The ASUS ROG Xbox Ally arrives with an intriguing promise. You get the raw power of AMD’s latest silicon and library access of a Windows 11 gaming PC, shrunk down into a handheld you can comfortably hold for hours.

ASUS Republic of Gamers and Microsoft‘s Xbox have teamed up to deliver a device that feels like a natural extension of an Xbox controller, immediately solving the ergonomics problem that plagues its rivals.

Yet, this is where the story gets complicated. The ROG Xbox Ally’s spectacular hardware is constantly at odds with its software reality. Is this partnership a monster gaming system, or is it merely a powerful handheld that forces you to deal with the familiar headaches of Windows? We spent some time finding out just what this capable machine demands in return for its freedom.

The most comfortable gaming handheld we’ve tried

Make no mistake: This is, hands down, the most comfortable gaming handheld we’ve ever gotten our hands on. ASUS clearly took cues from the Xbox controller design, and those deeper, sculpted grips make the ROG Xbox Ally an absolute joy to clutch. The button placement is perfect, delivering killer ergonomics that feel instantly familiar if you’ve ever owned a modern Xbox console.

Obviously, this one is designed for thumbsticks and face buttons — and ASUS promises they’ve been torture-tested to millions of presses — but don’t forget it’s still a full Windows 11 PC deep down. That means when the game stops and the work starts, you can tap through the touchscreen or connect a Bluetooth or USB-C keyboard and mouse for a true desktop experience. And if you plan on some couch co-op, you can always connect an external wireless controller to play multiplayer titles on the same screen.

And, yes, the ROG Xbox Ally is physically a bit chunkier than the Nintendo Switch or a foldable phone with a telescopic controller. But honestly? You won’t care when it’s in your hands. The balanced weight distribution is near-perfect, a crucial detail that allows us to push through hourlong gaming sessions without any hand fatigue. The excellent tactile experience is rounded out by satisfying impulse triggers and strong haptic feedback.

Functionally, everything is where it should be. The bright, prominent Xbox button sits left of the screen, acting as your one-tap portal to an enhanced Game Bar overlay. Think easy access to your library, chat, and game launching. Right alongside that is the revamped, more customizable Command Center. ASUS didn’t forget the power users, either, with dedicated Library and Armoury Crate buttons offering instant access to key features. And though we wish the latter was better integrated into Windows 11 and didn’t occasionally close itself, it provides the granular control that power users might crave.

When it works as intended, the Armoury Crate app does a great job of letting you customize the performance of the ASUS ROG Xbox Ally to your liking

Additionally, you get two subtly placed macro keys on the rear. These buttons are smaller and more thoughtfully positioned than those on the original Ally, minimizing the chance of accidental presses mid-match. Meanwhile, the joysticks have customizable RGB lighting and brightness controls, too. You can turn them off completely if you find them distracting.

Of course, ASUS has sprinkled in some lovely, subtle ROG branding as well. The palm rests have “ROG” microprinted right into the grips — a welcome detail. And that classic ROG “Fearless Eye” logo on the back isn’t just for show; it’s a cleverly disguised air intake. It’s a design philosophy that cleverly combines style with function.

Let’s talk display. The 7-inch LCD screen is clean, vibrant, and exactly what a modern device should be. It defaults to a touch dark, and no, you won’t find any HDR here, which is a bummer. What does help, however, is the support for AMD’s FreeSync variable refresh rate tech, which works hard to smooth out the choppier frame rates of more demanding titles.

ASUS also added a Corning Gorilla Glass DXC coating to reduce surface reflections while boosting scratch resistance by over 40%. Fewer reflections mean you can use the device outdoors. Does it mean you can comfortably game under direct, harsh sunlight? No, we still found ourselves hunting for shade. But it’s a noticeable improvement over your average glossy laptop panel.

Look, an OLED display would have been nice, but the 120Hz FHD screen with 500 nits of brightness still holds its own. While it isn’t a massive leap over the Steam Deck’s 60Hz, 1,280 x 800 LCD, the improved resolution and refresh rate are immediately apparent. More important than the panel, however, is the ergonomics. The ROG Xbox Ally is simply right at home in your hands. It’s lighter than the Deck and the controller layout feels more intuitive, especially with those touchpads out of the way.

On the audio front, this handheld delivers. Dual front-firing speakers powered by Dolby Atmos pump out volume with minimal distortion. For multiplayer, the Two-Way AI Noise Cancelation feature is a great addition, effectively minimizing background noise from both your incoming and outgoing voice chat. And of course, there’s a proper 3.5mm jack on the top edge for all the headset purists out there.

Connectivity is fast, thanks to a Wi-Fi 6E-capable modem. This promises up to four times the network capacity and 75% lower latency than Wi-Fi 6, which should translate to effortless game streaming and fast downloads — provided your home network is up to it. We also appreciate the dual USB Type-C ports which include DisplayPort 2.1 and power delivery. This means you can charge and connect a USB-C accessory, like a monitor or a headset, simultaneously without needing a clunky dongle.

Finally, storage is fast. The internal SSD uses PCIe Gen 4 NVMe tech, officially clocking in with read speeds up to 5,000 MB/s. The external option, a UHS-II microSD card reader, supports read speeds up to 200 MB/s. While that’s great for media and documents, we recommend keeping your main 512GB of internal storage dedicated to your games.

A question of power

ASUS has kitted the ROG Xbox Ally out with the latest AMD silicon. Under the hood, you get an AMD Ryzen Z2 A processor with four cores and eight threads, alongside AMD Radeon graphics. While the chip is tuned for an incredibly efficient, low-power state of 5 to 15 watts TDP, which, combined with the 60Wh battery, hints at excellent battery life, you’ll soon realize you need to blow past that floor to do any meaningful local gaming.

In our testing, the ROG Xbox Ally almost always operated between 20 to 30 watts on most modern games. Particularly demanding titles like Assassin’s Creed Mirage and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 needed to sit near the 30-watt Turbo Mode ceiling just to ensure stable gameplay. There are simply no quality 3D games that run at around six watts in Silent Mode. That setting is best reserved for basic tasks like web browsing, streaming, or downloading games. Even running a low-impact title like Vampire Survivors — which even budget smartphones handle easily — requires you to stay at 720p to hit that smooth 120 FPS on Silent Mode.

ASUS gives you manual control through the Command Center, where you can adjust the TDP (Silent 6W, Performance 15W, Turbo 20W) and set resolutions (720p/900p/1080p) to chase battery life. That said, setting the system to Performance mode and 720p is the bare minimum to stretch the battery when you’re away from a socket. And this, unfortunately, is where the ROG Xbox Ally feels less like a console and more like a fussy PC. We sorely miss the pick-up-and-play convenience of our gaming consoles and mobile devices. Finding that sweet spot of performance, graphics, and power settings can be tedious and time-consuming.

Pushing our review unit to its limit — meaning Turbo Mode (30W) — gave us a clearer picture of its capabilities and its compromises. For big-name titles, you’re definitely playing the settings game. For starters, we hit around 50 FPS in Diablo 4 by dialing down to medium settings and using FSR 2.0 (Balanced) at 900p. However, that performance comes at a cost, specifically a 30% battery drain in just 40 minutes and temps hitting a pretty toasty 80 degrees Celsius, though still safe. Similarly demanding games like Last Epoch kept the ROG Xbox Ally near the 30-watt ceiling and around the same operating temperatures to maintain around 50 FPS at 720p.

The surprisingly power-hungry nature of this handheld extended to other AAA releases we tested. To get 35 FPS in Assassin’s Creed Mirage at 1080p under high settings, we were locked into Turbo Mode, resulting in loud fan noise and another 80 degrees Celsius thermal reading. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was even more punishing, demanding 30 watts just to hit a less-than-ideal 30 FPS at 720p under the lowest graphics settings. In that test, the device chewed through 45% of the battery in just 60 minutes, all while the fan was highly audible.

The ROG Xbox Ally does have games where it truly shines. Forza Horizon 5 is one of the best-optimized titles for this handheld, and the results show it. The racing simulator runs flawlessly, hitting high frame rates close to 60 FPS in actual races. Even with FSR disabled at 900p, we saw around 50 FPS, and when FSR 2.2 (Balanced) was enabled at 720p, performance climbed to around 55 FPS. Both tests were run in Performance Mode with quiet acoustics and normal temperatures around 71 degrees Celsius.

Heat dissipation is always a challenge for handhelds, and the ROG Xbox Ally is seemingly no different. The good news is that its dual-fan cooling system is highly efficient, ensuring sustained gaming performance even under heavy load. The bad news? That efficiency is directly tied to the fan noise. You get great performance, but you’ll have to deal with louder acoustics.

Other games offered slightly better temperature control, but still ate through the charge. Visions of Mana managed around 45 FPS at 1080p using the Performance Mode, draining 22% in 30 minutes with acceptable acoustics. Likewise, Riders Republic and Lego Star Wars stayed in the quieter 74 degrees Celsius to 76 degrees Celsius range but maintained their best performance — around 40 to 50 FPS — only at 720p, with the FPS in Lego Star Wars dropping sharply in busy areas like the droid factory.

When it’s finally time to top up, the ASUS ROG Xbox Ally performs reasonably well, thanks to its 65-watt charging, though it won’t break any speed records. In our testing, the device jumped from 6% to 64% in about 41 minutes. Hitting the critical 90% mark took approximately 35 minutes from a 50% start, and a full charge from empty takes around 85 minutes.

Our general takeaway regarding performance? If you want high-frame-rate, stable gaming on the ROG Xbox Ally, plan on using the 30-watt Turbo Mode, accepting the increased heat and fan noise, and keeping a charger nearby.

Initial setup and the open ecosystem payoff

The ROG Xbox Ally was made a big deal of because it ships with a special Xbox edition of Windows, complete with a handheld-friendly user interface meant to challenge the brilliance and simplicity of Valve’s SteamOS for the Steam Deck.

The moment you boot the device, you are immediately reminded of its greatest strength: Despite its handheld design, it’s a full Windows 11 personal computer. The initial setup, which requires navigating multiple updates and downloading various launchers, is simply the admission price for this open ecosystem. Dedicated consoles are locked to one store; this handheld is not — and it’s a win for any PC gamer, since you can access your entire library across Steam, Epic, GOG, and, of course, Microsoft’s own Xbox app.

However, the ROG Xbox Ally’s “PC-ness” shows up in other routine tasks as well, demanding a tradeoff in convenience. While you operate primarily within the Xbox app, games from different storefronts require you to fire up a separate launcher. Similarly, uninstalling a game isn’t as simple as tapping the menu button on a dedicated console like the Xbox Series X. When you need to uninstall a title, you must use the familiar Windows “Add/Remove Programs” function or the game’s specific launcher. That extra step is the unavoidable cost of universal storefront access, and it clearly sacrifices the supposedly streamlined experience of a dedicated gaming machine.

Another challenge inherent to the Windows ecosystem is the sheer volume of games not originally designed for a controller. Obviously, that’s not the handheld’s fault; it’s merely a consequence of its flexibility. We spent time downloading fantastic PC titles like Tyranny and XCOM 2 only to find they require mouse and keyboard input. This is where the ROG Xbox Ally’s PC DNA shows its limitations as a console. The game itself — not the hardware — is the roadblock. And while this model can technically run most PC titles, the smart strategy is to verify controller support before downloading to save storage and frustration. After all, if you have to bring a keyboard and mouse, you’ve completely defeated the entire point of a handheld gaming machine.

To its credit, Microsoft is actively working to iron out the software kinks. The game-vetting system inside the Xbox app is a thoughtful and helpful start, tagging titles that are expected to “run great” on the ROG Xbox Ally’s hardware. While there are a few odd gaps — like some big, first-party Xbox releases such as Forza Motorsport still awaiting a label while Forza Horizon 5 is fully tested and vetted — the system is a promising indication of Microsoft’s commitment to optimizing the handheld experience.

Final thoughts

The ASUS ROG Xbox Ally isn’t a simple plug-and-play machine like its rivals. You’re holding a fully featured Windows 11 gaming PC in a handheld form factor — and that’s its ultimate strength and its core compromise.

ASUS nailed the hardware, no doubt. The ergonomics are, without question, best-in-class; the display is fast and reasonably crisp; and the AMD Ryzen Z2 A silicon inside can handle demanding games. However, the software experience is a constant tug-of-war. Is it worth the hassle? For the PC gamer who prizes unrivaled access, deep customization, and comfort over simplicity, the answer is a resounding yes. It’s a capable, well-thought-out machine matched by the messy, exciting, and ultimately liberating world of Windows PC gaming.

In the Philippines, the ASUS ROG Xbox Ally is priced at P36,995, roughly $635 converted, for the lone configuration with 16GB of LPDDR5-6400 RAM and 512GB of PCIe 4.0 M.2 SSD storage.

ROG Xbox Ally specs

• 7-inch IPS display, FHD resolution, 120Hz refresh rate, 16:9 aspect ratio, Corning Gorilla Glass Victus
• ABXY face buttons, shoulder triggers, LR joysticks, D-pad, Xbox button
• AMD Ryzen Z2A Zen 2 APU (4 cores/8 threads)
• RDNA 2
• 16GB LPDDR5X-6400 RAM
• 512TB M.2 2280 NVMe PCIe SSD
• 2x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 with DisplayPort 2.1, PD 3.0
• microSD card slot
• 60Wh battery
• Microsoft Windows 11 (optimized for gaming)
• Color: White

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