Imagine sinking into your couch for a three-hour session of Hollow Knight: Silksong, completely lost in the haunting world of Pharloom, only to realise you're not holding a traditional console controller but a full-fledged Windows PC. This is the reality with the Asus ROG Ally X, a device that aims to blend the portability of a handheld with the power of a gaming PC, all wrapped in an Xbox-inspired shell. Priced at a premium Rs 1,14,990, it's an ambitious experiment in mobile gaming. But does it deliver on its promise to be your personal, portable Xbox? Let's dive into the hardware, software, and ultimate value proposition.
Unboxing Comfort and Performance: The Hardware Deep Dive
The first thing you notice about the ROG Ally X is its distinctive design. While its bulbous controller grips might look unusual in pictures, they are a revelation in hand. Sculpted exactly like the handles of an Xbox Series controller, these deeply contoured grips are the device's masterstroke. Weighing 715 grams, the Ally X distributes its heft across your entire grip rather than concentrating it in your palms. This design allows for marathon gaming sessions without the hand fatigue common with flatter handhelds like the Nintendo Switch.
Your fingers wrap around intuitively, with textured curves providing a secure hold. The controls are top-tier: Hall Effect joysticks offer precise, drift-free input, and the ABXY buttons deliver a satisfying click. The triggers even incorporate Xbox's Impulse Trigger haptics, letting you feel road textures in games like Forza Horizon 5. Flanking the 7-inch display are surprisingly capable speakers, loud and clear enough to skip headphones for casual play.
The 7-inch IPS display is a highlight, running at a sharp 1080p resolution with a buttery-smooth 120Hz refresh rate and 500 nits of brightness. While it lacks the perfect blacks of an OLED, games look stunning. From the sun-drenched vistas of Forza to the neon-drenched streets of Cyberpunk 2077, the visual experience is immersive and fluid, especially with that high refresh rate making every menu swipe and camera pan feel premium.
Power in Your Palms: Gaming Performance and Battery Life
Under the hood, the Ally X is powered by an AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme processor, paired with 24GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. This spec sheet translates to serious gaming prowess. Demanding titles run with impressive competence. Forza Horizon 5 holds a steady 70-77 fps on high settings, while Cyberpunk 2077 is perfectly playable at 1080p with medium settings and FSR, delivering 42-44 fps. Less demanding games like Hollow Knight: Silksong absolutely fly, consistently hitting 120+ fps and showcasing the hardware's capability.
However, the latest AAA titles do push the limits. Games like Avowed and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 require settings tweaks to stay above 30 fps, a reminder that this is still a handheld. Where the Ally X truly shines as an 'Xbox' device is through Xbox Cloud Gaming. With a stable 5G or Wi-Fi connection, you can stream titles like Starfield or Hogwarts Legacy at near 60fps, effectively bypassing hardware limitations and accessing the full Xbox console library on the go.
Battery life is governed by the massive 80Wh battery (an upgrade from the standard Ally). It varies based on the game and performance mode. Playing Cyberpunk 2077 at the 17W Performance mode yields about two and a half hours, while lighter games like Hades 2 can stretch past six hours. Streaming via cloud gaming extends this further, nearing seven hours. Charging from empty to full takes roughly 90 minutes with the included 65W adapter.
The Software Tango: Windows Meets the Xbox Dream
This is where the experience gets complex. The Ally X runs Windows 11 but boots into the Xbox Full Screen Experience (FSE), an interface designed to feel like a console. It aggregates your games from Xbox Game Pass, Steam, Epic, and other stores into one library. The integration is mostly seamless; you can jump from a Game Pass title to your Steam library without fuss. Game Pass saves sync automatically with your Xbox console, making cross-play magical.
Yet, Windows inevitably peeks through. Occasional stutters in the Xbox app, pop-up installers requiring touch input, and inconsistent sleep/wake behaviour—where the device sometimes wakes and drains battery on its own—break the console illusion. These moments remind you that you're navigating a PC operating system optimised, but not perfected, for handheld use. The included three months of Game Pass Ultimate is a valuable addition, but remember: the Ally X runs PC versions of games, not native Xbox console titles, so exclusives like the upcoming GTA VI won't be playable here without streaming.
Verdict: A Niche Marvel with a Premium Price Tag
At Rs 1,14,990, the ROG Ally X costs more than an Xbox Series X and a premium TV combined. It's a niche product for a specific user: the PC gamer with a vast multi-store library who craves portability without major compromise and values Game Pass integration. Its hardware is fantastic—unmatched comfort, a gorgeous display, and enough power to handle modern games respectably.
However, the software experience, while promising, shows that Windows still has some way to go to become a seamless handheld OS. The Ally X is not a productivity device; it's a singularly focused gaming machine. For the right user—one with the budget and the desire for a premium, all-access portable gaming hub—the ROG Ally X is a compelling, if expensive, glimpse into the future of handheld gaming. It sets a high bar that others must now strive to beat.
Our Rating: 4/5
