Some devices arrive as a question rather than an answer, and the ASUS ROG Xbox Ally X, priced at Rs. 1,14,990, is one of them. Across two weeks of demanding play, the handheld proved comfortable in the hand and capable under load, yet uneven in its consistency, as if its strengths and its stumbles were both part of the same bargain. In a moment when portable gaming keeps trying to blur the line between console and computer, this machine sits squarely on that seam, asking its owner to accept a Windows heart wrapped in an Xbox body, and to decide for themselves whether the trade is worth it.
ASUS ROG Xbox Ally X at ₹1,14,990: Strong Comfort and Performance, Uneven Stutters and Battery Life
A familiar Xbox controller that's grown a screen in the middle
Mark
What's the headline here? Is this a good handheld or not?
Mimi
Mostly yes. The reviewer praises the comfort, the thumbsticks and the flexibility of jumping between Xbox, Steam and Epic launchers.
Mark
And the catch?
Mimi
Performance is uneven. Doom: The Dark Ages and Indiana Jones run well, but Expedition 33 and Avowed stutter and drop frames.
Luke
Worth saying that's one reviewer's two weeks with a handful of games. We don't have frame-rate numbers, so "stutters" is an impression, not a measurement.
Mark
What about the interface?
Mimi
It's essentially the Xbox PC app in full-screen mode. It occasionally lagged or froze, mostly in the Microsoft Store and Game Pass.
Luke
The review says occasionally, not constantly. We don't know whether a software update would change that.
Mark
Battery?
Mimi
About two hours in demanding games, near three and a half in lighter ones on Silent mode, from an 80Wh battery.
Luke
Those are the reviewer's figures from his own use, not a lab test. And whether it's worth Rs. 1,14,990 is a judgment the piece leaves largely to the buyer.
Il Polso
- The rear buttons are stiff and awkward to reach, and the pause button is easy to hit by accident, which means early frustration for every new owner.
- The interface stutters and freezes when opening the Microsoft Store or Game Pass, slowing the path from switching on to starting a game.
- Some demanding titles like Expedition 33 and Avowed stall with frame drops and stutters, while Doom: The Dark Ages and Indiana Jones run smoothly.
- Battery life drains to roughly two hours under heavy play, so buyers at this premium price must plan around a charger.
- Cloud streaming and the dedicated Xbox button, which links Xbox, Steam and Epic launchers, give the device a route through its rough edges.
Some devices arrive as a question rather than an answer, and the ASUS ROG Xbox Ally X, priced at Rs. 1,14,990, is one of them. Across two weeks of demanding play, the handheld proved comfortable in the hand and capable under load, yet uneven in its consistency, as if its strengths and its stumbles were both part of the same bargain. In a moment when portable gaming keeps trying to blur the line between console and computer, this machine sits squarely on that seam, asking its owner to accept a Windows heart wrapped in an Xbox body, and to decide for themselves whether the trade is worth it.
For two weeks, a Hindustan Times reviewer lived with the ASUS ROG Xbox Ally X, a Windows-based handheld priced at Rs. 1,14,990, and carried it through a long run of demanding games. The verdict that came out of those sessions is mixed: the machine is comfortable and powerful, but it is not consistent.
In the hand, the device feels less like a PC and more like an Xbox controller with a screen set into its middle. Its grips are thick but well shaped, its textured back keeps it steady through long sessions, and its weight, while it looks heavy on paper, never became tiring. The thumbsticks are smooth and well weighted, and the bumpers are satisfying, though the rear buttons are stiff and awkward to reach. The reviewer also spent the first few days accidentally opening menus when trying to pause, a small but telling sign of how unfamiliar the layout can feel.
Setup makes clear that this is a handheld PC first. The familiar Windows steps come before Xbox's full-screen mode, which mirrors the Xbox app on a desktop, and the reviewer wished for something more tailored, like the Steam Deck. The interface sometimes lagged or froze, especially in the Microsoft Store and Game Pass. A dedicated Xbox button, however, lets players move among the Xbox, Steam and Epic launchers, a real advantage over most rivals.
Inside sits AMD's Ryzen Z2 Extreme with Radeon 890M graphics, 24GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD that uses a standard 2280 form factor, making future storage upgrades simpler. Performance, though, was uneven. Doom: The Dark Ages ran exceptionally well and Indiana Jones held a steady frame rate, while Expedition 33 and Avowed suffered stutters that disrupted timing and responsiveness.
The 80Wh battery delivers roughly two hours in demanding games and closer to three and a half in lighter titles. It is reliable enough for travel but not for a full day of heavy play. The reviewer's final recommendation favours players who value comfort, performance and flexibility, while acknowledging the rough edges. At this price, buyers will have to weigh those edges, and the battery, against what they want from their handheld.
For two weeks, a Hindustan Times reviewer carried the ASUS ROG Xbox Ally X, priced at Rs. 1,14,990, through a run of demanding games, and the verdict is a mixed one: the handheld is comfortable and powerful, but not consistent.
Start with how it feels. The device is a Windows-based handheld, yet in the hand it reads like an Xbox controller with a screen in the middle. The grips are thick but well contoured, and the textured rear surface keeps it steady through long sessions. It looks heavy on paper, but the reviewer found the weight balanced enough that it never became tiring. Two USB-C ports sit on top, one of them high-speed for external storage or accessories, and the triggers now carry their own vibration motors for more localised effects.
The controls are not flawless. The extra buttons around the screen are arranged in an unfamiliar way, and for the first few days the reviewer kept opening menus when trying to pause. The thumbsticks, though, are smooth, grippy and well weighted, and the large, clicky bumpers are satisfying, if slightly awkward to reach while fingers rest on the triggers. The triggers themselves are wide but a bit light, which limits fine throttle control in racing games. The main rumble feels underpowered for the device's size. The rear buttons are the weakest point: stiff and hard to reach given how the hands wrap the grips.
Setup makes plain that this is a handheld PC first. You go through the familiar Windows steps, language selection and system updates before landing in Xbox's new full-screen mode, which closely mirrors the Xbox app on a regular PC. The reviewer wished for something more tailored, as the Steam Deck has. The interface sometimes lagged or froze, especially when opening the Microsoft Store or Game Pass. The main menu offers Game Pass, your owned library and cloud gaming. Better Game Pass titles now require a higher subscription tier, and downloads are limited to Game Pass and Play Anywhere games. A dedicated Xbox button, however, lets you jump between the Xbox, Steam and Epic launchers, which the reviewer counts as a real advantage over most rivals.
Inside is AMD's Ryzen Z2 Extreme chip with Radeon 890M graphics, which the reviewer says feels more efficient than the earlier Z1 Extreme and rivals mid-range gaming laptops. It comes with 24GB of LPDDR5X RAM and a 1TB PCIe Gen 4 SSD. The drive uses a standard 2280 form factor, so upgrading storage is simpler and cheaper than with the previous model's 2230 drive.
Game performance varied. Doom: The Dark Ages ran exceptionally well, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle held a steady frame rate, and Lies of P impressed despite brief loading issues. Expedition 33 and Avowed, by contrast, suffered stutters and frame drops that affected timing and responsiveness. Cloud streaming of Borderlands 4 worked well with a stable connection, provided the title supports cloud play.
The 80Wh battery gives roughly two hours in demanding games. Indie titles, emulators or 2D games in Silent mode stretch that to close to three and a half hours. The reviewer calls it reliable enough for travel given easy charging, but not for a full day of heavy play.
The final verdict recommends it for players who prize comfort, performance and flexibility, while noting the awkward rear buttons, light triggers and interface lag. At this price, those rough edges, and the battery, are what buyers will have to weigh.
Citazioni salienti
The reviewer calls it a handheld PC first, console second, with occasional interface lag as a reminder.— Hindustan Times reviewer
Vuoi la storia completa?
Leggi l'originale su Hindustan Times ↗
Media & Entertainment