ROG Ally X review: This console crushes the Steam Deck, but at what price ?

After a first portable console with very promising interesting, Asus does not intend to stop and has recently unveiled its new ROG Ally X. We were able to try it out for several days to give you our review.

If you took a walk in a store like Fnac in recent months, you may already be at a loss. fallen on the ROG Ally. This console launched by Asus in 2023 was clearly eyeing the territory of the Steam Deck in order to conquer the market. portable consoles. If the latter benefited from serious advantages (notably its distribution in stores), it unfortunately rubbed shoulders with others. the Valve console which generally remained more attractive.

Asus, however, does not intend to stop there; and unveils its ROG Ally X with one watchword: power. Still equipped with an AMD Z1 Extreme processor, the new Asus console has a better battery and more performance. RAM to run your favorite games… For a higher price. A bet pays off ? That's what we're going to see right away.

Editor's note: This review was completed by fully realizedé &agrav; from a loaned copy; by the brand.

A slightly revised and improved design

Those familiar with the first model of ROG Ally will quickly see the differences with this new generation. Equipped with a much more 'rounded' case, the ROG Ally #39;a portable console in 2024 with joysticks, directional cross and A/B/X/Y buttons. There are also four buttons specifically dedicated to the console's home interface, "Armory Crate" but also &at; a whole bunch of options that we already found before on the first model in 2023.

The ROG Ally X (top) is a little larger than the Steam Deck. © Linternaute/Julian Madiot

Side In handling, the ROG Ally rear of the console. The latter allows us to hold the console securely without it ever slipping from our hands, even during particularly tough gaming sequences. The joysticks, as for à They always prove to be just as pleasant at home. easy to use and accurate. Asus states that it has also strengthened its performance. the resistance of the latter which would now support 5 million cycles (compared to 2 million for the 2023 model).

Nothing à also say again from the side of the weight of the ROG Ally X. If the latter is a bit higher  than that of a Steam Deck, the Asus console still remains light enough to be used at daily and &agrav; "hands raised" without fearing a certain heaviness in the arms.

The grips of the ROG Ally its good grip. © Linternaute/Julian Madiot

On the side connectors, say hello à two new USB-C ports on the upper edge of the console. The latter, however, are not similar since Asus has equipped its ROG Ally The ROG Ally ;#39;a new drawer & SD card. The first model had notably beené under fire from critics following à poor control of the overheating of the console which made SD cards inoperable from a certain heat. We can bet that this new provision, coupled with a better console cooling system, fixes this error.

Significantly increased performance

If the ROG Ally X has the same processor as the previous model, Asus has still done the same the choice of increasing the RAM of your console to increase its power and allow you to enjoy the most recent games with the maximum possible FPS. We have tested é the ROG Ally X alongside a Steam Deck (classic) and here are our results:

So there's a real difference in performance between the two machines. The ROG Ally outperforms the Steam Deck on all the games we tested during our week of testing, and given their price difference, that tends to be reassure us.

Games like Elden Ring run very well on the ROG Ally X. © Linternaute/Julian Madiot

In addition to the raw performance, we must also salute the heat management on the new Asus console. Even with games pushed to the limit. background in their graphics, the ROG Ally never launched' its fans with such speed that we could hear them fully. If the console can sometimes blow heavily, this remains quite anecdotal compared to the fans of a Steam Deck which can sometimes be extremely noisy.

Let's also talk about the sound of the ROG Ally official, Asus simply indicates having addedé more powerful speakers compared to the 2023 model without further details. A difference that we feel almost immediately even though we were already praising it. old-generation audio performance. Placed aside à Next to the Steam Deck, the difference is even more noticeable. Hats off Asus.

A console always confined to Windows 11 for better and for worse

One of the biggest differences between the Asus ROG Ally X and the Steam Deck is the operating system. The Asus console runs on Windows 11 which will allow users more "ordinary" to find your way more easily on the desktop interface of the Asus console than on that of Steam confined to the console. Linux by default.

The "Armory Crate" allows you to display several practical information such as the number of FPS in game. © Linternaute/Julian Madiot

During our test of the 2023 model, we suffered from numerous bugs and crashes from the OS or Asus' in-house gaming overlay, “Armory Crate”. The latter forced us to restart the console several times in order to successfully play games.

Fortunately, all of this seems to be a distant memory. During our entire week of testing, we only noted no issues with the Asus ROG Ally X. Whether it was launching or installing games on Steam or finding new platforms and indie games, the ROG Ally X gave us complete satisfaction.

We particularly welcome the "Armory Crate" overlay. The latter is full of options & enable or disable as needed and is fully customizable with the features you want to find quickly when you're in a game. control the electrical consumption of the console to allocate more or less power to it (and impact its autonomy), but also to display different terminals to track console performance. There is also an option to limit the FPS of your games up to 100%. 120 FPS, but we wish you luck finding a title capable of running beyond that. of such an amount.

But the only concern inherent in this The Asus ROG Ally où The Steam Deck has a very simple and easy to use version of Linux. understand and &agrav; When used on a daily basis, the ROG Ally's operating system can sometimes be confusing. The latter can sometimes require some adjustments to install certain games or use peripherals. If Microsoft is always making more effort to make Windows compatible with Video Game o, there is still a little way to go à TO DO. However, if you prefer the Windows environment – understandably – we still recommend the ROG Ally X.

Double the battery life and one of the best on the market

When the Asus ROG Ally was released in 2023, several users and journalists expressed frustration with the console's battery life. In our test published in May 2023, we were also frustrated that we could only play big titles for 2 or 3 hours.

Asus seems to have once again listened to this question. critics by deciding to double the battery of its portable console and go from 40 to 100%. 80 W. An increase which is clearly felt during our various tests where The Asus ROG Ally World Ends With You were even able to accompany us for almost 5 hours! As a result, the Asus ROG Ally X becomes one of the portable consoles with the best battery life on the market. (with the Nintendo Switch OLED, but the latter does not play in the same court).

The Asus ROG Ally X is full of small ergonomic options. © Linternaute/Julian Madiot

The other good news is that Asus is providing a charger with its new ROG Ally X. The latter has a capacity of 65W, which is the maximum capacity of… The previous generation. Indeed, the new ROG Ally X is compatible with 100W chargers, so it is a bit of a shame not to have one provided. The 65W charger is still very practical and allows you to quickly recharge the console.

Our conclusion to the Asus ROG Ally X test

Is the new Asus ROG Ally X better than the Steam Deck ? We would be tempted to answer yes, given our tests and the feelings of our other colleagues in the specialist press. Asus seems to have listened to all the criticisms made of its first generation of console to correct them one by one. A faulty SD card slot ? It is replaced on the ROG Ally X. A very average autonomy ? The latter is doubled on the ROG Ally X. Performance a little fair ? The ROG Ally X benefits from more RAM.

As it stands, the ROG Ally X is therefore one of the best portable consoles on the market. But is it really worth the 900 euros asked by Asus ? Such a price brings it closer to a small gaming PC and the Steam Deck OLED, in its highest configuration, remains 220 euros cheaper. We can therefore only advise you to invest in the ROG Ally X if its price suits you and the Windows 11 environment does not bother you.