ASUS ROG Xbox Ally Detailed Test: From Battlefield 6 to Switch Emulation

Built to balance performance, battery life, and emulation support for a versatile handheld gaming experience on the go.

Hardware by Tanisha Aria on Oct 20, 2025

It's time to go back to Windows handhelds. This time, though, things seem a little different. Xbox says it will be a new friend for Asus and their handhelds that are focused on PCs. Asus is back with two new models: the high-end ROG Xbox Ally X and the entry-level ROG Xbox Ally.

These are meant to make handheld gaming more accessible to more people. The Xbox Ally is better than the older Z1 model because it has better ergonomics and a better user experience, thanks to the new Xbox full-screen interface. It runs on AMD's Z2A processor. It's clear what the goal is: to find out if the power of Xbox really makes this a good friend to have by your side.

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How well PC games run

We looked at the 20W turbo preset when we looked at PC gaming performance. This preset is best for balancing power and thermal efficiency. The game had problems at first because of a DirectX error, but once that was fixed, it ran at a resolution of 1280x720, with low settings and a target frame rate of 30fps.

The single-player campaign was stable, but the multiplayer mode was much harder, and players had to make visual sacrifices to make the game run more smoothly.

Next up are Spider-Man 2 and God of War Ragnarok, both of which were published by Sony and did well with the same 20W preset. Spider-Man 2 used AMD FSR 3 with dynamic resolution scaling and very low preset settings to find a good balance between clear images and smooth frame pacing. God of War Ragnarok ran just as well at low settings with a 30fps cap when FSR3 was set to performance mode, especially after the shaders were compiled.

Other new games, such as Stellar Blade, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, and Sonic Crossworlds, showed how well the Z2A could handle 720p graphics that were hard to run. When I used the balanced FSR preset with low settings and 30 fps, Stellar Blade ran well.

Clair Obscur, on the other hand, stayed around the same frame rate but looked great. Sonic Crossworlds ran smoothly at 30 frames per second with a minimum dynamic resolution of 75%. This shows that AMD's Van Gogh architecture is still good enough for new games.

Gaming Performance with Low TDP

When I switched to lower-power gaming, the 6W silent mode preset showed me how efficient the Xbox Ally can be. Megabonk, a 3D version of Vampire Survivors, was able to keep over 60 frames per second at 720p on low settings.

Hades II had smooth gameplay that got close to 120fps at just 6W, showing how well this game is optimised for handheld devices. Hollow Knight Silksong, one of the most eagerly awaited games, also ran at a frame rate of close to 120 with a mix of low and normal settings.

These results show how great performance can be even when using very little power. This means that users can enjoy long battery life without having to give up fun gameplay experiences.

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Performance of Emulation PlayStation 3

When using RPCS3 to emulate the PlayStation 3, the performance was hit or miss. Even at the 6W preset, lightweight games like Resogun ran very well at the console's native resolution. But heavier games like Skate 3 had trouble even with the 20W turbo preset and 75% resolution scale.

They stuttered and had frame pacing that wasn't consistent. MotorStorm: Pacific Rift did better, with smoother gameplay in the same conditions. When I tried God of War II at 20W and 50% scale, it was almost playable, but it's clear that the Z2A's lack of AVX512 support makes it less able to emulate.

Xbox 360

The Xenia Canary emulator worked well with lighter games like Ilomilo on a 15W performance preset. However, it needed the 20W turbo preset to keep frame rates stable for more demanding games like Forza Horizon and Perfect Dark Zero. There were some small dips in both games, but they were still fun to play. This shows that the extra power headroom at 20W is very helpful for Xbox 360 emulation.

Switch from Nintendo

The Eden emulator did a great job of emulating the Switch. Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled ran great at an 8W manual TDP in docked mode, keeping its target frame rate. Kirby and the Forgotten Land also worked well in handheld mode under similar conditions, with bright graphics on the Ally's screen.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, on the other hand, pushed the system to its limits. With the NX Optimiser and 20W turbo preset, performance ranged from 20 fps outside to 30 fps inside. This game showed the Z2A's limits when it comes to emulation, even though it was still impressive for a handheld.

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Final Thoughts

The ROG Xbox Ally, which has an AMD Z2A processor, is a good and useful handheld for playing games on many platforms. It can easily handle modern PC games at 720p with 20W of power. The 6W silent mode, on the other hand, works surprisingly well with indie and lightweight games.

The performance of emulators depends on the platform. However, for people who like older or less demanding games, the experience is still great. The Z2A may not be as powerful as the Z1 Extreme, but it is a well-balanced chip that is portable, has a long battery life, and gives you access to a wide range of games—all in a sleek and comfortable handheld form factor.

Also, check our other ROG Xbox Ally X articles below: