

Therefore, it is vitally important to acknowledge that the ROG Ally X is not the ROG Ally 2. It appears that Asus is saving a true successor – one with a new chip and foray into new features – for the inevitable ROG Ally 2 down the line. For now, though, the ROG Ally X is a powerful gaming machine that is the best handheld gaming device available for newcomers to the Asus ROG Ally line or anyone wanting to make use of the latest handheld gaming technology available today – without the baggage of a previous model.

Understanding Asus: A Brand Synonymous with Innovation

Asus has built a reputation for pushing the envelope of what’s possible in terms of gaming tech. Keeping an eye on the feedback from users and continuously striving to innovate, Asus once again managed to bring something new to its gaming community with the ROG Ally X. Despite resembling its predecessor, the ROG Ally X is testament to Asus’s journey towards perfection, which makes it a great choice for gaming enthusiasts the world over.

And, indeed, the Asus ROG Ally X feels like a very significant step forward for handheld gaming in the Asus quest for better, faster and more powerful gaming experiences for our global customer base. Is it worth upgrading to? I guess that depends on you. Does your desire to have the newest and latest and most powerful tech trump the value that you get from those incremental improvements?