The gaming industry has seen a significant shift in recent years, with handheld gaming consoles becoming increasingly popular among gamers who want a solution for gaming on the go. Unlike TV consoles, which are tied to a stationary setup, handheld consoles do not require a TV, allowing you to enjoy your favorite games anywhere, whether you’re commuting, traveling, or just relaxing at home. Their portability makes handheld consoles perfect for casual gamers. Many modern handheld consoles today also have a long battery life, which allows for extended play sessions without needing a power source. Furthermore, handheld consoles also offer players easy access to a wide variety of games, including indie titles and retro games. And what’s probably their biggest selling point is the nostalgic feeling associated with handheld gaming, which many old-school gamers who played on a Game Boy, the MB Microvision, or even the Super Brick Game are familiar with. For a handheld gaming console that can deliver a powerful performance and give you an immersive gaming experience on the go, the new ASUS ROG Ally X (2024) (RC72LA model) is your go-to option.
The ASUS ROG Ally X (2024) is a high-end handheld gaming console that features a 7″ FHD IPS touchscreen display boasting a 1080p resolution, 120Hz refresh rate, and AMD FreeSync Premium technology that allow for smooth gameplay, entertainment, and work, while also coming equipped with a proprietary Zero Gravity Thermal System with a dual fan design that keeps the console cool and quiet in any orientation, along with dual front-firing smart amp speakers with Dolby Atmos, which utilize Two-way AI Noise Cancellation technology to filter out any background noises from your voice chats. It also features an AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme processor on Zen 4 architecture (8-cores, 16 threads) with RDNA 3 graphics that makes playing any game possible, a 1TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 SSD for storage with standard M.2 2280 form factor support for future upgrades, and 24GB of LPDDR5-7500 RAM. The console runs on Windows 11 Home OS, which gives you access to programs such as Word, Excel, and Windows Defender, and also makes it fully compatible with Steam, Xbox Game Pass, Epic, GOG, and more. It also comes with the Armoury Crate SE 1.5 software, which allows for seamless customization of your game library and device settings.
The console also integrates a USB-C 3.2 and USB-C 4 ports (Thunderbolt 4 compatible) which support DisplayPort 1.4 and Power Delivery 3.0, a UHS-II microSD card slot for expanded storage, and a 3.5mm combo audio jack, and also features ASUS AURA SYNC RGB LED lighting for its joysticks. It also boasts Bluetooth 5.2 and ultra-fast Wi-Fi 6E connectivity, plus an 80Wh battery that offers up to 8 hours battery. Best of all, the console also comes with a three-month Xbox Game Pass subscription that gives you access to hundreds of PC games.
Designed for exceptional gaming on the go, this high-hend handheld gaming console is the next-generation model of the original ROG Ally (launched back in 2023), offering you significantly better performance for the next generation of AAA titles and endless different ways to play your favorite games.
Here’s our in-depth review of the ASUS ROG Ally X (2024), where we go discuss in detail all the awesome features this handheld gaming console has to offer you.
DESIGN & SPECS
Starting with the console’s size, this handheld gaming console has a somewhat large size in comparison to other top-of-the-line handheld consoles, measuring exactly 11.02 inches long by 4.37 inches deep by 0.97 inches to 1.45 inches thick (28.0 x 11.1 x 2.47 ~ 3.69 cm), which its slimmest part being the center of its body, while its thickest parts consist of its handgrips at the edges of the device.
Despite its slightly larger size and sizeable improvement in battery life when compared to the original ROG Ally (2023 model), the ASUS ROG Ally X (2024) still incredibly lightweight, weighing exactly 1.49 lbs. (678 g), which is just 0.15 lbs. (70 g) more than its predecessor.
The ASUS ROG Ally X (2024) also sports a gorgeous aesthetic, featuring a redesigned chassis that comes in a brand-new black colorway, which gives it that gaming-inspired look that every gamer will certainly love.
The console also has an improved ergonomic design that allows for long gaming sessions in even more comfort and with more precise control than its predecessor (the original ROG Ally 2023 model) provided. More specifically, it has slightly deeper handgrips with a carefully contoured curvature and a more rounded shape that help deliver improved comfort, all without adding much thickness to the device.
Its handgrips also have a unique ROG-themed slip-resistant texture that provides a better grip for the console, which is especially important while gaming to ensure precise control of your player character.
In addition, its buttons and joysticks are arranged in a slightly more ergonomic angle, with a slant to the triggers and bumpers that makes them easier to press than the original, thus enhancing control without reducing accuracy or responsiveness.
Its joysticks are slightly offset from each other for better ergonomics, and they’ve also had their location slightly tweaked relative to the D-Pad and face buttons, making it easier for each hand to move between controls, while custom-tailored 2º and 14º slants keep the console comfortable in both hands.
It’s also worth noting that the ASUS ROG Ally X (2024) comes equipped with joysticks that are much more durable than those from the original ROG Ally (2023), as they now integrate a more durable module that’s rated to have a lifespan of 5 million rotation cycles (twice as much as the 2.5 million cycles offered by the joystick modules from its predecessor).
Both joysticks are also surrounded by an RGB LED halo light that brings a little extra flair to the console’s entire gaming experience.
The D-Pad has been similarly improved, as it was redesigned with a more precise eight-direction input to reduce stickiness when performing circular movements (which is particularly helpful when playing fighting and retro games), all while still cleanly actuating inputs on the 8-axis wheel.
The face buttons on the ASUS ROG Ally X (2024) also feature a flat dome shape, which makes them extremely comfortable to press, while still having a noticeably tactile click feeling and significantly less wobble.
Lastly, the macro buttons on the back are also smaller in order to reduce accidental presses while keeping them easily accessible any time they’re necessary.
Moving on to the console’s hardware components. Starting with its screen, the ASUS ROG Ally X (2024) comes equipped with a 7″ FHD IPS touchscreen display that boasts a 1080p resolution (1920 x 1080 pixels) and up to 500 nights of brightness, offering users a crystal-clear view of their content with crisp, highly-detailed graphics, even in fast-paced games.
Its 7″ FHD IPS touchscreen also comes protected by a Corning Gorilla Glass DXC coating, which increases its screen’s hardness by over 40% for improved scratch resistance, while also helping to reduce surface reflections, making it easier for users to keep track of what’s happening on-screen even in brighter environments (such as outdoors) without losing access to contrast or 100% of the sRGB color space.
Moreover, the console’s screen also boasts a high refresh rate of 120Hz, along with AMD FreeSync Premium technology, allowing for smooth gameplay, entertainment, and work, ultimately bringing you a higher level of immersion.
Speaking of immersion, the console also comes equipped with a set of dual front-firing smart amp speakers with Dolby Atmos, which makes its speakers capable of pumping up its volume without any noticeable distortion.
Its speakers also leveraging Two-way AI Noise Cancellation technology to filter out any background noises from your voice chats, allowing you to focus on your game without worrying about such things.
When it comes its performance, the ASUS ROG Ally X (2024) comes equipped with a powerful, high-performance AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme Octa-core processor (featuring 8-cores and 16 threads) that runs on Zen 4 architecture with 4nm process, boasting a 24MB of cache and up to 5.10Ghz processing speed (with CPU boost enabled).
The console’s AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme processor also integrates an AMD Radeon Graphics GPU that boasts up to 2.7GHz processing speed and up to 8.6 Teraflops, for which it features RDNA 3 graphics and innovative upscaling technologies such as AMD Fluid Motion Frames and Radeon Super Resolution, making the Ally X capable of boosting framerates while retaining excellent image quality. Thanks to that, the console can play pretty much any game, even AAA games.
Users can choose between from three different operating modes to balance performance and power usage, including Silent Mode (at 10W), Performance Mode (at 15W), and Turbo Mode (at 25W / or 30W when connected to AC power).
What’s more is that the ASUS ROG Ally X (2024) also comes equipped with a proprietary Zero Gravity Thermal System with a dual fan design, which helps keep the console cool and quiet in any orientation.
Its Zero Gravity Thermal System features specially designed anti-gravity heat pipes that operate at peak efficiency in any orientation, a set of brand-new 0.15mm ultra-thin fans that push up to 24% more air through a third exhaust vent (located at the center of the upper edge of the console) for an increased airflow (in comparison to the original 2023 model) while also keeping the console’s body up to 6°C cooler to the touch, plus redesigned fan shrouds and dual heatsinks that further help keep your device cool and quiet at all times.
For the console’s remaining hardware specs, know the ASUS ROG Ally X (2024) comes equipped with a 1TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 SSD for storage, while also utilizing a redesigned motherboard that features a standard M.2 2280 form factor slot, allowing users to more easily upgrade the console’s storage to larger drives than it was previously possible with its predecessor.
Furthermore, the console also features 24GB of high-speed 7500MHz LPDDR5x RAM, making it capable of effortlessly swapping between applications and have multiple tabs running at once.
Lastly, for its operating system, the console comes running on Windows 11 Home OS, which gives you access to standard Microsoft programs such as Word and Excel, while also providing you with Windows Defender, which provides constantly updated antivirus and malware protection. For younger users, parents can manage device and safety settings through parental controls.
Its Windows 11 Home operating system also makes the console fully compatible with Steam, Xbox Game Pass, Epic, GOG, and other game platforms.
The console also comes with the Armoury Crate SE 1.5 software pre-installed, which allows for seamless customization of your game library and its device settings.
INTERFACE / CONTROL PANEL
We’ll now go over the console’s interface, meaning its many action buttons and its connection panel.
Integrated the left-hand side of the console we have its D-Pad and left joystick, plus its View button and Command Center button, while at the right-hand side we have its A/B/X/Y face buttons and right joystick, along with its Menu button and Armoury Crate button.
Then at the back side of the console we have its macro buttons (one for each hand), while at the top edge of the console we have its right and left bumpers and triggers.
The console’s top side also integrates its entire connection panel, for which the right-hand side includes its dedicated Power On/Off button, followed by a 3.5mm combo audio jack, a UHS-II microSD card slot for expanded storage (supports SD, SDXC and SDHC), plus a set of volume buttons at the center, as well as a Power LED light indicator and a Two-color battery charge indicator.
Then at the left-hand side we have a USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 port and a USB-C 4 Gen 2 port (which for the latter is Thunderbolt 4 compatible), with both ports supporting DisplayPort 1.4 and Power Delivery 3.0.
The console’s Power button also integrates a built-in Windows Hello fingerprint sensor that allows for secure logins without a PIN code being required.
Users can also get the ASUS ROG Gaming Charger Dock (sold separately at $54.99), which allows you to connect the console to a monitor or a TV by using an HDMI cable and then pair it with one or more controllers (for other players) to play on a bigger screen.
Plus, the ASUS ROG Ally X (2024) also features ASUS AURA SYNC, which provides RGB LED lighting customization for its joysticks.
CONNECTIVITY
For pairing it with other devices wirelessly, the console utilizes Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity, allowing it to be paired with Bluetooth-enabled devices such as your smartphone for listening to music or with a Bluetooth keyboard for work.
It also utilizes ultra-fast Wi-Fi 6E connectivity, allowing users to stream videos, access cloud gaming services and download games effortlessly, even on crowded networks.
BATTERY & BATTERY LIFE
For its power, this handheld gaming console boasts an improved 80Wh Lithium-Ion battery (4S1P, 4-cell battery) that’s twice as large as its predecessor’s 40Wh battery, offering users up to 8 hours of battery life.
When its battery is running low on power, you simply have to connect the console’s USB-C charging cable from its 65W AC adapter to either of its dual USB-C ports, and then connect its adapter to power. It only takes a few hours for the console’s battery to recharge back to full power.
PRICING & AVAILABILITY
If you’re interested in purchasing the ASUS ROG Ally X (2024), know that the console is currently priced at $799.99, and each purchase is accompanied by a 1-Year Warranty.
Best of all, the console also comes with a three-month Xbox Game Pass subscription that gives you access to hundreds of PC games, such as Halo, Minecraft Legends, and many more.
You can order it online directly from ASUS ROG’s official shopping page, or you can instead order it from Best Buy’s online store, if you’d prefer.
 has a 7" FHD screen, 1TB SSD, 24GB RAM, Windows 11 Home OS, 2 USB-C ports, a microSD card slot, a 3.5mm AUX and 8 hours battery.){kind=link}