You might not be able to afford the ROG Ally X

Asus has teased that it has a new handheld coming soon. The ROG Ally X is an updated version of the original model that Asus is launching on June 2. Although official details are light, leakers are already stepping in to fill in the gaps that Asus left — and you might not be a fan of all of the changes.

In particular, leaker MysteryLupin (via Notebookcheck) says that the ROG Ally X will come in at $800. That’s $100 more expensive than the most expensive version of the base ROG Ally. Despite the higher price, the leaker also claims that the handheld will come with the same Ryzen Z1 Extreme processor and 7-inch 1080p display, confirming earlier reports.

In addition, the leaker says the handheld will come in black — something Asus has strongly suggested up to this point — and that it will include a 1TB SSD. That’s an upgrade over the original, which topped out at 512GB of storage. Earlier reports suggested that Asus will use an M.2 2280 SSD for the ROG Ally X, which should make storage upgrades easier. The 2280 size is what you’ll commonly find for desktops and laptops, while the 2230 size the original ROG Ally used is more rare.

The more significant change will likely be the battery, however. Asus is playing up the battery capacity of the ROG Ally X, claiming it’s more than 40% larger than that of the original. Battery life was one of the main points of contention in our original ROG Ally review, so any extra capacity is welcome — even if it comes at a $100 premium.

Some other details about the handheld remain a mystery. Asus has said there will be upgrades to the RAM, for example, but it’s not clear if that’s more capacity or a faster speed. The new handheld is also said to have redesigned buttons and joysticks.

Even with a suite of changes, the ROG Ally X shouldn’t perform any better than the base ROG Ally with the Ryzen Z1 Extreme. The original version also often goes on sale for $600 or less, putting even more distance between it and the ROG Ally X in terms of price. It might be difficult to justify the ROG Ally X at $800 if you can get the original version for significantly less, especially if battery life isn’t a primary concern.

Although Asus hasn’t confirmed the price yet, it seems likely that the ROG Ally X will come in at $800. Asus has said that the ROG Ally X will live alongside the original model, not replace it, so a higher price point makes sense. We’ll know everything about pricing and specs when Asus formally reveals the ROG Ally X on June 2.