While the Steam Deck is still seen as the go-to gaming machine in the market, the ROG Ally has emerged as a strong alternative thanks to its powerful mobile technology and attractive frame. And now, one year after the first model’s launch, the new Asus ROG Ally X is available. The hardware revision brings welcome upgrades to Asus’ Windows PC gaming handheld, including enhanced battery life, RAM, and storage in a more ergonomic chassis with improved cooling and wireless connectivity. The ROG Ally X is available for $800 at Best Buy.
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The original ROG Ally was a great device when it first launched, even with the issues like the aforementioned poor battery life and its bad habit of weaponizing Micro SD cards. The Z1 Extreme version proved to be more than capable of running demanding games once you’d made a few graphical concessions, and in our testing, titles like Marvel’s Spider-Man, Cyberpunk 2077, Street Fighter 6, and Forza Motorsport ran smoothly. And now, the upgraded X model should boost performance even more.
For the ROG Ally X, Asus addressed user criticisms of the 2023 model. Internally, you’ll find a 1TB M.2 SSD, 24GB of LPDDR5X-7500 RAM, and a monstrous 80Wh battery alongside improved joysticks–rated for 5 million rotation cycles–and a more precise D-pad. The PC gaming handheld will still be using a Z1 Extreme chipset and the same seven-inch 120Hz VRR screen, but these parts of the original model’s design were lauded for offering a powerful gaming experience.
These changes have made it slightly heavier as it now weighs 678g, but alongside a custom cooling system, lighter circuit boards, and other improvements, the ROG Ally X is aiming to be a longer-lasting and more comfortable device to play your games on. Thanks to its design, the internal storage space can be upgraded easily, and the SD card reader has also been replaced. Hopefully, this will fix the issue of the ROG Ally randomly ejecting Micro SD cards.
You’ll find a full spec breakdown for the new ROG Ally X below. Those interested in the new handheld can grab it at Best Buy.
Asus ROG Ally X specs
| Operating System | Windows 11 Home |
| CPU | AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme Processor: Zen 4 architecture, 8-core/16-thread (up to 5.1 GHz boost) |
| GPU | AMD Radeon Graphics (AMD RDNA 3, 12 CUs, up to 2.7 GHz, up to 8.6 Teraflops) |
| APU Power Draw | 9 to 30 Watts |
| Display | 7-inch IPS panel (Glossy finish, 500 nits peak brightness, 7ms response time, touch screen) |
| Resolution | 1920×1080 @ 120 Hz refresh rate (AMD FreeSync Premium) |
| Memory | 24 GB LPDDR5X |
| Storage | 1TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 SSD (2280) |
| Ports | 1x 3.5mm Combo Audio Jack 1x Thunderbolt 4 support DisplayPort / power delivery 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C support DisplayPort / power delivery 1x UHS-II microSD card reader (supports SD, SDXC and SDHC) |
| Battery | 80WHrs, 4S1P, 4-cell Li-ion |
| Power Supply | 65W AC Adapter, Output: 20V DC, 3.25A, 65W Input: 100~240V AC 50/60Hz universal |
| Weight | 678 g / 1.49 lbs |
More PC gaming handheld deals
While the ROG Ally X is the newest device in the ever-growing pool of PC gaming handhelds, several other models from other companies are also available. The 512GB Lenovo Legion Go model is available for just $630 (was $700) at Amazon and Best Buy, or you can grab the 1TB version for $700 (was $750). The MSI Claw model with an Intel Core Ultra 7 CPU and 512GB storage is also on sale at Amazon for just $600 (was $750). Check the list below for links to even more models.