ROG Ally X bridges the gap between PC and console gaming

I’ve exclusively been a console player since I was a little kid. Of course, I played my share of online games, but I never owned a PC capable of playing hardcore games. However, Steam has always interested me with more affordable titles than the PlayStation Store, more options than Game Pass, and offers a boatload of demos for upcoming indie titles.

So when Asus offered me the opportunity to look at the ROG Ally and the ROG Ally X, I jumped for joy as I could finally be a PC gamer. Of course, the device’s size felt more like having a Nintendo Switch with PC game capabilities, which was a plus.

I only played Steam and Xbox Game Pass titles with the ROG Ally duos and didn’t try other game stores. I even remotely played with my PlayStation when I was away for business.

So, let’s start by saying I’m not a convert — yet. I spent months ignoring my Xbox and PlayStation and solely playing on the ROG Ally. I played games like Hollow Knight, Flintlock: Siege of Dawn, Moon Studio’s No Rest for the Wicked, Marvel Rivals, Bo: Path of the Teal Lotus, Nine Sols, Kunitsu Gami and Hades II.

These aren’t the most graphically intense games, but the ROG Ally played all of them without issue. Oddly, playing Flintlock: Siege of Dawn and Kunitsu Gami caused some problems on the ROG Ally X. However, after adjusting my RAM allotment, the Ally X handled these titles better.

While I was happy with the ROG Ally, the ROG Ally X has better build quality and far superior battery life than its predecessor. Even though the Ally X is heavier, which I’m sure many might hate, it feels solid and premium.

Regarding battery life, the ROG Ally X has a far superior power cell compared to its predecessor, and it does not need a charger for about three hours, depending on the game. I found titles like Hollow Knight and Nine Sols don’t consume as much power as titles like Flintlock and Lies of P. 

I liked using the ROG Ally X handheld, but you can also connect it to an Xbox controller and, with the help of an ASUS adapter, use an HDMI cable to play games on the big screen. This made the experience feel similar to the Nintendo Switch, and that’s not bad.

I wouldn’t say I’m a convert, but playing PC games has been an enjoyable experience thanks to the ROG Ally X. It felt similar to the Nintendo Switch, but I can finally play Steam Early Access games like Hades II. Because of the ROG Ally X’s similarities with the Nintendo handheld, I wouldn’t say that I feel like I’m a PC gamer; I’m just a console player finally getting to experience the good life without having to buy a gaming PC or learn how to build my own from scratch. It’s also far more portable than a gaming PC and connects to my TV and gaming monitor.

It does have some faults, with some clunky Windows UI that’s not very pleasant to deal with. Sometimes, getting to the games is a pain because of how the system worked, needing to access the titles through ROG’s Armoury Crate, which was often slow and laggy no matter which ROG I used. I spent a lot of time on the ROG Ally and Ally X, so obviously, it’s bearable, and once you’re in a game, everything works fine. However, this UI needs some work. The ROG Ally and Ally X would also warm up when I used them in handheld mode. However, it was never too hot, but I was uncomfortable holding the device. The fan often ran when gaming, which is a good sign, but the sound was noticeable. It wasn’t embarrassing, like when my PS4 got old and sounded like an airplane, but it was definitely noticeable.

The ROG Ally X is an excellent tool for exploring PC gaming. I don’t need to learn to use a keyboard and mouse, buy an expensive laptop and worry about hardware specs, or try to make my own; instead, I can grab the ROG Ally X, download Steam and Game Pass and start gaming.