Summary
Early hands-on: The ROG Xbox Ally X feels like holding an Xbox controller — it boasts excellent ergonomics and a balanced weight.
Full Screen Experience is responsive, but currently blocks emulators and non‑Steam installs — likely fixed by update.
Quiet, superb cooling, fluid menus, 17–25W battery life, and immersive surround sound — barely need headphones.
Not everyone manages to get their hands on a brand-new console weeks before it’s released, and even fewer decide to take the time to sit down and review the product for everyone else to see. However, when it does happen, it’s pretty special, not only because we get to see someone get incredibly lucky, but also because it gives us an early and unbiased insight as to what to expect when the product finally arrives in our hands.
If you preordered a ROG Xbox Ally X, you’ll be interested to learn that someone managed to get their hands on one, two weeks before it’s officially released. And if their review is anything to go off of, we should expect some pretty solid performance from Microsoft’s first-ever premium handheld gaming console.
An early review makes the ROG Xbox Ally X look like a promising entry
Over on the ROG Ally subreddit, user u/Technical_Fun77 showed off the ROG Xbox Ally X they received way before the October 16th release date. Knowing the position they were in, they spent some time sitting down with the console and penning their thoughts as to how they felt about it. And it sounds good so far.
They note that the ergonomics felt
Someone got sent a ROG Xbox Ally X super early, and here’s what they think of the console
