Asus teases ROG Ally X reveal and system improvements

No, it’s not the ROG Ally 2

Asus

Asus officially revealed the Asus ROG Ally X, a new-and-improved ROG Ally that’s not quite an Ally 2, but promises some handy changes compared to the original portable PC. “Tease” is key here, since Asus won’t have much specific to say or show until a special presentation on June 2, 2024, but there’s enough to give us a good idea about what’s in store.

What it isn’t is a Pro model with different performance specs. The Ally X still has the same processor and GPU as the Ally Extreme Z1 has now and the same 1920x1080 VRR screen.

The ROG Ally X features improved battery life, and, reportedly, the improvements are more than incremental. That’s actually pretty exciting. I noted in my Asus ROG Ally review that the battery life is roughly equivalent to the original Steam Deck’s battery life, which is kind of not great for a handheld, even if it’s something we’ve come to expect from portable gaming PCs. 

Asus also teased possible changes to the Ally’s physical form that might make it more comfortable. Unlike the Steam Deck and Lenovo Go, the Ally is basically just a flat rectangle, and the lack of defined hand grips is a turn-off for some. Finally, the Ally X will (probably) come with redesigned port placements, another promising change. While Asus seemingly fixed the “oops your SD card got fried” problem, having your headphone jack and card slots right next to vents that get pretty hot isn’t the best.

Asus is likely still working on an upgraded ROG Ally, but like the Steam Deck 2, don't expect to hear about that any time soon.