ASUS has formally introduced the ROG Ally X, its second gaming handheld and a followup to the unique it launched in 2023. The ROG Ally X is much less of a real sequel system than just a few small updates or enhancements. Very like the Steam Deck OLED, the Ally X shouldn’t be too totally different from the primary mannequin of the system. Nevertheless, it does include some adjustments. Primarily enhancements on key areas that the primary handheld struggled with.
The truth is, the enhancements that had been made all appear to be addressing ache factors that buyers had. The microSD card slot has been up to date, for one. Following the launch of the ROG Ally final yr, a variety of customers had been experiencing issues with the microSD reader. For a lot of customers, the microSD card would randomly come out of the slot.
ASUS later acknowledged these issues and mentioned it was brought on by overheating. Noting that sure thermal circumstances might outcome within the microSD reader malfunctioning. This was clearly a difficulty since video games get large and the inner storage on the ROG Ally might replenish quick. So individuals would naturally flip to microSD playing cards for additional storage. ASUS updating this with the ROG Ally X is a giant enchancment. Even when it’s not a serious {hardware} improve. Now ASUS did additionally take away a factor or two. Specifically the XG Cell port for plugging in ASUS’s exterior GPU dock.
As a replacement are two USB-C ports, certainly one of which is USB 4 with Thunderbolt help. So you may nonetheless hook up an exterior GPU dock. Simply not the XG Cell.
The ROG Ally X handheld has 24GB of RAM, double the storage, and an 80Wh battery
Let’s discuss upgrades as a result of the ROG Ally X is being upgraded in three to 4 key areas in comparison with the ROG Ally. The primary is RAM. The ROG Ally presents 16GB of RAM, and that’s actually appropriate for gaming on a handheld PC. Nevertheless, extra RAM is rarely a foul factor. Each the ROG Ally and ROG Ally X are utilizing the identical chipset. The Ryzen Z1 Excessive. That is an APU although, and meaning the video RAM is shared with the system RAM. ASUS has bumped up the RAM on the ROG Ally X to 24GB so customers have extra to allocate to each.
It’s an necessary improve as a result of video games today can suck up VRAM like there’s no tomorrow. Having 24GB at your disposal ought to permit for tuning the graphics settings up a bit so video games look a bit higher and run smoother.
Extra space for extra video games
Along with the RAM, the ROG Ally X additionally now comes with much more storage. 512GB within the ROG Ally is okay and definitely sustainable for some avid gamers. However many will want or need greater than that. With out it, you find yourself having to do that dance of deleting video games you aren’t at present taking part in to make room for brand spanking new ones. And the cycle continues. The ROG Ally X bumps up storage from 512GB to 1TB in its new SSD, plus it nonetheless has the micro SD card slot for much more storage if wanted.
Recreation longer with out plugging in
One other enchancment is the battery life. The ROG Ally can realistically get you near round 95 to 100 minutes or so of battery life when taking part in video games on the 15W profile. Even much less for those who had been taking part in on 25W. ASUS says the 80Wh battery within the ROG Ally X doubles the battery lifetime of the ROG Ally. So for those who had been getting an hour and a half in a selected sport on the ROG Ally, the ROG Ally X ought to enhance that to round three hours.
ASUS doesn’t, nevertheless, present laborious numbers or specifics. It merely says the battery life is double what it was. And if correct that’s an enormous enchancment.
Higher thermals and ergonomics are current as nicely
Bear in mind the microSD reader concern and its trigger being the system overheating? Nicely, the ROG Ally X shouldn’t have that concern. ASUS says the ROG Ally X has improved thermals to assist maintain the system cool. Followers now push as much as 24% extra air via the vents in response to the corporate. One other factor that’s been upgraded is the ergonomics. On the ROG Ally, the underside of the hand held had these sharp angular corners. Not sharp as in they’d stab your fingers and pierce the pores and skin if not cautious. However sharp as in they had been very outlined angular traces.
To some, this made holding the system much less snug for longer periods. On the ROG Ally X, ASUS appears to have taken word of individuals’s complaints in regards to the design. As a result of those self same corners are much less sharp angles and barely extra rounded curves. The opposite ergonomics enchancment is the again of the hand grips. The ROG Ally didn’t have a lot to carry onto. These grips the place your fingers sit are extra pronounced on the ROG Ally X, and this could make holding it for longer intervals of time extra snug.
ASUS up to date among the controls as nicely. The again buttons are barely tweaked to account for the marginally bigger hump of the hand grips, and the face inputs all have changes. Most notably the joysticks that are extra responsive than earlier than. The D-pad has been up to date too.
Pricing and availability
You could be pondering that with a few of these notable upgrades, the unit certainly prices extra. And also you’d be proper. ASUS is pricing the ROG Ally X at $799. That is in comparison with $699 for the ROG Ally. For extra storage and RAM although, that is to be anticipated. As for availability, you may already pre-order the ROG Ally X at Greatest Purchase. There isn’t a official launch date but, although. You too can signal as much as be notified about its launch through the official ROG Ally X product web page.