ROG Ally vs ROG Ally X: All the improvements in the new ROG handheld

The ROG Ally X is the newest member of the ROG handheld family, upgraded in nearly every way over its predecessor. While you can read more about the Ally X here, we thought we’d also provide a simple table that breaks down the differences in an at-a-glance format with the latest ROG Ally models.

The ROG Ally X is more than just a simple refresh with one or two specs changed. We took a huge amount of user feedback and incorporated it into the hardware build of this device, going so far as to completely redesign the internals to fit all the ROG Ally upgrades you wanted to see. Here’s how the ROG Ally X compares to the original Ally. (Note that we’re focusing on the more comparable Z1 Extreme version of the Ally for this head-to-head — if you want to see the Z1 Extreme compared to the Z1 Ally, check out this article.)

ROG Ally X Upgrades

First and foremost, the ROG Ally X delivers significant spec upgrades, starting with a bigger battery. The ROG Ally X is equipped with an 80Wh battery that offers longer playtimes than ever in handheld mode, without having to recharge in the middle of your session. Not only that, the ROG Ally X now supports up to 100W chargers, so if you want to charge that hefty battery even faster, a compatible Type-C charger like our new ROG 140W GaN Charger is the ticket.

The ROG Ally upgrades continue with the Ally X’s 1TB of storage and 24GB of LPDDR5X-7500 RAM, offering more room for your games and more, faster memory to allocate to the  graphics on the AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme processor.

But spec upgrades aren’t all that’s in store. Nearly everything has been touched in some way, including the chassis itself, which now has rounder grips for much more comfortable ergonomics. The Ally X feels right at home in your hands, and with stiffer, more durable joysticks and an improved D-Pad, it’ll control better than ever too. The face buttons sit a bit higher than on the original Ally, with improved tactility, and the rear macro buttons have been shrunk to reduce accidental presses.

We also added a second USB Type-C port, which is capable of USB4 speeds and also supports Thunderbolt devices, perfect for plugging in accessories or an external GPU of your choice. The new cooling system uses dual 77-blade fans, an increase from the original  Ally’s 47 bade fans, and adds more ventilation to keep both the internals and the touch screen cooler than before. Even the speakers have been upgraded, with larger chambers that allow for louder, richer sound.

...and we did all that while only increasing the thickness by 4.5mm and weight by 11.5%.

If you’re looking for a new handheld that plays all your games, no matter where you go, look no further than the ROG Ally and the ROG Ally X. Both are still available, and both are still receiving updates from ROG (including the latest Armoury Crate SE, which brings an overhauled UI with more features). For pricing and availability, contact your local ASUS representative, and for more ROG Ally guides, check out our other ROG Ally articles and our favorite ROG Ally games.

Model	Type	Where to Buy (US)	Where to Buy (CA)
ROG Ally X	Handheld	ASUS Best Buy	ASUS Best Buy
ROG Ally (Ryzen Z1 Extreme)	Handheld	ASUS Best Buy	ASUS Best Buy Newegg Amazon
ROG Ally (Ryzen Z1)	Handheld	ASUS Best Buy Amazon Micro Center