I took the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20 with me around the world — it’s great, but is it $1,299 great?

I initially viewed the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20 with skepticism, comparing it to Intel Arc G3-powered handhelds unveiled at the same Computex event. However, the announcement of its price tag, $1,299, softened my initial resistance. This seemed reasonable considering the RAMageddon situation, the ergonomic enhancements, the translucent design, and the attractive OLED screen. I believed this could be a strong contender against the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ and similar devices. (Image credit: Future)

Upon taking the device on my international press trips, I found myself feeling divided about my experience. The specifications remained unchanged (AMD Ryzen Z2 AI Extreme, 24GB RAM, 1TB SSD), and while Asus claimed improved ROG Intelligent Cooling, performance remained stagnant. At $1,299, the price increase seemed unjustified when no direct competitors existed.

Now, AMD has announced FSR 4 for its handheld silicon, potentially improving performance in the future. Nonetheless, the ROG Xbox Ally X20 still stands at the $1,000 mark, raising the question of whether these upgrades justify the higher cost.