ASUS ROG Ally X Review 2026 – Best Handheld Gaming PC?
Quick comparison — asus rog ally x review 2026 best handheld gaming pc?
| Rank | Model | Street price | Editorial score |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | ASUS ROG Ally X (2026) | Check Amazon | 8.8/10 |
| #2 | Steam Deck OLED | Check Amazon | 8.6/10 |
| #3 | Lenovo Legion Go 2 | Check Amazon | 8.4/10 |
| #4 | ASUS ROG Ally (original) | Check Amazon | 8.0/10 |
| #5 | Ayaneo 3 | Check Amazon | 7.9/10 |
| #6 | GPD Win 4 | Check Amazon | 7.6/10 |
The ASUS ROG Ally X is the pro version of the original ROG Ally handheld gaming PC: 24GB RAM (double the original), a 80Wh battery (nearly double), a redesigned thermal system, and better ergonomics — while keeping the same Ryzen Z1 Extreme processor. The question: is this upgrade worth $799?
What's New vs. Original ROG Ally
The three major upgrades are: RAM (12GB → 24GB LPDDR5X, enabling faster VRAM-sharing for iGPU), battery (40Wh → 80Wh — transformative for gaming session length), and the secondary USB-C port (now USB4/Thunderbolt 4 compatible for eGPU and dock connection). The redesigned hall-effect joysticks eliminate drift issues that plagued the original model.
Gaming Performance
With 24GB unified RAM, the ROG Ally X allocates up to 8GB as VRAM for the Radeon 780M iGPU — a 2GB improvement over the original. In Cyberpunk 2077 at 1080p/Medium preset with FSR 3 Quality, the Ally X averaged 48fps (original Ally: 41fps). In Elden Ring at High settings with FSR Quality, 60fps was consistent. The 24GB RAM upgrade makes a meaningful difference for memory-heavy open-world games.
Battery Life
The 80Wh battery is the biggest real-world upgrade. In our gaming test (Spider-Man 2, Medium settings, 60fps cap, display at 720p), the Ally X lasted 2h 48min — vs. the original Ally's 1h 25min. For portable gaming sessions without power access, this change alone justifies the upgrade from the original model.
ROG XG Mobile eGPU
The USB4 port enables connection to ASUS's ROG XG Mobile external GPU enclosure. With the RX 7700 XT XG Mobile, the Ally X transforms into a desktop gaming rig capable of 1440p/Ultra settings in modern titles. This transforms the Ally X from a handheld into a versatile desktop/portable hybrid system — a differentiation no Steam Deck configuration matches.
| ROG Ally X | Steam Deck OLED | Lenovo Legion Go 2 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| CPU/GPU | Ryzen Z1 Extreme | AMD 4-core Zen 2 / RDNA 2 | Ryzen Z2 Extreme |
| RAM | 24GB LPDDR5X | 16GB LPDDR5 | 32GB LPDDR5X |
| Battery | 80Wh | 50Wh | 55.5Wh |
| Display | 7" IPS 1080p 120Hz | 7.4" OLED 800p 90Hz | 8.8" QHD+ 165Hz |
| Price | $799 | $549 | $899 |
Pros & Cons
✅ Pros
- 80Wh battery — 2x original, transforms portability
- 24GB RAM eliminates VRAM limitations
- Hall-effect joysticks — no drift
- USB4 for XG Mobile eGPU
- Full Windows 11 — all PC games compatible
❌ Cons
- $799 — $250 more than Steam Deck OLED
- IPS display vs OLED (Steam Deck advantage)
- Windows handheld still requires more setup than SteamOS
- XG Mobile adds significant cost
Verdict: 8.8/10
The ROG Ally X earns its premium over the original with real-world improvements that matter for handheld gaming: battery life that lasts a real session, RAM that doesn't bottleneck modern games, and joysticks that won't drift. The Steam Deck OLED remains the better value for casual gamers; the Ally X is the right choice for Windows-first power users. Score: 8.8/10.
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