ASUS Listens Closely and Builds the Xbox Ally X20 Handheld Fans Asked For, Complete with AR Glasses

ASUS took the Xbox Ally X and made changes that target the exact points players have mentioned most often. The new limited edition ROG Xbox Ally X20 carries a larger, brighter screen, refined controls, and a distinctive look. It arrives only as a bundle with a pair of AR glasses and marks twenty years of the ROG brand with a collector focused design.

The X20’s design appears sleeker from the start, as the black outer casing is translucent, allowing you to see right through to the gold internal components and sophisticated cooling system hidden behind. The gold highlights on the outside are a great touch, hinting at the anniversary celebrations. The body has gained some weight, but the extra space allows you to get a handle on the new rubberized texture on the rear of the controller, providing a more firm grip even after hours of gameplay.

The most noticeable change, however, is that the screen has been changed from a 7″ LCD to a 7.4″ OLED display. The resolution remains at 1080p, but the refresh rate has increased to 120 Hz, and the variable refresh rate now goes all the way down to 30 Hz, keeping motion looking silky smooth even when frame rates are low. With a peak brightness of 1400 nits, you should be ready for HDR content. The display supports Dolby Vision and is VESA DisplayHDR TrueBlack 1000 certified, and it now has an anti-reflective coating to reduce glare and make things easier on the eyes. The response time is also 0.2 milliseconds, so games will appear deeper, richer, and more immersive than ever before because the image area has increased while the bezels have remained unchanged.

The controller layout was also updated to address some of the daily problems. The joysticks now use TMR sensors, which virtually eliminate drift and are extremely responsive to even the smallest motions. The directional pad also spins around, so if you flip it one way, you get the typical 4-way input you’re used to, but if you turn it the other way, you get 8-way input, which is ideal for some fighting games. The face buttons now fit snugly against the shell, require less effort to press, and generate significantly less noise. The bumpers have been nudged up in position and now travel a bit further with a quieter action which makes response a bit clearer. They’ve also replaced the old library button with a new action button, which takes a screenshot and records without leaving the game. When you use the Xbox button, it turns green, and the haptic feedback mechanism has been improved to make the vibrations feel much more natural.

The thermal design on the new models has also been updated to match the improved screen, as the fans now do a better job of blowing air across the processor, resulting in a surface temperature of the display that remains cool even after hours of use, making touch interactions comfortable. OLED panels can get a bit cranky if they get too hot, so this change is a real plus for keeping performance consistent and the system comfortable to use. The handheld still runs an AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme processor, but it has plenty of power for modern games and multitasking. You get 24GB of quick memory and a 1TB solid state drive, which is enough for all of your gaming and multitasking needs. The microSD Express slot has also been improved to allow for faster storage expansion. Unfortunately, the battery life is same to the previous generation at 80 watt hours. Real-world battery life will vary depending on the games you’re playing and the settings you’re using, but it’s generally equivalent to the basic Ally X. However, charging is slightly better, with up to 68 watts available via the USB-C connector.

You’ll receive the entire kit in a single, compact bundle. When you purchase it, you will receive a matching pair of ROG XREAL R1 Edition 20 AR glasses. The glasses are connected via a single USB-C cable. Once the link is established, the glasses create a virtual screen that gives you the impression of a large 171-inch screen, as it is intended to be seen from around 4 meters away. The glasses use dual micro OLEDs and operate at 240 hertz. Furthermore, the head tracking will automatically respond to how you move your head. You can also enable anchor mode, which ensures that the virtual display remains in the same location in your room whether you move around. The lenses have three changeable brightness settings, allowing them to adapt to any lighting in the room. All software integration is handled through a handheld command center, making it easy to keep track of what you’re doing. This configuration provides a huge screen experience that you can take with you wherever you go, eliminating the need to lug extra monitors along for the ride.

We still don’t know how much these bundles will cost once they go on sale. The regular Ally X is still going for it’s current price of $1,000 if you just buy it on its own. If you don’t need the entire package, the glasses alone cost roughly $850.
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