I know there's a lot of people comparing these 2 devices right now so I figured i'd give my impressions of both these devices. FYI i've owned my OXP3 since it was released and in the past have also owned the following devices: Steamdeck, Ally, Ally X, Xbox Ally X (briefly), Go, Go 2, Go S, Claw 8 AI+, Apex, X2 Mini Pro.

Feel / Build Quality

First off the bat, I can't underestimate how much better the X20 feels in the hands compared to the OXP3. A lot of things I got accustomed to on the OXP3 such as crappy vibration, hollow controllers, clicky face buttons / triggers, bad dpad, etc - made me realize what I was missing out when I first picked up the X20 in my hands. Everything on this device feels rock solid - all buttons feel amazing, joystick tension is great, and even the rumble (and triggers) is amazing. For context I turned off rumble on OXP3 since it was so terrible. If I had to sum it up, the X20 feels like you’re holding an Xbox Elite controller.

Screen

Honestly, X20 screen is pretty awesome. Don't feel like I'm missing much from OXP3 other than smaller size. May feel a little less immersive on AAA games, but you get used to what you're playing with very quickly.

Size

Love the more compact size of X20 and not needing an obnoxiously large case to fit in my bag. It's not a small device by any means, but just inspires confidence since the build quality is so good and doesn't have detachable controllers

Performance

No need to bring up performance difference between G3E and Z2E. Yes there's a difference if all you care about is performance. I tend to stream from my desktop PC at home, and on the go lower resolutions. Device always stays cool, fans are quite even under load - in that sense it feels little like using a Switch 2 and that stuff disappears in the background

Quality of life

Having owned Lenovo Go2, Claw 8, and various OneXPlayer devices recently, I've gotten accustomed to dealing with a lot of jank. Asus / Microsoft did a bang up job with making the experience feel quite seemless. Armory crate is actually really good and responsive. All the buttons do what they're supposed to do, and having a dedicated xbox button is pretty great.

So where does this leave me? OXP3 win on performance and screen size, but loses out on just about everything else a handheld is supposed to be good for. I'll be keeping both, but honestly Ally X20 feels so good to pick up and play, that I just want to reach for that one despite the smaller size and slightly lower performance. People shitting on the device due to Z2E are putting blinders on the 100 other things that make a handheld special to use, and the Ally X20 really nails it!

The XAX base grip fits perfectly. Helps me avoid putting a kill switch on.

So if anybody was planning to buy the glasses Best Buy has the X20’s already on sale now I guess this is part of the ROG Event today in Cali I was going to wait and get them later after seeing the discount later came earlier than expected 😂

That's all. I don't have anything else to add lol. I didn't expect to feel like this was that big of an upgrade, but this is easily the best all-around handheld in the market right now in everything but performance imo. And seeing as how I Stream my AAA games from my desktop for peak performance, the performance isn't really an issue for me

TLDR – I really like PocketDeck, it suits me better then others (even though they are great as well) and I think anyone who can should give it a shot.

The Xbox experience on the ROG XAX is decent enough, but I tired of it quickly. I decided to go looking for a different FSE, being this is my first windows hand-held I had no idea starting out how it all worked.

I stumbled across 3 that got my attention and I’m sure most here have heard of them.

1.      Winhanced

2.      Playnite

3.      PocketDeck

I tried Winhanced and its good. Stable, clean, but to clean for me. Both times I tried it I had small issues as well, nothing very bad. I’d recommend it to anyone but be prepared to figure out controller issues with steam.  Not much difference in the themes/layout either, which was something I wanted.

I skipped Playnite, just seemed more piecemeal, and I read in a few places it drains more battery, which impacts me, as I very often play without access to a wall wart, given the compromises of gaming on a handheld and worrying about battery it didn’t strike me as something id want to do. It does though, have the advantage of a large dedicated community behind it.

The last one I tried after skipping Playnite, is PocketDeck. After a week I decided to buy in, I even joined the discord which is something I don’t normally do. It took a second to adjust to how the controls cycle through the library and sorting features, but once I did adjust, I realized it’s the best form of sorting iv seen or used. It’s responsive and well laid out (but different). Changing between installed/not installed with one trigger and the stores with the other turns out to be a real advantage for quickly navigating.

The Best feature of it is being able to cycle through “themes” or layouts. I guess it’s my (very) ADHD brain, but being able to change the look for some reason just keeps me interested.

The developer is also very dedicated and on top of things.

I had an issue with my library, which was likely my fault, he looked at my logs and had it fixed the next day. Just last week he mentioned in the discord that he was prepping an update and asked if there were features anyone wanted to see. I mentioned I’d like a 360 style blades interface and the next day it was there and exactly what I would of wanted.

The next update added an app store section to the library, which was great, I like to plug my ROG into the TV in hotel rooms and the monitor at work occasionally and now I launch directly into Netflix or prime without ever leaving the FSE.  That allows me to leave my laptop behind when I leave town, which keeps me from checking work emails and calendars while I’m away.

All that just to say I think PocketDeck, at the very least deserves anyone’s consideration  when they are looking for a fresh FSE, and I really hope it gets popular.

 Just an old man's 2 cents.

FINALLY an updated GPU driver! It also seems to have fixed The Witcher 3 weirdness. Anyone notice improvements in any games? Cyberpunk 2077 (GOG) seems to run ever so slightly better too (tested an hour of play).

If anyone is looking for a carrying case for their X20, the Legion Go S case from Lenovo is pretty much a perfect fit. It’s a bit tight but it was as well on the Go S. It isn’t as protective as a hard shell case, but if you are worried about your screen scratching this is good enough for that. I wouldn’t throw it in an overpacked backpack/bag or under other items, but should do the job in a pinch. If you have one lying around or can find it cheap might be a good option if you don’t want to wait for other third party cases to release.

Can anyone share a to-do list of how to optimise the X20? (Without saying to move to SteamOS as I want to play Call Of Duty 😅)

As per the title, please recommend AAA/big games that ran surprising well for you at 13 (silent), 17 (performance), and/or 20 watts.

"Well" in this case means around 60fps 1080p medium/high settings.

Note: I find anything below FSR 3 quality is not great even if you hit the frames, FSR 4 at balanced is seems to be fine. Please note if you require FSR for playability.

-Any note or link to settings would also be greatly appreciated

My own recommendations so far:

Doom (2016): 60fps at silent (13 watts), even better at 17. Looks gorgeous.

Match the Doom Eternal settings best you can: https://rogallylife.com/2025/04/13/doom-eternal-rog-ally-game-settings/

LOTR Shadow of Mordor: Also worked well on steam deck, very smooth on performance.

https://rogallylife.com/2023/12/13/middle-earth-shadow-of-mordor-rog-ally/

Fable Last Chapters: also 60+fps experience on silent.

(settings maxed)

P.S. Any Skyrim, Enderal, Fallout New Vegas/4 mod lists would also be great.

Anyone else feel a grinding or clicking sensation when the push the left analog stick all the way forward? I don’t think it’s affecting my game but it’s very annoying and I feel like it should be smooth all the way around?

I was able to sell mine on marketplace. Most of the posts locally are $800, so I didn't think I would get that. Settled for $700 with the Asus case.

Sellpgu was offering $640 so not too bad and don't have to hassle shipping.

Did an Asus cloud restore before meeting to get everything back to factory.

Has anyone installed a screen protector on their X20 yet? I imagine this might negate some of the effects the anti glare coating but not sure by how much. I’d prefer having the added protection but the coating is a nice benefit. Just curious on peoples experience and if it really does negate the anti glare effectiveness.

I’ve been running into this wall with remote play, everything is up-to-date on both sides yet I’m still running into this error.

This is my first time owning a handheld and I really hate windows. What would I be giving up if i install steamos? Is it worth it?

I bought the x20 to test it for 3 weeks before I decide on whether I should keep it but it feels so amazing in hand that I've already listed the old one

Hey everyone!

I have a question about my handheld that I just bought. I wanted to share my experience so far and hear what you guys think.

When I first turned it on and started using Windows, switching between apps and the Xbox interface, I noticed some stuttering here and there.

The main reason I bought it was to play WoW Forever and FC 26 on the train.

After spending some time testing different settings, I’m getting around 15–25 FPS in WoW, even with all kinds of settings and Turbo mode enabled.

FC 26 is even worse. It’s basically unplayable, running at around 7 FPS most of the time.

I’m not expecting to play these games on high settings, but I would at least expect to get a stable 60 FPS on low settings.

Is this seriously the kind of performance I should expect from this device, or am I doing something wrong?

I honestly don’t really see the point of keeping it if it can’t run the games I bought it for.

I’d really appreciate any advice or feedback from other ROG Ally owners!

Im selling my computer setup to get an ally, the base model. Is it worth it? I mainly want to play paralives and the Sims 4, but also games like gta, slime rancher, stardew valley, rdr2, fortnight, and maybe valorant. Is this console a good fit for these games? I plan to do some light modding with the Sims as well.

Edit: the reason im selling my pc is because I haven't used it in 3 years, I just dont have the space in my apartment for a setup or time to game at a desktop with my job and school. Its an msi Trident 3 compact pc. A handheld would just fit my lifestyle better.

If you have a “sticky” sounding/feeling left or right trigger the cause are these two scenarios:

1. The two rubber pads that are used to dampen the return of the trigger. The rubber is tackier feeling than the other two pads (on the other trigger) and no cleaning, greasing or lubrication will resolve it. I used Permatex 81150 dielectric grease (silicone-based) and Krytox GPL-205 G0. No improvements so I thoroughly cleaned them up after testing them out.
2. The “cushion” pad you’ll see in the images - the adhesive on the bottom hangs off the side and somehow came in contact where one of the rubber pads touch.

To address number one - I highly recommend you use classic Scotch Magic Tape (matte finish). Anything thicker will require you to recalibrate your trigger (I wanted to avoid this and this worked perfectly). Trust me - it’s NOT going to lose adhesion or dry out/crumble for at least 1000 years. This is that “old school tape”. You’ll see it in my photos along with the tools I used and how I applied.

To address number two - just lift it up since the adhesive is fresh and reseat it so it doesn’t hang off the edge. Clean up any sticky residue with 70% alcohol. Avoid higher concentrations and dry thoroughly when reassembling.

You can also just do both these things OR NONE of these things as I’m pretty confident over time with substantial use the tackiness of the rubber (or extra hanging adhesive from the pad) will wear out.

I wouldn’t return as odds are you’ll get one of the scenarios above. Save returns for actual defects.

I bought the x20 to replace my steamdeck OLED ( developed a fault 6 months in, fault keeps coming back 2 years later countless tickets 2 rmas its still got the same fault has come back ) when i go to optimize a game on the x20, even sites like rogallylife dont tell you the out of game settings to use to get it running without stutters and big freezes. Cant remember what setting solved it on elden ring but it was so stuttery and then when i got into combat sometimes the whole screen froze. Which settings are recommended to just never turn on and which might i need to turn on or off to fix games stuttering (out of game settings such as armory crate, windows etc). Its quite overwhelming all the manual optimizing to get games running smooth with no stutters, steamdeck was just lower in game settings.

Hope about some appreciation for this little guy? It’ll help me with my FOMO seeing everyone get their new devices. In all seriousness, I recently downgraded from the X to the base Ally and I’m still enjoying it. I’m really hoping to upgrade by the time the next gen Xbox comes out. Hopefully ASUS releases their next iteration with a more powerful APU by that point.

Anyone out there playing Enshrouded on their ally? Curious how it's performing with the 1.0 release

Playing Dying Light: The Beast, looking for best visuals and performance overall what have you found to be better? I’m struggling to break over 50 fps atp even with the Lossy one, which on this game looks worse than FSR 3.1.5.

Just wanted to share more screenshots from assassin's creed shadows running beautifully on my XAX. I know I've posted before but the fact that all the games that i want to play run this well on a freaking handheld is still hard to fathom at times. I think I'm gonna keep my XAX for atleast another year before upgrading to whichever new APU is on the market then. For the settings used, please refer to my previous post on this sub.

Hey all, when I launch a game I can use the triggers to shoot just fine but when I pause it and come back they stop and I have to close the game and start all over. I hate this so much lol. Can anyone help me figure out why it’s doing this so I can fix it?