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After an initial tease, ASUS ROG finally lifted the veil on the ROG Ally X last month, revealing an updated version of its incredibly popular gaming PC handheld launched last year.
The ROG Ally X, which improves on the previous iteration by taking into account extensive customer feedback, is set to launch soon on July 22, and pre-orders are already open at select stores in Australia and New Zealand. Here’s what you need to know:
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 buying or upgrading to the ROG Ally X, removing the biggest hurdle on the original, which could drain in under an hour at full power. It’s hard to say without doing any real-world testing, but the Ally X’s battery will most likely last between 2 and 4 hours depending on what you’re playing and how you’re playing it.
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 will retail for $1,599 AUD (or $1,799 NZD) when it launches on July 22, which is an increase of around $300 AUD over the existing model. 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 for pre-order now, exclusively from JB Hi-Fi or the ASUS online store. You can find links to both sites 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.”