ASUS ROG Xbox Ally X20 Review: Strong Performance, OLED Screen and a $1,300 Price
ASUS ROG Xbox Ally X20 costs $1,300 and adds an OLED screen to last year’s AMD-based Ally X, Android Authority reports.
The review said the device is among the more powerful gaming handhelds on the market and that performance in most games was impressive for a device that fits in a backpack. The X20 offers several performance presets, including a 35-watt Turbo mode available only when plugged in; on battery, Turbo is capped at 25 watts, and the default Performance preset runs at 17 watts.
In testing, Resident Evil 4, the 2023 remake, held a fairly consistent 30 frames per second at 1080p with high graphics settings on the plugged-in Turbo setting, according to Android Authority. On the 17-watt Performance preset, frame rates regularly dipped into the 20s; at 720p with lower settings, the game returned to a steady 30 fps.
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine II ran at medium settings with frame rates typically in the mid-30s on Turbo, but high settings in large open levels reduced performance to the 20s, the review said. Forza Horizon 5 performed well with graphics settings maxed even on Performance, bottoming out around 50 fps in nighttime races and hovering at or near 60 fps during daytime sequences.
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered maintained a fairly steady 40 fps on low graphics settings with Turbo plugged in, while unplugged Performance mode produced about 30 fps outdoors, according to the review. Android Authority also reported compatibility issues in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Remastered, where AMD driver problems caused some foliage to render pitch black and parts of some character models not to render.
The review said simpler games such as Hollow Knight: Silksong and Ori and the Blind Forest ran easily, but noted that buyers interested only in such titles could use a cheaper Android handheld. Battery life from the 80Wh cell was about three hours for graphically intensive games on Performance and four hours or longer for less demanding titles, according to Android Authority. The review added that the backside can get warm during longer sessions and described Windows as an iffy handheld OS, saying the $1,300 price may be a tough sell for everyone but the device’s target audience.