We’ve been here before — another handheld gaming device, another promise of “next-gen” performance squeezed into a portable frame, and another manufacturer trying to convince us they’ve cracked the code. But ASUS and Microsoft may have just pulled off something quietly revolutionary with the new ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X.
Let’s not pretend handheld gaming is new. From the Game Boy to the Steam Deck, the market has been littered with valiant attempts and clunky misfires. But this? This feels different. Not because of specs (though they’re impressive), but because this device seems to understand what handheld gaming actually means.
And it starts, quite literally, in your hands.
The Ergonomics of Intention
Handhelds are intimate. They live in the space between your fingers and your imagination. You cradle them, grip them, fidget with them. And if they feel off — too heavy, too cramped, too slippery, the magic breaks.
ASUS, to its credit, took the original Ally’s feedback seriously. The Xbox Ally X now has curves and textures that feel more like an Xbox controller than a compromise. There are impulse triggers, assignable back buttons and even the weight at 715 grams, strikes that Goldilocks balance: substantial, but not exhausting.
It’s clear they didn’t just iterate. They listened.
The Soul of Xbox, The Brain of Windows
Here’s where it gets really brilliant.
We’re used to companies bolting a PC onto a controller and calling it a handheld. But the Xbox Ally series flips the script. It starts with the Xbox experience, full-screen, snappy, and clean and lets Windows 11 hum quietly underneath. You want Game Pass? It’s front and center. You want mods, Steam, or Battle.net? It’s all still there.
This is what hybrid gaming should feel like. Not a tug-of-war between ecosystems, but a collaboration. The Xbox button doesn’t just bring up a menu , it pulls you into a space designed for gaming, not desktop management. And for once, that doesn’t feel like a compromise. It feels like home.
Power Where It Matters
The spec sheet is strong, no doubt. The Ally X packs AMD’s new Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme, 24GB of LPDDR5X RAM, a terabyte of SSD storage, and an 80Wh battery — numbers that wouldn’t look out of place in a thin laptop. It even brings along AMD’s growing suite of frame-boosting software: FSR, RSR, Fluid Motion Frames. Basically, it’s got enough muscle to handle AAA titles without sounding like a drone.
But the real story here is the NPU — the Neural Processing Unit tucked into that new processor. That’s not just future-proofing for AI-powered upscaling or voice controls. That’s a statement from ASUS, betting that AI belongs inside your handheld, and not as a gimmick.
It’s the kind of bet that only works if the rest of the device feels complete. Thankfully, it does.
The Future Finally Feels Playable
We’re entering a phase where gaming doesn’t live in one place anymore. It flows between screens — TV, laptop, handheld, cloud, depending on where you are and what you need. And for that to work, the devices we use can’t just be powerful. They have to get it.
The ROG Xbox Ally X does. Not because of its 120Hz display or the Gorilla Glass. Not because it’s partnered with Xbox. But because it respects your time, your hands, and your habits. It’s a handheld that understands gaming isn’t just about frames per second, but it’s about feel.
And in a world of iterative tech, that is surprisingly rare.
Coming to South Africa soon, the ROG Xbox Ally and Ally X aren’t just ASUS’s best handhelds. They might be the ones that finally get handheld gaming right.
Let’s hope the industry’s paying attention.
Akhram Mohamed is the Editor of Geekhub.co.za and a longtime tech insider who’s spent 20+ years testing, launching, and talking about consumer gadgets. Formerly a VP at Huawei, he now writes with a critical eye and a deep love for tech that actually makes life better. When he’s not breaking down the latest devices, he’s gaming, building businesses, simplifying strategy, or podcasting about real-world leadership. Expect honest takes, sharp insights, and the occasional dad joke.
Follow him on social media: @akreinvented
