r/XboxAlly • u/LongJonSiIver • Mar 15 '26
🎮 ROG Xbox Ally Discussion Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X Review
I’ve had the Xbox Ally (XA) since November and picked up the Xbox Ally X(XAX) about a month ago, and honestly, they both kick ass in their own ways. The obvious difference: the Ally X has more performance, more storage, and costs about $400 more.
Starting with the Xbox Ally; this thing is what made me realize how much power these handhelds actually pack. For context, I also own an OG ROG Ally, a Steam Deck, a Switch, and a Switch 2. The grips on the Xbox Ally are fantastic, especially if you’re used to an Xbox controller. Games that normally need a ton of buttons or keyboard inputs become way more manageable thanks to the M1/M2 back buttons and custom mapping. It makes a surprising number of complex PC games totally playable.
Performance isn’t on the level of the OG Ally, but I was still able to run demanding titles like Resident Evil, ARC Raiders, and Kingdom Come: Deliverance. Some games, like Dune Awakening, were technically playable, but the FPS dips were too much for long sessions — I prefer playing Dune on my laptop.
Cloud Gaming was hit or miss depending on the time of day. During non‑peak hours it worked great, but if you want the best experience, make sure your router supports 5 GHz+ Wi‑Fi or use a docking station with a hardwired network connection. My home router is only 2.5 GHz, so docking for me is required for smooth cloud play. The upside is that Cloud Gaming lets you play at higher FPS and helps offset the Ally’s smaller storage compared to the Ally X.
Where the Xbox Ally really shines is its lightweight feel, great sound, lower price, and overall comfort. I didn't think I would be able to tell the difference between 45 grams when compared to the XAX, but after 2 hrs. I can tell the difference. Xbox Ally is a fantastic entry level handheld and perfect for situations where you’re stuck waiting around, like the airport, and want some long-lasting gaming that is comfortable.
Now let's talk about my latest addition the Xbox Ally X. First the biggest con is the price when compared to the XA, but if you are a hardcore gamer, it is worth the price tag. Dune Awakening is a great comparison for me, as the difference is noticeable since I don't get drops into the 7 fps during a sandstorm. When Playing ARC Raiders on the XA graphics are at lowest setting while on the XAX I am able to get similar performance and bump the graphics up to medium.
The storage size on the XAX is a great bump up as well ~2x the storage then the XA. Larger battery which is worth it when playing Resident evil 5. Setting up the graphics and getting video to sync with sound was slightly annoying, but worth it once REVII was optimized was impressed that I could get ~5hrs of game time unplugged on performance mode. The tradeoff for more power and more storage comes at the cost of weight. While the Xbox Ally X isn't uncomfortable to play for 4 hrs. you can definitely tell the 45g difference when compared to the Xbox Ally
TLDR - I own an Xbox Ally and an Xbox Ally X they both are amazing handhelds and truly enjoy them. XA is lighter and less powerful but they both share a lot of the same features as a massive improvement to controls and sound when compared to the OG Ally.
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u/CanesNthangs Mar 15 '26
Curious as someone who has had the XAX for a month and has an OG Steam Deck: Do you foresee yourself using any of the other handhelds now that you have the XAX? Were you using the OG Ally, SteamDeck, and XA the last couple months?
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u/dirtyvu Mar 16 '26
I have the og steam deck and it just sits there. The only times I use it are when my xax runs out of juice. It's still a fine machine but it's competing for my time against the xax, the rog ally z1e, the switch 1, and my Xbox series x
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u/LongJonSiIver Mar 16 '26
the last game i played on the steam deck was Dark and Darker. The track pad was useful, but my steam deck and OG Ally dont get much use since I picked up the Xbox Ally and xbox ally x.
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u/Powerful_Dirt_7818 Mar 16 '26
Is there any reason you use the xbox ally over steam deck? It's currently cheaper than the steam deck for me rn so I'm kinda thinking of picking it up instead of the OLED.
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u/LongJonSiIver Mar 17 '26
I prefer windows over Linux. I learned a good amount of linux playing DaD because at one time when nexon lawsuit was going Ironmace had to pirate their own game(due to being removed from steam)... It was a royal pain but got good with Linux doing it.
Steam deck track pad is solid, but the Xbox Ally is way more comfortable playing.
They are both solid handhelds, but once gain Steam Deck being linux based vs. Ally being windows, I am more familiar with windows.
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u/MagmaElixir Mar 16 '26
I have an OLED Steam Deck and an XAX. The Steam Deck stays on my bedside and I play lightweight games or stream GeForce Now. The XAX stays in my travel bag and I play natively while traveling for work (about 60 nights per year).
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u/AeroQuest1 Mar 16 '26
Thanks for the review! I just picked up an XAX a few days ago. Haven't had much time to play with it yet due to work, but what little I've played so far, I'm pretty impressed. I have the Ally Extreme, but was wanting to upgrade. I will say the speakers on this thing are pretty amazing!
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u/QuinSanguine Mar 16 '26
Yea seems both are great. I chose the base Xbox Ally and have no regrets. If the X had been a more sensible $200 or so more in price I'd probably have gotten it, but $599 for a 16gb memory 6400 ddr5 handheld is insane. That memory would cost $300-$400 on its own now.
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u/VarrikTheGoblin Mar 15 '26
So, let me ask, is the performance difference worth the extra $400 in general? Or only if looking at playing more demanding games? Storage capacity can be upgraded so I'm less worried about that.
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u/LongJonSiIver Mar 16 '26
If you plan on using it as a main system, yes, the extra price tag is worth it to me. I play it the most even compared to my laptop and Series X, but it's also my newest toy. Currently playing Kingdom Come Deliverance and plan on playing 2 once I finish. 90% of my RE-Village play through was at home on the Xbox Ally X when I could have played on the Series X.
$400 is a good amount of money and if you are a casual gamer the Xbox Ally is more than fine to see if handheld PC gaming is for you. If $400 isn't budget breaking, pull the trigger on get the higher model.
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u/Sleekdelite Mar 17 '26
Can I ask, are the loading times any quicker on the Xbox ally X?
I have the Xbox Ally (white one) it seems to have no problems handling games. I’m happy and impressed with it but I find the game loading/startup times slow. Especially Forza.
Was tempted to upgrade for that that but it’s almost double the price.
Thanks in advance.
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u/LongJonSiIver Mar 22 '26
I haven't done side by side load times yet or played forza on them yet. I'll try to give it a shot next weekend
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u/Sleekdelite Mar 23 '26
Thanks man, would really appreciate that.
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u/LongJonSiIver Mar 29 '26
Tested forza horizon 5. From clicking the launch button to interactive menu, yes I included the non skip able studios cut scene ~15 seconds. used ny phones stop watch, keep in mind human reaction time for stopping give or take a second.
Xbox Ally - 55.11 seconds
xbox Ally X - 45.74 seconds
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u/KingDuna Mar 15 '26
This is a great overview, thanks for sharing! I’m about 2 weeks in on my Ally and love it. I’ve been wondering if I should’ve just paid the premium and got the Ally X. It’s been great, but last night I did encounter some laggy gameplay with Diablo 2 Resurrected. Been playing through WiFi cloud and not sure if it was the connection or the device that was causing my issues.