Amazon France has mistakenly delivered an Xbox Ally X unit ahead of its official launch, allowing one Reddit user to share hands-on impressions of the device before removing their account.
According to the user, the ergonomics and controller feel stand out as major improvements over the original ROG Ally. They noted that the joysticks felt nearly identical to those of an Xbox One controller, addressing a long-standing complaint that handheld devices often struggle with joystick quality. “I compared with my Xbox Series X and Xbox One controllers and the joysticks of the ROG Xbox Ally are almost identical to the Xbox One. I’m happy because the joysticks in handhelds have always been rubbish,” they wrote.
Despite these positives, the early impressions highlighted some disappointing aspects. Chief among them is the 7-inch display, which many users in the discussion thread criticized for being too small given the device’s overall form factor. The early owner echoed this view, remarking, “If it was 8 inches I think I would never have to change again.”
Performance tests were also shared, including benchmark results for Expedition 33. The device reportedly managed around 47 frames per second at 1080p on medium to high settings with XeSS Quality enabled, while dropping resolution to 900p improved frame rates to 56 fps, and using LSFG achieved 85 fps. Although functional, the gains compared to the original Ally were viewed as incremental rather than groundbreaking.
Other details included confirmation that Battle.net could be downloaded natively through the Xbox app, though sleep and resume functionality was described as inconsistent compared to Valve’s Steam Deck. The D-pad was said to feel similar to the previous model, and while customization of interface icons is possible, limitations exist with the Xbox Full Screen Experience, particularly when adding non-Steam titles or emulators.
Community response to the leak has been cautiously positive. New buyers expressed interest in the improved grip and Xbox-like controls, but existing ROG Ally X owners questioned whether modest performance improvements and the lack of an OLED screen justified the high-end model’s €899 price point. Many commenters also drew comparisons to Lenovo’s Legion Go 2, which, despite its higher cost, offers an 8-inch OLED display.
The ROG Xbox Ally series, developed by Asus in partnership with Microsoft, is scheduled to launch globally on October 16, 2025. Pre-orders opened on September 25, with pricing set at €599 for the standard model and €899 for the Xbox Ally X.
