Asus ROG Xbox Ally X: Currently the most comfortable gaming handheld on the market

There's a reason why gaming controllers look the way they do, which is what we thought upon using Asus' new gaming handheld. Sony paved the way with its PlayStation Portal streaming device, and the new ROG Xbox Ally X also looks like a large controller with a screen in the middle. Although we were initially skeptical about the new design, our concerns have now been dispelled.

The new handle design makes the case thicker and takes up more space in your backpack, but the ergonomics are simply much better than traditional handheld designs such as the old ROG Ally X or devices such as the MSI Claw or Valve's Steam Deck. Even after several hours, the gaming handheld still feels comfortable in our hands without any signs of fatigue. Even the slightly higher weight of around 720 grams did not negatively affect our impression of the handheld.

In our experience, we can comfortably say that switching back from the new ROG Xbox Ally X to a classic handheld design is quite difficult, as the comfort when holding it noticeably suffers. Furthermore, we're curious to see whether other manufacturers will adopt the design with the larger handles. Those who prefer the most compact handheld possible are obviously in the wrong place here, but comfort is likely to be important to many people. All further information about the new ROG Xbox Ally X is available in our detailed review.