Steam Deck competitors have had a lot of ups and downs, but if there’s one that’s frequently approved as an immediate alternative to Valve’s tiny titan, it’s the ROG Ally by Asus.
And now, Asus has refined its entry into the portable gaming PC space by slapping a 90s-style X on the end of its name: the ROG Ally X is now available for purchase for $799.99.
The ROG Ally X is still using the same AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme APU as the faster of the two initial models, and it still has a 7-inch 120Hz 1080p screen. But that’s about where the similarities end.
Every other part of the machine has been tweaked for better performance and user comfort, starting with an impressive 24GB of DDR5 memory and 1TB of NVMe storage. Not enough for you? You can upgrade to a 2280 M.2 drive—the same kind that’s used on desktop motherboards. Nice.
Other adjustments versus the original model include a more ergonomic layout, improved active cooling, and tossing out the proprietary ROG mobile graphics port for a second USB-C port. This port also supports Thunderbolt 4, making it compatible with “standard” external GPU docks—a more egalitarian way to give users access to more pixel-pushing power when they’re not on the go.
And the battery life—or at least the battery capacity—is straight-up doubled from 40 watt-hours to 80 watt-hours. Since battery life is one of the primary complaints of these Windows-based portables, and not even good on the Linux-powered Steam Deck, this seems like a big deal and a remarkable engineering feat.
Despite all these improvements, the ROG Ally X is only 4.5mm thicker and just 70 grams (2.5 ounces) heavier than the original design.
Asus says that its Armoury Crate software for managing the device and launching games has been improved over the last year, hoping to smooth over a particularly low point in the initial reviews. We’ll have to wait and see; I don’t know anyone who has a kind word for Armoury Crate.
At $800 versus the original design’s $700, the ROG Ally X seems like a steal on paper. But the Steam Deck looms large on the market, and even with its impressive and more powerful hardware, a $150 premium over the OLED Steam Deck will be a hard sell for a lot of users.
Asus says the original ROG Ally is still being sold, and it can often be found at a significant discount. Best Buy is offering the non-Extreme model for just $500 right now, and we’ve seen it go lower.
Author: Michael Crider, Staff Writer, PCWorld
Michael is a 10-year veteran of technology journalism, covering everything from Apple to ZTE. On PCWorld he's the resident keyboard nut, always using a new one for a review and building a new mechanical board or expanding his desktop "battlestation" in his off hours. Michael's previous bylines include Android Police, Digital Trends, Wired, Lifehacker, and How-To Geek, and he's covered events like CES and Mobile World Congress live. Michael lives in Pennsylvania where he's always looking forward to his next kayaking trip.