{"id":1721365,"date":"2026-10-15T13:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-10-15T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/Rz8jSXD5t23gd4mRtMcCzS"},"modified":"2026-10-15T13:00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-10-15T13:00:00","slug":"asus-rog-xbox-ally-x20-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/arcader.org\/news\/asus-rog-xbox-ally-x20-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20 review"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The Asus ROG 20th anniversary lineup has been interesting. Black, gold, and indulgent feels like the tagline here, with the Azoth Extreme Edition 20<\/a> and ROG Harpe II Extreme Edition 20<\/a> containing actual gold, and a fitting price tag to boot.<\/p>\n

For any criticisms I may have, I don’t think you’re paying primarily for the branding on the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20, though. You get a new OLED screen which is bigger and brighter than the IPS panel in the standard Xbox Ally X, TMR thumbsticks, refined triggers, a new cooling system, and with that screen comes a snappy 0.2 ms response time. <\/p>\n

Refined is a good word for the device as a whole. Coming a year later than the last model, the software is smooth and intuitive, and it’s easy to swap between Xbox and Windows mode, though it still doesn’t feel like a console in practice. For my money, it’s the best ROG Ally on the market right now, but the memory crisis has skewed the price of all gaming gear, and the X20 is certainly not the best value as a result. <\/p>\n

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Buy if\u2026<\/h3>\n
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\u2705<\/strong> You want a beefy OLED handheld:<\/strong> OLED handhelds are still fairly niche, and with recent price bumps, I’d pick this over the Legion Go 2 or OneXPlayer’s offerings.<\/p>\n

\u2705<\/strong> You want power on the go: <\/strong>I’d suggest a significantly cheaper handheld if you are after low-intensity games and don’t particularly care for big-budget ones. For your Cyberpunks and your Horizons, you will want a Z2 Extreme chip or better to play them at a decent resolution and settings. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Don't buy if\u2026<\/h3>\n
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\u274c You’re fine with IPS: <\/strong>$300 more for the X20 over the X is pretty steep, especially if you aren’t dying to play on an OLED. <\/p>\n

\u274c You live in the UK:<\/strong> The pricing on the X20 is not as good value in Britain, with the superior G3-equipped MSI Claw being only \u00a3100 more (though no OLED) and the standard Xbox Ally X \u00a3400 less.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Features<\/span><\/h2>\n
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Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20 vs Ally X specs<\/caption>\n
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Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/th>\n

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Asus ROG Xbox Ally X<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n

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Processor<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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CPU architecture<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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Zen 5 \/ Zen 5c<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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Zen 5 \/ Zen 5c<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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Core \/ threads<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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8 \/ 16<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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8 \/ 16<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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CPU boost clock<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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5 GHz<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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5 GHz<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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GPU architecture<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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RDNA 3.5<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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RDNA 3.5<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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Shader count<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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1024<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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1024<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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GPU boost clock<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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2.9 GHz<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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2.9 GHz<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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VRAM<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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8 GB (shared, adjustable)<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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8 GB (shared, adjustable)<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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Memory<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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24 GB LPDDR5X<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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24 GB LPDDR5X<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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Screen<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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7.4-inch OLED display<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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7-inch IPS LCD display<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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Resolution \/ refresh rate<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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1920 x 1080 \/ 120 Hz<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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1920 x 1080 \/ 120 Hz<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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Peak brightness<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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1400 nits<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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500 nits<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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Storage<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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1 TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 2280 SSD<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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1 TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 2280 SSD<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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Thumbsticks<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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TMR<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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Magnetic<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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Connectivity <\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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1x USB4 Type-C with DP 2.1 \/ PD 3.0 \/ TB 4 compatible<\/p>\n

1x USB 3.2 Gen with DP 2.1 \/ PD 3.0<\/p>\n

1x UHS-II microSD Express card reader<\/p>\n

1x 3.5 mm combo jack<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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1x USB4 Type-C with DP 2.1 \/ PD 3.0 \/ TB 4 compatible<\/p>\n

1x USB 3.2 Gen with DP 2.1 \/ PD 3.0<\/p>\n

1x UHS-II microSD card reader<\/p>\n

1x 3.5 mm combo jack<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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Dimensions<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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30.0 x 12.1 x 5.13 cm<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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29 x 12.1 x 5.07 cm<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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Battery<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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80 Wh<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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80 Wh<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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Weight<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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756 g<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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715 g<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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Price<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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$1,300<\/a> \/ \u00a31300<\/a><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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$1,000<\/a>\/\u00a3900<\/a> (MSRP)<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

The Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20 (or should I say XBOX) is a relatively granular update on the Xbox Ally X<\/a>. I noticed it immediately when putting the two devices side by side, but when it comes to performance, you’re getting identical experiences. They have the same chip, the same memory, the same storage. That’s the Ryzen Z2 Extreme, 24 GB LPDDR5X, and 1 TB PCIe 4.0 M.2 2280, respectively. <\/p>\n

Given you don’t get a performance bump, you’ve gotta really care about the details to consider the X20. Arguably its biggest upgrade is the OLED panel, and it is a beauty. The DisplayHDR True Black 1400 certification isn’t just for show, as it pops, appearing both bright and ultra-vibrant. It’s also got a bigger screen, which does make the device more immersive, but also larger and chunkier. <\/p>\n

You can technically upgrade the plain old joysticks in the ROG Xbox Ally X with a TMR module with a bit of know-how, but slapping in your own OLED screen would be very difficult, and I certainly wouldn’t trust myself to do such fine electronic surgery. Therefore, I do see value in an upgraded, refined, and pretty older brother of last year’s device. It’s also got a whole new cooling system for frostier temps. <\/p>\n

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\"Asus
Future<\/small><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Asus
Future<\/small><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n

You also get smaller upgrades here, like the ability to pull up and turn the D-Pad to make the corner buttons more or less pronounced, plus greater grooves on the face buttons to stop jagged edges, and a combination of more clicky bumpers and smoother triggers. These all combine to make the X20 feel more thoughtful in approach, and given the price bump, it sort of has to do that. <\/p>\n

The X20 doesn’t come with a charger in the box, which makes sense from an e-waste point of view, but it does mean you will get lacking plugged-in performance without an appropriately speedy charger. For instance, I ran the device at 35 W mode and did some of my benchmarks before realising I wasn’t getting the full-fat 35 W mode because my charger wasn’t quick enough. <\/p>\n

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\"Asus<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>

(Image credit: Future)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Could you say that’s my fault for not seeing the low-power pop-up from Asus’ software Armoury Crate? Absolutely. Does that mean you may need to pick up a quick charger if you want full-wattage plugged-in performance? Also, absolutely. <\/p>\n

The box for the X20 also comes with a cardboard stand, which doesn’t feel as luxurious as the device itself but is clean, effective, and environmentally conscious. It’s a small but decent addition that I’ve been using consistently since unboxing the device without any problems. <\/p>\n

Performance<\/span><\/h2>\n

There was a brief period when the original Asus ROG Xbox Ally X was the highest-performing gaming handheld money could buy. That was until the launch of the much more expensive MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ CG3EM<\/a> (catchy name, I know) broke onto the scene. <\/p>\n

Despite launching a year after the original Xbox Ally X, the X20 sees no difference in power (as it has identical specs), and therefore my performance figures are more or less the same as what Dave got in his review of the standard Xbox Ally X. I got a little less in Metro and a little more in Horizon and Cyberpunk 2077, with lower 1% lows in F1 25. <\/p>\n

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