ROG XBOX Ally X Review

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Summary based on the YouTube transcript and episode description.

Dave2D reviews the ROG Xbox Ally and Ally X, finding strong hardware let down by Windows friction and Xbox branding that sets expectations the $600–$1,000 devices cannot fully meet.

  • ROG Xbox Ally X ($1,000) sold out immediately and is backordered until mid-November despite the price.
  • Base Ally ($600) uses Zen 2 Z2A chip (Steam Deck-tier); Ally X uses Zen 5 Z2 Extreme, stronger at lower wattages.
  • Marketing positions Ally for 720p and Ally X for 1080p gaming; heavy AAA titles struggle even at 720p on Z2A.
  • Custom Windows 11 build skips desktop on boot and saves ~1–1.5 GB RAM (not the advertised 2 GB).
  • Both devices ship with 3 months Xbox Game Pass Premium (~$15/month), not the $30 Ultimate tier.
  • Separate BIOS/firmware updates buried in ASUS Armory Crate are a hidden setup step most Xbox users won’t expect.
  • Ally X has USB4 supporting external GPUs; display is unchanged from prior gen — no OLED, thick bezels.
  • Dave2D predicts high return rates on the $600 Ally due to Xbox branding raising console-like UX expectations.

2025-10-15 · Watch on YouTube

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