Overview: The Xbox-Infused Windows Handheld Reaches a New High
The Asus ROG Xbox Ally X arrives as a bold rethinking of the Windows-based handheld, trading the classic two-ended tablet-slate look for a design that mimics an Xbox controller in handheld form. At $999, it positions itself as a premium option that aims to fuse Microsoft’s Xbox experience with a portable PC gaming powerhouse. While the competition from Lenovo’s Legion Go 2 isn’t far behind, the Ally X earns Editors’ Choice praise for its comfort, performance, and the promise of a robust software roadmap.
Design and Comfort: A True Xbox-Style Grip
From the first grip, the Xbox-inspired contour stands out. The console features rounded, controller-like grips with impulse triggers, giving it the feel of a large, ergonomic Xbox controller mounted around a 7-inch 1080p display. At 1.9 by 11.4 by 4.7 inches and roughly 1.5 pounds, it’s compact enough for portable use yet sturdy in the hand. The weight distribution is well balanced, reducing fatigue during longer sessions—a common critique of slab-style handhelds.
Physically, the Ally X exudes premium build quality. It avoids the “two-ended stick glued to a screen” perception and instead channels a cohesive design language that blends Asus ROG and Microsoft branding. The control layout, including easily reachable face buttons and a recessed 3.5mm jack, mirrors traditional gamepad ergonomics for quick adaptation to fast-paced titles.
Display, Performance, and Storage
The device sports a 7-inch IPS touchscreen with a 120Hz refresh rate. While not OLED and lacking HDR, the panel remains bright (up to 500 nits) with strong color pop for most games, although darker scenes can lose dimension without brightness cranked up. The display supports variable refresh rates via AMD FreeSync Premium, helping maintain smooth gameplay across supported titles.
Under the hood, the ROG Xbox Ally X uses a Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme processor, a variant of the Zen 5-based architecture with 16 RDNA 3.5 GPU cores and a dedicated AI processing unit (NPU) capable of up to 50 TOPS. This AI hardware enables features like Gaming Copilot and an ambitious Auto Super Resolution (Auto SR) workflow once software unlocks it in 2026. For memory and storage, the unit ships with 24GB of DDR5 RAM and a 1TB NVMe SSD, alongside dual USB-C ports (USB 3.2 and USB4) with DisplayPort 2.1 output and Power Delivery 3.0. A microSD card reader and 3.5mm jack round out the I/O, making it flexible for both gaming and on-the-go work tasks.
Xbox Full-Screen Experience: A Portal to Xbox, PC, and Cloud
Microsoft’s push to bring the Xbox interface to handhelds culminates in the Xbox full-screen experience. The Ally X hosts a dedicated Xbox overlay accessed via a single Xbox Button, allowing seamless navigation among games, Game Pass, storefronts, and social features. In practice, it provides a unified console-like experience on a portable Windows device, including access to Xbox Remote Play and Cloud Gaming, plus traditional PC libraries via Steam, Epic, and GOG when not inXbox mode.
However, the software is not flawless. Early builds show bugs in switching between the desktop Windows environment and the full-screen Xbox mode, occasional freezes, and hiccups navigating PIN prompts. Asus and Microsoft have signaled a steady bug-squash path, with several fixes expected by launch windows. For day-one users, the experience is functional but not entirely polished, especially when multitasking between services.
Performance vs. Legion Go 2: Where the Ally X Shines
In benchmarks, the Ally X generally keeps pace with the Legion Go 2 thanks to the same Ryzen Z2 Extreme DNA, though real-world results vary by workload. In light of Windows 11’s overhead on compact hardware, the Ally X’s Windows-light overlay provides a meaningful performance edge in many titles, especially when the Xbox full-screen mode is engaged. Notable gaming impressions include Doom-style precision in fast shooters and colorful, expansive environments in racing titles, with Forza Horizon 5 and Gears of War: Reloaded delivering particularly strong 1080p performance at higher frame rates.
Battery Life and Corner Case Scenarios
The Ally X packs an 80Wh battery, larger than that of the Legion Go 2 and others in its class. In practice, expect roughly 3–5 hours of graphically intense gameplay per charge, with longer runtimes for video playback or lighter workloads. A future firmware update promises additional efficiency features, including improved save reliability in low-power mode and enhanced shader delivery to boost initial load times and reduce energy use.
What This Means for the Market
The ROG Xbox Ally X represents a pivotal moment for Windows-based handhelds: it bundles a premium chassis, Kotlin-level comfort, strong core performance, and a forward-looking software roadmap that leans into the Xbox ecosystem. While the $999 price tag invites scrutiny alongside the similarly priced Legion Go 2, the Ally X’s design, comfort, and the promise of an ecosystem-leaning Windows handheld experience position it as the current benchmark for high-end handheld gaming.
Bottom Line
For enthusiasts seeking a premium, Xbox-branded handheld with ambitious software ambitions and solid gameplay on a 1080p screen, the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X is hard to top in its current generation. Early software bumps aside, it’s the most compelling Windows-based handheld today, delivering a design language and user experience that align closely with what modern gamers want from portable PC gaming.
