The PC Gaming Handheld battle continues as most brands are upping their game with updated versions of their portable machines. And Asus isn’t bowing out of the competition, as they made a team up with Microsoft to release the new ROG Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X. We look at the Xbox Ally to see how the Ally handheld has improved from the original.
Let’s take a look at the specs for the Xbox Ally:
- Operating System: Windows 11 Home
- Processor: AMD Ryzen Z2 A Processor 2.8GHz (6MB Cache, up to 3.8 GHz, 4 cores, 8 Threads)
- GPU: AMD Radeon Graphics
- Display:
- 7-inch 16:9 IPS-level
- Resolution: FHD (1920 x 1080)
- Refresh Rate: 120 Hz
- Touch Screen (10-point multi-touch)
- Memory: 16GB LPDDR5 (6400MT/s dual channel)
- Storage: 512 GB 4.0 NVMe M.2 SSD
- Audio:
- Smart Amp Technology
- Hi-Res certification (for headphones)
- Dolby Atmos
- AI noise-canceling technology
- Built-in array microphone
- I/O Ports:
- 1x 3.5mm Combo Audio Jack
- 2x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C supports DisplayPort
- 1x UHS-II microSD card reader (supports SD, SDXC and SDHC)
- Battery: 60WHrs, 4S1P, 4-cell Li-ion
- Weight: 670 g
- Dimensions: 11.42″ x 4.76″ x 1.08″ ~ 2.00″
The major difference in appearance compared to the Xbox Ally is the inclusion of handgrips, intended to make the handheld look like an Xbox controller. The two hand grips made the experience of playing for prolonged periods more comfortable, and the design made it look like an oversized controller. It may not be aesthetically pleasing for some, or make it portable in bags, but you would play this anywhere at home more often than bringing it outside.
The display screen remains the same as its predecessor, so you still get the same great quality when playing and the screen’s brightness level is good enough to play the handheld outdoors. The same goes with the speakers as well, still featuring Dolby Atmos and Smart Amplifier Technology.
The button placements were retained with only an additional button for quick access to the Xbox panel. The entire body also has a textured surface not present on the original; this gives a better grip when playing, though it has a caveat where it’s prone to dirt after prolonged use, considering the available color is white for this model. The trigger buttons have a larger size that gives your fingers more coverage for easier button presses, and yes, the shoulder and trigger buttons are also textured.
Some improvements added to the Xbox Ally are a larger battery, from the 40WHrs, now equipped with 60WHrs, that adds a bit more juice to your game time, and it was noticeable in some games that I expected to just last an hour, even on the Performance profile, but managed to run for 2 hours at least. Another one is adding another USB Type-C port that works both for charging and for hooking up to a monitor. This allows you to connect a peripheral like a keyboard if you don’t want to use a wireless version or a storage device to transfer files. Another noticeable change is the placement of the MicroSD card slot. This was the big issue with the original ROG Ally, as the card slot was placed directly above the exhaust vents, where issues of melting or damaged SD cards were reported. Now, with the card slot placed slightly away, this would be unlikely to cause more SD cards to break down.
On the software side, the Xbox Ally lets you switch between the ROG/Xbox launcher and the Windows desktop. It comes in handy when you just want to stick to playing games without the clutter of navigating around a desktop or folders. The downside that we encountered was the rare cases of the Xbox Ally experiencing sluggish performance when letting it run both the Windows desktop and the game launcher, as it feels like it’s running two operating systems. But this could be remedied with an update fix. One issue that I frequently experience is that when putting the handheld into sleep mode, there will be occasions when it wakes up on its own randomly, even if there aren’t any buttons being pressed. I had one encounter where I placed the Xbox Ally in my bag, and after a couple of minutes, the handheld was extremely hot. As it turns out, the handheld woke up on its own from sleep mode.
As for performance, it’s a mixed bag; despite it running on the AMD Ryzen Z2 A Processor as opposed to the AMD Ryzen Z1 A from the original ROG Ally, Most games we tried ran smoothly on their default settings after installation, with some minor graphical setting adjustments for some highly demanding game titles. Good examples are the 2D games where it ran smoothly on high framerates with no signs of dropped frames. Even the newer 3D titles had no issues right at the get-go, such as the recently released Arknights Endfield, while some games like Mechwarriors 5: Mercenaries may require some tweaking. All in all, you will be able to play the newer titles with the updated hardware with no hiccups, with some adjustments and you are all set.
The Xbox launcher makes it easier to access your game library from your Game Pass and Xbox library. Though it may allow access to non-Xbox game platforms, such as Steam on the launcher, it is still cumbersome to navigate around, as you have to scroll further to access Steam. You can skip using the Xbox launcher if you only want to use your Steam games and just use the installed ROG Armoury Crate instead.
The ROG Armoury Crate is pretty much the same as what we experienced with the ROG Ally, so what our feedback from our previous review is quite the same.
When it comes to deciding if you should get the ROG Xbox Ally, it all depends on whether you already own the original ROG Ally or not. If you don’t own any PC gaming handhelds or you are planning to jump from consoles like the Nintendo Switch, then yes, this is a great investment. With the Xbox on PC and Game Pass making it easier to build your PC gaming library, you can start playing the most popular titles immediately and you can make use of the frequent Steam Sales to quickly build your gaming collection. If you already own the original ROG Ally, it might be tough to convince yourself to get an upgraded version. But looking at the improvements from the handgrips to better battery life, it might be worth the upgrade.
Just like with the original, our verdict is still the same for the ROG Xbox Ally, It’s a great choice for your PC gaming, streamlined and portable.
You can read our original ROG Ally Review right here.
The Asus ROG Xbox Ally is available for PHP 36,995 and the ROG Xbox Ally X is priced at PHP 65,995