If you were hoping that Asus would show off the success to the ROG Ally, you are going to have to wait a little while longer. Still, we got some initial info including what to expect from its battery life and more.
The ROG Ally X, which was formally announced on Thursday, will be an update to the original featuring a black color variant and improved battery life. First reported by The Verge moments before Asus held its next ROG Ally announcement stream (which ended up being an anti-climatic announcement for a bigger announcement coming on June 2), the new device’s battery life will be a 30-40% increase over its predecessor. Asus also revealed the will be slightly heavier than the original due to increased battery performance.
In addition to the enhanced battery life, the ROG Ally X will be more repair-friendly, including interchangeable redesigned joystick modules. The M.2 2280 SSD slot has increased, making it easier for people to find third-party SSDs to buy and install should they wish to increase its SSD storage capacity. An SD card reader will still be present for those who need to be bolder to pry open their handheld.
But that is about as far as the new changes go. The device will still use the same AMD Z1 Extreme CPU offered in the original, in addition to the same 7-inch LCD display that supports up to 1080p resolution and a refresh rate that caps at 120Hz.
The announcement is impeccable timing for Asus, as Saturday marks the first anniversary when the company revealed it was entering the handheld gaming PC market. Before today’s live stream, Asus subtly hinted that a new ROG Ally device was in the works, as a post on X/Twitter revealed that a black variant of the device was tucked away on a bookshelf.
Asus released the ROG Ally last June to compete with devices such as Valve’s Steam Deck. The ROG Ally’s first iteration included Windows 11 as its operating system and used a Zen 4 AMD CPU with two processor configurations: AMD Z1 and Z1 Extreme. Like other handheld gaming PCs, the ROG Ally showcased versatility as not just being a portable gaming PC but a fully functional PC that could be used as a desktop when connecting it to a docking station and pairing it with a mouse and keyboard.
However, Asus is one of many games that are prepared to stay in this emerging market for the foreseeable futures. Its competitors Valve, Lenovo, and MSI have already released updated models of their original portable gaming PCs. Or have announced plans to release a new version of their device.
In our review of the Asus ROG Ally Z1 Extreme model, my colleague Robert Anderson wrote: “ROG Ally has the potential to be a serious contender against the Steam Deck. While it’s not perfect, there’s a lot to love about this powerful new handheld.”
Taylor is a Reporter at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @TayNixster.
Laura Adams is a tech enthusiast residing in the UK. Her articles cover the latest technological innovations, from AI to consumer gadgets, providing readers with a glimpse into the future of technology.
