Customer Ratings & Reviews

While I was extremely excited to get my hands on the ASUS ROG Xbox Ally, now that I’ve spent some time with it, I have mixed feelings about it. I appreciate many of the features, and it’s built well, but overall, I feel like the execution leaves quite a bit to be desired. Right out of the box, you can tell that this is a high-quality piece of tech. The build quality is exceptional, with all of the material used feeling very high end. I especially like the considerable grips, which make it feel like you’re holding an Xbox controller. The screen is quite beautiful, and displays your content in 1080p detail. I love the 120Hz refresh rate, which makes fast paced games look even smoother in the heat of the action. The controls feel pretty good, but I do think that the placement of the right-side buttons could be better. I noticed that I had to slightly move my whole hand to reach up and press the “Y” button, and it seems like every other button was easily pressed with my hand in one position. The thumb sticks are great, very responsive, and I didn’t notice any problems with them. I also felt like the left side D-Pad was a bit harder to reach, compared to everything else. For reference, I have pretty long fingers, so I feel like this problem would only be more noticeable for someone with smaller hands. The shoulder buttons feel excellent, and I think these are one of the high points of the system. These truly feel like console-controller buttons, just on a portable handheld. Additionally, there are mappable buttons on the rear of the console, which allows for even more customizability. As for the buttons on the front, there are quite a few, and one of them turned out to be a problem during my testing. More about that later. When it comes to an operating system, this is a portable Windows 11 PC. They claim it is an Xbox, but I found this title very misleading. You can access Xbox PC game, Steam, Gog, and just about any other game service imaginable, which is nice. However, when it comes to Xbox, this thing is real let down. I have been playing Xbox since 2004, and I’ve built up a collection of digital games, of roughly over 100 titles. I was very excited to be able to download and play these games on the go! Imagine my disappointment when I learned this device does not natively play Xbox games, only Xbox PC games. Of all of my titles, only about 6 had the feature that let me essentially own them on PC, since I bought them on the Xbox over the years. I personally am not going to buy games AGAIN on PC, just to be able to play them on the ROG Ally. But, this device does play Game Pass games, so maybe it’s a win there. Well, sort of. From my testing, not every title is even PLAYABLE natively on this console. I downloaded the Elder Scrolls Oblivion remaster, and got an error message saying that my system couldn’t run the game. Specifically, it stated that: “My CPU has 4 logical processors, and the game needs 6. My system memory is 10 GB, and the game needs 16 GB or more.” Now, it said that I could still attempt to run it, but I was pretty shocked that it listed reasons as to why my system wasn’t powerful enough. And I thought this console had 16 GB of system memory, but maybe its divided or allocated to separate areas? Considering this is a Microsoft branded console, attempting to play a Bethesda (Microsoft owned) game, it seems a bit crazy that it can’t run on the ROG Ally. But hey, it can play Steam, right? That is true. However, as you use this console, you quickly come to realize the downsides to its UI when it comes to navigating services. First, there is the Xbox console UI, which is the “main” UI of the console. Underneath that, is the Windows 11 section, where you will have to go to fix settings, get updates, and other important things. There is also the ASUS Armoury Crate, which is ASUS proprietary system, and houses your drivers, and some device settings. Then you have access to Steam (or any other game service), meaning you are constantly juggling or switching between 2,3, or 4 different user interfaces and systems. Additionally, any updates you need are SPECIFIC to each system, which means you can’t just click 1 button to get all of your updates. I suppose none of this would be so bad, but there are MANY glitches when using this system. Switching between UIs is not always smooth, and some problems persist. For some reason, I have NEVER been able to get Steam to register my button or thumb stick inputs, when using the Steam library and browser. Now, when I go into a game, it registers perfectly. But when I’m looking at my games, downloading them, or exploring the Steam app, I have to use the touchscreen. Oh yeah, this console has a touchscreen, which is pretty necessary when none of your built-in controls register on whatever screen you happen to be on. There are other hassles as well. When installed a micro-SD card, it doesn’t tell you ANYTHING at all. You have to go into the PC side, and format it there, and I found no instructions on how to do this multistep process. Thankfully, I did it right, but this sort of exemplifies how this console works. Since it’s a portable PC and NOT an Xbox, you will have to adjust, tinker, and mess with multiple settings to get things how you want them. I almost forgot to talk about the front facing buttons, near the screen. The problem I have is that on the right side, there is a “library” button, directly above the “start” button. This is a problem when you are playing a game on Steam, and you accidentally press the “library” button. For some reason, this causes your game to glitch, and when you do reenter your game, the display will typically be completely wrecked, if not totally unplayable. This means whenever I was playing on Steam (which was often), I had to be very intentional with what button I was pressing, or I would have to force quit restart my game. Gameplay is also…interesting. Some games certainly play better than others, but overall, I felt that the performance was pretty underwhelming. The first game I downloaded was Fallout 4, which is almost 10 years old, but I know it like the back of my hand, so I always like to see how it runs. I was surprised that it auto detected and chose “ultra” quality settings, and it then seemed like it had trouble running on these settings. There was quite a bit of stuttering, frame drop, and just didn’t look great for what is essentially a decade old game. I moved the graphics down to “high” quality, and this helped a bit. I also adjusted the ASUS built in FPS limiter, and set it to 60 FPS max. This too, seemed to help smooth out the performance quite a bit. Still, I’m a little bit shocked that I had to tweak this many settings just to get Fallout 4 to run somewhat well. That’s the thing, even with everything adjusted, I still wouldn’t say it was running at max FPS at all times. I did find that some games ran surprisingly well. Older titles like Fallout 3 and Fallout New Vegas ran pretty much flawlessly at Ultra settings. Cyberpunk 2077 ran nicely after some tweaking with the settings. The game started and was set to “Ray Tracing – Low,” which was just too much for the Ally, it performed terribly. Once I toggled this off, it ran smooth, and I suspect if you really spent some time adjusting things, you could get it running even better. I was impressed with the performance of the Outer Worlds 2, which looked pretty incredible for this system. It’s still a shame that I couldn’t run Oblivion remastered, though. I should note that the Xbox Ally runs much better when plugged into its massive charging block. On battery, it runs in “performance” mode; on power, it runs in “turbo” mode, and you can definitely see the bump up in quality, smoothness, and framerate. I do feel that this kind of negates the point of this truly being a handheld, as if you are out and running on just battery power, you aren’t getting the system’s full potential. Overall, I don’t think I would recommend this system. Microsoft claims “This is an Xbox,” well I am here to tell you, “This is NOT an Xbox.” If you can’t play your digital library of XBOX GAMES, then I’m sorry, this is just a handheld PC with an Xbox style user interface. Additionally, being unable to play games (looking at you Oblivion) that would undoubtedly play on an Xbox console just doesn’t make any sense. As far as I can tell, you can’t upgrade the processor or the memory, so you just won’t get a title like Oblivion Remastered to run properly. Add in the numerous glitches, problems with inputs, and questionable design of certain buttons, and this is just not a good value at any price. I’m disappointed with both Microsoft and ASUS, as I feel this console could have been done so much better. When all is said and done, I’d give this 2 stars, and would NOT recommend it.

This version of the ROG Xbox Ally will provide plenty of great 1080p gaming at a cheaper price. It comes with 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB M.2 drive as the major differences from its more expensive version. The other main difference being the X has better CPU. The memory can’t be upgraded, but the M.2 can. This is a Windows 11 PC with an Xbox overlay, the standard Windows one, on by default. It can play games from any game service since it’s Windows. So, Steam, Xbox, GoG, Origin, etc etc. Whatever Windows can run, the Xbox overlay can pickup and run directly from its interface. Think of it was a small laptop with a built-in controllers. As 1080p gaming can be done by most processors now, it is great at playing games with most features on or up. The Device comes with a charger and small stand. The white color was smooth and looks nice. For hardware, the Ally has a the same 7” screen as the X. The screen is vibrant and does colors well. The controls are responsive and felt good in my hands. Spacing was good, and you have buttons under the body too. There is an Xbox button to get to the Xbox setup when you need to and get to games. You need to do upgrades on the Xbox, Asus, and Windows software. Make sure you do all to stay fully up to date. Asus is done though the Asus Armory Crate, and My Asus programs. Windows is through the usual Windows update. Although connecting a Bluetooth (BT) Keyboard and Mouse can make things easier, navigation by the controllers and buttons is possible for most navigation. The sticks and D-pad all work smoothly and react fine in games. You can use Windows and Armory Crate to enhance performance and make changes to settings as you want. First startup is like getting any new Windows machine. Go through the setup and you’ll get done. For my setup, I opened up the device, and installed a 2TB M.2. There are 7 small screws you’ll need a 00 Phillips screwdriver to remove. 4 under the body deep set, and 3 on the side. Then run a tool or thin plastic knife down the seams and it’ll pop open. Once open, you’ll need to disconnect the battery cable. The latch moves horizontally; it does not pop up. Next, you’ll have to remove the M.2 cover and some sticky tape. The M.2 is in a pouch, you do not need to peel it open. Once the M.2 screw is out, the M.2 will slide out of the pouch. You can swap out the M.2 and then reinstall the battery cable. The battery cable can be tricky. Make sure you firmly press it into place and push the connector on. If you reboot and it shows 0% battery, it’s not connected correctly. When it’s back together, power on with volume down and power. I found after it starts you can release the power button and keep the volume down button depressed. This will boot you to the BIOS. There, go to advanced settings and in the second menu, choose Asus cloud recovery. This will install windows on the new M.2. Everything will be lost from the previous drive unless you backed it up somewhere. Make sure a Wi-Fi connection has already been made, or use a dock or adapter with an Ethernet connection. I used an Ethernet connection. The download and reinstall can take up to an hour depending on your speeds. Next, I upgraded Windows to Pro and was ready for gaming. The ROG Ally page has a good walkthrough on upgrading the M.2. I used games from Steam and Xbox for testing. Doom: The Dark ages worked well on the Ally. It ran smoothly and looked great. Buttons covered all of the options, or you can customize them. In the benchmark I got between 30 and 65 FPS for the first level. Xbox picked up all of the Steam games I downloaded and launched them with no issues. In Xbox full screen mode, you can just get by with controller input. Racing games work really well with the Ally. I used a dock and opened up some more options. Including displaying to a monitor, and external sound, and ethernet. Games run just as smooth on monitors as it stayed in 1080p mode for games even if the monitor could do more, but I’m not sure if that is a limitation or I couldn’t find the right way to do it. With a USB-C cable you can play while plugged in for best performance. Unplugged I got about 50% through the battery in just over an hour on some more intensive games. The Ally never got hot in my hands, but the exhaust got hot over time. The device is a great 1080p gaming machine and more since it’s a full Windows device. Keeping up with all of the upgrades could be a pain, but most of it will be done automatically by default. With its overall size and weight, it will be easy to take on the go for gaming. The screen may be a little small for some windows options, but it’s not what its meant for. Upgrading to Windows Pro lets you play on it remotely and integrate into a network easier. Loading up a VPN, and other windows basics is simple to do. Although the X version has more to it, this version kept up fine for 1080p gaming at a cheaper cost.

I’ve been blown away by the performance of the ROG Ally. The AMD Ryzen Z2 A processor handles everything I throw at it AAA titles, emulators, and even some light productivity work . The 7” FHD 120Hz display is stunning; games look incredibly smooth and vibrant, and the refresh rate makes a huge difference for competitive play. The build quality feels premium and comfortable to hold for long sessions, and the controls are responsive and precise. I also love that it runs Windows, which gives me the flexibility to install any launcher or app I want work flawlessly. Battery life is solid for the power it packs, and the quick charge gets me back in the game fast. Overall, this is hands down the best handheld gaming experience I’ve ever had. If you want desktop-level gaming in a portable form factor, the ROG Ally delivers in every way.

The ROG Xbox Ally is Microsoft’s most focused attempt at a portable Xbox—though it’s not really an Xbox. It’s a Windows 11 PC with Xbox branding and a streamlined Xbox-like UI that hides the desktop and feels built for controllers. You get access to Steam, Epic, and Game Pass for PC, but only through Windows . Two models are available: the standard Ally, which is the subject of this review, and the higher-end Ally X. The standard model targets premium handheld gamers who want portability without sacrificing comfort or build quality. ASUS nailed the ergonomics—contoured grips, triggers, and impulse feedback make it feel like a stretched Xbox controller. Long sessions are fatigue-free. The 7" 1080p IPS display is excellent: 120Hz refresh, 500 nits brightness, and FreeSync Premium. While the screen supports full HD, most games run at 720p to balance performance and battery life. It’s still smooth, vibrant, and visible even in bright environments. No HDR, but it’s one of the best handheld screens out there.Performance from the Z2A chip is solid—Forza Horizon 5 runs at 40–45 FPS on low/medium with FSR, and indie titles easily hit 60+. It’s not built for maxed-out AAA gaming, but it handles mainstream titles well. Battery life is realistic: 2–3 hours for demanding games, 4–5 for lighter ones. The Xbox UI disables unnecessary Windows processes, boosting both performance and efficiency. And this UI isn’t exclusive—other Windows handhelds will get it too. Game library integration is strong once you install launchers in desktop mode. The Xbox app feels native, Quick Resume works, and Xbox Play Anywhere syncs saves and achievements seamlessly. Cloud gaming seems mostly reliable, however I had performance issues trying to play Doom: The Dark Ages. Other limitations? Again, it’s not a true Xbox console. You can’t play disc-based or console-only exclusives unless they’ve been ported to PC. And while the software experience is the best Windows handheld implementation I’ve seen, it’s still Windows—occasional driver hiccups and launcher quirks remain. Bottom line: If you’re deep in the Xbox ecosystem and want a polished, portable way to play your Game Pass or Steam libraries on the go, the ROG Xbox Ally delivers.

The ASUS ROG Xbox Ally is a Windows handheld game console with arguably the best ergonomics of any handheld game console currently out in the market. It looks and feels like an Xbox controller and feels extremely comfortable in my hands. With its attractive white color, it’s the perfect companion to my Xbox Series S. The main specifications are: AMD Ryzen™ Z2 A Processor 16GB LPDDR5 memory 512GB PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 SSD (2280) 7-inch 1080p 120Hz IPS touch screen MicroSD card slot (supports SD, SDXC and SDHC) 2x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C ports supporting DisplayPort 1.4 and Power Delivery 3.0 1x 3.5mm Audio Jack Package Contents The package comes with the game console itself, a 65 watt USB-C power adapter, stand, and warranty pamphlets. Setup Experience Being a Windows device, setup was almost exactly the same as setting up any Windows laptop. It took me about 2 hours to get through the updates and install my first game from my Steam account. User Experience The ASUS ROG Xbox Ally comes with the Xbox full screen experience (basically a front end to Windows) that almost makes it feel like you are using a portable Xbox console. It’s not perfect but with time, I think it will get better and better. There is some awkwardness when transitioning from a console-like experience to a Windows desktop-like experience and vice versa. There were times where I expected to be able to use the D-Pad or joystick to navigate through the UI and menus to enter information but had to resort to using the touch-screen instead. I also found it a little confusing using the console buttons (Xbox, Command Center, View, Library, and Menu buttons) to jump around from Xbox Game Bar, ASUS Armoury Crate, and Windows Desktop to configure and update the console to my liking. A lot of times, I had difficulty remembering which button does what. Some buttons are only available during a game. There’s something that feels a little inconsistent to the user interface. Physically, the ASUS ROG Xbox Ally feels really great in my hands. The Xbox controller-like handles make the console feel light and balanced. The screen is gorgeous with very bright and vivid colors. To be honest, most displays these days look really good and this is no exception. The front-facing speakers are also surprisingly good and support Dolby Atmos. Fan noise is extremely quiet when gaming. I can feel a slight breeze coming out of the console so I knew a fan was on but I had to bring my ears next to the unit in order to actually hear the fan. The Xbox full screen experience lets you run games from PC and Xbox, and has apps from other game stores such as Steam, GoG Galaxy, Battle.net, Epic Game Store and Ubisoft Connect PC etc. Once you download and install the app and enter your account information, all your games are shown and installable and playable in one place. It’s a really nice concept and implementation. Since it’s really a Windows machine, it doesn’t run all Xbox games – just the Xbox Play Anywhere games. Gaming Experience For testing, I mainly played with Spider-Man Remastered from my Steam library. I feel this is the type of game where a gaming console excels at. I got around 40 to 45 fps at 1080p and I had a blast. The graphics looked fantastic and the buttons and triggers were very accurate and responsive. There were a few occasions where I noticed a micro stutter but I wasn’t bothered by it. And these glitches seemed to occur less and less frequently as I received several updates during my testing. I also ran an older game (Forza Horizon 3) from my Xbox library. I ran it at low settings at 720p and I got around 90 to 120 fps. Even at low settings, I thought the graphics looked great on the screen and everything ran super smooth. Summary Overall, from a value perspective I think the ASUS ROG Xbox Ally is one of the better gaming handhelds out there. It’s not the most performant Windows gaming handheld but I’m the type of person who is perfectly happy with 30 fps for most of my games as long as it is consistent. One benefit of a less power hungry processor is that battery life should be better compared to a gaming console using a more powerful processor. I also really like that it’s relatively easy to upgrade the internal SSD. I kind of feel 512GB is a little too small considering how large many games are now. Just a few games take up a lot of space. And if you don’t feel comfortable upgrading the SSD, you could always insert a microSD card for expanded storage. In my experience, storing games on a microSD card was perfectly acceptable in terms of performance. And lastly, I really like that the ASUS ROG Xbox Ally can function as a PC in a pinch just by adding a keyboard and mice along with an external monitor. Overall, I think it’s a great value for all the things that it can do.

The ROG Xbox Ally Gaming Handheld is a powerful device that offers a great gaming experience. Unboxing and setup – The handheld is nicely packaged and well protected. The initial setup is fairly straightforward; although it is a little time consuming between the Windows setup/login and required updates. Remember to check for additional updates in Armory Crate (ie: bios updates). It maybe took 15-20 minutes from starting to being able to download my first game but this may depend on your internet speed. It boots into a full screen Xbox UI/experience and feels similar to the Xbox console. Software – The Xbox full screen UI/experience is well designed. Multiple apps are available to download to access your favorite games including Battle.net, Epic Games Store, GOG Galaxy, Steam, and Ubisoft Connect PC. Once games are downloaded, they all show up under the library tab with a symbol denoting which app they are from. Armory Crate can be accessed for additional performance/lighting settings by hitting the respective button in the top left corner. Holding down the Xbox button is similar to alt tab on a computer. It shows everything you have open and allows you to access the Windows desktop. One thing to keep in mind is by opening the Windows desktop mode additional processes are loaded into the memory. This can decrease gaming performance while in the full screen UI. The only way to fully unload the memory is to restart the device. Lastly, many of the preinstalled Windows programs such as LinkedIn, Word, Outlook, etc are totally unnecessary. Yes, this is a Windows based product, but the number of users who will actually utilize these programs has to be incredibly small. Gaming experience – I have played both Indian Jones and Arc Raiders. The gameplay was surprisingly smooth, averaging 40-50 fps. This device uses the AMD Ryzen Z2 A processor. It is best designed for 720p gaming. If you are looking for 1080p gaming, you should consider the ROG Xbox Ally X variant instead. Battery life is respectable. After about 45 minutes of intense Arc Raiders gameplay utilizing turbo mode I had about 50% left. The controller is fantastic and in my opinion the best when compared to the competition. It is well integrated into the device with examples including the initial passcode screen and system prompts being mapped to the buttons. Additionally, despite being a large device, it feels incredibly ergonomic. I am able to play for extended periods of time without any significant hand fatigue. Overall, I really like ROG Xbox Ally Gaming Handheld and I would recommend it to anyone getting into the handheld market. It is an incredibly powerful device.

My husband bought this handheld Xbox thing (I don’t even know what it’s officially called, probably “The Best Purchase Ever,” according to him). All I know is that ever since it arrived, he’s been completely entertained, and I’ve been able to actually get things done around the house. Battery life? Long enough for me to fold laundry, clean the kitchen, and maybe even sneak in a nap. Graphics? He says they’re “amazing,” but the real beauty is the sound of silence while he’s playing. 10/10 would recommend, especially for anyone who needs a break from being their partner’s main source of entertainment.

I’ve been playing with it for a few days now and I’m extremely happy with the purchase. The one issue to a degree is that since it runs Windows, you are going to experience typical annoying things. I ran updates through the Xbox app, then through windows itself, MyAsus and Armoury Crate. Of course the MCU update in Armoury Crate didn’t want to install. Annoying but the unit works great otherwise. Maybe the next MCU update will decide to install.

Ordered my Xbox Ally day one. Takes time to get all the updates and learning curve on tweaking the settings but once you do this game can handle pretty much everything. Playing Hogwarts Legacy, Diablo IV and MK 11 with no issues. Setting are low anything more you will deal with stutter but I got this to play on the go. High end graphics is on my Series X

Works great for what i wanted it for. Able to play steam and xbox games wish it had bigger storage but was happy about getting a 5tb external ssd cheap then getting the ally x. Graphics are nice like playing on a small tv.

Runs my windows games easily without requiring extra setup or workarounds. Great battery life. The new windows handheld mode has worked seamlessly so desktop is not necessary. Exceeded my expectations!

Arrived on release date! That was fantastic. The device it’s self is great, I have not complaints. I can actually use my Xbox headset to connect via voice chat without having to use wired connection, even connects to my shockz! I love it. Plays AAA games perfect, minor lag in cloud play, doesn’t not get hot like the Ally 7’s do. Battery Life is amazing, I have not run it dead playing COD yet.

I can play Dark Souls on my lunch break at work! Runs pretty well on older games. Newer games require a few graphical adjustments but overall playable. Besides, 30fps on a small screen doesnt look so bad. Overall happy with the controller potion on the device. Its definitely built with big hands in mind. I think its too pricey for what you get, though. A Steam Deck is more worth it than this device. Similar performance, less windows bloat, for less. I only bought this for the Xbox Controller form factor. Otherwise, Steam Deck it is. Out of the box storage is also far too low.

I'm new to PC handhelds so I have no reference to what's better or worst. I'm enjoying it for what it is, playing games on the go or in bed. It's really comfortable to hold and pretty much playall my smaller games navtively on it. Games like cyberpunk or call of duty I would just cloud stream them. Cloud streaming is getting really good, I can't the difference most of the time. I think the price is not great and I get it's a mini PC but most are buying this just for gaming. I think 400 to 450 should be the max price.

The rog Xbox ally is a great handheld PC the new xbox full screen is great the battery life is good

Picked this gem up and have loved it since day one. I havent had a problem with any game granted im not running stuff at max settings. I have consoles for that, dont believe all the negative reviews. This is well worth this price

Have had plenty of handhelds but this one is it! Better than steam deck, switch 1&2, and android emulator

I wish it cost a little less, but other than that I think this is a very solid handheld. It's comfortable to hold, it plays most games well, the screen is 1080p 16:9 so you won't have any annoying black bars in games like some other PC handhelds and the SSD is super easy to upgrade unlike some other PC handhelds.

A good system to have if your getting into heldhelds i definitely think the price could be a bit on the lower end close to 499-530 but it’s not a bad piece or equipment if you know that you’re looking for

This machine is even better than I had hoped it would be! I love that I can remote play the Xbox on this and even stream Playstation Plus on it.