I put the $800 ROG Ally X against a $250 Android handheld, here’s what I learned

Mobile and console gaming never really stuck with me, but I’ve been captivated by the world of excellent gaming handhelds. These devices let you play mobile, retro, console, and PC games on a form factor that makes sense, down to the built-in controllers and screen. I dove in headfirst last year, picking up the original Asus ROG Ally and playing plenty of full-fledged AAA titles. Then, I tried the Retroid Pocket 4 Pro, a cheaper gaming handheld that runs Android, as well as a Steam Deck. Most recently, the Asus ROG Ally X and its whopping $800 price tag crossed my desk.

It got me thinking: Is it silly to pay that much for a PC gaming handheld? Don’t get me wrong, I love my ROG Ally, and the new ROG Ally X blows the original out of the water. Still, it’s a tough sell. Android handhelds like the Pocket 4 Pro provide a similar experience, albeit with less performance, for a fraction of the price. Paired with a cloud gaming service, an Android gaming handheld could theoretically get close to the ROG Ally X in terms of functionality. So, I sought to find out whether something like the ROG Ally X could be worth over $500 more than the Retroid Pocket 4 Pro. Here’s what I learned.

What I liked about the Asus ROG Ally X

It’s a performance champion with great battery life, ergonomics, and speakers

The big upgrade with the ROG Ally X is a redesigned chassis and a bigger battery. However, I was surprised that the build quality between these $800 and $250 devices is similar. Asus’ handheld has more heft to it, weighing 678 grams, which gives it the illusion of feeling premium. When you look closer, the two devices have mostly plastic shells with glass display coverings. The ROG Ally X starts to pull away when you get to the built-in controller because it feels better than the Retroid Pocket 4 Pro’s smaller one.

The clear area where the Asus ROG Ally X trounces the Pocket 4 Pro is raw performance. It uses the AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme chipset paired with 24GB of memory. The processor performs better in the ROG Ally X than in the ROG Ally. Whether it’s the additional RAM, better cooling system, or bigger battery, the result is simple. The ROG Ally X is the most powerful handheld you can buy. It beats the Steam Deck, the Lenovo Legion Go, the MSI Claw, and budget retro handhelds like the Pocket 4 Pro.

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The ROG Ally X is basically everything I wanted from a refresh of the gaming handheld

Enthusiasts assemble, this one’s for you

Asus’ new handheld is more ergonomically sound than its others, and the ROG Ally X feels like an Xbox controller. For me, that’s a perk, but some might prefer the controls of the Pocket 4 Pro. It has a symmetrical layout, with both joysticks placed below the Dpad and XYAB buttons. The latter is great for people who prefer the layout of the Nintendo Switch, particularly the Switch Lite, or want to play a lot of emulated games. For those who like immersive experiences, the standout speakers and rumble support are nice bonuses on the ROG Ally X.

I never took the ROG Ally seriously as a portable device due to its measly battery life, which would only last about an hour while I played demanding games. Asus flipped the script with the ROG Ally X by including an 80Wh battery that’s double the size of its predecessor. That translates to real-world performance, as my ROG Ally X routinely lasted three or more hours while playing AAA games. When battery life was an issue for PC gaming handhelds, there was a big asterisk next to their other perks. Now, you can choose a device such as the ROG Ally X without sacrificing battery life.

What I liked about the Retroid Pocket 4 Pro

Price and portability are unmatched, and cloud gaming unlocks new possibilities

The Asus ROG Ally X is better on paper, but that doesn’t mean it’s better for everyone or every situation. I love the portability of the Retroid Pocket 4 Pro, and I can carry it with me as a result of its compact size. Remember the 678-gram weight of the ROG Ally X? The Pocket 4 Pro comes in at 251 grams, barely more than the average flagship phone. As for dimensions, the Android handheld is a fraction of the size of PC gaming handhelds. I wouldn’t carry an ROG Ally X daily, but I would carry a Pocket 4 Pro daily.

The Retroid Pocket 4 Pro doesn’t come close to matching the performance of the Asus ROG Ally X. This Android handheld will get smoked by something like the Asus ROG Phone 8 Pro. It has a meager MediaTek Dimensity 1100 CPU and 8GB RAM, meaning it performs like a budget or mid-tier Android phone. However, it doesn’t need a lot of power because emulation is its calling card.

Thanks to the fantastic emulation apps available on Android, you can run a lot of games on this Android 13-based handheld. Software compatibility isn’t an issue because Retroid has great button mapping software that lets you control most games with the built-in controller. From a performance perspective, the Pocket 4 Pro can handle games from the sixth generation of consoles, such as the GameCube and PlayStation 2. I had a blast playing games from this era, including old Nintendo and Grand Theft Auto titles. Sometimes, playing retro-emulated games on an Android handheld is more satisfying than using the ROG Ally X for modern ones.

The Retroid Pocket 4 Pro is far from the most powerful Android gaming handheld. You’ll find more premium ones with better specs, like the Ayaneo Pocket S. However, you can play the same games with the Retroid Pocket 4 Pro as you can with the Asus ROG Ally X. I’m talking about cloud gaming. After I loaded Xbox Cloud Gaming, I could play every game I play on my ROG Ally X, from Fortnite to GTA V to others. I know many are skeptical of cloud gaming. However, if you have good internet, it’s outstanding.

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Ayaneo Pocket S review: Expensive handheld gaming

A few compelling specs don’t feel like enough to justify this high-end handheld

Cloud gaming will never beat on-device processing for competitive games. However, there are other bottlenecks you’re likely to encounter with the ROG Ally X, like thermal constraints and wireless connections. I found the Retroid Pocket 4 Pro to be an excellent Xbox Cloud Gaming or GeForce Now client, and that’s great news. If you can sacrifice latency, you can play the same games on a $250 handheld as an $800 handheld.

You don’t need to spend a fortune to have fun

I had a blast on a cheap Android handheld, and the ROG Ally X isn’t $550 better

The takeaway is that while the ROG Ally X is great, you can have a great time playing handheld games for a fraction of its $800 price. If you get creative and take advantage of retro emulators and cloud gaming services, the Retroid Pocket 4 Pro will impress. These gaming handhelds are more similar than you might think, but they have compromises. The ROG Ally X compromises portability and price, while the Retroid Pocket 4 Pro compromises performance.

The great thing about the emerging gaming handheld market is that there’s a price point for everyone. Some retro handhelds are available for under $100, the Retroid Pocket 4 Pro is $250, the Steam Deck is the next tier up at $400, and the ROG Ally and Ally X are premiums costing as much as $800. You won’t regret picking one up, as it will be a blast, regardless of how much it costs.

Asus ROG Ally X

Asus has refreshed the design of the original ROG Ally, bringing with it a new color, a bigger battery, and upgraded storage and ports. It’s called the ROG Ally X, and Asus has created it for enthusiasts.