ROG Ally X specs finally revealed — Double the battery capacity of the original gaming handheld, 24GB RAM, 1TB SSD, and more changes
The joysticks, D-Pad, and the cooling system have all been upgraded as well.
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ASUS ROG Ally X
This “new ROG Ally” has twice the battery capacity of the original gaming handheld with 24GB RAM and up to 1TB SSD. It comes in black and has a few slight design changes from its predecessor. It’s ideal for people who tend to play a lot of games and want a dependable device.
Buy at:Best Buy|ASUS
As promised during theROG Ally X teaser announcement, ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) has finally revealed ROG Ally X specs today, June 2, 2024.
We now know that this upcoming Windows 11gaming handheldfeatures double the battery capacity of the original ROG Ally with increased memory and storage — 24GB RAM and up to 1TB SSD. It’s black rather than the white casing of the original ROG Ally. There are also a few other changes, which I’ll dive into later in this article. The new ROG Ally X sells for$799 at Best Buyand preorders are currently open. That makes the ROG Ally X MSRP $100 more than the ROG Ally (2023) with an AMD Z1 Extreme processor.
If you want to learn more, check out ourROG Ally X FAQor ourROG Ally X vs ROG Allycomparison.
ROG Ally X: Improved storage, RAM, battery life, and thermals
MSRP:$799OS:Windows 11 HomeCPU:AMD Ryzen Z1 ExtremeGPU:AMD Radeon GraphicsDisplay:7-inch FHD (1920 x 1080) 16:9 touchscreen, 500 nits, 120Hz, 7ms response time, AMD FreeSync PremiumMemory:24GB LPDDR5-7500Storage:Up to1TB M.2 2280 NVMe PCIe 64x4 Value SSDBattery:80WhrPower supply:USB-C 65W AC AdapterPorts:1x USB-C Thunderbolt 4, 1x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2, 1x microSD card reader, 1x audio combo jackAudio:2-speaker system with Dolby Atmos, AI noise canceling, Hi-Res Audio certification, built-in array micDimensions:11.02" x 4.37" x 0.97” (279.9 x 111.0 x 24.6mm)Weight:1.49 lbs (678g )
This is the “new ROG Ally” model. As ASUS ROG Senior Manager of Content Marketing Whitson Gordon said, rather than being the next-genROG Ally 2, it serves as an “ROG Ally built for the enthusiasts who wanted a bit of X-tra goodies.”
One of the first things to note is that the Ally X has the same AMD Z1 Extreme processor and 7-inch FHD (1920 x 1080) 16:9 touchscreen as the original. Even so, there are plenty of other improvements to get excited about. Besides, the AMD Z1 Extreme is still the best gaming handheld processor out there right now. Plus, while the 7-inch display doesn’t reach OLED levels of perfection, it is very good (see myOLED vs QD-OLED vs QLED vs AMOLED vs Mini LED display comparisonto learn more . If anything, choosing to keep the Z1 Extreme for the ROG Ally X rather than going with an OLED display has likely been a huge factor in keeping the ROG Ally X price down.
So what about the ROG Ally X’s other specs? As previously noted, the ROG Ally X offers an 80Whr battery whereas the original only has a 40Whr battery. In theory, this could mean that battery life is twice as long, but we’ll have to do some testing to see if that’s accurate.
The 24GB RAM is a nice step up from the original handheld’s 16GB, and should help the system run games a little more smoothly. Meanwhile, having the ability to go up to 1TB SSD is ideal for people who tend to play a lot of games. The original ROG Ally only launched with 512GB SSD, so this roughly doubles that game storage space.
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ASUS ROG also says that the Ally X has an improved thermal design where “new fans push up to 24% more air through a third vent, while keeping the panel up to 6°C (~42.8 degrees Fahrenheit) cooler to the touch.” This is accomplished thanks to the gaming handheld featuring “50% thinner fan blades.” At any rate, this should help the system run more efficiently while players game on.
ROG Ally X: Upgraded design and controls
Looking at the above pictures, you’ll see that the ROG Ally X has slight design differences from the original gaming handheld. However, many of them are so subtle you wouldn’t even notice them without being told or doing a side-by-side comparison with an original ROG Ally.
The two biggest changes are the fact that the Ally X does away with the XG Mobile connection for its ASUS ROG eGPUs in favor of using that space for a second USB-C port. That way, you can plug an accessory into one port and use the other port to charge the Ally X up. One of the ports is actuallyThunderbolt 4compatible while the other is simply a USB-C 3.2 Gen 2, so that gives users more connection options. Another thing to note is that the microSD card reader, headphone jack, and volume buttons have been moved around.
The joysticks, unfortunately, have not been upgraded to Hall Effect like I had hoped. However, they have been improved to a “more durable module rated for a 5 million cycle lifespan, with stiffer springs for a more familiar response curve to longtime controller gamers.” Meanwhile, the improved D-Pad offers “more precise 8-direction input for fighting and retro games.”
You’ll also note that the M1 and M2 buttons on the back of the ROG Ally X are smaller than they were on the original ROG Ally. This should hopefully make it so I don’t accidentally press them when I don’t mean to.
Now, if you have been paying attention to news surrounding the original gaming handheld, you likely know that many people have saidROG Ally has a microSD card overheating issue, so the fact that the microSD card reader has been moved could fix this problem.
•Best ROG Ally games•Best ROG Ally power banks•Best ROG Ally accessories•ROG Ally X FAQ•ROG Ally 2 FAQ•ROG Ally X vs ROG Ally (2023)•Best ROG Ally microSD•How to upgrade ROG Ally SSD
To be clear, ASUS ROG has never acknowledged that the Ally has a microSD card problem. While talking about the ROG Ally X microSD card reader placement in an interview withThe Verge, ASUS ROG Senior Product Manager Gabriel Meng even went so far as to say, “We don’t want people to think that’s what we had to do [move the microSD card reader]. We had to move things around the board to make them fit.” Whether there actually is an issue or not, this change could alleviate it in the new Ally X model.
As previously revealed during the ROG Ally X teaser announcement, this new gaming handheld will feature the new Armoury Crate SE 1.5 software, which offers more gaming library customization options and the ability to save and share button mapping profiles with other Ally users. So that’s yet another improvement to look forward to.
Overall, the ROG Ally X is shaping up to be a very nice upgrade from the original ASUS gaming handheld. I’ll be getting an ROG Ally X review unit at some point and will do plenty of benchmark testing and analysis to see how well the device really works. So, check back soon for additional ROG Ally X information. In the meantime, you can check out one of our dozens ofROG Ally guides and accessory reviews.
ASUS ROG Ally X
This “new ROG Ally” has twice the battery capacity of the original gaming handheld with 24GB RAM and up to 1TB SSD. It comes in black and has a few slight design changes from its predecessor. It’s ideal for people who tend to play a lot of games and want a dependable device.
Buy at:Best Buy|ASUS
Self-professed gaming geek, Rebecca Spear, is one of Windows Central’s editors and reviewers with a focus on gaming handhelds, PC gaming, and laptops. When she isn’t checking out the latest games on Xbox Game Pass, PC, ROG Ally, or Steam Deck; she can be found digital drawing with a Wacom tablet. She’s written thousands of articles with everything from editorials, reviews, previews, features, previews, and hardware reviews over the last few years. If you need information about anything gaming-related, her articles can help you out. She also loves testing game accessories and any new tech on the market. You can follow her@rrspearon X (formerly Twitter).
