So, you’ve seen the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20 in all its black and gold glory and wondered if it’s worth paying $300 more for it. Well, the answer is ‘it really depends on what kind of device you are looking for’ and ‘how much is a fresh OLED screen worth to you?’
Unlike the other ROG 20th anniversary edition bits of Asus gear, the X20 is not about superfluous add-ons (unless you pick up the bundle with XR glasses). You aren’t getting a commemorative faceplate here, or extra stickers. You get an OLED screen, TMR thumbsticks, improved thermals, and MicroSD Express compatibility.
You also get Impulse triggers, which means they can rumble independently, and the D-Pad can be flicked around to make the corners more or less pronounced.
The screen is perhaps the biggest sell here, with its 1400 HDR-certified display going up to a peak brightness of 1,400 nits. As I found in my review, it’s so sizzlingly bright at points that I looked at the sun in Cyberpunk 2077 while lying in bed one night and actually winced. Check out the full differences below.
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20 vs Xbox Ally X
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X
Processor
AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme
AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme
CPU architecture
Zen 5 / Zen 5c
Zen 5 / Zen 5c
Core / threads
8 / 16
8 / 16
CPU boost clock
5 GHz
5 GHz
GPU architecture
RDNA 3.5
RDNA 3.5
Shader count
1024
1024
GPU boost clock
2.9 GHz
2.9 GHz
VRAM
8 GB (shared, adjustable)
8 GB (shared, adjustable)
Memory
24 GB LPDDR5X
24 GB LPDDR5X
Screen
7.4-inch OLED display
7-inch IPS LCD display
Resolution / refresh rate
1920 x 1080 / 120 Hz
1920 x 1080 / 120 Hz
Peak brightness
1400 nits
500 nits
Storage
1 TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 2280 SSD
1 TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 2280 SSD
Thumbsticks
TMR
Magnetic
Connectivity
1x USB4 Type-C with DP 2.1 / PD 3.0 / TB 4 compatible
1x USB 3.2 Gen with DP 2.1 / PD 3.0
1x UHS-II microSD Express card reader
1x 3.5 mm combo jack
1x USB4 Type-C with DP 2.1 / PD 3.0 / TB 4 compatible
1x USB 3.2 Gen with DP 2.1 / PD 3.0
1x UHS-II microSD card reader
1x 3.5 mm combo jack
Dimensions
30.0 x 12.1 x 5.13 cm
29 x 12.1 x 5.07 cm
Battery
80 Wh
80 Wh
Weight
756 g
715 g
Price
$1,300 / £1300
$1,000 / £900 (MSRP)
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20 vs Asus ROG Xbox Ally X: Performance
Performance test
In a handful of games and productivity apps (35 W plugged in)
3DMark Time Spy3DMark StorageFFXIV ShadowbringersBlack Myth Wukong (1080p Medium)Black Myth Wukong | Upscaling (1080p Medium)Cyberpunk 2077 (1080p Medium)Cyberpunk 2077 | Upscaling (1080p Medium)F1 24 (1080p Medium)F1 24 | Upscaling (1080p Medium)Horizon Zero Dawn (1080p Original)Horizon Zero Dawn | Upscaling (1080p Original)Metro Exodus Enhanced (1080p High)7-zipCinebench R24
Index score
GPU index score
CPU index score
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X
4033
3663
9462
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20
4086
3771
9568
02,5005,0007,50010,000
3DMark Time Spy Data
Product
Value
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X
4033 Index score, 3663 GPU index score, 9462 CPU index score
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20
4086 Index score, 3771 GPU index score, 9568 CPU index score
Index score
Avg bandwidth (MB/s)
Access time (ųs)
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X
1163
199.98
155
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20
1233
210.38
145
03757501,1251,500
3DMark Storage Data
Product
Value
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X
1163 Index score, 199.98 Avg bandwidth (MB/s), 155 Access time (ųs)
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20
1233 Index score, 210.38 Avg bandwidth (MB/s), 145 Access time (ųs)
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X
18.91
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20
21.4
07.51522.530
Total load time (seconds)
FFXIV Shadowbringers Data
Product
Value
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X
18.91
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20
21.4
Avg FPS
1% Low FPS
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X
26
19
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20
26
19
07.51522.530
Black Myth Wukong (1080p Medium) Data
Product
Value
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X
26 Avg FPS, 19 1% Low FPS
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20
26 Avg FPS, 19 1% Low FPS
Avg FPS
1% Low FPS
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X
39
30
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20
40
35
010203040
Black Myth Wukong | Upscaling (1080p Medium) Data
Product
Value
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X
39 Avg FPS, 30 1% Low FPS
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20
40 Avg FPS, 35 1% Low FPS
Avg FPS
1% Low FPS
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X
41
34
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20
42
33
015304560
Cyberpunk 2077 (1080p Medium) Data
Product
Value
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X
41 Avg FPS, 34 1% Low FPS
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20
42 Avg FPS, 33 1% Low FPS
Avg FPS
1% Low FPS
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X
53
44
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20
58
40
015304560
Cyberpunk 2077 | Upscaling (1080p Medium) Data
Product
Value
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X
53 Avg FPS, 44 1% Low FPS
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20
58 Avg FPS, 40 1% Low FPS
Avg FPS
1% Low FPS
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X
84
76
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20
85
61
0255075100
F1 24 (1080p Medium) Data
Product
Value
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X
84 Avg FPS, 76 1% Low FPS
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20
85 Avg FPS, 61 1% Low FPS
Avg FPS
1% Low FPS
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X
97
88
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20
96
72
0255075100
F1 24 | Upscaling (1080p Medium) Data
Product
Value
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X
97 Avg FPS, 88 1% Low FPS
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20
96 Avg FPS, 72 1% Low FPS
Avg FPS
1% Low FPS
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X
48
15
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20
51
18
015304560
Horizon Zero Dawn (1080p Original) Data
Product
Value
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X
48 Avg FPS, 15 1% Low FPS
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20
51 Avg FPS, 18 1% Low FPS
Avg FPS
1% Low FPS
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X
70
18
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20
69
25
020406080
Horizon Zero Dawn | Upscaling (1080p Original) Data
Product
Value
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X
70 Avg FPS, 18 1% Low FPS
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20
69 Avg FPS, 25 1% Low FPS
Avg FPS
1% Low FPS
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X
27
15
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20
22
13
07.51522.530
Metro Exodus Enhanced (1080p High) Data
Product
Value
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X
27 Avg FPS, 15 1% Low FPS
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20
22 Avg FPS, 13 1% Low FPS
Compression (GIPS)
Decompression (GIPS)
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X
81.14
86.54
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20
81.77
85.5
0255075100
7-zip Data
Product
Value
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X
81.14 Compression (GIPS), 86.54 Decompression (GIPS)
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20
81.77 Compression (GIPS), 85.5 Decompression (GIPS)
Single-core index score
Multi-core index score
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X
111
762
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20
110
800
0200400600800
Cinebench R24 Data
Product
Value
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X
111 Single-core index score, 762 Multi-core index score
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20
110 Single-core index score, 800 Multi-core index score
With both devices featuring the same chip and memory, you can expect more or less the same performance. In my testing, I got lower Metro performance and worse 1% lows in F1 25, but better performance in Horizon Zero Dawn, Cyberpunk 2077 and 3DMark, so the framerate differences overall just about balance out. I also noticed the X20 never went above 49 watts, which means I would feel more comfortable cranking up the wattage. It helps that its thermals are much improved.
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20 vs Asus ROG Xbox Ally X: Thermals
Gaming test thermals
Recorded in HW Info whilst performing gaming benchmarks (35 W plugged in)
Thermal performance
Max CPU temp (°C)
Max CPU package power (W)
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X
96
55
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20
79
48
0255075100
Thermal performance Data
Product
Value
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X
96 Max CPU temp (°C), 55 Max CPU package power (W)
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20
79 Max CPU temp (°C), 48 Max CPU package power (W)
The X20 comes with a refined new thermal cooling system, and it’s more than just a marketing term. I recorded temps up to 17 °C cooler compared to the previous model, and even in long gaming sessions, I couldn’t manage to push the system’s temp above 80°C with its included wattage modes (between 17 W and 35 W). Importantly, I never felt that heat on my fingers as I played, making it a relatively frosty gaming device.
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20 vs Asus ROG Xbox Ally X: Battery life
Gaming battery life
Recorded using PCMark 10’s gaming battery life test (25 W)
Battery life | PCMark 10
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X
125
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20
149
037.575112.5150
Battery life (minutes)
Battery life | PCMark 10 Data
Product
Value
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X
125
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20
149
In stress testing gaming benchmarks, the X20 managed 2 hours and 9 minutes in the 25 W gaming mode, and almost 3 hours in the 17 W mode. Importantly, it can get up to 9 hours of indie gaming on the go, in my experience. The standard X model has the exact same size battery, so you can expect a similar battery life, though our testing saw it perform a little under the X20.
Future
Future
Future
Though you’re getting similar performance figures, the day-to-day use of the Ally X20 is superior from my experience. The screen is gorgeous and super bright, all the buttons feel superb under the fingers, it’s super quiet (unless you want it to be loud), and it looks phenomenal.
As well as all of this, those frosty temps mean you can shove up the wattage if you want, or just have a ton of headroom to avoid throttling in the future. I would really struggle to want to spend over $1,000 on any gaming handheld right now, but if I were flush with cash, I would be majorly tempted to pop the X20 in my basket.
Should you upgrade to the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20?
If you already have the Xbox Ally X, I wouldn’t recommend spending another $1,300 to get a better screen, thermals and TMR sticks (plus some little extras). If, however, you’re deciding between the two, I can say that the new additions are very welcome and make for a refined, desirable device. If you’ve got the cash to splash, it’s a sweet device. It’s just a shame that the memory crisis has killed handheld market prices.
