The Asus ROG Xbox Ally X brings the best of Xbox, packed in a compact form factor. Check out the review to know more about the gaming handheld.
The Asus ROG Xbox Ally X price in India starts at Rs. 1,14,990.
Asus and Microsoft have finally introduced the first portable Xbox-branded gaming handhelds, and it is probably one of the most interesting things in 2025. The ROG Xbox Ally X and ROG Xbox Ally, the first-ever handhelds crafted in a partnership between Xbox and Asus, claim to bring the best of the Xbox experience in a portable form factor. While the ROG Xbox Ally is meant for the masses, the ROG Xbox Ally X is something that makes its pitch as a gaming handheld for serious gamers. However, with a hefty price tag of Rs. 1,14,990, does it really make sense to go for this gaming handheld when you can get a decent gaming laptop with a similar price tag? I got the chance to use the device for a while, and here's everything you need to know.
The Asus ROG Xbox Ally X is available in a single matte black colour option.
The Xbox partnership is not just limited to the software, and you will notice it the moment you hold the device in your hand. The familiar Xbox controller-like grip will instantly make you nostalgic, and this is what the gaming handheld wants you to feel. At a time when most gaming handhelds feature a slab-like design, Asus has taken a step ahead and implemented a new design language.
Just place a large 7-inch screen between the Xbox Wireless Controller and you get the ROG Xbox Ally X. The matte black finish, along with the new controller grips, offers an ergonomic hold, making it comfortable to hold for long gaming sessions.
The button placement is good and it is easier to reach without stretching too much.
The button layout is the same as that of an Xbox Wireless Controller. You get analogue sticks, ABXY face buttons, and a D-pad. There is also a dedicated Xbox button, Armoury Crate SE button on the left side, while the right side of the screen features the Library button and the Menu option. The face buttons are clicky and tactile, while analogue sticks feature rubberised caps that feel premium. More importantly, the bumpers and triggers offer haptic feedback.
Moving on, I really liked the fact that the brand has a textured finish on the controllers with ROG and Xbox branding. It appears subtle and lends a premium look to the entire gaming handheld. Moreover, it is slightly heavier than the previous generation Ally, with 715 grams. However, the additional weight is justified as Asus has redesigned the internals to provide an 80W battery and new Zero Gravity cooling systems for better thermal performance.
The company has given two USB Type-C ports, which makes it easier to connect external SSD on this gaming handheld.
Moreover, the company has also given two USB Type-C ports with the gaming handheld, which is a good thing. With this, you can easily connect an external SSD or the ROG XG Mobile unit if you want to get the best gaming experience with the RTX 5090 GPU. That said, there is no information available on whether the company will bring the XG Mobile unit to India anytime soon.
The Asus ROG Xbox Ally X comes equipped with a 7-inch Full HD IPS LCD touchscreen display. The screen features a 120Hz refresh rate and supports AMD FreeSync Premium. Moreover, you get Corning Gorilla Glass Victus and an anti-reflective DXC coating as well, which makes it both durable and easier to operate in outdoor conditions.
The gaming handheld comes with a 7-inch IPS LCD touchscreen display.
The gaming handheld features a 16:9 aspect ratio, which differs slightly from the taller 16:10 screens found on the Steam Deck OLED and Lenovo Legion Go 2. However, it is still suited for most PC and Xbox games. The display feels fluid and responsive, all thanks to the 120Hz screen rate.
The high refresh rate also comes in handy when you are playing indie titles like Hollow Knight: Silksong, as you can take the leverage of the 120fps. Overall, you will feel more fluid gameplay as compared to the Steam Deck OLED's 90Hz display panel. The colour accuracy is also bang, despite being an LCD. You get a solid colour reproduction, while the text appears to be sharp. The anti-reflective coating does reduce glare to some extent. At the same time, the 500nits make it easier to game in indoor or outdoor cafe settings.
The gaming handheld also features a 120Hz screen refresh rate, which makes the whole animations a lot smoother.
However, let's address the elephant in the room! This is still an LCD panel, while the competitors like the Steam Deck OLED and Lenovo Legion Go 2 feature OLED displays. And despite all the attempts, the inky blacks, punchy colours, or better contrasts that an OLED panel offers cannot be replicated on an LCD panel. So, if you are playing games like Dying Light 2, the dark scenes look a bit underwhelming compared to an OLED panel.
The Asus ROG Xbox Ally X runs on the Windows 11 Home operating system. However, what makes it different from the rest of the competition is the fact that it is the first gaming handheld that uses Microsoft's Xbox Full Screen Experience (FSE). This is basically a customised interface that is specially designed for gaming handhelds. And the new ROG Xbox Ally series is among the first to offer this new interface.
The latest gaming handheld features Xbox Full Screen Experience feature, which saves resources while playing games.
The FSE is basically Microsoft's answer to Valve's SteamOS, and it sure makes a huge difference when it comes to Windows-based gaming handhelds. We all know how notorious Windows 11 can be when it comes to touchscreen, especially with such a compact interface. Therefore, offering a more user-friendly option comes as a blessing in disguise. The best part here is that you can use multiple platforms, such as Steam, Epic Games, Battle.net, Ubisoft Connect, and more, to download and play games on this gaming handheld.
The Xbox button serves as your command centre. With a simple press, you can access recently-played games, quick settings, friends lists, and launcher shortcuts. Hold it down, and you will see all currently active windows, which allows you to switch between different apps. You can also close by pressing the X button.
The Armoury Crate SE is a good addition, which brings a lot of features and customisation on the gaming handhelds.
The thought process behind this whole interface is good, though it still has some rough edges. Firstly, in some cases, third-party launchers do not properly support navigation through the controller. In some cases, a pop-up appears with additional launchers, which can be somewhat frustrating at times.
Then there is Asus' wn Armoury Crate SE, which is an overlay to the Xbox interface. Frankly speaking, you will be using the Armoury Crate more often than the FSE as it gives you better controls over fan speeds, updates, customisation, operating mode, and more.
The Asus ROG Xbox Ally X is powered by the AMD Z2 Extreme processor. The chip features a Zen 5 architecture with 8 cores, comprising three Zen 5 cores and five Zen 5c cores. The chipset also features 16 threads and a maximum boost clock of 5GHz. Moreover, you get integrated Radeon 890M graphics with 16 RDNA 3.5 compute units. The Ally X is loaded with 24GB of LPDDR5X RAM and 1TB of M.2 2280 SSD storage.
The Asus ROG Xbox Ally X is powered by the latest AMD Z2 Extreme processor.
Asus offers three performance modes: Silent (13W), Performance (17W), and Turbo (25W on battery, 35W when plugged in). The gaming handheld performed quite decently in the synthetic benchmarks, including Cinebench and 3DMark, among others. At Turbo mode, you get computing power that rivals that of entry-level gaming laptops, which is an impressive feat considering the compact form factor.
During the testing period, I played a mix of indie games and AAA titles, and the performance turned out to be better than its predecessor. And interestingly, this time you also get a Handheld compatibility badge, which helps you distinguish games that are optimised for the gaming handheld. However, this is only valid for Xbox Store titles and does not apply to other platforms, such as Steam, Epic, and third-party games. That being said, let's take a closer look at the gaming performance.
The gaming handheld runs most of the recent games, though you might need to tone down the graphics settings.
While playing Hollow Knight: Silksong, I comfortably got 120fps during gameplay. Coming to AAA titles, in Cyberpunk 2077 at 1080p ultra settings with no upscaling, the Xbox Ally X managed to deliver 28 fps while plugged in and 26.7 FPS on battery in Turbo mode. However, once you drop down to 720p and use AMD's FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution) mode, then you can comfortably get around 50 to 60 fps on average. For a notoriously demanding game, these are some decent results.
Shadow of the Tomb Raider at 1080p with high settings achieved 50 fps, while at 720p it soared to 70 fps. In Assassin's Creed Mirage, I comfortably got 57fps with default settings. On the other hand, while playing Hogwarts Legacy at low settings and FSR Enabled, I got close to 90fps. However, with ultra-high settings, the gaming handheld delivered around 40fps. Red Dead Redemption 2 on the "Favor Performance" preset delivered 66fps at 720p.
The thermal management is good and you will not feel uncomfortable while gaming on this handheld.
Coming to the thermals, the gaming handheld showed good thermal management during the testing period. The fans were loud, especially in Turbo mode, but the noise levels were not overbearing. Moreover, the vents make it easier to push the heat away from the gaming handheld, which makes it easier to hold for prolonged periods.
You cannot deny the fact that battery life has always been the Achilles' heel of Windows gaming handhelds. However, Asus did try to make some improvements by introducing a slightly larger 80Wh battery with the Xbox Ally X gaming handheld. However, don't expect much from the battery life.
With Performance mode, you can get up to 3 hours of battery backup. On the other hand, with Tubro mode, you can get 2 to 2.5 hours of battery life. The company is also giving a 65W adapter, which is powerful enough to maintain a 35W TDP during gameplay.
The Asus ROG Xbox Ally X tries to bring the best of Windows to a gaming handheld. The company made a full attempt to attract gamers with its long list of features. The design is ergonomic and comfortable to hold, thanks to the new Xbox controller-inspired aesthetic. The performance of the Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme is impressive for a gaming handheld, while Microsoft's Xbox Full Screen Experience represents a meaningful step forward for Windows handhelds, although it still has a long way to go.
The gaming handheld makes it easier to game on the go.
The Xbox integration still needs better optimisation, while adding an OLED option would have further sweetened the deal. The display is doable, and a 120Hz screen refresh rate does make a difference while scrolling through the user interface or playing games. That said, the main question here is: who should buy the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X? Is it meant for a heavy gamer or the ones that are just starting their gaming journey? The answer might not be as simple as it seems.
The gaming handheld is surely one of the most ambitious handhelds we have seen in 2025, with a premium design and powerful performance. However, it is still far behind in replacing your console or gaming setup. And the steep price of Rs. 1,14,990 makes it difficult to justify its price, when you can easily get a decent gaming laptop in the price range. That being said, the gaming handheld wants to carve a niche here by giving the experience of a good experience on the go. So, if you want to experience that, then you can certainly consider the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X as your next gaming companion.
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Ratings (out of 10)
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