As somebody that primarily video games on Xbox, I had cautious optimism in regards to the ROG Xbox Ally X. The thought of having the ability to take my Xbox library on the go was very interesting, however greater than that, it will be a handy option to play on-line co-op and multiplayer video games with my spouse in the identical room with out having to get one other Xbox console and drag out one other TV. I used to be shocked by the absurd $1,000 price ticket for the ROG Xbox Ally X, however figured, in the long term, I might nonetheless get sufficient use out of it to in the end justify the fee. Which will nonetheless be the case, however as of now, the ROG Xbox Ally X has given me severe purchaser’s regret.
The ROG Xbox Ally X has been offered as an Xbox handheld, when that’s clearly not what it’s. The ROG Xbox Ally X is a ROG Ally with the Xbox branding slapped on it and the Xbox “full-screen expertise” in-built. It looks as if it is geared toward Xbox followers, nevertheless it is not actually. If you’re somebody that has constructed up a big library of video games on Xbox consoles, do not make the identical mistake that I did and choose up the ROG Xbox Ally X assuming you can really entry that library on the hand-held with out having to resort to cloud streaming.
ROG Xbox Ally X Is not a Actual Handheld Xbox Expertise
Regardless of proudly owning video games like Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 and Borderlands 4 on Xbox, I am unable to obtain them on my ROG Xbox Ally X. As a substitute, I’ve to stream them by the cloud. Because the Borderlands 4 split-screen experience isn’t ideal, I hoped to make use of the hand-held to play on a display screen of my very own whereas my spouse might persist with the TV. The cloud streaming works high quality sufficient more often than not, however there is no denying that the expertise can be extra secure and higher if I had been in a position to obtain the Xbox recreation I personal on the Xbox-branded handheld. It additionally means I am unable to play loads of my Xbox video games on the go, which is without doubt one of the foremost causes to get a handheld within the first place.
One other recreation I hoped to play on my ROG Xbox Ally X is Mass Impact: Legendary Version, the improved assortment of the original Mass Effect trilogy that introduced the basic video games to trendy platforms with spruced up graphics and different enhancements. I personal Mass Impact: Legendary Version on Xbox, however in addition to that, the sport is on the market by Xbox Recreation Cross Final, so I figured, certainly, there can be no impediment right here. The catch is that since ROG Xbox Ally X is successfully a handheld PC operating Home windows, you may solely obtain the PC model of Mass Impact: Legendary Version. This requires an extra obtain of the EA App, and in addition means I am unable to entry my console saves. Now, I can stream the console model of Mass Impact: Legendary Version by the cloud, however once more, that form of defeats the aim of a handheld.
From a technical standpoint, the ROG Xbox Ally X is a powerful machine that has labored nice with virtually each recreation I’ve examined it on. There was an older Steam recreation I attempted to load that oddly precipitated the system to crash, however in any other case it has been easy crusing to date. It is a well-built machine with spectacular efficiency, however the issue is it does not serve the aim that one would anticipate from an Xbox-branded handheld, and that’s extremely disappointing.
Sooner or later, I hope to get extra use out of the ROG Xbox Ally X, primarily due to Recreation Cross. The Xbox Game Pass November 2025 lineup has video games the place the ROG Xbox Ally X will come helpful in relation to enjoying co-op, like with Name of Responsibility: Black Ops 7 and its 4-player co-op marketing campaign and the upcoming co-op survival recreation Voidtrain, which appears like loads of enjoyable. I will ultimately get my cash’s value, however in case you are a giant Xbox gamer and want to the ROG Xbox Ally X as a correct handheld model of that have, you’re going to be sorely disillusioned.
- Model
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Xbox / ROG
- Working System
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Home windows 11 Dwelling
- Processor
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AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Excessive Processor
- Show
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7” IPS, 500 nits, 16:9, 120Hz refresh price, FreeSync Premium, Corning Gorilla Glass Victus + DXC Anti-Reflection
- Decision
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FHD 1080p
- Authentic Launch Date
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2025
