The upcoming Asus Rog Ally console promises to fix the major flaw of its predecessor

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Asus has formalized a new version of the Rog Ally, its portable console based around a PC architecture. This is not a second generation.

It's time for the first review for the Rog Ally, the PC disguised as a portable console from the Asus brand – and the Steam Deck's most serious competitor. As we discover in an article published on The Verge On May 9, the company will launch the Rog Ally X, an improved version of the first model. The Rog Ally 2 will come later (with an approach similar to Valve for the Steam Deck 2).

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In summary, we must see this Rog Ally X like the Steam Deck OLED: a simple evolution. But while Valve focused on the screen, Asus prefers to focus on another critical point: autonomy. “ We are not targeting 30 or 40% additional capacity. We want to go much higher », Explains Shawn Yen, senior vice president, to the media. Another point that changes, the Rog Ally X will be black, and no longer white.

Asus Rog Ally // Source: Thomas Ancelle for Numerama
Asus Rog Ally // Source: Thomas Ancelle for Numerama

The new Rog Ally X could exceed 3 hours of battery life with demanding games

Owners of a Rog Ally know that the portable console, however successful it may be, struggles to exceed 1h30 of use on the most demanding games (we even fell to an hour on Diablo IV). For greater comfort, it should exceed 3 hours in these conditions — or even more if possible. Asus told The Verge that even the “ worst case scenario » will not disappoint.

“ When we launched Rod Ally, we didn't anticipate that the battery would be something people would want more than a lightweight console », concedes Shawn Yen. Consequently, the Rog Ally X will be heavier, but this is the concession to make in order to have more autonomy.

Other small changes include :

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  • Slight improvements to certain buttons (directional cross, sticks, triggers);
  • More RAM (16 GB for the current model);
  • A longer SSD compartment;
  • Better repairability;
  • A rearranged motherboard (in particular to avoid problems with SD cards).

On the other hand, the Asus Rog Ally no OLED display, alas). The complete technical sheet will be communicated on June 2, for a launch shortly after. The Rog Ally X will cost more and will sit alongside the Rog Ally in the range.

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