ROG Ally X, the next portable gaming PC, announced with a new color variant and improved battery life

If you were hoping Asus would show success to the ROG Ally, you’ll have to wait a little longer. Still, we got some initial information including what to expect from battery life and more.

The ROG Ally X, which was formally announced on Thursday, will be an update to the original with a black color variant and improved battery life. First reported by The Verge moments before Asus made its next stream of ROG Ally announcements (which ended up being an anticlimactic announcement for a larger announcement coming on June 2), the new device’s battery life will increase by 30% to 40% compared to its predecessor. Asus also revealed that it will be a little heavier than the original due to the higher battery performance.

In addition to longer battery life, the ROG Ally X will be easier to service and will include interchangeable redesigned joystick modules. The M.2 2280 SSD slot has increased, making it easier for people to find third-party SSDs to purchase and install if they want to increase their SSD storage capacity. An SD card reader will still be present for those who need to be more daring to open their handheld.

But that’s as far as the new changes end. The device will still use the same AMD Z1 Extreme CPU offered in the original, along with the same 7-inch LCD display that supports up to 1080p resolution and a refresh rate capped at 120Hz.

The announcement is perfect timing for Asus, as Saturday marks the one-year anniversary of when the company revealed it was entering the portable gaming PC market. Ahead of today’s livestream, Asus subtly hinted that a new ROG Ally device was in the works, as a post on X/Twitter revealed that a black variant of the device was hidden on a shelf.

Asus launched the ROG Ally last June to compete with devices like Valve’s Steam Deck. The first version of ROG Ally included Windows 11 as the operating system and used an AMD Zen 4 CPU with two processor configurations: AMD Z1 and Z1 Extreme. Like other portable gaming PCs, the ROG Ally showed versatility by being not just a portable gaming PC, but a fully functional PC that could be used as a desktop computer by connecting it to a docking station and pairing it with a mouse and a keyboard.

However, Asus is one of many plays that are poised to remain in this emerging market for the foreseeable future. Competitors Valve, Lenovo and MSI have already released updated models of their original gaming laptop PCs. Or they have announced plans to release a new version of their device.

In our review of the Asus ROG Ally Z1 Extreme model, my colleague Robert Anderson wrote: “ROG Ally has the potential to be a serious contender against the Steam Deck. While it’s not perfect, there’s a lot to love about this powerful new handheld. “

Taylor is a reporter for IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @TayNixster.