In the our office there are three mobile gaming consoles running Windows 11 namely ASUS ROG Ally, Lenovo Legion Go and also MSI Claw A1M. The champion of these three is Lenovo because it offers a complete package for a real mobile console. ASUS ROG Ally is the choice of many because of the selling price and performance. While the MSI Claw A1M falls behind because it dares to use an Intel Ultra 7 chip that does not have good graphics capabilities until I say in the review, the MSI is not "sharp" enough.
At the Computex 2024 event, the ASUS ROG Ally X was launched with several more powerful updates. Even ASUS took inspiration from MSI Claw such as the black body, sides that provide more grip and good control buttons. This indirectly makes the ROG Ally X a more "sharp" competitor.
SPECIFICATION AND DESIGN
ASUS ROG Ally X
Screen 7.0″ IPS LCD FHD (1920×1080), 120Hz,
Gorilla Glass Victus, AMD FreeSync Premium
AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme CPU
AMD Radeon RDNA3 GPU
RAM 24GB LPDDR5X
Dual-Channel 7500 MHz
Internal Storage 1 TB M.2 2280 NVMe PCIe G4x4
Can Upgrade Yourself
Audio Speaker Stereo Smart Amplifier Technology
Dolby Atmos
AI Noise Cancellation
Hi-Res Audio
Built-in Microphone
I/O 1x 3.5mm Audio Jack Port
1x UHS-II SD Card Reader
1x USB-C, DP 1.4 + PD 3.0
1x USB-C, Thunderbolt 4 + DP 1.4 + PD 3.0
Battery/Charging 80 Wh
65W Universal Charger
SIM/Telephony None
Wi-Fi Wi-Fi 6
Audio Jack Yes
Waterproof None
Scan System None
Sale Price $799 (~RM3,760), 24GB + 1TB
USAGE EXPERIENCE
The first thing that excites me is that each side has better grip. It's very comfortable in the hand and with every component redesigned to be placed in the middle, it gives the illusion that the Ally X is lighter despite the fact that it's 70 grams heavier. This weight will be felt after about 10 minutes of playing, because my fingers start shaking from fatigue.
Upgrading the memory to 24GB LPDDR5X RAM turned out to be a wise decision because the performance can indeed feel twice as good. Windows 11 is still not perfect for mobile consoles but the Armory Crate SE 1.5 app as a game launcher/hub, makes the Ally X potentially the best gaming console. It's smoother, easier to control and user-friendly. Each button is more pleasant to press and durable also helps to provide a good user experience.
There weren't many games that ASUS let us try, this included testing the console with a benchmark application. With the same CPU and GPU which is AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme + AMD Radeon RDNA3, a game like Tekken 8 after playing within 10 minutes is very smooth and no heating problem occurs. More efficient use of power, smart features of gaming mode and better fan design along with additional grids contribute to good performance for this console.
The 7-inch IPS LCD 120Hz AMD FreeSync Premium screen is still good but for me it's disappointing because it's not an OLED panel as expected. OLED screens can offer a display that. more beautiful, clear and used outside without glare. More importantly, OLED saves battery consumption compared to LCD.
The placement and design of the buttons on the Ally X looks the same as the original console but actually hides one much-needed improvement. On the analog control stick and buttons, a Hall Effect switch is used and this will ensure that the problem of analog drift that haunts Switch, Xbox and PlayStation controllers will not occur.
On regular consoles users can buy new controllers when problems arise. On the original ROG Ally we don't know how much it would cost to replace it if it did. With the use of Hall Effect switches, Ally X is now the second PC portable console after MSI Claw to use it.
I really hope that ROG Ally X will be sold in Malaysia at the same time as the sale in the United States which is around July because I can't wait to get back active in playing PC video games.
BATTERY AND CHARGING
The 80Wh battery is twice as big as the original Ally. If previously the battery life was around two hours, ASUS promises Ally X will last twice as long. I can confirm this because at ASUS headquarters in Taiwan, a demo unit that was shared by many people had about 15% battery left after about 4 hours of being stretched by media representatives. The 65W fast charging is also retained only this time the charger provided is a universal type with 3x USB-C ports and 1x USB-A port to quickly charge multiple ASUS devices simultaneously.
ACCESSORY ECOSYSTEM
If the first Ally used a single USB-C port on the XG Mobile, the Ally X replaces it with two Thunderbolt-4 ports in the form of USB-C for user flexibility. In other words, users will not be tied to the ROG XG Mobile as ASUS allows the use of third-party docks and eGPUs. Finally, ASUS also provides users with a durable console storage frame.
One accessory that ASUS has yet to reveal to the public is the AirVision M1 which is ASUS' answer to the Lenovo Legion Glasses. It's a pair of augmented reality (AR) glasses to play ROG Ally X or ROG Ally with a bigger screen without carrying a portable monitor or connecting the console to a dock on a television. There are no clear details about these glasses or their selling price. Hopefully it's cheaper than Legion Glasses which cost RM1819.
CONCLUSION
Actually there are many more things I need to test on this console to determine if this new version is better than ROG Ally? All I can say is that the black color is very sexy and makes this console even more elegant. Then, for performance it is really faster and feels smoother but the problems on Windows 11 are still felt. Longer battery life is one of the reasons why this console has the potential to become a favorite of many.
If ASUS Malaysia wants to sell the Ally X at a decent price, they should offer bundles of accessories. As of now, a 3-month Xbox Game Pass subscription is confirmed to be accepted. So far what I can say, if you are not actively playing video games the first Ally is enough but if you want to be active and serious in the world of Windows mobile consoles, Ally X is worth a try.
PROS & ADVANTAGES
The design is more ergonomic and black in color which is not easy to get dirty.
Double faster performance.
More comfortable and accurate control.
Armory Crate SE 1.5 is smoother.
Thunderbolt 4 support for third-party docks/e-GPUs.
Hall Effect switches are used on analog sticks and buttons.
CONS & DISADVANTAGES
The screen is not OLED.
Feel heavy after more than 10 minutes of use.
Although more ergonomic, there is no uniqueness in the design.
Windows 11 is still not mobile console friendly.