"ROG Xbox Ally X" review. A device that can be called a handheld Xbox, designed with the user first. I'm worried about the price!

 

The "ROG Xbox Ally" and "ROG Xbox Ally X" handheld game consoles were announced at the "Xbox Games Showcase" on June 9, 2025. In addition to Xbox games, you can also play a variety of games through major stores available on Windows PCs.

The new game consoles, which will be jointly developed with ASUS, are said to be based on the "ROG Ally" and "ROG Ally X" respectively.

Since it is based on Windows, various game stores and apps can be used.

This time, we had the opportunity to get a glimpse of the high-end model "ROG Xbox Ally X" under development, so we would like to deliver a report.

The hardware specs give the impression that they are genuine enhancements to the ROG Ally X

Before we get into the hands-on review, let's start with the specs of the ROG Xbox Ally X.

The ROG Xbox Ally X features an AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme integrated processor (APU) with 24G of RAM and an M.2 2280 SSD with 1TB of storage storage. There is not a big difference in specs compared to the base model ROG Ally X, but the processor installed in this one is AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme.

The display specs are 120Hz 7-inch IPS liquid crystal that supports 1080p output. Although the size is the same, the ROG Ally X is a TFT LCD, so this point can also be said to be enhanced.

Another major feature of the hardware is that the trigger button is an impulse trigger with a unique vibration function. This alone will tell you that it differentiates itself from the ROG Ally X. It's not just a change of shape, it's the ROG Xbox Ally X.

This differentiation is also evident in the software, which is just specific to Xbox, such as the Xbox app that launches as soon as you press the Xbox button located in the upper left corner of the screen, the ability to remotely access the Xbox console, and the support for Xbox Play Anywhere.

This is the power of ergonomics! It should be heavy, but it's not heavy, and the grippy body is easy to hold.

From here, let's give you a review of the model that is actually under development. By the way, I played Gears of War: Reloaded, which was just announced at the Xbox Games Showcase, and the original Gears of War released for Xbox 360 It is a remastered title for the current console.

The first thing you feel when you hold it in your hand is the weight. Looking at the spec sheet, the ROG Xbox Ally X weighs 715 grams. It is not a light game machine to hold and play with your hands. However, when I held it in my hand, I didn't feel that heavy.

The "ROG Xbox Ally X" has a body that looks like an Xbox controller stretched horizontally and placed in the center with a display in the center, and the handle has a grip like a controller. I wonder if it is due to the presence of this grip, but strangely I didn't feel heavy. It took about 5~10 minutes to touch the terminal under development, so it is possible that it was over before I felt the weight, but I still don't think I felt tired.

In the presentation held at the same time as the hands-on demonstration, it was said that the grips and other parts were ergonomically designed. It is also conceivable that this made it difficult to feel heaviness and fatigue.

Since shooting was NG, I would like to introduce official materials that seem to convey the image I have. The grip like an Xbox controller fits in your hand more than you can imagine!

The next thing I paid attention to was the exhaust heat and the sound of the fan. As long as it is a game console that you can hold in your hand, the sound and heat emitted from it are worrisome. From the results, it is quite quiet and the exhaust heat is modest. Since it was not played with a power supply, it was not an experience with full power, but the sound of the fan was still surprisingly quiet. That's the level at which you can finally hear the sound of the fan when you put your ears closer.

If the fan is quiet, it means that the heat is contained within a level that does not cause problems even if it does not dissipate heat at all its might, or that it dissipates heat more efficiently. In fact, when I finished playing, the device was barely warm, and it seemed that my hands were more warm.

Some people may wonder if a modest heat exhaust will give you a satisfying gaming experience, and that's okay too. Gears of War: Reloaded was originally a 2006 game, but this title has been remastered for the current console. The expression is also rich, and a certain amount of machine power should be required to draw correctly.

When I actually played it, I didn't feel any particular stuttering or roughness of the drawing. In the presentation, they said that the machine is still under development, but it makes me think that it is almost complete.

With a simple setting, you can decide how much power you want to get out of your car. If you're playing a game that requires a lot of power, you'll need the turbo mode, which consumes the most energy.

In summary, I feel that it is a high-performance mobile game machine that thoroughly puts the user first. In particular, the grip prepared for the handle is quite good! I honestly don't know how much the ergonomic design will benefit the user. However, even so, it seems to contribute considerably to "ease of holding" and "fatigue resistance".

However, the point of concern is the price. It has been announced that it will go on sale during the 2025 holiday season, but the price has not yet been announced. In addition, in the hands-on presentation, it was said that it could be released at a low price, but the details remain unknown. I don't know if it's helpful, but the ROG Ally X, which is the base product, is sold at the official online store for 139,800 yen [tax included].

I can't say much about it because the play time is short and I don't know the price, but it certainly has a lot of potential among portable gaming PCs. In addition, there was a sense of the future in which its presence in the market will be firmly established in the future.

They are currently developing a variety of accessories, so it will be interesting to see what they know in the future.