The device that was initially teased as the ASUS ROG Ally X 2 and was the first portable PC gaming console of the year that was seen to be powered by the AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme processor was finally unveiled recently and rebranded as the ASUS ROG Xbox Ally X in the middle of this year, in a collaboration with Microsoft, which is seen to have introduced a new custom interface through the latest Microsoft Windows 11 operating system update.
We had the opportunity to use the ASUS ROG Xbox Ally X console for a week, and this is my first look at it, before I add my thoughts on the console soon.
Specifications
ASUS ROG Xbox Ally X
7″ Full HD (1920×1200) IPS Screen, 120Hz, Touch
AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme CPU
AMD Radeon RDNA 2 GPU
RAM 24GB LPDDR5X-7500MHz
1TB PCIe Gen4 Internal Storage
Main Camera None
I/O 1x USB4
1x USB 3.2 Type-C
1x 3.5MM Audio
1x microSD card reader
Battery 80WHr (3 Cell)
65W Charging
SIM/Telephony None
WiFi WiFi 6E
Audio Jack Yes
Waterproof None
Scanning System None
Selling Price RM4299
Starting with the specifications of this console, the ASUS ROG Xbox Ally X is as expected, powered by the latest AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme processor chip, and interestingly, it is still the first console to enter the Malaysian market to use this processor chip.
The AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme is a processing chip in the AMD Strix Point CPU family that uses the AMD Zen 5 cores used in the latest AMD Ryzen 9000 CPU series. This CPU component is said to show performance that can be said to be greater than before, which for me is also true, and I will explain more below.
In terms of memory and storage, this console comes with 24GB of LPDDR5X memory and also a 1.0TB PCIe 4.0 SSD storage that can be upgraded to larger storage using a full-size M.2 2280 SSD storage if you need more storage.
This console also maintains the use of a 7.0-inch IPS screen display with Full HD resolution and the same 120Hz refresh rate as what was shown on the previous ASUS ROG Ally console.
For plug connections, this console houses one USB4 Type-C plug and one USB 3.2 plug, both of which support PowerDelivery 3.0 charging connections, connection to the screen display via DisplayPort 2.1. For wireless connections, this console comes with support for WiFi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2 connections.
Speaking of charging, the ASUS ROG Xbox Ally X also comes with a larger 80Wh battery and can be charged using a plug and charging cable that supports 65W charging. This time, ASUS also includes a small charging dock to facilitate the charging process.
Design
Although the ASUS ROG Xbox Ally X console comes with the same display size, the size of the ROG Xbox Ally X is different because of the design of the controller handle that makes it come with a larger size.
Apart from that, the button layout and directional controls of this console are still present in the same position. In my opinion, this change makes this console easier to hold and lift compared to the previous ASUS ROG Ally console and goes some way to making the gaming experience with this console more comfortable.
However, I will say that this design makes the display frame of this console look thicker, and directly causes the 7.0-inch display to also look smaller than before.
Another addition you will notice is the Xbox button on the left side of this console, which can be used to quickly access the Xbox Mode interface. Apart from that, the Armoury Crate button is also still retained if you are more familiar with using the software.
Software
As said in the first paragraph, this console will run the Microsoft Windows 11 operating system, but for this model, the collaboration with Microsoft can be clearly seen, as it is also the first console to use the Xbox Mode interface by default.
This means that when the console is activated, it will not use the Windows 11 interface unless you want to use it. Xbox Mode can be used in the same way as the Armory Crate software, which allows you to access games purchased and downloaded from various digital game stores, including Steam, Battle.net, Epic Games Store and so on.
As mentioned, Armory Crate is still present on this console and can be used if you are more familiar with the software. In my opinion, Armory Crate is suitable for you to update driver software that is more related to the processing chip, graphics chip and gaming performance of the console, while the Xbox Mode interface is more suitable for updating the operating system and also for accessing various Windows 11 settings on this console.
User Experience
When you activate this console for the first time, you will be taken directly to the Xbox Mode Windows 11 interface and will not enter the desktop section. If you want to use the Windows 11 operating system for any type of purpose, it can still be accessed easily and quickly.
As I said, Xbox Mode can also be used to access digital game purchase stores, and not only that, you can also filter the games that have been installed on the console according to the store purchased and downloaded if necessary.
Additional settings such as showing the console's activity in terms of battery consumption, frame rate, and so on still require help from the Armory Crate software, but ASUS has managed to do it without messing with the functions present in Xbox Mode.
So until now, you must be asking, how does the ASUS ROG Xbox Ally X console perform? In these few days of use, I would say that the graphics processing performance of this console is not that different from what is offered on the previous generation console.
However, I will say that the advantages of this console are present in terms of the stability of the frame rate shown, in addition to the efficiency in using the console's battery power. This means that although the graphics processing performance of this console is not that different compared to the previous model, it is still a good improvement in terms of the overall performance of the console.
For example, I have been playing the Death Stranding game developed by Kojima Productions for the past few days. The graphics settings I used are Full HD resolution with medium settings with Ray-tracing and FSR (Fidelity Super Resolution) functions paired to take advantage of the artificial intelligence features by processing the game's frames using the help of the built-in AI system.
With these settings, and the power options set to Auto, I found that the game's frame rate was stable at 50-60FPS and the power consumption entered the 18W-26W mode depending on the scene and game mode.
In terms of battery usage, my initial review found that the use of a larger 80Wh battery also helps in providing longer battery life. With the same game, I was able to get about 2 hours and 30 minutes with a few other settings also changed, such as the display brightness value being slightly lowered to 50 percent and limiting the frame rate processing again.
For me, running a game with complex graphical processing like Death Stranding stably like this is a very good achievement because it means that the types of computer games that this console can play will increase, and it is now technically powerful enough to be seen as a computer replacement device.
Another noticeable change that I can hear on this console is the use of a new speaker system. When I played Death Stranding and Hollow Knight: Silksong, I noticed that the audio quality was not only louder, but also deeper.
At the moment I'm not really sure what has been changed on this console to make the audio quality better, but in my opinion it is a change that will definitely be well received by all users of this console.
The cooling system of this console is also in my opinion better, with a combination of the AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme processor chip that doesn't get very hot and the back frame design that is able to conduct heat into and out of the console more efficiently.
Even with the Death Stranding game, I found that the CPU temperature was around 60-70 degrees Celsius, which is quite good for a console with this performance. For many other games, my expectation is that unless you are running games like Cyberpunk 2077, Death Stranding, God of War and so on that require high processing power, the device temperature should not be a problem for you.
If there is one negative thing right now for me, it is related to the size of this console. Although it comes with the same size display as the previous ROG Ally console, the ROG Xbox Ally X comes in a slightly longer and heavier size than before.
For me, this is an issue because it means that the console is more tiring to hold and lift if I want to game for a long time (1-2 hours). Maybe this is an issue that only bothers me, but I would still say that the size of the console is too large for the screen size offered.
In the meantime, you will also need to find a new console storage accessory, as this new design change is quite different compared to the previous ROG Ally X.
Closing
This first look article will be updated later as a full review article with other opinions and also the console's performance benchmark scores. For now, my opinion of the console is very good, although with one or two things that I don't really like about it.
At RM4299, which is the same price as the previous ASUS ROG Ally X console, the ROG Xbox Ally X console in my opinion is worth it if you don't already own a PC gaming console and also want to fill your free time when you travel and have space in your luggage for such a device.
Stay tuned for my full review of this console later.