Asus has announced a new model of its handheld gaming PC, the ROG Ally X.
Rather than acting as a direct sequel to the original ROG Ally, the new X model will instead be a more expensive option, with Asus planning to sell both versions simultaneously.
But what kind of upgrades will you be getting by opting for the ROG Ally X? While Asus has officially unveiled all the details and key specs just yet, a report from The Verge has given us a sneak peek to highlight the key upgrades. Check them out below:
Improved battery life
The key selling point of the Asus ROG Ally X is undoubtedly the extended battery life. Asus says that it was one of the most requested upgrades, and so has slapped in a larger battery pack so gamers can play on the go for longer.
We don’t know the exact new battery life just yet, but Asus has suggested that it will be “way more” than a 30% to 40% improvement. Given that the current ROG Ally struggles to play AAA games with max settings for more than 90 minutes, we’re hoping that it will at least be able to hit the 3-hour mark.
Of course, fitting in a larger battery pack will make the ROG Ally X a heavier portable than its predecessor, but that’s a fair compromise considering the battery life is one of the most important features of a portable gaming device.
Boosted RAM and longer M.2 slot
Asus has confirmed that it won’t be upgrading the main chip for the Asus ROG Ally X, so it will still be powered by the AMD Z1 Extreme found inside the original ROG Ally. However, Asus said the portable should still get a performance boost, but in the form of more RAM.
Asus told The Verge that the ROG Ally X will offer more than the 16GB of RAM found with its predecessor. While not confirmed, we’re speculating that Asus could offer a 32GB RAM configuration, as any higher than that could feel a tad excessive.
Asus has also said it will be expanding the M.2 SSD slot, making it easier for you to find an SSD to upgrade the storage if you wish to do so. This is great to hear, as you’re currently restricted to very short drives, which restricts your options and inflates the price.
New placement for SD card reader
Many existing Asus ROG Ally owners have reported issues with the SD card reader, with the port seeing unusually slow read speeds or even sometimes failing to recognise any inserted card. It has been suggested the close proximity to the portable’s vents could potentially be the cause of this.
With the ROG Ally X, Asus has moved the placement of the SD Card reader away from the vents, which should hopefully rectify the issue.
New black colour option
The most striking difference to the design of the Asus ROG Ally X is the new black colour option, helping it to be visibly distinctive compared to the original. We welcome the new black colour, as it’s generally better at hiding scuff marks and the like.
Asus has also said its new portable will be more repairable this time around, with interchangeable joystick modules and retuned triggers, joystick and D-pad. We’re yet to see the entire design of the Asus ROG Ally X, so there may well be additional changes, but we expect it to mostly keep in line with the original.
