The Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20 is the definitive form of Asus' handheld. It feels better in the hands, has joysticks that should last longer, and the OLED display is a noticeable improvement.
All of that being said, games play the same across the two devices. If you already have an original ROG Ally X, this isn't worth the upgrade. You won't get any more performance, and the IPS screen on the original is still plenty bright and colorful, even if the blacks aren't as good as on an OLED screen.
If you're buying a new machine, it's a tougher choice. The X20 is $1,299.99 — a $300 increase over the original, which is staying on the market. If this is your sole gaming machine, that may be worthwhile for the improved screen, TMR joysticks, and a slightly more solid build. But it's a lot of money; the original Xbox Ally X will play games the same way for $300 less. Neither will play games as well as the Intel Arc G3 , but the only system with that available right now is $1,799.
The X20 is worth getting if it's going to be your only gaming PC for a few years. The $1,299.99 price is high for a handheld, but given that the $999.99 version is effectively the best deal in handhelds right now, it makes some sense to invest if you want the best experience.
Andrew E. Freedman Social Links Navigation Senior Editor Andrew E. Freedman is a senior editor at Tom's Hardware focusing on laptops, desktops and gaming. He also keeps up with the latest news. A lover of all things gaming and tech, his previous work has shown up in Tom's Guide, Laptop Mag, Kotaku, PCMag and Complex, among others. Follow him on Threads @FreedmanAE and BlueSky @andrewfreedman.net . You can send him tips on Signal: andrewfreedman.01
Roland Of Gilead Jeez lads! A bit of a wipe down on the grubby non-X20 would be a nice touch. Maybe even clean the fans and intake/exhaust vents. I might be mistaken, but it looks very dusty, Reply
alrighty_then WOW. Portables have come a LONG WAY. A 1990s gameboy was cool once. Take this back in time to watch kids go bananas…assuming it doesn't need wifi for the games. Reply
-Fran- I cry in its lack of track pads. I've been spoiled. SPOILED! Regards. Reply
thestryker It would have been nice if the review actually included power limited testing. I'm not sure it has made its way to the Xbox Ally X yet, but this one launched with better CPU power management which can make performance more consistent and generally better in say the 15W mode for example. Cary covered this in his video about it and I hadn't seen it mentioned anywhere else: V0HkRXaX92E View: https://youtu.be/V0HkRXaX92E?is=WJVxCjBpgOuLK_Jr Reply
BloodLust2222 -Fran- said: I cry in its lack of track pads. I've been spoiled. SPOILED! Regards. A trackpad of shorts is almost a given with these things. I'm not sure why they opt not to put them on here, Considering the price is should have one. Please that little 7" screen is a joke also even with OLED. Reply
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