On April 1, 2023, Asus made headlines with what many initially thought was an elaborate April Fools’ Day prank: the ROG Ally. However, the tech giant quickly clarified that this handheld gaming PC, powered by AMD’s Ryzen Z1 APU and adorned with vibrant RGB lighting, was indeed a genuine product. Our review of the ROG Ally reflected its impressive capabilities, earning it a commendable four out of five stars, marking it as one of the top contenders in the handheld gaming market.
Fast forward to 2024, and Asus introduced the ROG Ally X, which garnered even higher praise with a rating of four-and-a-half stars. As anticipation builds for the next generation of gaming devices, Asus has once again captured attention with a teaser for a redesigned successor to the ROG Ally, promising enhanced performance and possibly becoming the first Xbox-branded handheld.
The new ROG Ally: Fresh look, faster speeds, marathon stamina
Handheld gaming PCs have surged in popularity, largely thanks to Valve’s Steam Deck, which set the standard upon its release in February 2022. Asus followed suit with the ROG Ally, and later the ROG Ally X, both of which offered significant upgrades over Valve’s Linux-based device by providing a full Windows 11 experience. These models have become benchmarks in the handheld gaming sphere, successfully competing against formidable rivals like the Lenovo Legion Go and MSI Claw 8 AI+.
The latest teaser from Asus hints at a new handheld that will build on this success, showcasing a fresh design, improved speed, increased capacity, and extended battery life. The anticipation surrounding this announcement is palpable, as gamers eagerly await the next evolution in portable gaming.
The new ROG Ally’s secret weapon?
While specifics remain unconfirmed, the rumored enhancements may be powered by AMD’s Ryzen Z2 Extreme APU, unveiled at CES 2025. This next-generation chip, a successor to the Z1 Extreme, boasts significant improvements, including a Zen 5 architecture with RDNA 3.5, eight CPU cores (16 threads), and 16 GPU cores. Adam Kozak, AMD’s Director of Product Marketing, emphasized the performance leap, stating that for gamers seeking to play the latest titles at full settings, the difference is “night and day.”
(Image credit: Stevie Bonifield)
An Ally to the Xbox
Another intriguing aspect of the new ROG Ally teaser is a response from Microsoft’s official Xbox account, hinting at a potential collaboration. Reports have suggested that Microsoft is working alongside Asus to create an Xbox-branded handheld, which could be positioned as a precursor to a more comprehensive Xbox handheld set to debut with a new generation of consoles in 2027. While the new ROG Ally is likely to retain its identity as a Windows gaming device, the evolving Xbox app could serve as a central hub for game access, enhancing the user experience.
Asus has yet to disclose pricing, availability, or further details about the handheld, leaving enthusiasts eager for more information on this promising new device.
