Asus ROG Xbox Ally review: comfy, cheaper Windows handheld — but not without headaches

A tempting price and familiar comfort

Tom's Hardware finds the Asus ROG Xbox Ally to be one of the most affordable modern Windows gaming handhelds, starting around $599 (with occasional $499 deals). It’s comfortable to hold, ergonomics that lean heavily on the Xbox-controller playbook — offset sticks, ABXY layout, textured grips — and at 1.48 pounds it’s only slightly heavier than the Steam Deck OLED. Stock is another selling point: where Valve’s Deck often vanishes, the Ally has been more consistently available. Nice timing, right?

Design wins, but the little things sting

The white chassis and Xbox-style colored buttons give it personality. But there’s a catch: the reviewer worried about grime — white plastic shows wear and it allegedly picked up dirt during normal use — and Asus doesn’t include a carrying case. The triggers on the cheaper Ally lack the rumble of the pricier Ally X, and while the controls feel tactile and clicky, small omissions add up. It’s comfortable. It’s flawed. Little annoyances become loud in a handheld.

Performance, display, and system quirks

On paper, the Ally’s silicon looks familiar to what’s inside the Steam Deck, but performance isn’t a knockout. It has been reported that the Ally’s real-world gaming performance isn’t much better than a three‑year‑old Steam Deck OLED. The display also trails the Deck’s OLED — not as vibrant, not as punchy. On the software side, the Xbox Full Screen experience is praised as a better play-first alternative to running games under full Windows 11, but it has been reported that the device suffers persistent sleep/wake problems that break the illusion of a polished handheld.

The bottom line: buy if you want value, not perfection

If you want a comfortable, Xbox-flavored Windows handheld that’s actually in stock and doesn’t cost a fortune, the Ally is a solid pick. But temper expectations: the showstopping features aren’t here. There’s an emotional tug — hope for a Steam Deck rival — and then reality: good ergonomics, handy Xbox Full Screen, and an attractive price, offset by middling performance, a weaker screen, and annoying reliability quirks. In short: a smart buy for value hunters; a compromise for performance purists.

Sources: tomshardware.com