The highly anticipated update to the bestselling ASUS ROG Ally PC portable gaming console has finally arrived, with the ROG Ally X now available in Australian stores.
Here’s what you need to know about the Ally X, which improves on the previous iteration by digging deep into a wealth of customer feedback, including exactly what’s new, where to buy one, and of course our full review:
What’s new in ROG Ally X?
The key word when designing the new ROG Ally X seems to have been morewith this upgraded handheld console featuring a larger 1TB SSD (up from 512GB on the Ally) that’s also more upgradable thanks to a new motherboard design, a 24GB RAM bump that should help the AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme with VRAM allocation in many modern games, and a beefed-up 80Wh battery – an increase of double on the original ally.
This last feature is going to be the deciding factor in whether you buy or upgrade to the ROG Ally X, removing the biggest hurdle on the original version, which could drain in under an hour at full power. In our testing, you can now expect at least two hours on a single charge, or more depending on the performance profile you select, which is significant.
All this with an additional weight of just 70 grams, thanks to smaller but more efficient fans. Thermal performance is said to have been improved overall, with ASUS ROG claiming that the volume of air moved through the device was 24% greater and the touchscreen was noticeably cooler under heavy use.
How much does the ROG Ally X cost in Australia and New Zealand?
The ROG Ally X retails for $1,599 AUD (or $1,799 NZD), which is an increase of around $300 AUD over the existing model. That’s not Also It’s a shame when you consider the upgrades, and part of the original Ally’s popularity was its half-decent price, so it’s almost as if the Ally X is simply recouping the cost-saving measures taken originally.
That said, the current ROG Ally can be purchased routinely for less than $1,100 (including currently on Amazon), which widens the margin to around $500 and might be a bit too steep for some to choose the X over the OG — at least until the new model goes on sale.
Where can I get ROG Ally X in Australia and New Zealand?
The ROG Ally X is available now, exclusively from JB Hi-Fi or the ASUS online store. You can find links to both below:
“We are delighted to launch the new ROG Ally X in Australia and New Zealand after receiving overwhelmingly positive user feedback on the ROG Ally last year,” the company wrote in a press release. “We continued to listen to feedback from our customers, which resulted in the new ROG Ally X, which offers major improvements in battery, thermal cooling and storage. We are excited that this best-in-class handheld console is now available for people looking for a powerful yet portable gaming experience on the go.”
Is there a ROG Ally X review?
Shannon recently reviewed the ASUS ROG Ally X and said, “The ASUS ROG Ally X is the most complete handheld we’ve seen yet. It improves on the original in almost every way, with twice the battery, better performance, and improvements to ergonomics and overall design.”
You can read the full review here.