Asus Republic of Gamers has announced the availability of the ROG Ally X in South Africa. The handheld gaming console and successor to the ROG Ally will retail for R17 999.

ROG Ally X

It can be purchased online from the Asus Eshop, Computer Mania, and Game; and will be available in-store at Incredible in September.

According to Asus, a second batch of pre-order deliveries will start on 19 August, and a ship date of 19 August from the Asus Eshop.

Asus ROG Ally X specs

The ROG Ally X is made for Windows 11 gaming-on-the-go, and features the AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme chipset found on its predecessor, but now includes upgraded storage, RAM and battery life, including an updated chassis for improved ergonomics, cooling, and connectivity. It features Armoury Crate SE 1.5 with a new customisable game library and unified system updates.

The updated console features 1TB of SSD storage – double that of the original Ally; a redesigned motherboard with a M.2 2280 form factor slot that allows users to easily upgrade their storage than before.

It also packs in 24GB of DDR5-7500 RAM, and as an APU, the AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme shares its video RAM with the device’s system RAM.

According to Asus, with modern games using more VRAM for high-resolution, lifelike textures, 24 GB of system memory allows users to allocate more memory to both the system and the GPU for better performance in the next generation of AAA titles.

The battery also gets double the capacity than its predecessor at 80Wh, for longer play time, and despite this upgrade, the console is a mere 70g lighter than the original unit.

Updated controls and connectivity

The ROG Ally X features a redesigned chassis in a brand-new black colourway, with slightly deeper handles and a more rounded shape for improved comfort, without adding much thickness to the device.

The buttons and sticks are arranged in a slightly more ergonomic angle, with a slant to the triggers that makes them easier to press. The macro buttons on the back are also smaller, to reduce accidental presses while keeping them easily accessible.

The joysticks have been replaced with new, more durable modules rated for a 5-million-cycle lifespan, with stiffer springs for a more familiar response curve to longtime controller gamers. The D-Pad has been similarly improved, with more precise eight-direction input for fighting and retro games.

Asus says that users overwhelmingly requested more universal I/O, so the original XG Mobile port has been replaced with two USB-C ports on the ROG Ally X, one of which is Thunderbolt-compatible for wide interoperability with third-party docks and external GPUs.

Improves thermals

The ROG Ally X features a new fan that is 23% smaller that uses 50% thinner fan blades for improved airflow, to accommodate the new battery size.

The two new tunnels in the fan housing will direct air up and out toward an additional third exhaust vent on the upper edge of the handheld console.

Asus says the new thermal solution provides 24% more air volume to be pushed through the device, cooling not only the internal components but also the touch screen, which measures up to 6°C cooler for more comfortable long-term usage.

To pre-order the Asus ROG Ally X on 19 August, visit: https://za.store.asus.com/rog-ally-2024-x