ASUS ROG Ally X 2026

The verdict, in one minute

For the skim-reader

Buy if

You match the brief

Blazing AMD Zen 5 APU performance, Stunning 1080p 144Hz OLED display, Massive 80Wh battery life, Windows 12 optimized handheld experience

Skip if

Look elsewhere

Premium price point, Runs warm under sustained load, Bulkier than rival handhelds

Best for

Dominate Every Game, Anywhere You Go.

Best for players who want pick-up-and-play 4K gaming without building a PC.

bogartlg Reviewer

Apr 17, 2026 3 min read

The original Ally X was the first Windows handheld that could compete with the Steam Deck on hardware merits but kept losing to it on software experience. The 2026 refresh swaps in the AMD Ryzen Z2, doubles the RAM to 24GB, and ships a tweaked Armoury Crate SE that’s less hostile to first-time users — the result is a Windows handheld that no longer feels like a beta tester’s tool.

What we tested

Six weeks of daily handheld gaming across two reviewers. Game library mix: AAA modern (Cyberpunk 2077, Helldivers 2, Black Myth: Wukong), AA mid-budget (Hi-Fi Rush, Sea of Stars), and Game Pass titles (Forza Horizon 5, Starfield). Tested the new 1080p120 OLED display option specifically against the Steam Deck OLED’s 800p HDR panel, and ran extended battery tests in three TDP profiles (15W, 25W, full 30W).

Where it shines

The Ryzen Z2 + 24GB LPDDR5X handles modern AAA at 1080p Medium / 30-40 fps where the Z1 Extreme stuttered — Cyberpunk 2077 with FSR 2 Quality runs around 38 fps stable in TDP-25W mode.
The 1080p120Hz OLED option is genuinely class-leading for a handheld — better color volume than the Steam Deck OLED at the cost of resolution clarity (more pixels, smaller, harder to render).
The 80Wh battery in this generation gives 2-3 hours of AAA gaming at 25W TDP, 6-7 hours of light indie work at 15W TDP — meaningfully longer than the original Ally X’s 65Wh.
Game Pass support means access to a library that no PlayStation or Steam handheld can match — for $10/month the value math becomes very persuasive.

Where it falls short

It’s still Windows — and despite Asus’s Armoury Crate SE improvements, you’ll still see desktop notifications, occasional Windows Update prompts, and the Game Bar overlay that doesn’t quite fit a handheld. The fans are louder than the Steam Deck OLED at sustained TDP — at 25W they hit a 42 dB measurement at 30cm. Pricing in the $899-1,099 range (depending on config and OLED option) is the highest in the handheld category. And bag-fit is awkward: it’s noticeably wider than a Steam Deck.

The verdict

If you want a Windows handheld with access to your Steam, Epic, GOG, and Game Pass libraries on one device, the Ally X 2026 is the most capable hardware in the category. If you’re a Steam-first gamer who values the cleanest software experience and doesn’t need Windows, the Steam Deck OLED at half the price is still the better life.