Many have been wondering when ASUS will be announcing its next Windows gaming handheld. Thankfully, the wait is almost over, as the company has confirmed that the ROG Ally X is coming “soon.”
However, ASUS is quick to point out that this isn’t the ROG Ally 2, as it’s not a fully-fledged refresh. For one, the ROG Ally X continues to use AMD’s Z1 Extreme, along with the excellent 7-inch display. This means it’ll sport a 7-inch display, complete with VRR that fluctuates between 48Hz and 120Hz.
From everything revealed today, the similarities between the ROG Ally and ROG Ally X seem to end there. Notably, the Ally X will now come in Black. There’s little doubt this will fuel even more comparisons between the Ally X and the MSI Claw.
ROG Ally X: Hardware Changes Incoming
The Ally X promises ‘other physical changes,’ but the details remain shrouded in secrecy. We’re hoping to see some improved ergonomics, but we also wouldn’t be surprised if ASUS integrates some Hall Effect Joysticks.
Arguably the biggest concern with the original Ally is the heat problems that fry a bunch of microSD cards. ASUS recently extended the warranty for Ally owners to two years, but this is the company’s first chance to fix the internals. Unfortunately, there was no mention of an improved motherboard during the video teaser.
Can you spot the ROG Ally X?
The Steam Deck and Steam Deck OLED remain at the top of the mountain when it comes to battery life. But it’s apparent that ASUS wants to come for the throne. The following is an excerpt from the ROG Ally X announcement at The Verge:
But the newly black-colored handheld will have a substantial battery life improvement, Asus SVP Shawn Yen tells The Verge — because Asus will cram a substantially larger battery pack into the Ally X’s revised shell. “We’re not looking at 30 to 40 percent more capacity,” he tells me. “We’re looking at way more than that.”
Asus won’t talk specific specs today. Instead, Yen asks me how much battery life I’d realistically like from a revised handheld. I say I’d want to double the worst-case battery life to three hours since I’m currently seeing maybe 1.5 hours in intensive games. “It won’t disappoint your worst-case scenario,” he tells me.
From where we stand, things are shaping up to be pretty great with the ROG Ally X. Again, while specifics weren’t shared, the next ROG Ally is said to “have more than its current 16GB of RAM,” and “should have a longer M.2 2280 SSD slot.”
ROG Ally X: Price and Official Unveiling
Although we still have to wait for the final details, we’re really only left wondering about the price. That’s something we’ll have to wait for, but ASUS confirms its next handheld “will start at a higher price than the original.”
Mark your calendars! ASUS gears up for a ‘Special Announcement’ on June 2nd, where the highly anticipated ROG Ally X is expected to take center stage. Until then, it’s time to get the hype machine rolling for what could be the next great Windows handheld.
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