ASUS Officially Announces New ROG Ally X Handheld Gaming PC

After weeks of leaks and speculation, ASUS has officially revealed the follow up to its popular ROG Ally handheld gaming PC. The new ROG Ally X brings upgrades to what was already an incredibly powerful console, featuring faster RAM, bigger internal storage and – perhaps the best part – double the battery life.

The original ROG Ally was announced in April last year and, just like the one that came before it, the new ROG Ally X is a Windows-based machine. It runs Windows 11 out of the box and is powered by the highly capable Ryzen Z1 Extreme Processor – in fact, this is the very same chipset found in the upper tier version of the first ROG Ally (there was a lower tier, cheaper version that used a Ryzen Z1 Processor, sans-Extreme), but this is no bad thing given its capabilities. The onboard Z1 Extreme processor is supported by upgraded memory and features 24GB of LPDDR5X RAM, a step up from the previous console’s 16GB; the new RAM is also faster, clocking in at 7500Mhz in comparison to the 6,400MHz of its predecessor, promising better performance and gameplay all round.

In terms of internal storage, the new ROG Ally X has a bigger 1TB SSD. However, it isn’t just the amount of storage that’s changed, ASUS has also opted to use M.2 2280 SSDs over the M.2 2230 SSDs it used previously. In addition to this, the brand has made swapping these much easier for users, with the SSD being one of the first thing you can access once the back of the console has been removed. The first ROG Ally — like many handheld gaming PCs on the market — was a little cumbersome to upgrade, and this design change means users with basic skills can upgrade their drives should they please.

Just like the original ROG Ally, the ROG Ally X features a bright 1080p display with a 120Hz refresh rate. Whilst this may disappoint some fans – who might have hoped ASUS would take Steam’s lead with an OLED upgrade – the previous console’s 1080p display remains one of the best available in a handheld PC, so there’s little worry there. There are new fans, however, that are 23% smaller with 50% thinner blades that result in up to 24% more air being pushed through a newly included third vent. The brand claims this will help to keep the device up to 6°C / 43ºF cooler, a significant number in the context of a handheld device.

There have been improvements to the overall ergonomics of the new device with new joysticks that promise to deliver better, more precise control. ASUS has also made switching these joysticks out much easier than before, and has began working with third parties to offer Hall-effect sticks separately for those who want to upgrade. The new ROG Ally X also features two USB-C ports, a simple upgrade that gamers across the world – no matter which device they use – will have prayed to the gaming gods for before (why do nearly all handhelds insist on having only one port?!).

Perhaps best of all, though, is the new and improved battery: ASUS has doubled the battery life going from a 40 Wh to a 80 Wh battery, in theory giving gamers twice as much play time. When considered together with the other upgrades this may even be more, as a cooler device with more RAM is a more efficient device, and likely to make better use of the battery. ASUS has also managed to keep the weight in check and even with the upgraded battery the new ROG Ally X is only 70 grams heavier than the original model.

The new ASUS ROG Ally X will retail for $799.99 and can be pre-ordered now via the brand’s website.