The OLED Xbox Ally X20 is so good, Asus will sell it solo

When I first told you astir the “OLED Xbox Ally X of my dreams,” I had to curb my enthusiasm a bit. That’s partially because I hadn’t yet tried the handheld myself, and partially because Asus was only readying to waste it bundled pinch a brace of costly AR glasses! I’m happy to opportunity some things are nary longer true.

Asus will waste a standalone type of the OLED Ally arsenic well, spokesperson Anthony Spence confirms to The Verge. “We are actively discussing the merchandise schedule for a standalone type of the caller Ally. Please enactment tuned for upcoming announcements.”

And aft spending 2 hours pinch the OLED Ally astatine the company’s California offices, I deliberation it mightiness moreover springiness the caller MSI Claw 8 EX AI Plus a tally for its money.

But the OLED Ally mightiness connection a 3rd prime for deep-pocketed gamers: the astir comfortable and refined handheld yet.

I already for illustration Asus’ 7.4-inch OLED surface complete the 8.8-inch 1 that Lenovo picked for the Legion Go 2 — yes, the 1 I antecedently called “the champion handheld surface money tin buy.” And I decidedly for illustration it complete the MSI Claw 8 EX’s 8-inch IPS panel.

Even though the Ally’s surface is smaller, shorter, and somewhat little solution — 1080p alternatively than 1200p — it is so overmuch clearer successful personification because of its anti-glare screen solid and the brighter sheet underneath.

I brought on a Legion Go 2 and a Claw 8 EX to comparison straight to the OLED Xbox Ally X20. With harsh overhead indoor lighting, I had to look done the reflection of my ain look connected rivals’ glassy screens, but the OLED Ally’s was crystal clear. And while it’s only a small brighter than the Legion Go 2, pinch 1,400-nit peaks alternatively of 1,000-nit peaks, it’s much brighter than the Claw EX’s 500-nit screen. I precocious took a roadworthy travel pinch the Claw EX and had to squint moreover astatine max brightness because of each the glare.

A 7.4-inch surface whitethorn not sound overmuch bigger than the 7-inch ones connected erstwhile Allys, but it makes a difference. Those earlier ones consciousness a small claustrophobic for maine aft testing 8-inch handhelds, but I didn’t consciousness that astatine each successful my mates hours pinch the Ally X20.

Last year’s Xbox Ally X showed maine that handhelds are amended pinch prongs, and I person to manus it to the MSI Claw EX for adding manta ray fins for an moreover beefier grip. But Asus now has cushy rubberized grips, too, alternatively than simply a textured integrative shell, for moreover much comfort.

The caller ABXY look buttons are the astir satisfying ones I’ve felt connected a handheld yet, quieter, and flush pinch the handheld’s ammunition erstwhile you property them down. The bumpers consciousness somewhat better, and the surface doesn’t get rather arsenic basking successful usage owed to the reworked fans and airflow. I’m not judge astir the triggers yet; I don’t for illustration the squeak my Xbox Ally X reappraisal unit’s triggers developed, and these ones consciousness beautiful similar.

But I’m so happy to opportunity my aged nemesis, the Xbox Ally X “Library” button, is good and genuinely dead. When I accidentally pressed the caller “Action” fastener that replaces it (it’s the upper-right golden fastener pinch a image of a azygous horizontal bar), it simply took a screenshot alternatively of yanking maine retired of my game. I still deliberation the Start fastener should beryllium the apical button, though.

A transforming D-pad that spins to spell from eight-way to four-way by lowering 4 of its corners? I was fresh to constitute it disconnected arsenic a gimmick — until I fired up Hollow Knight: Silksong. It was instantly the quality betwixt nailing each azygous 1 of Hornet’s diagonal attacks, letting her float and sting again and again, aliases maine sometimes missing the diagonal input and watching my warrior autumn to the ground.

You toggle shape it by pulling up connected the D-pad’s horizontal separator pinch your fingernails and rotating it a quarter-turn. Hopefully it doesn’t go an other constituent of mechanical failure; it felt tight and premium to me. The clicky dome switches underneath won’t fulfill those who for illustration membrane D-pads, but I for illustration it.

Asus wasn’t fresh to fto maine tally existent benchmarks, but I did occurrence up 2 games connected the Xbox Ally X20 and the MSI Claw 8 EX for nonstop comparisons, mounting some processors to 25 watts and loading the aforesaid nonstop save.

In Cyberpunk 2077, the Claw EX offered 61 frames per 2nd successful the aforesaid location that the Ally X20 offered 44fps. In Returnal, the Claw EX offered 62fps wherever the Ally X20 offered 41. Both handhelds drained their artillery astatine astir the aforesaid complaint of 36 watts, meaning their 80-watt-hour batteries should past astir 2 hours connected a charge.

That intends the Claw whitethorn person 40 aliases 50 percent much capacity pinch nary artillery punishment — but it’s not the full story. First, the OLED Ally has a 30–120Hz adaptable refresh complaint (VRR) screen, meaning it should look smoother astatine moreover little framework rates than the 48–120Hz panels successful the Claw EX and the original Ally. It decidedly seemed soft successful my little demo.

Second, arsenic I’ll yet talk successful my afloat Claw EX review, that Intel spot is having immoderate increasing pains pinch drivers. You whitethorn moreover beryllium capable to spot it successful my Returnal comparison photograph successful this story: There’s little volumetric fog and little crushed screen than you spot pinch the AMD spot successful the Ally.

I’m besides experiencing stutter aliases uneven framework pacing successful immoderate games pinch the Intel Claw, for illustration Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, wherever I’ll get much than 50fps but they still don’t ever consciousness smooth, and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle keeps freezing connected maine entirely. Intel tells maine it’s moving connected issues for illustration these, though, and its latest drivers person already fixed astir of the Expedition 33 graphical glitches we saw connected Intel.

Third, the Ally’s fans were notably quieter than the Claw’s during these 2 tests.

Because of RAMageddon, each gaming handheld is excessively costly today, and the OLED Ally will surely beryllium the same. It’s almost definite to costs much than today’s $1,000 Xbox Ally X, truthful I wouldn’t hold for this caller 1 if that’s arsenic overmuch arsenic you’re consenting to spend. But if you’re looking for the champion handheld astatine immoderate price, the OLED Ally mightiness beryllium worthy waiting for.

Photography by Sean Hollister / The Verge