Here's What The Reviews Are Saying About The ROG Xbox Ally

With just a day to go until the ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X handhelds are released to the public, the first reviews have been going live at a variety of outlets across the web, and they make for some pretty interesting reading!

Of course, we've got our own review of the ROG Xbox Ally X at Pure Xbox, in which we gave it an "Excellent" 9/10 and highlighted that it's a "superb PC handheld with outstanding ergonomics, terrific cooling and natural-feeling controls".

We were sent the premium version of the Xbox Ally for review, but some other outlets have been receiving the standard ROG Xbox Ally as well, so this gives us a good chance to see how both systems are faring with the critics so far.

With that in mind, let's start with the reviews for the Xbox Ally X, and then we'll look at the cheaper Ally.

ROG Xbox Ally X Reviews

Pure Xbox (9/10)

"I think the hardware in particular deserves the most praise, as ASUS has created a superb PC handheld with outstanding ergonomics, terrific cooling and natural-feeling controls for Xbox fans. Seriously, a lot of credit has to go to the design team here. Are there areas where it can improve? Sure, and I think most of them come down to the software and ensuring the Xbox full-screen experience is as efficient as it can be, taking away some of the lag and bugginess, and eliminating the need to enter Windows and other third-party launchers as much as possible. That's essentially the "easy" bit at this point though - the key thing was that they nailed the hardware, while the software is bound to keep improving in the weeks, months and years ahead."

GamesRadar (4.5/5)

"The ROG Xbox Ally X is an upsettingly expensive handheld that offers an exceptional portable PC experience paired with console-level comfort. Not only does it set a new performance bar via its shiny new Ryzen Z2 Extreme chipset, but it's also the first device to finally kick the desktop drawbacks of Windows 11 to the curb using a new Full Screen Experience mode. It's just a shame that it costs a grand, as this device could mark a new era of Xbox hardware."

IGN (9/10)

"The Xbox Full Screen Experience alone would probably be enough for me to recommend the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X to anyone looking for a new handheld gaming PC. But the fact that it’s so comfortable to use and performs so well is just icing on the cake. All it really needs now is a couple of software updates to really refine the Full Screen Experience and it will be a device for the history books."

VGC (4/5)

"The Asus ROG Xbox Ally X is very much a jack of all trades by design, but rather than a master of none it offers exceptional performance and an impressive selection of app stores within easy access. Its price will put off some, and there are plenty of cheaper alternatives to fit your more specific needs, but if you're looking for an absolute beast that can handle almost everything you can throw at it, this is the one for you."

Tom's Hardware (4/5)

"The Asus ROG Xbox Ally X has excellent ergonomics thanks to controller-style grips, and Microsoft's handheld-focused Xbox experience is far better than using the Windows 11 desktop. The AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme delivers improved performance, but it may not be worth upgrading if you have an existing Ally."

Pocket Tactics (Mostly Positive)

"The ROG Xbox Ally X puts up a decent fight against other Windows-handhelds performance-wise, but so do the ROG Ally X and Z1e models. I can't quite get the past price, especially in tandem with the recent Xbox Game Pass subscription increase, making it even more expensive to check out the latest titles out of the box. In my opinion, the existing ROG Ally models are still worth considering."

Rock, Paper, Shotgun (Mixed)

"While it stumbles in the right direction, then, the ROG Ally X never fully lives up to the promise of being a truly tailored Windows 11 handheld. I don’t want to put that entirely on Xbox mode’s shortcomings, because ultimately the interface (and general, sofa-splayed gameplaying experience)is better than that of vanilla Windows. But then, I don’t have to. There are enough other reasons – the underwhelming screen, the middling battery life, the aggravating face button noise, the price, and especially the temperamental vibration – to give this handheld a miss. Or, at the very least, wait for some fixes."

Polygon (Negative)

"The promise of seamless, borderless access to all your games and all your progress across multiple platforms in a single place is enthralling — even half-realized like this. It is arguably just what this fragmented industry needs. But the practical result is compromised, confusing, annoying to use, and prohibitively priced. The Xbox Ally X is emblematic of everything Microsoft’s gaming initiative has become, from its corporate acquisition strategy to the increasingly unaffordable boondoggle that is Xbox Game Pass: an incredibly costly attempt to hedge every bet and be all things to all people that is nominally successful in its goals, but that has, along the way, defeated its own purpose."

ROG Xbox Ally Reviews

T3 (4/5)

"The ROG Xbox Ally is an interesting entry in the PC gaming handheld space for obvious reasons, but it's not quite a slam dunk. I really like its ergonomic tweaks, and its Xbox integration works solidly. Performance is also a little boosted over the older ROG Ally. But at a high price, it might not be the bolt from the blue Xbox is hoping, and SteamOS machines still have the value advantage."

Digital Spy (Positive)

"It's a very solid all-rounder and while I'll always prefer console and PC, if you travel or just want the portability options of being able to play games in bed, the ROG Xbox Ally is a good entry point into the handheld space that conveniently puts all of your Xbox, Steam and PC games in one place, with those making use of Game Pass getting the most out of it."

CGM (7.5/10)

"The ROG Xbox Ally succeeds by focusing on what gamers want most in a handheld gaming device—and by adding just enough Xbox integration to sweeten the deal. Comfortable ergonomics, a bright and responsive display, flexible performance options and software that stays out of the way all come together to create an experience that feels polished and purposeful. It doesn’t try to do everything—but what it does, it does exceptionally well."

Expert Reviews (Mostly Positive)

"In most respects, this is a fantastic Xbox handheld. The design is familiar and comfortable, the screen is excellent, the sound impressive, and the software is a big improvement on what we’ve had with previous Windows handhelds. However, anyone buying it needs to know what they’re getting into. The Xbox Series S doesn’t always acquit itself brilliantly when running the most advanced Xbox games, but it can still run the same games as the Series X at playable frame rates with (mostly) decent visuals. I’m not sure you can say the same about the ROG Xbox Ally, or that an Xbox that plays last-gen games and indie favourites is what Xbox gamers are looking for. After some more hours playing and testing, I hope I’ll have a clearer idea."

Radio Times (3/5)

"It's the Xbox Series S of its duo, but while the Series S has a role as a cheaper console for a casual gamer, the Ally is inherently a more enthusiast piece of kit – nobody willing to drop £500 on a handheld console is a casual gamer just looking to play a few rounds of Call of Duty! That isn't to say it's a terrible console – it's not (hence the three stars). If you buy an Ally, I am sure you will get a huge amount out of it. My criticism is instead that I do not believe that it's worth buying over any of its counterparts.

So, there we go! There are definitely some mixed impressions floating around about both the ROG Xbox Ally X and ROG Xbox Ally, but it seems most reviewers are aligned with their impressions on the hardware itself.

The biggest point of contention with the "X" seems to be the software and the fact that it's not necessarily a console-like experience, whereas with the standard Ally it just seems to be the fairly high entry price. Nothing too surprising.

What are you taking away from these reviews? Come and tell us down in the comments section below!