One year after the launch of its first Windows-based portable console, ROG Ally, Asus announces the “X” version. Not a new console, as it should be, but a revisitation born from the collection of a year of feedback and suggestions from users.
Asus made a smart choice, a bit like Valve last year: it didn’t touch the heart of the console which remains the AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme processor and hasn’t even touched the screen, which remains the 7″ Full HD 1920 x 1080 pixel with 500 nits of brightness and Gorilla Glass Victus protection.
It could have given a larger screen, but there is already the Lenovo Legion Go, and it could have offered an OLED but it would have increased consumption. The 7″ screen in 16:9 format in which Ally is offered was judged excellent by those who had the first version and Asus, as we will see, it only intervened where users actually asked for something. Like more RAM, like more disk space and improved battery life.
Let’s start with autonomy, where the new 80 Wh lithium cell seems like a small miracle if you consider that a notebook like the 15″ MacBook Air has a smaller battery. Doubling Asus capacity effectively doubles the playing time, but what is most surprising is that she managed to do it with un increase of only 70 grams compared to the original version. We are at 678 grams in total, which for a gaming console is not a lot.
Asus has also entirely redesigned the motherboard and internal structure, favoring expandability and dissipation. To make room for the new battery the fans are smaller and use thinner blades, but thanks to a third exhaust air intake on the top edge the cooling system manages to move 24% more air volume through the device, also cooling the LCD panel.
The new motherboard design also leaves room for an M.2 2280 slot which therefore allows for easy aftermarket storage upgrades. Ally X, compared to Ally, However, it is sold with 1 TB of storage instead of the 512 GB of the original model.
Although there has been no improvement on the processor side, it cannot be said that the performance of the two models is identical because we now find 24GB LPDDR5X-7500 RAM. An APU like the Ryzen Z1 Extreme used by Asus makes extensive use of shared memory, and the 24GB allows you to allocate an extra 8GB to the GPU’s VRAM.
Starting from the black finish, the previous one was white, Ally X has also been revised in ergonomics and connectivity: it is more rounded, has a better grip and the buttons and levers are arranged in a slightly more ergonomic angle, with an inclination of the triggers which makes it easier to press. Players had complained about accidentally pressing the buttons on the back and now they are smaller but still accessible.
The joysticks have also been changed: the new ones are much more resistant, they have stiffer springs to make it easier for those who cannot play well with a stick that is too soft and according to Asus they have been tested for 5 million cycles. The directional cross also changes, with the new D-Pad which seems made especially for retrogames thanks to the management of eight directions, in such a way as to facilitate the diagonal. Finally, the XG Mobile port disappears: there are now two USB-C ports, one of which is Thunderbolt compatible and can therefore be connected to external GPUs. The microSD port remains, but changes position.
In the next few days we should have the opportunity to touch and try the new console, waiting for its arrival in Italy where it will be available starting from 22 July 2024 at the price of €899. Not very low, but if you consider the double autonomy, 1 TB of storage and 24 GB of RAM it’s not even too much.
