The ROG Ally X Handheld Is A Mid-Gen Refresh

After the first two models of the ROG Ally released last year, Asus is ready to reveal the next iteration of the handheld PC gaming device. While the upcoming ROG Ally X isn't a proper second generation for the handheld, the new model addresses much of the major feedback from the device's early adopters.

While a ROG Ally 2 is on the cards at some point, Asus told The Verge, that's not the plan for the Ally X, which is more of an optimized version of the original device--similar to a mid-gen refresh on a traditional console. Sporting the same chipset and screen as the original, the Ally X won't see a substantial performance or quality boost over the base device, and instead will focus on quality-of-life improvements.

One of the main improvements is a bigger battery, as this was one of the main complaints players had about the original Ally. "We're not looking at 30 to 40% more capacity," Asus SVP Shawn Yen said about the improved device. "We're looking at way more than that."

The Ally X will also have more RAM, a longer SSD slot, and in general will be easier for consumers to repair and upgrade to their liking. The overall look and feel of the device will be slightly different--the larger battery will make it heavier, for one, with revised grips and tweaks to inputs including joysticks, D-pad, and triggers.

The motherboard layout will also be rearranged, which will hopefully put an end to thermal issues that saw the ROG Ally allegedly damaging SD cards--though Asus has still avoided admitting that the design was at fault to begin with.

"We don't want people to think that's what we had to do," said senior product manager Gabriel Meng about moving the SD card reader. "We had to move things around the board to make them fit."

The ROG Ally X is set to be formally announced on June 2, with a released planned for the second half of 2024. Asus has said that the various improvements to the device will increase its cost, warning that it will release at a higher price point than the $600 base model. The original ROG Ally will continue to be available after the X's release.