For the final couple of years, PC gaming has sought to flee the inflexible confines of its electric-outlet certain, RGB-coated monolithic towers with quick framerates at huge resolutions for one thing a bit extra modest and transportable.
In 2023, PC maker Asus shipped its transportable gaming PC, the ROG Ally, to compete with Valve’s well-liked Steam Deck. In contrast to the Steam Deck which runs Linux, Asus went with normal Home windows for its working system, which in principle permits for extra video games to run natively in addition to the choice to extra simply run a wide range of PC gaming storefronts. Now, in 2024, the Ally X offers a much-needed {hardware} refresh that improves the shape issue and performance of the system. And this time, Asus assures us the Ally X received’t be frying SD playing cards (extra on that later).
The Ally X, notably, isn’t a full blown “sequel” to 2023’s Ally. At $799, it doesn’t improve the processor from the primary, increased tier mannequin. The AMD Ryzen Z1 Excessive, nevertheless, is greater than able to powering a overwhelming majority of recent video games, from tiny indie titles that received’t ever hassle it, to extra substantial graphical powerhouses like Cyberpunk 2077. The Ally X, nevertheless, did add extra (and quicker) reminiscence, with 24GB of ram and it has a really, very beneficiant 80Wh battery that made me virtually by no means take into consideration battery life throughout my time with it. And it does have the identical 7-inch, 1080p, 16:9 LCD display screen that, whereas clearly not as flashy as an OLED panel, by no means fails to look splendid (that’s, when my fingerprints weren’t throughout its shiny floor).
Whereas I’ve points with Home windows as an working system for handheld gaming, the Ally X has made it laborious for me to return to my Steam Deck. That mentioned, I nonetheless discover Valve’s transportable PC to be a greater gaming expertise total. However oof, it’s gettin’ shut ya’ll.
My expertise with the Ally X
I’ll spit numbers and stats at you in a second, and I’ll extra totally tackle my complaints the place they exist. However there’s no mistaking it: The Ally X supplied me with a beautiful transportable gaming expertise, and it’s more likely to proceed doing so. It’s a substantial enchancment to the expertise of the unique Ally and is compact sufficient to make it price placing up with Home windows.
As a New Yorker, I made a decision to essentially lean into the Ally X’s transportable potential as a lot as attainable. Whereas that motivation was a bit reduce quick by the truth that the Ally X doesn’t embrace a case (forcing me to make use of the internal shell of my Steam Deck OLED case during which it…largely match), its smaller measurement in comparison with the Steam Deck was welcome as I traveled on trains and buses each day.
As soon as I bought previous some frustrations with Home windows 11, I hardly ever thought of {hardware} and software program, I simply gamed. My time was largely spent with Flintlock, Elden Ring, Future 2 (which I needed to be house for attributable to a required web connection), and No Man’s Sky. All ran with just about zero flaws at an honest 40-60 frames per second relying on how I fiddled with the graphics settings. The display screen has a 120HZ refresh fee too, so you’ll be able to push to even increased framerates with the precise sport.
And since I used to be taking part in video games on my Steam account, I might come house and decide up proper the place I left off on my rather more highly effective house pc. Just like the Steam Deck, the Ally X flattens the boundary between PC gaming at house and on the go, however with great battery life and a kind issue that’s extra like pulling my Change out of my bag than it’s the mini battle tanks different transportable gaming PCs are typically.
The Ally X offers a unbelievable PC gaming expertise on the go for a worth that’s a contact steep, however truthful if you happen to’re up for investing in an important transportable expertise.
That mentioned, the selection of working system right here, which technically isn’t Asus’ fault, could make for some tough setup and various irritating quirks.
Home windows %@*&ing sucks for this type of gaming expertise
My first hour or so with the Ally X was spent, nicely, organising Home windows. I needed to signal into my Microsoft account, flip down all of the gives for a free trial of OneDrive, Microsoft 365, and different stuff that isn’t a priority to me in anyway on a gaming machine. Then, for some purpose, it wouldn’t acknowledge my pin to signal into the system. So I needed to reset that a variety of occasions.
Given that you simply shouldn’t depart a conveyable Home windows machine simply open for anybody to select up and signal into your private account, having a pin to unlock the system is critical. And since Home windows doesn’t acknowledge controller enter on its lock display screen, I had to make use of the contact display screen as I tried and reset my pin two or 3 times.
By the tip of going by means of Home windows setup and always coming into my pin, I used to be exhausted and left with a tool with fingerprint smudges on it as a result of I can’t use the controller buttons to register.
And it didn’t finish there. Home windows would always do its bizarre Home windows issues. Whereas taking part in Elden Ring, I’d get spontaneously taken again to the desktop with no approach to get the sport again on the display screen simply. Bear in mind, there’s no keyboard, so I can’t Alt + Tab to it. I’d swipe up always to make the Home windows taskbar seem to maintain urgent the sport’s icon to no luck. That, in fact, left extra fingerprint smudges on the system.
Suspending the system to toss it again in my bag whereas transferring between trains was additionally unpredictable. I’d hit the ability button to see it go black after which instantly pop to life once more on the Home windows lock display screen. Why? I don’t know. Certain, there are methods to tailor Home windows to play nicer with this type of kind issue, however the working system is an unideal resolution for transportable gaming. It pales compared to SteamOS on the Steam Deck and doesn’t even come near the seamless expertise of utilizing one thing like a Nintendo Change. I’d gladly take a gaming-specific working system that may technically run fewer video games (although the Proton compatibility layer for Linux OS is making Home windows much less and fewer important lately) over an working system that’s simply foundationally not meant for this type of kind issue.
There’d be different points, like troubleshooting randomly disconnecting Bluetooth with a pair of Pixel Buds Professional that by no means has points on different gadgets. Random Home windows prompts right here and there have been one other ache level, as was any time I seemingly activated Co-Pilot for causes unbeknownst to me.
Whereas Home windows has gotten higher with recognizing a gamepad as an enter system, it’s nonetheless finest apply to arrange your Ally X with a keyboard and mouse linked. I liked the {hardware} of the Ally X, however corporations like Asus desperately want to begin exploring alternate options, or Microsoft must relent and provide some type of extra light-weight model of its OS for these sorts of gaming gadgets.
One thing’s gotta give as a result of this isn’t an important resolution.
However as soon as I bought gaming, and Home windows left me alone, rattling, the Ally X rocks.
The Ally X simply feels proper
Upon first holding the system, the Ally X is instantly extra comfy than its predecessor and every thing simply feels extra premium this time round. The shell has been tweaked a bit so it’s a contact bigger than the unique Ally, however its grips are much less angular so it simply rests in your arms extra naturally. To be sincere, I nonetheless discover the Steam Deck to be extra comfy even when it’s a bigger system in comparison with the Ally X.
The triggers and bumpers have been reshaped and really feel higher. The identical is true of the 4 face buttons, which, although nonetheless flat and fewer colourful as I’d like them to be, really feel higher to press than the unique system. The thumbsticks, specifically, are glorious, with extra resistance than the earlier ones. The d-pad additionally bought some love and feels extra dependable and fewer slippy than the shiny one on the unique. The twin rear buttons are additionally much less outstanding than the unique Ally, which on that system I had discovered to be too liable to unintentional presses.
I virtually by no means thought of battery life
The Ally X ships with a 65W charger that will get the Ally X as much as a full cost rapidly (it’s appropriate with a 100W charger if you need even quicker cost occasions). I don’t keep in mind what number of occasions I charged this system, nevertheless it wasn’t an on a regular basis requirement. You’ll get much less battery life if you happen to change the system to its extra highly effective efficiency setting in Asus’ utility software program, however even whereas taking part in fashionable video games, battery life was past beneficiant.
The Ally X is a contact heavier than the unique Ally, however for my part, this helps it really feel a bit extra “premium” within the bizarre approach that further weight generally does.
All of those kind issue adjustments imply that if you happen to’re contemplating an improve from the primary Ally, you’re gonna must go searching for a brand new case and/or pores and skin because it received’t be appropriate with present equipment for the primary Ally.
Lastly, the selection to go along with a slick matte black isn’t simply aesthetically pleasing, it helped me focus a bit extra on the sport. Whereas I like a colourful object as a lot as anybody else, the black case makes it simpler in your eyes to give attention to the display screen extra so than the brilliant white of the unique Ally’s case.
What precisely did Asus improve?
Although it sports activities the identical processor and 120HZ display screen of the unique Z1 Excessive Ally, the Ally X comes with twice the battery capability, an extra 8 GB of RAM (which runs at a quicker pace than the unique), extra cooling vents and improved followers to push warmth out of the system. It additionally ships with 1TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe storage. Take a look at the one-to-one breakdown of each mannequin’s specs on Asus’ weblog.
Maybe the perfect addition, nevertheless, is an additional USB-C port that may each cost the system and hook up with peripherals or any USB4 appropriate system. With the Ally X, Asus has made the case that these sorts of machines want two USB ports. You received’t want an exterior hub, for instance, to cost the system whereas connecting it to a display screen or different system. With two ports, the Ally X simply feels extra transportable and fewer depending on carrying round a bag full of additional stuff to sprout extra connections into the system.
The Ally X is a wonderful, premium-feeling transportable PC gaming expertise with unbelievable battery life, a really fairly, color-rich display screen, and elevated utility with its further USB C port.
Probably the most minor of {hardware} complaints
I really like the Ally X, as you may’ve seen. However there have been a number of issues I feel might’ve been higher (other than Home windows sucking the enjoyable out of the room).
Whereas the display screen seems to be nice, it’s a fingerprint magnet. Given how a lot you could use the contact display screen to function Home windows to make use of the machine, which means a single session of gaming will see this factor smudged up fairly rapidly. I discovered that I needed to carry round a microfiber fabric to persistently wipe away the marks. The Ally X additionally repositioned its proper thumbstick to be nearer to the display screen. This might usually lead me to by chance contact the display screen with my proper thumb. Not solely would that depart extra fingerprints, it could generally set off one thing in-game as many video games acknowledge a contact display screen as a mouse click on.
I additionally would’ve favored to have seen a 16:10 1920×1200 display screen as a substitute of the cinematic, extra desktop normal 16:9 1920×1080 measurement. With 16:10, you get a taller picture which pairs properly with a smaller system. Such a ratio is normal on the Steam Deck and Change for a purpose. The 16:9 letterbox form simply feels a bit too tight for me. That mentioned, some older video games don’t assist that decision, so the additional actual property isn’t all the time getting used. Nonetheless, it could’ve been a pleasant inclusion.
Additionally, for 800 bucks, the Ally X ought to ship with a case.
Asus’ previous Ally troubles
A powerful machine in its personal proper, the primary Ally definitely impressed with a reasonably LCD display screen, a slim kind issue, and a few satisfyingly highly effective compute energy to run video games at 1080p, usually at nice framerates. However with nice energy comes nice warmth, and that warmth turned out to be an issue for the 2023 Ally mannequin as it could be recognized to fry SD playing cards.
To make issues worse, Asus wasn’t precisely swift to come clean with this drawback. Finally, the corporate would problem an extra 12 months guarantee on the Ally to make up for any future issues customers might have with the SD card reader.
That wasn’t the tip of it. As Avid gamers Nexus documented in its video on the Ally’s restore providers, Asus seemingly wasn’t essentially the most sincere and clear when it got here to servicing a faulty system. It was an expertise many different Ally house owners had as nicely, which might lead Asus to vow to revamp its customer support expertise to keep away from additional points.
For some, the injury might have already been accomplished. And, to be sincere, that’s one thing to take into accounts after we’re speaking about throwing down $800 on the brand new Ally X.
Chatting with Kotaku, an Asus consultant said that the SD card problem has “lengthy been recognized” and that the group “took all precautions attainable to keep away from customers encountering comparable points with the Ally X.” Time will inform how true that’s. Asus additionally mentioned that will probably be providing a regular, one-year guarantee with the Ally X, because it doesn’t anticipate the brand new system working into the identical problem that prompted them to increase the guarantee on the unique Ally to 2 years.
The ROG Ally X is a unbelievable {hardware} refresh
The Ally X is definitely the perfect model of the Ally. It feels nice to play. Has beyond-excellent battery life and is available in a kind issue that’s excellent for on-the-go gaming, regardless of a irritating working system.
All of that mentioned, Asus goes to must earn its belief again after earlier issues. I hesitate to say it’s price an improve in case you have already invested within the Ally Z1 Excessive from final 12 months, however if you happen to’ve been interested by transportable PC gaming and want Home windows, the Ally X is greater than as much as the job.
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