The much-anticipated refresh to the successful ASUS ROG Ally PC gaming handheld has finally arrived, with the ROG Ally X now in Aussie stores.
Here’s what you need to know about the Ally X, which improves on the previous iteration by getting to the heart of a lot of customer feedback, including exactly what’s new, where to pick one up and of course our full review:
What’s New In The ROG Ally X?
The key word when designing the new ROG Ally X seems to have been more, with this upgraded handheld featuring a bigger 1TB SSD (up from 512GB on the Ally) that’s also more upgradeable thanks to a new motherboard design, an increased 24GB of RAM which should help the AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme with VRAM allocation in a lot of modern games, as well as a beefed-up 80Wh battery – an increase of double over the original Ally.
That last feature is going to be the thing that tips many over the edge on buying in or upgrading to the ROG Ally X, effectively removing the biggest barrier on the original version, which could drain in less than an hour at full power. According to our testing, you can now expect at least two hours on a single charge, or more depending on your selected performance profile, which is significant.
It’s doing all this with just a 70-gram increase in weight too, thanks to smaller but more efficient fans. Thermals overall have reportedly been improved, with ASUS ROG claiming 24% more air volume moved through the device and a significantly cooler touch display under heavy use.
How Much Is The ROG Ally X In Australia and NZ?
The ROG Ally X retails for $1599 AUD (or $1799 NZD), which is about a $300 AUD increase over the existing model. That’s not too bad when you consider the upgrades, and part of the popularity of the original Ally was a half-decent price point so it’s almost like the Ally X is simply gaining back the cost-saving measures originally taken.
That said, the current ROG Ally can be routinely had for under $1100 (including right now on Amazon), which widens the margin to about $500 and might be a touch too steep for some to pick the X over the OG – at least until the new model gets discounted.
Where Can I Get The ROG Ally X In Australia and NZ?
The ROG Ally X is available right now, exclusively at JB Hi-Fi or the ASUS e-store. You can find links to both below:
“We’re excited to launch the new ROG Ally X in Australia and New Zealand after receiving overwhelmingly positive feedback from users on the ROG Ally last year,” the company wrote in a press release. “We have continued to listen to our customers’ feedback, resulting in the new ROG Ally X, which offers great improvements to battery, thermal cooling and storage. We are delighted that this best-in-class handheld console will now be available for individuals looking for a powerful yet portable on-the-go gaming experience.”
Is There A Review Of The ROG Ally X?
Shannon recently reviewed the ASUS ROG Ally X, saying, “The ASUS ROG Ally X is the most complete PC handheld that we’ve seen so far. It improves on the original in almost every single way with double the battery size, better performance, and improvements to the ergonomics and overall design.”
