Would love to see more USB4 eGPU options. I know it doesn't scale well because of bandwidth issues, but I want to know if I can basically take the performance hit in exchange for an all-in-one device.
In Europe the thing costs €900 for now which is the equivalent of $1000, so it's waaay too expensive for now... considering the original one had almost the same price at launch in EU and I got it at a sale recently for $350 😅 So it's best to wait 👍
This. Whether it is worth the £800 is one thing, but given that the last one can be picked up for half its' retail price within a year, I feel like you're just better off waiting.
Yea…Here in Canada after tax and the minimum 2yrs of protection at Best Buy it’s $1570…..and you better buy that protection because Asus customer service sucks donkey nuts….either way fuucccckk that. Waaaaay TGH for a handheld that performs pretty much around a 1650 GPU…You can damn near by a laptop with a 4060 in it at that price, no it wouldn’t be a handheld but would still be portable and perform a hell of a lot better and for much longer into the future at that. Be smart and do the math 🤷🏻♂️
@@Dionyzos Microsoft has only been releasing OSs for 4 decades now. It's a bit unreasonable to expected that in 40 years of development that they would have sorted out something as complex as a decent standby mode. Just be patient. They'll probably fix it within the next decade or two.
I actually just liked the white color of the original ROG Ally, it would have matched all my ROG Strix components if they kept it the same. I could get a skin, but it's not the same
Just waiting for mine to arrive preordered day one and already selling my og z1x ….tbh I’ve literally upgraded my phone from one year to the next for far little improvements this to me was much better pull to swallow
I much prefer the legion go over the ally i prefer the larger screen and windows is much easier to navigate. In terms of windows on a handheld if people primarily play games on a desktop pc anyway there already used to the windows experience so won’t be a big deal. It’s more an issue if you’re coming from a console.
Great review 👍 I installed Bazzite on both my Rog Ally and Legion go and it's just so much more fun than windows. They feel like two new devices. I'm Dualbooting so I have the best of both worlds. I just wish lossless scaling would work on steam OS. That is the only thing I miss about windows.
Oh man, if it’s only a few extra frames I’m not gonna upgrade. I don’t find the ergonomics bad at all with the original and I have zero problem playing plugged in . So if it’s less than a 10% increase fps on avg I’ll wait till the full 2.0 upgrade ❤
@Ghost88o9 for now it's only abt 10 to 30% improvement. Wait till better drivers take advantage of the extra vram with the higher speeds we should see a Lil more with optimization. Retro gaming,LTT and phawks show it hits 5 to 30% improvement based on the game and settings. Hope this info helps
You can get the same performance on the original with some optimization and debloating unnecessary apps that run in the background. You can even install windows 11 and get even better results. Kinda disappointed all the reviews so far have only benchmarked a stock ROG ally x straight out the box.
Thanks for the great video!!! Got mine yesterday and love it!!! True about Windows but I feel Asus is doing amazing thing with all the updates in AC 1.5. I really feel Microsoft need to step up and enhance windows for a better mobile experience. The battery on the X, the better RAM and also the fan (and cooler) are also great on the X.
For me nothing beats the Steam Deck for me. Ultimately it has to do with how well balanced the device is. I primarily play backlog games, indies, emulation and a mix of 2D and 3D. Generally that will make the SoC run somewhere between 1.5W to 6W TDP. I have one of the first Steam Decks to hit the market and battery life is amazing in those scenarios. I usually get somewhere between 4-8h depending on what I play. Sure it isn't as powerful in AAA games... But it can still do it. I play Cyberpunk locked to 9- or 10W TDP (2-2.5h), where I use 900p rendering resolution, supersampled to the 800p display, while using FSR Performance (reducing a lot of FSRs defects). I find it kind of amazing how well the Steam Deck performs at low TDPs.
They did address car Reader issues, and explained everything about it. After changing the motherboard it is likely fixed, so it should be fine from now on :)
The comfort thing depends on how you use it. The Steam Deck has it all covered, held up resting on your elbows with the rounded edges and held with arms on lap with the curved grips. The Ally/X it fine for the elbow hold but needs more support when held on the lap due to the paltry grips. The Legion Go is not a great elbow hold due to those angles edges, but is great as the lap hold due to the ample grips. The switch is OK on both, but I put it as slightly behind the deck but it does support smaller hand better. So I say for the the ones I have tried 1. Deck 1.5. Switch 2. Ally/X and legion Go.
Had mine for a few days now. It's pretty solid. I don't really have a point of comparison, but it works really well for what it is. Going to be doing a lot more traveling for work in the coming months, so I finally bit the bullet. Don't regret the purchase so far. I don't think you can really go wrong with either this or the SD. I've used the SD before and I don't think anyone would have buyers remorse over that either. Both devices are good at what they're trying to do. If you want a console experience, get the deck. If you what a mobile PC gaming experience, get the Ally X.
New sub here. I've had the original Ally since launch, alongside the external rtx 3080 gpu, and now testing the ally x with the Onex 7600 xt external gpu. 3080 is Flawless now but having issues with the OneX. The Onex driver breaks the internal graphics driver and vice versa, every time. You have to manually reinstall each when you go from docked to handheld.
No mention of the massive upgrade of the RAM. Outside of the battery, the ram is a huge things for me in terms of machine performance. Sure games are going to perform similarly due to the z1 x chipset but the ram is going to help things process so much faster. Disappointing it’s not 32 gigs which should be minimum standard. But 24 is still a huge improvement.
Looking to upgrade from Steam Deck LCD. I tried the OLED and as good as it was, it just wasn't worth it at the time to sell my LCD and keep the OLED. Rog Ally X + Bazzite OS might be the Steam Deck Pro upgrade I've been waiting for though.
Been using the original Ally for a while now. I have only issues with Windows (I only use Windows for web browsing) and gaming. I sometimes dust off the Steam Deck and ironically, I have issues with games just not launching. Then I have to try different Proton compatibility versions. VRR is the biggest benefit to me. Maybe others aren't sensitive to screen tearing and higher refresh rates ... but I certainly am. If you don't have one of these gaming hand helds yet ... the ROG Ally X is the best one.
Unbiased opinion here, and I had both Ally 2023 and original Steam Deck. I found the ally way more comfortable to hold. The deck would make my hands hurt especially due to having the buttons so close to the screen. So always blows my mind that people find the deck more comfortable to hold. Maybe I’m different lol
@@jacobwellman6280 people think this bazzite will made updates works with none steam devices but in fact they had different drivers so it's not safe full tools bazzite exit before 2 years but it's not made steam deck oled losing or people think steam deck become emulator now
The most important upgrade here is the battery. When u can have that kinda juice.... the higher TDP options become more viable on the move/ away from a charger.
For the sticks I put thumb caps from Skull & co. To not only protect them but also raise the height of the right stick so I don't hit the screen with my thumb. They are also convex dome shaped which I prefer and also are way more grippy. I have seen eta primes video and his sticks are already showing wear and tear so putting on thumb caps is the way to go if you don't want to have get replacement sticks in the future.
I think the screen touching issue is only a problem for those with bigger hands. I have smaller hands and don't have the issue, but my dad tried my Ally X when I was visiting and had that problem. For me if they raised the sticks, it would be pretty uncomfortable for my hand size. I think a solution like the xbox elite controller with swappable thumbstick and adjustable tension could be a good approach... not sure on the cost for that though.
Just buy the original one I got mine for 7 months now and its still amazing. I think the OG is around $1099 in JB-HI-FI now and it has 3 months free gamepass
I'd rather have windows I used to use my steam deck at work until a couple times when I went on break and almost every game I had installed I couldn't play because the launcher for said game broke in linux ill stick with the randomness of windows over the possibly of multiple games becoming unplayable randomly for weeks when i just played them the day before and they ran fine
Great video and an easy subscribe. My first dip into handheld pc gaming and I’m excited for my X to arrive. I’ll b predominantly use Game Pass but excited to explore everything available.
Idk why people are complaining about it not being oled I rather have VRR on a handheld then oled I hate the stuttering on my SD upgraded to the x with the upgraded battery life was a no brainer
@@LianCasablacks I’ve had my SD for over two years and I love it but over those two years I’ve realized the limiting factor that the SD has and it’s just time to move to a windows based handheld for me atleast
Recently bought a Steam Deck OLED but after using it for a short period of time, I started to get headaches and felt dizzy. I had to sell it at a loss. There were never demo units in any of our local retailers for the Steam Deck but there were demo units for the previous version of the Rog Ally and when I tried it in the shop -- never felt any symptoms I got from Steam Deck. I wonder if the Ally X still has the same screen? I may get the X
The MAIN issue they needed to fix was the faulty Sd-card reader, that was frying Sd cards, the larger battery & better "feel" of the device were secondary issues to me.
This is partly the users fault as well, it won’t happen as long as you don’t set your ally down with the fans basically blocked off with no room to breath, what do people expect lmao. Anyways people shouldn’t be gaming off an sd card.
Only reason I’d get this is the better docked experience compared to the steam deck, the fact that it gets more power plugged in or you can hook it up to an egpu.
wait until you discover most japanese games and 60% of indie games dont support 16:10 lol, to name a few, death stranding, detroit becom human, dave the diver, blood stained ritual of the night, signalis, lttle nightmare1&2, ace combat 7, edf4&5 and the list goes on, keep in mind these game dont even have mods to fix...I own a sd oled and its been painful so Im switching to the ally x.
I'm still rocking my original ROG Ally with a 2TB SSD and a D Brand Killswitch case. I've never had any issues with anything. The D-pad is great. There is no need for me to get the Ally X. This video was pretty useless. 😅
What a great review of the ally x. It’s good, but not enough for me to upgrade my z1 extreme, especially since I bought an anker 737 power bank to go with it
Quick question, I'm having issues with my Legion Go and even weird performance issues even after reinstalling windows? So I decided to look into the Rog Ally X. Is the screen pretty clear still? I had read mixed comments on reddit stating the screen was pretty bad. Second Question, is the shell itself pretty bad in comparsion? I read that it felt like cheap plastic is it on the level of the Nintendo Switch Plastic or the Legion Go's plastic? I mostly use mine on the go and play fighting games here and there (planning pick up a kickstand to use my type c hub if I do go to rog ally x for my arcade controller) Overall it looks like a solid product? seems like asus took some major feedback and improved upon it.
I would like to join you in hoping that someone else incorporates capacitive sensors into thumbsticks on controllers and handhelds. My gosh. Especially as I start to really get used to flick stick, I could probably get by without the trackpads going forward. But you're right, having that sensor on the thumbstick is fantastic for gyro.
I was wanted to buy ally x but it to expansive but I have steam deck lcd 64 gb can change with the nvme card I think still okey the price if new triple A game I no sure they can support it or no I was think
While windows is not perfect, I agree that it is getting a bit boring to always hear in length about it as a negative. It’s a subjective thing. I actually like windows more than steam os. Never had a problem with it on the og ally. That being said I would welcome it if Microsoft would step up and make windows more suited for a handheld. Let’s see what Xbox will be doing with it’s rumored handheld.
Microsoft already tried going the touch/handhald friendly route with windows 8 and people HATED it. Although, I think the issue was that they didn't create a separate UI and tried to do it all in one.
@NerdNest 21:46 this step can be skipped for most games on linux if you have a newer kernel and mesa stack as the shader generation pipeline got fixed last year so it does not cause stutters anymore, you would still want it on but you can safely skip it for the majority of the games and let your device generate the shaders itself. 😄
the dislike towards windows is entirely unwarranted. it's alot easier to use, less cumbersome, alot more compatible, and if you so much as bother to get into setting windows up, then you won't have to deal with any windows pop ups or notifications or whatever the heck is bothering you, while playing games on it. meanwhile, more than half my steam library does not run on the deck, and it's bothering me a whole lot. but people praise the OS for being worse to use in desktop, and for having much less compatibility. like what .. ?
"if you so much as bother to get into setting windows up" Meanwhile in SteamOS "I don't have to set anything up". "More than half my steam library does not run on the deck" 99% of my library runs on the deck just fine. "Worse to use in desktop mode" I go into desktop mode like 4 times a year. Sounds like we like different things.
@@NerdNest you only walk past the shortcomings and pretend they don't exist, and complain about windows issues that you could easily solve within 2 minutes. sounds like you're a deck fanboy and not much else.
You shouldn't be in the tech game if you can't navigate windows. Asus has also done a great job with armory crate. I have both ally and steam deck. The steam deck has been collecting dust.
Give the patreon sub windows version of Emudeck a try. The game mode will make it more like a steamdeck to the point where you will litteraly use windows like desktop mode on the deck. Yes you can do it .manually yourself, but for a couple of quid a month you get an emulator easy mode as well as a deck like experience with less hassle. It still has windows issues in some cases but you have the compatability as well, so it balances out slightly better than steamos for me.
I was thinking the same thing in this review. Why not make the game settings as close as possible? It looks like the review purposely wanted to say something positive about the steam deck even though it's clear the X has better specs and performance. And yes I have a Deck OLED and my Ally X is arriving today.
So the Ally should be tested at a lower resolution than what Asus advertises to potential buyers to make the comparison fair? Do you listen to yourself?
I was showing that you get better performance and equal battery life on the Ally X. It was running at 25W you can see because you can see the drain on screen.
I agree with you. That battery test doesn’t help me understand the improvement in battery in the Ally X. His finding shows equal battery drain on both handhelds, but the resolution is different and the profile on the Ally X is actually the one that drains the battery the most. So it’s not really the same battery life at all. Also it doesn’t help all handhelds started with different battery life, I think 88, 100, & 91, so it made it all the most confusing. I like his videos but I don’t understand the point in this battery life test
My thumbs idly rest on the thumbsticks, so I never use capacative touch for gyro; I set gyro to enable when I use the games aim down sight function. If the game doesn't ADS, I don't gyro.
7 things that turned me off the original ally: 1. Only comes in White. 2. Proprietary eGPU solution. 3. Lack of a trackpad, which in my opinion is a big NO on a windows based machine. 4. Abysmal battery. 5. No OLED + HDR. 6. Faulty SD reader issue. 7. Cloud Recovery Glad to see them fix most of these but the lack of trackpad is still the biggest issue for me, not a fan of the cloud based recovery either.
Honestly, the touch screen is really good. Could see it potentially being an issue for people with larger fingers, but even if I had the track pads, I would probably just end up using the touch screen.
@@adamleblanc5294 sorry but touch screen is no substitute for trackpad, it's useful but is lack luster when it comes to finer controls and bigger fingers which indeed i do have, not to mention blocks the screen when playing a mouse based game, and no, joystick is not a solution as it feels and acts janky during said finer controls when fast swipes across the screen feel more natural. Trackpads are not just useful as a mouse either as it can be also be used to unlock countless extra mapped functions. The deck is perfect in every way with no issues for any of my non steam based games barring a handful few (500+ library) but i do wish it was as strong as the ally X for higher tier emulation and more demanding games. Edit: I use touch screen as well but it is limited to when it feels more natural like browsing or light gaming or reading or watching media as it acts exactly like a smartphone in that regard where everything mostly is not as precise to the very tip of my finger.
TLDW version: Ally X is worth it if you don't already have a handheld. If you have a Deck, it might be worth an upgrade - minus the lack of trackpads. If you have an Ally or LeGo - not worth the upgrade.
@@Darinl79Asus sold it with a faulty motherboard, then tried to stress customers making warranty claims into paying a ludicrous price for unnecessary repairs. Where have you been while the Asus hardware and warranty service issues got coverage?
@@Darinl79 Everything is bound to be broken that's why they repaired. Even if you're gentle with your "rog ally" it's still going to have a problem mostly buttons and lcd.
I like the Ally because it DOESN'T have trackpads. Hope they never add them on the V2... Don't want that extra width on the form factor. These handheld PCs are too big as it is.
Oh, good, a software defect from the start with the rumble! I started Doom Eternal on the Switch but haven't yet gotten the DLC, and that isn't really enthusing me to do so on the Ally X. 🤪 I also don't have any PC handhelds, but I do find the Switch wonderfully comfortable to use, though slightly less so since I've had to use a Newdery battery case to make up for the diminished battery capacity of my Day 1 Launch Switch, and to make it more comfortable to charge and play by putting the charge port on the top. More importantly, I'm still not convinced that I should spend an extra $150-$250 on the Ally X over getting an OLED Deck, with my main sticking points being that Windows is still gunna get in the way of play, and I just don't trust Asus to provide good customer service, and not to cook more MicroSD cards and slots. The Damage is Done.
This may not be an actual 'thing', but because of the 2nd USB port I wondered how viable this machine is for XR devices. I don't see anyone talking about it so it makes me believe it's probably not on anyone's radar, but I travel a lot and thought this would be awesome if this plus some XR glasses could replace a laptop for me. Anyone know if this is viable?
I think in terms of specs most handhelds can do that. XR glasses are just an external monitor. The question is more if using XR glasses is comfortable for you.
Bro, I understand these stuff is for free. But, ASUS has been doing bad with RMA's. Like APPLE bad. Big companies do the worst just to get those bucks up and they can be called trillion dollar company. Shame
It doesn’t happen cus of turbo mode, it happens when people are running a demanding game and all of a sudden decide to put the device down and block off the fans from breathing.
Idk why windows bothers people so much . I have the ally z1 extreme it doesn’t bother me . Just exit it out lol and boom fixed play the game. I understand people want a console experience I’ve played console my whole life just got rid of my 4080 build pc to get the handheld because I can’t sit at a desk anymore and just play . Windows is fine
This is the difference between a console gamer and a pc gamer. Console gamers like the Steam Deck and accept that the library is limited. I mean it's limited if you buy any console. But PC gamers hate when a PC game won't run on a PC. And that's what's wrong with the Steam Deck. Games don't run. And some of them never will run. So if you have a huge PC game library, tough luck.
I think you might be my dad /s (jk) This device is definitely too niche, and the steam deck makes the most sense for most people where they can put their funds somewhere else or just save it. It's a great option for some
Had mine for a couple days, the thermals seem good so far. The vents are well placed. You can feel the heat coming out the top vents as soon as you boot it up, but the back never really got hot during my BG3 sessions.
Seems like an awesome device but I refuse to reward Asus for being a sh*tty company with their RMA shenanigans by giving them more of my money. ROG Ally will be my first and last Asus product purchased.
Still, in terms of service, Asus can't compete with Valve. Don't dare to buy such an expensive machine from them with their reputation. Same with Lenovo, I'll stick with the deck. Apart from customer service, price wise it's also just not worth it compared to what the deck offers for 1/3th of the price.
It’s so funny when ppl hold on to the fuckin steam deck for dear life lolol like I know it’s good..but jeeeeeezus. It was like the first good handheld so I get it but yikes. Lol
I'll wait a month and get it on sale when no one buys them like what happened with the MSI claw. $800 for fixing the sd card reader and bigger battery isn't worth it.
I don't understand why everyone hates Windows so much. To me, Windows is the best OS for gaming and the only thing Linux has over it is quick suspend and resume. Linux has terrible compatibility. It makes me nervous that these handheld manufacturers are listening to all this Windows hate and are gonna stop giving me Windows handhelds.
Because Windows often does what it wants, not what you want. That said, I'd rather have guaranteed compatibility with my games than play the Proton Lottery.
@cneasai I would worry about it. The reality is that every handheld except the SD has come with windows. Linux is praised a lot online but that is more of an echo chamber. Windows is the true PC gaming os as it doesn't have the terrible restrictions of Linux. Unless developers take Linux seriously, it will always be treated as a second class citizen.
Windows OS is not just tailored made for a device that doesn't have a dedicated keyboard and mouse on it.... ESPECIALLY on a handheld PC that only have joysticks and buttons... the only positive thing Windows have is compability... and no... all of these handheld PC manufacturers does not have the luxury position to invest their money and time to create their own OS unlike Valve (as they have to rely on hardware sales to make profit), so rest assured, these other handheld PC manufacturers wont just ditch Windows willingly... Valve can do this because they literally own Steam (the most popular PC digital games store), they can make up losses in hardware sales in return for game sold on Steam.
