Asus confirms ROG Ally X with upgraded hardware — faster RAM and a larger battery

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Asus addresses the issues gamers face on the ROG Ally with this hardware update.

ASUS ROG Ally X
(Image credit: Videocardz)

Asus has been teasing the follow-up to its ROG Ally handheld gaming computer for a few weeks now. The device, called the ROG Ally X, isn’t a full-blown second-generation, but is an improvement over the current Asus ROG Ally consoles. Today, Asus confirmed the ROG Ally X’s specs to Videocardz, showing us what to expect when it launches at this year’s Computex.

As expected, the ROG Ally X will get a new 80 Wh battery — twice the size of the battery in the current Ally — and 24GB of LPDDR5(X)-7500 memory. It will also get a smaller fan with thinner fins that deliver 10% more airflow. Aside from those features, the console’s specs will remain largely unchanged: it will still sport an AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme APU paired to a 7-inch FHD 120Hz display and an M.2 2280 SSD.

The larger and faster RAM will give the new Ally X an advantage, especially as newer titles require more VRAM. The Z1 Extreme’s integrated graphics will also benefit from faster RAM, which will allow it to push out more frames per second.

Asus is also replacing its proprietary ROG XG Mobile port required to attach an external GPU with a USB4 Type-C port with DisplayPort 1.4 and Power Delivery 3.0. This means you will likely be able to use a third-party external GPU enclosure with the ROG Ally X (and charge the handheld console simultaneously).

Despite these changes, the Ally X will only gain an additional 0.5 cm in thickness and will weigh 70 grams more than the original ROG Ally. This means the Ally X will still be  substantially lighter than the Lenovo Legion Go — and in the same weight range as the Valve Steam Deck OLED.

There have also been reports that Asus has rearranged the Ally X’s internals to make it more repair-friendly (especially with the news that the Ally’s SD card reader is adding to the current console’s overheating issues). This is a crucial move for Asus, especially as it’s in hot water over its warranty and repair policies. With the company making moves to improve its aftersales service, making its products more repairable is a step in the right direction.

The Asus ROG Ally X looks like it will be a solid follow-up to the company’s Steam Deck competitor. Although it’s no second-generation product with a new processor, the additional RAM, longer battery life, and other quality-of-life updates will make it a more compelling option in the increasingly-competitive handheld gaming console space.

Jowi Morales
Jowi Morales
Contributing Writer

Jowi Morales is a tech enthusiast with years of experience working in the industry. He’s been writing with several tech publications since 2021, where he’s been interested in tech hardware and consumer electronics.

18 Comments Comment from the forums
  • Hortos
    Can't wait until we get past the casual misunderstanding of VRAM and why it rarely matters at the lower framerates and resolutions these handhelds will be running AAA games.
    Reply
  • logainofhades
    Hortos said:
    Can't wait until we get past the casual misunderstanding of VRAM and why it rarely matters at the lower framerates and resolutions these handhelds will be running AAA games.

    8gb is quickly becoming not enough for 1080p, which this is running at.
    Reply
  • Hortos said:
    Can't wait until we get past the casual misunderstanding of VRAM and why it rarely matters at the lower framerates and resolutions these handhelds will be running AAA games.

    VRAM or system RAM ?

    The current ROG ALLY version actually sports 16GB RAM though, so basically this new X model has 8GB extra !

    But the main point is that the memory speed is faster now at LPDDR5/X-7500 vs 6400 on the previous version of the console.

    So more bandwidth for the RDNA3 iGPU as well, which might help with performance in some games, if not all ! The memory speed/bandwidth should matter more here, than the memory capacity for integrated GPU performance in some cases.
    Reply
  • Peter_Bollwerk
    After Gamer's Nexus' warranty experience with their Asus Rog Ally, I'll never buy anything from Asus again.
    Reply
  • Neilbob
    What caught my attention here wasn't the thing about the upgraded hardware thing, because I don't particularly care. It was the fact we seem to have an undithered GIF image being used.

    Yep, this is the sort of thing that I notice. That old web design quirk never quite goes away.
    Reply
  • ohio_buckeye
    The issue with this product is that Asus made it. I’m good thanks.
    Reply
  • Thunder64
    They're advertising to a child with that "Level Up" nonsense.
    Reply
  • hotaru251
    Peter_Bollwerk said:
    After Gamer's Nexus' warranty experience with their Asus Rog Ally, I'll never buy anything from Asus again.
    i mean after their failure to fix the 1st gen ally (sd card overheats and can damage it due to way they physically designed it) and basically give finger to all buyers and then have guts to sell a new model where they changed that for full price is moment you shouldnt buy one.
    Reply
  • mitch074
    Neilbob said:
    What caught my attention here wasn't the thing about the upgraded hardware thing, because I don't particularly care. It was the fact we seem to have an undithered GIF image being used.

    Yep, this is the sort of thing that I notice. That old web design quirk never quite goes away.
    It's not GIF, but they did convert the image to palette without dithering. It does have its charm - saving it to JPEG afterwards was too bad though.
    Reply
  • logainofhades
    I swore off buying Asus a long time ago, GN's dealings with them last year over the 7800x3d's burning up, and now the ROG Ally just cemented that stance. Only reason I have any Asus hardware now, is because I won a build with an Asus board and GPU.
    Reply