Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20 Launches with Enhanced 7.4" OLED Display and TMR Joysticks

The Steam Deck has been a top choice for x86 gaming handhelds, but recent price increases have made it less appealing. Alternatives like the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X, launched last year at $1,000 for the 24GB/1TB model, are emerging. Despite initial high pricing, the 16GB/1TB OLED Deck now costs $950.

In our review of the Xbox Ally X, we highlighted notable drawbacks for such a premium device, including its LCD display and subpar analog sticks. Fortunately, the new Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20 bundle addresses both concerns. However, this comes with a caveat.

The X20, named to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Republic of Gamers brand, includes the ROG Xreal R1 Edition 20 glasses. These innovative glasses project a virtual 171-inch display with a 57° field of view and a 240Hz refresh rate using micro-OLED technology (1,920 x 1,080px) with a remarkable response time of 0.01ms. They also feature an electrochromic lens with three dimming levels to effectively block ambient light. Users can connect the glasses to the Ally with a single USB-C cable or to other devices through the ROG Control Dock, which offers two HDMI 2.0 ports and a DisplayPort 1.4 connection.

While these glasses are impressive, they carry a standalone price of $850, which nearly rivals that of the Xbox Ally X itself, leading to an expected increase in the overall bundle price. As of now, Asus has not disclosed the cost of the ROG Xbox Ally X20 bundle.

In terms of performance, the new Ally X20 features a 7.4-inch OLED display with a resolution of 1,920 x 1,080px (16:9), which is a significant upgrade over the original Ally X's smaller 7-inch LCD display. The variable refresh rate (VRR) has seen improvements, now ranging from 30Hz to 120Hz.

This new display is also significantly brighter, reaching up to 1,400 nits compared to the previous 500 nits. It supports VESA DisplayHDR TrueBlack 1000 and Dolby Vision. Additionally, the screen is protected by Gorilla Glass Victus and features GG DXC anti-glare coating.

While the display has improved, the APU remains the same as the original X. It features an AMD Z2 Extreme with 8 cores (16 threads) clocking up to 5.0GHz, 24MB of cache, 16 graphics cores, and a configurable thermal design power (TDP) of 15-35W. The APU is paired with 24GB of LPDDR5X RAM and a 1TB NVMe SSD (PCIe 4.0, M.2 2280), meaning no performance upgrade is present.

Another notable enhancement is the new joysticks equipped with TMR sensors, which replace Hall effect sensors, making them resistant to stick drift. The ABXY buttons have also been redesigned to sit flush with the casing when pressed. Furthermore, the D-Pad can be rotated for 4-way or 8-way control.

The device offers multiple connectivity options: one USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 with DisplayPort, one USB-C 4.0 (supporting Thunderbolt 4 and DisplayPort 2.1 with FreeSync), and one 3.5mm headphone jack (with Hi-Res Audio). It also includes tri-band Wi-Fi 6E (ax), Bluetooth 5.4, and a microSD Express slot for additional storage. The audio experience is enhanced with built-in stereo speakers featuring Dolby Atmos.

The new Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20 is more substantial, measuring 300 x 121 x 27.5-51.3mm and weighing 756g, compared to the original's dimensions of 290 x 121 x 27.5-50.9mm and 715g. Notably, it retains the same 80Whr Li-Ion battery as its predecessor, supporting 68W fast charging via USB-C.

In summary, the X20 brings significant enhancements but the decision to offer it only as part of a bundle raises questions. This strategy not only increases the price but also begs consideration on the utility of the advanced screen if users are instructed to rely on the glasses instead.

For more information, visit the official ROG site.

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