ASUS ROG Xbox Ally X review – finally, a Windows handheld I would actually buy
The latest gaming handheld is here, and it works and looks very different from other Windows-powered handheld devices, in a good way.
According to Xbox, the ASUS ROG Xbox Ally X is an Xbox, but is it an Xbox that's worth buying? Well, I've been using the new gaming handheld for over a week now, and it might be the first Windows handheld I would actually buy.
The ROG Xbox Ally X is a collaboration between ASUS and Xbox, taking the already popular ROG Ally X and giving it an Xbox makeover, both externally and internally. Before we go into the specifics, let's talk about pricing first. The ROG Xbox Ally X is priced at £799.99 / $999.99, which is a lot, but it's actually pretty competitive for a premium gaming handheld. For context, that's the same MSRP as the ROG Ally X, and less than other high-end, Windows 11 handhelds like the MSI Claw 8 AI+, which comes in at £899 / $1,049.99 and the soon-to-be-released Lenovo Legion Go 2, which has an MSRP of £899 / $1,099.99.
ROG Xbox Ally X design and features
So, let's dive into the specs. Spoiler alert: If you've got an ROG Ally X, there's going to be a lot of the same here, but there are some key differences to watch out for. Just like the Ally X, the Xbox Ally X has a 7-inch, 1080p 16:9 IPS display, featuring a 120Hz refresh rate, 500 nits of brightness, AMD Freesync Premium, plus Corning Gorilla Glass Victus with an anti-reflective coating.
It also has Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.4, an 80Wh battery, 1TB of storage, 24GB of LPDDR5X memory, and the same IO ports: one USB4 Type-C, one USB 3.2 Gen 2, microSD, a fingerprint sensor, and a 3.5mm audio combo jack.
But, here's where things get interesting, because internally, the Xbox handheld gets the brand new AMD AI Z2 Extreme processor, an upgrade on the Z1 Extreme that featured in the ROG Ally X. This thing is Zen 5, has 8 cores, 16 threads,up to 5GHz Boost, along with 16 core RDNA 3.5 graphics, up to 2.9GHz boost, and a NPU capable of 50 TOPS for AI stuff. It also has a higher TDP, at 35W in Turbo mode when plugged in, versus the Ally X being 30W in the same situation.
And, as you may have noticed, there's quite a big difference visually too, the biggest of which are the Xbox-controller style grips on the side. To be honest, in images and videos, these looked a bit dodgy but they're actually really nice, especially for long play sessions. For console players, it feels much more natural to use and hold than other handheld devices. I also love the small design detail of having Xbox and ROG written in very small writing, all over the front of the device; that's very cool. Even though the Xbox Ally X weighs slightly more, at 715g versus 678g, I'd much rather hold the Xbox handheld for longer periods.
Then there are some smaller, less noticeable changes, like the Joysticks, D-pad, and Xbox buttons being just a little tighter and clunkier than they are in the Ally X. It feels like they've been revised and tightened up slightly. And then there's the big one, the brand new Xbox button, which leads me on to the console's UI, the new Xbox Full screen experience.
Compared to previous Windows 11 handhelds I've reviewed, the Xbox Ally X has been a breath of fresh air, and that has a lot to do with the Xbox-focused UI and just how easy it is to use. When you boot up your device, you boot straight into the Xbox Full Screen experience UI, bypassing Windows entirely. Xbox claims that it has worked hard to minimise background activity and defer non-essential Windows tasks while in this mode, meaning more system resources can be dedicated specifically to gameplay.
It really is superb. It does look and feel like you're using a handheld Xbox console, and once you've signed in to third-party launchers like Steam and EA Play, all of your titles appear in one place in your Xbox library, which is a really great user experience. Pressing the new Xbox button opens up an Xbox overlay, allowing you to change settings on the fly, manage the windows you have open, open third-party launchers, access your Xbox friends and chats, monitor performance and open Xbox Game Bar. Switching windows is also really easy, simply swipe up from the bottom, and if a game is open that shouldn't be, simply press X to close it. From here, you can also boot into the Windows desktop, as you would on any other Windows handheld, but why would you do that?
ROG Xbox Ally X performance
The thing that has been holding Windows handhelds back, from a performance and user experience point of view, is just how unoptimized and jarring it feels when you try and do anything handheld-related. But, finally, the Xbox full-screen experience has fixed this for me. I've had zero issues when using this device for over a week, day and night. Games launch when you want them too, cloud gaming works when you want it to, and you don't have to go digging through sub menus of sub menus to change settings in Windows. This is a windows handheld that forces windows behind the curtain, and it's all the better for it.
Armoury Crate is also there, with the dedicated button moving up by the Xbox button, and it's in here you can adjust the performance of the device as you see fit. Talking of performance, lets move on to that shall we?
ASUS ROG Xbox Ally X Benchmarking Results
To put the Xbox Ally X to the test, we downloaded all the latest updates and drivers, put it in Turbo mode and put it up against the Ally X and the MSI Claw 8 AI+ in a variety of games, comparing its native performance as well as upscaling performance. Before we go into the charts, just to note that we only have MSI Claw 8 AI+ benchmark data in 1920x1200, rather than the 1920x1080 resolution that features on the ROG devices, so bear that in mind when it comes to the performance results.
Cyberpunk 2077 (low graphics settings, no upscaling)
- ROG Xbox Ally X: 49fps (average)
- ROG Ally X: 43fps (average)
- MSI Claw 8 AI+: 42fps (average)
F1 25 (low graphics settings, no upscaling)
- ROG Xbox Ally X: 92fps (average)
- ROG Ally X: 70fps (average)
- MSI Claw 8 AI+: 59fps (average)
Shadow of the Tomb Raider benchmarking tool (high graphics setting, no upscaling)
- ROG Xbox Ally X: 52fps (average)
- ROG Ally X: 44fps (average)
- MSI Claw 8 AI+: 46fps (average)
Black Myth: Wukong benchmarking tool (low graphics settings, FSR 100% resolution scale)
- ROG Xbox Ally X: 34fps (average)
- ROG Ally X: 29fps (average)
- MSI Claw 8 AI+: 30fps (average)
Cyberpunk 2077 (low graphics settings, FSR/Intel XeSS enabled)
- ROG Xbox Ally X: 69fps (average) - AMD FSR Performance
- ROG Ally X: 67fps (average) - AMD FSR Performance
- MSI Claw 8 AI+: 64fps (average) - Intel XeSS (Performance)
F1 25 (low graphics settings, FSR/Intel XeSS enabled)
- ROG Xbox Ally X: 110fps (average) - AMD FSR Performance
- ROG Ally X: 85fps (average) - AMD FSR Performance
- MSI Claw 8 AI+: 72fps (average) - Intel XeSS (Performance)
Shadow of the Tomb Raider benchmarking tool (highest graphics settings, Intel XeSS enabled)
- ROG Xbox Ally X: 56fps (average) - Intel XeSS (Performance)
- ROG Ally X: 53fps (average) - Intel XeSS (Performance)
- MSI Claw 8 AI+: 59fps (average) - Intel XeSS (Performance)
Black Myth: Wukong benchmarking tool (low graphics settings, Intel XeSS)
- ROG Xbox Ally X: 34fps (average) - Intel XeSS
- ROG Ally X: 30fps (average) - Intel XeSS
- MSI Claw 8 AI+: 34fps (average) - Intel XeSS
Performance-wise, the Xbox Ally X outperformed the Ally X and the MSI Claw 8 AI+ in pretty much every gaming benchmark. We haven't yet been able to test the Lenovo Legion Go 2, so we can't definitively say it's the best Windows 11 handheld, but it's definitely in the conversation, and that's pretty impressive for a device that comes out cheaper than those new, premium devices.
Battery-wise, the Xbox has also been able to eke out that extra bit of battery performance. Running the F1 25 looped benchmark on low graphics settings, with both devices in performance mode, the Xbox Ally X lasted eight minutes longer on a single charge, managing 3 hours and 3 minutes, while the ROG Ally X lasted 2 hours and 55 minutes, which, although not a massive improvement, is still a feat considering they have the same battery and the Ally X was known for having very strong battery life.
So there you have it. The performance speaks for itself. The ASUS ROG Xbox Ally X isn't just a fresh coat of paint; it's a significant leap forward in terms of power, comfort, and most importantly, user experience.
The price of this handheld means it's probably not going to be a product for the masses, but this product has been marketed heavily as the Xbox handheld, and the very fact that THIS IS AN XBOX. It absolutely delivers on this, offering an intuitive and welcoming user experience that any console player could pick up and use, while also having the functionality of a full PC, which is something more advanced users want. It has all of the power and efficiency that some of these premium devices have, and more, while also being easy to use.
Just look at what Xbox has done with the Steam-verified "handheld optimised" games label. It is absolutely the right thing to do for the user. It tells you which games work as expected with no settings changes. That's a really nice touch, and it shows Xbox has thought about players who may not have had a gaming handheld before.
ROG Xbox Ally X overall thoughts
But let's return to the question I asked at the very beginning: Is this an Xbox worth buying?
If you're looking for a new gaming handheld in this price range, the answer is a resounding yes. And the reason isn't just the impressive performance or the battery life. It's not even these super comfortable new grips, though I do love them.
The real magic here is the Xbox Full Screen experience. For the first time, we have a Windows handheld that doesn't feel like you're constantly fighting with Windows. It feels like a dedicated console. It's fast, it's intuitive, and it puts your games front and centre, right where they should be. ASUS and Xbox have finally hidden Windows behind the curtain, and it's all the better for it.
And yes, I know that this UI will be available for more devices in 2026, but right now, this is the only device that can run it natively without messing around in the registry editor, and I have to review it against products as they are now. For me, it's the only Windows handheld I'd actually buy, but if you're not a fan of Xbox software, this might not be for you.
ROG Xbox Ally X review score: 5/5