The Asus ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X handheld gaming PCs are expected to change the Xbox brand, expanding Microsoft’s console line into the handheld space. With the Xbox Ally and Ally X landing just next month, the hype for the new Asus and Xbox co-branded devices is pretty high.
The Xbox Ally X is going to be one of the first systems featuring AMD’s Ryzen Z2 Extreme APU, while the Xbox Ally is a more entry-level configuration featuring the new Ryzen Z2 A processor. While the Xbox Ally X will have some serious power to its Zen 5 APU, the Ryzen Z2 A is the most budget-friendly processor in AMD’s newest generation. So the Xbox Ally is going to have a hard time competing with other handhelds on the market.
But there is still hope for the entry-level Xbox handheld. And it lies in AMD’s FSR 4.
Asus ROG Xbox Ally hardware limitations
The Xbox Ally will be outperformed by the standard ROG Ally
The Xbox Ally features a Ryzen Z2 A APU, which is even more budget than the underwhelming Ryzen Z2 Go, which was partially responsible for the lukewarm reception of the Windows 11 version of the Lenovo Legion Go S compared to its SteamOS counterpart. The Ryzen Z2 Go is a Zen 3 APU with a 4-core CPU and 12 RDNA 2 graphics cores. The Z2 Go also has a configurable TDP of 15–30W.
The Ryzen Z2 A processor is a Zen 2 APU with a 4-core CPU, 8 RNDA 2 graphics cores, and a configurable TDP of 6–20W. So it’s rather underpowered compared to other handheld chips on the market, and appears to be aimed primarily at 720p gaming. In fact, despite the new name, the Ryzen Z2 A looks to be the same
AMD’s FSR 4 could save the Asus Xbox Ally from being a poor Steam Deck imitation
