ASUS Justifies the Absence of an OLED Screen in the ROG Xbox Ally

ASUS and Microsoft Reveal the ROG Xbox Ally Handhelds

At the Xbox Games Showcase 2025, Microsoft and ASUS took the wraps off their long-anticipated ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X handheld gaming devices. Unfortunately for fans of vivid displays, neither model features an OLED screen, which has disappointed many who were hoping for the enhanced contrast and color accuracy typical of OLED technology.

Understanding the OLED Omission

ASUS’s Senior Marketing Content Manager for Gaming, Whitson Gordon, clarified this decision during a recent livestream. The main reason lies in power consumption issues associated with incorporating an OLED screen with variable refresh rates (VRR), which is a vital specification for modern gamers.

“We talked about this in more detail last year in our Q&A… OLED with VRR right now draws significantly more power than the LCD that we’re currently using on the Ally, and it costs more.”

Gordon emphasized that while ASUS has made strides in OLED development for their desktop monitors, the challenges around power draw and cost factors have led to the decision to stick with LCD for the Ally handhelds. He argues that in 2025, no gaming display should be without VRR, underscoring its essential role in optimizing gaming experiences.

Market Insights and Consumer Preferences

ASUS has analyzed current trends in the handheld gaming market and understands the price sensitivity of potential buyers. The ROG Xbox Ally is intended to serve as a secondary gaming device, thus pricing must reflect what consumers consider reasonable. Gordon noted that many users have provided feedback expressing a desire for affordability rather than premium features that may inflate costs.

“We’re trying to avoid having it cost an arm and a leg by not putting things in that the vast majority of users don’t need.”

ASUS aims to align their offerings with consumer expectations, which is critical as they navigate the price brackets typical for handheld gaming devices. For instance, the inclusion of advanced specifications like 32GB of RAM or an OLED display would significantly increase the handheld’s price, potentially alienating their target audience.

Specifications of the ROG Xbox Ally Handhelds

Both the ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X share a 7-inch Full HD IPS display with a 120Hz refresh rate and AMD FreeSync Premium technology. However, they differ notably in specifications:

Storage: ROG Xbox Ally X offers 1TB, compared to 512GB for the standard model.
Memory: The Ally X includes 24GB of RAM, whereas the base model has 16GB.
Processor: The Ally X is powered by the Ryzen Z2 Extreme, in contrast to the Ryzen Z2 in the standard version.
Controls: The Ally X is equipped with impulse triggers for an enhanced gaming experience.

Although pricing details for both models remain under wraps, ASUS intends to release these handhelds during the upcoming holiday season, so further announcements are anticipated soon.

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