ASUS has just unveiled the ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X, two new handheld gaming devices created in collaboration with Xbox. While they still run on Windows, these new consoles arrive with special optimizations that help them stand out. So, are these the true Xbox portables fans have been waiting for? Here’s what sets the ROG Xbox Ally series apart.
ROG Xbox Ally vs Ally X: Specs & Hardware
Getting the specs out of the way first, both models sport a 7-inch 1080p IPS LCD display with a 120Hz refresh rate and Gorilla Glass Victus protection, offering solid visuals and durability. However, under the hood is where the differences emerge.
The ROG Xbox Ally is powered by the Ryzen Z2 APU (based on RDNA 2), paired with 16GB RAM, 512GB storage, and a 60Wh battery. It includes dual USB-C ports with DisplayPort 2.1 and USB 3.2 Gen 2 support. On the other hand, the ROG Xbox Ally X bumps things up with the Ryzen Z2 Extreme chip, 24GB RAM, 1TB storage, a beefier 80Wh battery, and USB 4.0/Thunderbolt 4 support. Both offer WiFi 6E, Bluetooth 5.4, and user-replaceable M.2 SSDs via microSD or internal storage upgrades.
| Preview | Product | |
|---|---|---|
| ASUS ROG Ally Handheld Gaming Console (17.78cm (7″)/120Hz/AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme Processor/16GB/512GB… | Check Price on Amazon |
| ASUS ROG Ally X Handheld Gaming Console, 7″ FHD 16:9 120Hz 500 nits, AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme Processor… | Check Price on Amazon |
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Xbox Optimizations: Where it Truly Shines
The biggest leap isn’t in hardware, but software. Past Windows handhelds were kind of like tiny laptops trying to be consoles. Other gaming handhelds that ran on Windows had some drawbacks owing to the Windows design. Microsoft’s popular OS isn’t ideal for touch or gamepad navigation, struggling with scaling and UI optimizations. The constant Windows updates or new drivers occasionally lead to something breaking.
But what held these portable consoles the most were the issues with battery life and some performance hits. Some models faced excessive battery drains, while various Windows processes in the background took up memory or APU performance that impacts gaming.
On the other hand, the new ROG Xbox Ally series came with modifications that minimize the background activity, defer non-essential tasks, and dedicate more system resources to the games. A great example of the background Windows process is the desktop wallpaper, taskbar, and others, which took up 2GB of RAM before Xbox optimized the handheld consoles.
Now, ASUS’ ROG Xbox Ally and Ally X offer an Xbox full screen experience, despite not being dedicated Xbox consoles. There is even a dedicated Xbox button to bring up the Game Bar overlay that integrates the ASUS Armory Crate.
An Xbox Experience
While it’s technically not an Xbox OS, the Xbox Ally’s full-screen launcher and tight Xbox ecosystem integration. Pairing this with the Xbox Game Pass, Xbox Cloud Gaming, and controller-first design, the new ROG Xbox Ally series feels more like a genuine Xbox handheld. This helps bridge the gap between a Windows PC and a streamlined gaming console.
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The post ASUS ROG Xbox Ally & Ally X: What Makes Them Stand Out? appeared first on Gizmochina.
