Katarzyna Petru
ASUS has just released the biggest update in the history of ROG Xbox Ally — and it's exactly what the entire community has been waiting for. The new patch not only improves performance but significantly extends battery life and adds a set of features that should have been available from day one.
This is a massive step forward for a device that is still a fresh but already incredibly popular attempt to create an "Xbox on Windows." Let's remind ourselves: ROG Ally X (the variant with a new chassis, larger battery, and improved cooling) is a portable platform from Microsoft, co-created with ASUS and designed to run the full PC library — including Xbox Game Pass. Sales? Allegedly significantly higher than both companies had anticipated. Price? 3799 zł for the more powerful variant still doesn’t scare people away.
What exactly does the new update introduce?
The list of changes is really long, but the most important elements are:
New P-Core and E-Core settings for the X variant - Better management of energy-saving and efficient cores means more predictable performance and higher efficiency.
Quick access to fullscreen mode - finally no more clicking around in Windows. You can activate fullscreen mode instantly from the Ally interface.
Change of FPS limiter from 45 to 40 FPS - Sounds like a downgrade? Not this time. 40 FPS syncs noticeably better with a 120 Hz screen, providing smoother and more stable visuals. The community has been asking for this for a long time.
Clearly greater energy savings in Modern Standby - Handhelds run on batteries — and there's real progress here. Modern Standby finally behaves as it should.
Higher gaming performance with AMD GPU driver V25.10.27 - The new driver provides a few extra percent in FPS and better stability in demanding titles. Some games see double-digit increases.
Improved firmware stability - Fewer crashes, fewer bugs, fewer random restarts — especially in docking and profile-switching scenarios.
Overall system enhancements - The interface runs faster, power profiles switch more reliably, and Windows… well, at least it’s a bit less temperamental.
Ally is clearly working better now
This isn’t one of those updates that “improves something” but you basically don’t feel it in practice. Here the difference is immediate. Games run more stably, FPS drops are rarer, and the battery lasts longer. For a handheld of this power — absolutely crucial. The ROG Xbox Ally isn’t as seamless as a classic console yet, but with this patch, the device is becoming much more mature hardware. And for those looking for portable gaming on Windows — an even stronger candidate to choose from, although in our opinion, it’s still a long way from being number one.
