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Prior to obtaining an Xbox ROG Ally X, I’ll be honest, I was extremely dubious. I had the opportunity to go briefly hands-on with the console at this year’s Gamescom, and I did come away cautiously impressed. I found the handheld to be both innovative and intuitive, albeit prone to crashing, ultimately labelling it an “impressive gaming handheld”, but one that felt like a total luxury I wasn’t certain would appeal to all. My stance has since changed as while, yes, the Xbox ROG Ally X’s high price point means it remains a luxury, it’s one that I’ve now come to discover has become an integral part of my approach to gaming - and one I certainly wouldn’t want to live without. This may be an opulent purchase, but I’m now of the firm opinion that it’s a console that’ll be sought after by many.
The Xbox ROG Ally X is, as I detailed in my preview, a handheld PC more so than a handheld Xbox; it’s simply a PC that has built-in access to the Xbox app, allowing you to play ‘Xbox Play Anywhere’ titles on the go. Of course, that also means it permits you to access popular PC storefronts like Steam and Epic Games Store. You can also browse the internet, if you so desire. After all, when you load up the Xbox ROG Ally X, you’ll be met with a classic Windows PC display.
While the initial installation is slow as the console installs crucial updates, the Xbox ROG Ally X is otherwise incredibly easy to navigate. On the left-hand side of the console, you’ll find an Xbox button. Pressing this prompts an onscreen pop-up allowing you quick access to the Xbox app and Steam, also allowing you to view your gamer tag. If you’re not that fussed about the traditional PC aspects of the console, it ensures that you can quickly navigate to your most-needed platforms without having to journey through the traditional Windows PC set-up. Similarly, there’s a button on the right-hand side showing what appears to be several books. This, perhaps, unsurprisingly leads to your library.
Your library collates your games across platforms, so for me, that mainly meant combining both my Xbox and Steam games, despite the library existing within the Xbox app. You can easily filter out Game Pass titles by selecting ‘owned’; there are other options to filter by such as ‘cloud playable’, ‘installed’, and ‘installable’. You’ve perhaps grown tired of Xbox’s “Everything is an Xbox” campaign but it’s only with the Xbox ROG Ally X that I truly began to appreciate the company’s focus on its Xbox Play Anywhere initiative. I was quickly able to install and enjoy games I own on console, allowing me to play them on the go with zero faff, plus my saves synced across platforms.
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I was a little dubious as to how PC games specifically would play on the Xbox ROG Ally X, given that it’s usually indicated whether or not something is ‘Steam Deck Verified’, for example, a console which functions somewhat similarly to the Xbox ROG Ally X, albeit without the Xbox aspects. You don’t typically see, however, publishers advertising whether titles run smoothly on ROG Ally consoles. Thankfully, I’ve yet to run into a single title that didn’t work. I’m sure there are some out there but my impression is that you’ll be hard-pressed to find one. I can’t specify exactly which games I tried out as several pertain to other reviews, but I can say that in recent days, I’ve enjoyed demanding open-world adventures, narrative-based titles, and cosy games, all without issue.
It’s here that I want to revisit my claim in my preview that the Xbox ROG Ally X is prone to crashing. At Gamescom, I had the opportunity to go hands-on with the console for around 15 to 20 minutes, so it’s not as if I could settle into playing a game. I spent that time loading up a title, trying it out for a few mins, before hopping onto something else. I was interested in checking out the console’s loading times, user interfaces, and general navigability. It’s perhaps for this reason that I experienced a crash. In normal use, you wouldn’t switch between apps this frantically and I can’t say I’ve experienced anything in the way of crashing since then. Every time I’ve switched between storefronts and games, it’s been with total ease.
As for comfort, I’d actually go as far as saying that the Xbox ROG Ally X is the most comfortable handheld console I’ve used to date, perhaps as it feels more akin to a traditional controller. I adore my Nintendo Switch, and the subsequent Nintendo Switch 2, but I always develop numb hands after very long gaming sessions. That felt like far less of a problem here. The dualsticks and button prompts are where you’d all expect them to be, plus there are two mappable additional buttons on the backside of the console which is handy.
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The device feels incredibly sturdy and whilst it is weighty, it’s not something I noticed whilst gaming, even when holding the Xbox ROG Ally X for over three hours straight. That brings me on to battery life, which I also can’t fault. Whilst playing a semi-demanding open-world game, I was able to enjoy said title for just over three hours on a full charge. With less demanding games, my playtime obviously exceeded that. I personally found that to be impressive given how much power this small machine boasts. I also want to say how impactful the speakers are, allowing for immersive surround sound and some serious power. I rarely had the speakers set above ‘10’ which packed a punch, so I daren’t find out what ‘100’ sounds like.
As for why exactly I wouldn’t want to live without the Xbox ROG Ally X, allow me to explain. If you just want to play Xbox titles on the go, it’s difficult to justify the cost of the Xbox ROG Ally X. But if, like me, you previously lacked access to PC gaming, suddenly that price tag doesn’t look quite so bad. A gaming PC could set you back in the region of $1,000 or more, and then there’s having to find somewhere to set one up. That’s not particularly something I’ve ever felt inclined to do, but the Xbox ROG Ally X ticks all the boxes I was previously missing.
It boasts the power of a PC, yet is nowhere near as bulky, which comes with the added benefit of allowing me to take it on the go. Add in the fact that you can also enjoy your Xbox library and, well, the Xbox ROG Ally X is just an incredibly handy piece of kit. When you review hardware, you typically try it out because it’s your duty to; that’s what’s expected. I’ve barely set my Xbox ROG Ally X down and that’s very much been a choice. I, unfortunately, can’t comment on how the cheaper Xbox ROG Ally stands in comparison, but I can say that if you’re eager to try out PC gaming in an accessible way with additional access to the Xbox titles you know and love, the Xbox ROG Ally X is an easy reccomendation to make.
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The Xbox ROG Ally X launches on 16 October. A review sample was provided.