The handheld market is in such an interesting place. Over the past couple of years, we have seen incredible leaps in technology and capability, with last-generation handhelds, such as the original ROG Ally, Ally X or even Lenovo Legion Go, finally bringing modern titles to a usable state. But this new generation has completely outpaced them, with offerings like the Lenovo Legion Go 2 and MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ creating a space where triple-A titles can truly be enjoyed.
ASUS even released the new ROG XBOX Ally X last year, powered by the latest AMD Ryzen™ AI Z2 Extreme Processor, aiming to “close the gap between console & PC gaming”. This brings us back to the current state of handhelds: devices that can deliver near console-like quality while offering a portable convenience we’ve never experienced before. This progress isn’t without cost; however, this latest generation of handhelds is well over the $ 1,000 mark, making what should be the most accessible triple-A gaming experience one of the least accessible.
Enter the new ASUS ROG XBOX Ally X20 bundle, arguably the most robust and complete handheld experience available. It features the newly released ROG XBOX Ally X20 edition with a new OLED display, the impressive ASUS ROG XREAL R1 XR glasses, the dbrand Killswitch kit and a custom Pelican case. All for the cool price of 3,499.99. Is it beautiful? Absolutely! Is it powerful? Definitely! Is it worth it? That is the question.
“The ROG XBOX Ally X20 Bundle is an impressive array of technology that creates one of the best portable gaming setups currently on the market.”
The unboxing experience is exactly that: an experience. Contained within a custom-designed Pelican case, the XBOX Ally X20, XREAL R1 Glasses and power supply are all securely held in place thanks to custom-cut foam. ROG was even gracious enough to include a slot for an additional Xbox controller, if you’re so inclined. A small cardboard stand can display the handheld, and a partnership with dbrand includes a black-and-gold-themed Killswitch Kit (back case and screen cover).
The whole package is quite a spectacle, and it’s impressive to behold. Practically, I cannot see myself travelling with it, especially on airplanes, as it’s quite large and bulky. Thankfully, the aforementioned dbrand kit and an included case for the XREAL R1 are more than enough to keep your tech safe while on the go.
The latest iteration of the XBOX Ally X, the Ally X20, is without a doubt a cool piece of technology. Celebrating 20 years of ROG, the Ally X20 brings notable cosmetic and tech updates. For starters, ROG has added a new translucent black-and-gold design to the casing, a wonderful nod to the OG XBOX Crystal Edition. I am absolutely on board with this design update; it’s sharp, subtle and sleek.
The team has also included a slick 20-year gold plate on the back of the unit to commemorate the occasion. The other gold accents come in the form of the four menu buttons located in the two corners of the display. It’s a clean look. Otherwise, the overall layout and shape of the XBOX Ally X20 remain unchanged.
While the processor (AMD Ryzen™ AI Z2 Extreme Processor 2.0GHz), storage (1TB PCIe® 4.0 NVMe™ M.2 SSD), and RAM (24GB LPDDR5X) remain unchanged, ROG has made a couple of notable hardware updates. The standout is the new 7.4-inch 120Hz OLED display, a first for the Ally X series. With 1,400 nits peak HDR, it’s a beautiful display to game on. While the aspect ratio matches the original XBOX Ally X at 1920 x 1080, brightness increases from 500 nits to 600 nits (SDR) and from 1200 nits to 1400 nits (HDR).
The result is vibrant image quality; the blacks are black, and the whites are white. HDR titles look absolutely gorgeous on the 7.4-inch display. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed playing through DOOM: The Dark Ages and COD: Vanguard again on the XBOX Ally X20. Other slightly older titles, such as The Division 2, look stunning on the handheld. Even Diablo IV looks crisp, even with the ungodly amount of spell effects my latest Warlock produces.
“Looking at the numbers, Diablo IV ran spectacularly, with handheld mode averaging 80 FPS on AC power and 75 FPS on battery.”
The final physical update to the XBOX Ally X20 replaces the traditional D-Pad and analog thumbsticks with a new transforming D-Pad (allowing 4- and 8-direction movement) and Tunnel Magnetoresistance (TMR) joysticks. The latter is built as a contactless, magnetically engaged switch system that reduces the chances of stick drift, a common issue with traditional joysticks. It’s a marked improvement, especially considering longevity, as there is no easy way to swap out the joysticks on most handhelds.
So while the new look and feel of the XBOX Ally X20 is absolutely beautiful and well designed, is there a marked improvement in performance over last year’s XBOX Ally X20? The short answer is, sort of. Let me dive into it. As noted, the processor, storage and RAM haven’t been updated with this iteration. What has, though, is game optimization. Even when I tested the Legion Go 2 last November, there was already a push to optimize more games for handhelds.
Most notably, almost every title I tested now has a handheld mode in the graphics settings, making it easier to maximize performance. As such, I spent much less time dialling in settings to find the performance sweet spot, with most titles automatically optimizing for handheld play. As a result, most titles I ran performed quite well.
Looking at the numbers, Diablo IV ran spectacularly, with handheld mode averaging 80 FPS on AC power and 75 FPS on battery. At ultra settings, the Ally X20 still averaged 56 FPS (AC) / 49 FPS (BATT). With the 120Hz OLED display, Diablo IV looked incredibly crisp and fluid.
“Even on ultra settings, the Ally X20 still performed well, averaging 73 FPS (AC) / 53 FPS (BATT).”
DOOM: The Dark Ages also fared quite well in handheld optimized mode, averaging 51 FPS (AC) / 47 FPS (BATT). Things took a bit of dip when switching things to ultra mode though with the average dropping down to 28 FPS (AC) / 24 (BATT). I was able to leverage frame generation with this title, though, which boosted the average FPS in handheld optimized mode to 80 FPS (AC) / 41 (BATT). Needless to say, you shouldn’t have any issue running most FPS titles.
Cyberpunk 2077 performed similarly to DOOM: The Dark Ages, averaging 53 FPS (AC) / 44 FPS (BAT) with handheld optimized settings turned on. Similarly, it dipped when the graphics were turned up to ultra settings, producing an average of 28 FPS (AC) / 24 FPS (BAT). With Frame Generation turned on, those numbers scaled up considerably, with an average of 82 FPS (AC) / 60 FPS (BATT). Even on ultra settings, the Ally X20 still performed well, averaging 73 FPS (AC) / 53 FPS (BATT).
The only title that underperformed slightly was the newly released Gears of War: E-Day. This isn’t surprising, since it hasn’t been optimized for handhelds yet. Even so, while it struggled with the highest settings, it still managed a solid 40 FPS (AC) / 30 FPS (BATT) when I let the game optimize the settings. Playing Gears of War: E-Day still felt smooth even when in open areas with hordes of enemies on screen.
These tests offer a couple of key takeaways. For starters, it’s impressive how little being on battery affected the overall FPS. While the Ally X20 switches from Turbo to Performance mode when swapping from AC to BATT, the overall performance drop isn’t dramatic enough to warrant changing in-game settings. For travellers looking for a good gaming experience on the go, this is an excellent sign.
Another observation is that the handheld market is the perfect scenario to leverage frame generation. As the numbers suggest, it can help push visual fidelity and performance further. For those looking to push every ounce of performance out of their handheld, it’s a win.
Finally, the raw numbers from handheld optimized mode and even, in some cases, with Ultra settings turned on are solid and great for gaming on the go. It’s more than enough to enjoy your favourite titles while travelling or because lying on the couch is more comfortable than sitting in your chair. Another part of this is understanding that on a handheld with a 7.4-inch screen, most games actually look and run exceptionally well if you lock the screen to a 40Hz refresh rate and limit the FPS to the same. It’s a trick used on older units, and after testing many current and past-generation handhelds, it works well.
“If you’re going to make this your only dedicated gaming system, the Ally X20 performs well, looks amazing, and has great battery life.”
The final note on the XBOX Ally X20 is battery life. In testing, I found it performed exceptionally well, lasting 5-6 hours with 120Hz turned on and the LED ring lights engaged. This was a mix of FPS, MMO and third-person shooter gaming. It’s quite a jump up in longevity from previous generations.
While CGmag has already covered the ASUS ROG XREAL R1 XR glasses, I have a few notes on how they perform with the XBOX Ally X20. Before I do, though, it’s worth noting that this iteration of the XREAL R1 is appropriately themed to match the new ROG Ally X20. The black finish has nice gold accents along the arms, and the overall look matches the handheld perfectly.
As for connection and performance, this version of the XREAL R1 doesn’t come with a docking station; instead, it connects directly to the Ally X20 via one of the two USB-C ports. Once connected, it is immediately recognized and takes over the handheld’s display. While you can control multiple display modes and audio settings, overall performance with the Ally X20 is solid. I didn’t notice any considerable dips in performance while playing the above titles.
While it will most certainly drain battery life faster than without them, for those looking to simulate a big-screen feel, the XREAL R1 delivers. It’s a smooth, simple process to use them, and while it’s a bit of an adjustment for those not used to XR glasses, it is still a fun addition to the portable gaming experience if you are keen on it.
The included dbrand Killswitch kit is, for me, the more appreciated of the two additional offerings in the Bundle, as having a protective case that doesn’t add a bunch of bulk to the handheld is amazing. As someone who often travels with a handheld, it’s superb that it takes up less space in my bag. It’s well built and fits the Ally X20 like a glove, and once again, its theming is perfectly in line with the rest of the bundle.
While this is all wonderful, with each component performing exceptionally well, pricing remains a concern. As noted, the bundle price is 3,499 CAD, with the XBOX Ally X20 itself priced at 1,899.99 CAD. Both of those price points would net a pretty powerful gaming laptop that would do circles around this handheld in terms of performance. So while I love everything about the XBOX Ally X20 and even the bundle, it’s hard to stomach that price point.
Sadly, that 1,899.99 price point isn’t actually that shocking. The excellent but costly MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ comes in even more costly at roughly 2,500 CAD. Granted, the Arc G3 Extreme with B390 graphics outpaces the AMD Ryzen™ AI Z2 Extreme Processor. Even so, these price points are becoming a serious barrier for what should be one of the most accessible forms of gaming. So, is it beautiful? Absolutely! Is it powerful? Definitely! Is it worth it?
If you’re going to make this your only dedicated gaming system, the Ally X20 performs well, looks amazing, and has great battery life. It can keep up with most new titles, and as developers continue to optimize for handheld, I see the Ally X20 being a great unit for the next while.
It will cost you, though, so consider how portable a gaming setup you need before investing. There are so many great gaming laptops on the market, especially at the bundle price of $3,499.99, that would provide a better overall gaming experience. If portability is your only priority, though, the ROG XBOX Ally X20 is one of the most powerful options on the market.
The ROG XBOX Ally X20 Bundle is an impressive array of technology that creates one of the best portable gaming setups currently on the market. Every aspect of it is premium-built, performs well and looks great doing it. However, this comes at a high cost, which will ultimately keep it out of reach for most gamers.
