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GTA 5's Stars Sell You On ROG Xbox Ally Handhelds
Game Updates

GTA 5’s Stars Sell You On ROG Xbox Ally Handhelds

by admin September 28, 2025



To promote preorders for the ROG Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X, Asus looked to one of the most popular video games of all time: Grand Theft Auto V. Michael De Santa actor Ned Luke and Franklin Clinton actor Shawn Fonteno appear in a new social media ad talking about the upcoming portable PC devices.

“It’s handheld freedom for everybody,” says Fonteno in the clip posted on X by Asus. “You know you gotta have an ally, and Xbox picked the right Ally,” adds Luke. Microsoft and Asus finally revealed the price points for the two PC portable devices yesterday. The ROG Xbox Ally will cost $600 in the US, while the Xbox Ally X will cost $1,000. Both handhelds will launch October 16.

The base model ROG Xbox Ally has drawn comparisons to the Steam Deck OLED from a specs perspective, featuring an AMD Ryzen Z2 A processor (Zen 4), 16GB of DDR5 RAM, and a 512GB SSD. Meanwhile, the premium Xbox Ally X has an AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme processor (Zen 5), 24GB DDR5 RAM, and a 1TB SSD. In June, GameSpot got hands-on time with the Xbox Ally X.

Asus announced that the GTA V stars would “help get folks aboard the ROG Xbox Ally hype train” last month. Previously, the company has worked with GTA V star Steven Ogg (Trevor Philips), too.

Earlier this month, Microsoft revealed that it was raising Xbox prices once again in the US. Starting October 3, the Xbox Series S will retail for $400 (up from $380), while the Xbox Series X 1TB will cost $650 (up from $600).



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September 28, 2025 0 comments
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An ROG Xbox Ally X and Ally shown during Microsoft's Xbox stream in June 2025.
Gaming Gear

Scalpers are already selling the promise of an Asus ROG Xbox Ally X for over $2,000 when it’s still available for pre-order at half the price

by admin September 28, 2025



If you have your eye on the upcoming Asus ROG Xbox Ally X handheld gaming PC, be careful where you buy it from. As reported by Tom’s Hardware, scalpers are already trying to rip people off with eBay listings charging over two times MSRP—while the ROG Xbox Ally X is still available for pre-order at its normal price.

Tom’s Hardware spotted numerous eBay listings for the Xbox Ally X priced as high as $2,500. For context, the MSRP is $999 for the Xbox Ally X or $599 for the base Xbox Ally. Both devices are set to launch on October 16.

If you want to snag a Xbox Ally, it’s best to avoid eBay entirely. At the time of writing, pre-orders are still open for the Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X at Best Buy, Asus, and Microsoft (if you’re outside the US, you can check the official Xbox pre-order page to find pre-order options in your region). This is a pretty pricey handheld as it is, all things considered, so don’t let a scalper trick you into paying double.


Related articles

If you consider the ROG Xbox Ally X part of the Xbox line-up (which Microsoft seems to), it’s the most expensive Xbox to date. For $1,000, you get an AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme chip, 24GB of RAM, 1TB of storage, and a 7-inch FHD IPS display. Benchmark testing for the Z2 Extreme chip so far shows a decent improvement in performance over the Z1 Extreme in the non-Xbox ROG Ally X released last year, but mainly at lower settings.

If you already have a 2024 ROG Ally X, the upcoming Xbox version might not be enough of an upgrade to justify paying $1,000. It’s a worthier choice if you’re coming from an older or budget handheld, or if you’re picking up your first handheld gaming PC.

However, at this price, the Xbox Ally X is trying to compete with budget gaming laptops, many of which have discrete GPUs that can offer stronger performance. The handheld form factor is an understandable selling point here, but even so, it’s worth considering all of your portable gaming options⁠—like the Steam Deck, whose LCD version is down to $320⁠—before buying.

Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team.



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September 28, 2025 0 comments
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Xbox ROG Ally Prices Revealed, Pre-Orders Now Live
Game Updates

Xbox ROG Ally Prices Revealed, Pre-Orders Now Live

by admin September 27, 2025


Microsoft and Asus have revealed the price points for their two models of the handheld PC, the Xbox ROG Ally. And, unsurprisingly, they’re not cheap.

The Xbox ROG Ally was revealed in June during the Xbox Game Showcase and is an Xbox-branded model of Asus’ Steam Deck competitor, the ROG Ally. The device’s primary selling point is its ability to run Xbox games and apps natively, including those from Game Pass, allowing players to access their Xbox software library on the go. Powered by Windows 11, the Xbox ROG Ally can also run other platforms such as Steam, Battle.net, and GOG.

 

Launching on October 16, pre-orders are now live in 38 countries for the two models: The ROG Ally and the more powerful ROG Ally X. Here’s what they cost:

Xbox ROG Ally X (1TB): $999.99

Xbox ROG Ally (512GB): $599.99

Click image to enlarge

These premium prices were to be expected (especially since the standard ROG Allies are generally quite expensive), but the sticker price may sting from potential Xbox converts still reeling from Microsoft’s recent announcement of a second price increase to its Xbox Series consoles starting next week. Xbox and Asus likely knew it would have to bite the bullet as well, as they seemingly withheld revealing the price for as long as possible while eying the economy to determine the appropriate pricing. It will be interesting to see how many players will be willing to shell out that kind of money for an ROG Ally, given the rising prices of video game hardware across the board going into the holiday season. 

If you’re looking to buy an Xbox ROG Ally but can’t decide between the two models, you can read more about the specs of each version here. Do you plan on buying an Xbox ROG Ally? Let us know in the comments.



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September 27, 2025 0 comments
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ROG Xbox Ally vs. Steam Deck
Game Reviews

ROG Xbox Ally vs. Steam Deck

by admin September 27, 2025


The ROG Xbox Ally finally has a price tag, which is $600 for the base, and $999 for the “X” variant, giving us the chance to properly pit it against competitors and determine which one is worth your hard-earned, inflated bucks.

The Steam Deck is the leading PC handheld at the moment, being Valve’s massively successful hardware product after a series of trials and errors, though its cheap price comes at the cost of performance.

So, being the hottest two PC handheld consoles at the moment, we’ve decided to compare them directly, both on hardware, software, potential, and, naturally, their price-to-performance ratios.

Should you buy the Steam Deck or the ROG Xbox Ally?

Firstly, we will have to take a good, hard look at each of the handhelds’ components and see how well games run on them. We will use PC equivalents to gauge the performance, as well as dedicated Steam Deck and ROG Ally benchmarks for this segment. Secondly, we’ll analyze their operating systems, game libraries, and what you could get running on them, even if not by default.

Lastly, we’ll compare prices, how they reflect the above, and whether or not you should dish out the dosh for any of these handheld systems.

The components and performance

The following table contains each of the devices’ components, which are the most important bits of any given machine.

ROG Xbox Ally ($599)ROG Xbox Ally X ($999)Steam Deck OLED 512GB ($549)GPU: Integrated “Van Gogh” RDNA 2 GPUGPU: Integrated “Strix Point” RDNA 3.5 GPUGPU: Integrated RDNA 2 GPUAPU: AMD Ryzen Z2 A – 4 cores, 8 threads, up to 3.8GHzAPU: AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme – 8 cores, 16 threads, up to 5GHzAPU: 6nm AMD ZEN 2 APURAM: 16GB LPDDR5X-6400RAM: 24GB LPDDR5X-8000RAM: 16GB LPDDR5-6400Storage: 512GB SSD with micro-SD card slotStorage: 1TB SSD with micro-SD card slotStorage: 512GB NVMe SSD with high-speed micro-SD card slotOS: Windows 11 Home (exclusive “Xbox” variant)OS: Windows 11 Home (exclusive “Xbox” variant)OS: SteamOS (Linux-based)Screen: 1080p 7″ IPS 120HzScreen: 1080p 7″ IPS 120HzScreen: 1280×800 7.4″ HDR OLED 90Hz

The base ROG Xbox Ally is strikingly similar to the Steam Deck OLED 512GB. I chose this one in particular since it fit the price range well and is internally the most competitive for the sake of this comparison, which doesn’t remove the fact that a $320 Steam Deck LCD exists, but it’s generally weaker with a worse screen, APU, GPU, and other internals.

Both the base ROG Xbox Ally and the Steam Deck OLED carry 16GB of specialized DDR5 RAM, the former having the somewhat more performant LPDDR5X variant. Both carry an AMD APU with RDNA 2-based graphics, though Valve does not go into the specifics of its CPU and GPU models. The ROG Xbox Ally features the Zen 4-based Ryzen Z2, whereas the Steam DECK is stuck with an older architecture, carrying a Zen 2-based APU instead.

This makes the ROG Xbox Ally fresher, newer, and likely more performant in modern titles, given that support for this architecture is likely to continue for the foreseeable future.

When it comes to the screen, the ROG has a standard 1080p resolution and a 7-inch screen size, with a 120Hz refresh rate that should make any gaming experience very smooth and HD due to the high pixel density on such a small screen.

Steam Deck, on the other hand, has a low 1280×800 resolution, which does help with performance but looks nowhere near as good. It does have an HDR-capable OLED screen, which is as good as it gets, but the 90Hz refresh rate also won’t feel as smooth as what the ROG offers.

But the one handheld that stands out the most here is the ROG Xbox Ally X, the thousand-dollar option that has all the bells and whistles of a modern PC machine. With a great APU, a newer RDNA 3.5-based GPU, and 24 gigs of RAM, the Ally X edges out both of the other consoles by a wide margin.

These high-powered internals will reflect on battery life, which is bound to drain much quicker on both the ROG Xbox handhelds, while the Steam Deck should cruise smoothly at low temperatures and a lower power draw.

In most games, both the ROG Xbox Ally variants will probably win over the Steam Deck OLED, but I wouldn’t bet on the first one doing so all the time. It’s 50 bucks more expensive and has much newer components, but shouldn’t have a dramatically bigger performance, given both it and the Steam Deck have an RDNA 2 GPU integrated.

We’ll have to wait for a full release to see benchmark numbers, but I feel like it’s safe to say that the ROG Xbox Ally is the clear winner in the performance category, since it’s literally years ahead in its APU architecture and other internals.

Operating systems, game libraries, and potential

The Ally is big, bulky, and beautiful. Image via Asus

Both ROG Xbox Ally variants run a homebrew Xbox OS based on the Windows 11 Home edition. This OS eliminates many features of the desktop Windows experience to improve battery life, reduce background processes, and overall help the handheld achieve better performance. This OS fork is currently exclusive to the ROG Xbox Ally but is going to be released to the wider public at some point in the future.

Steam Deck OLED runs Valve’s Arch Linux fork, SteamOS, which is a custom-built operating system tailor-made for gaming, especially on Steam itself. Valve develops and maintains the OS and manually certifies games for the Steam Deck, which now largely feature a “Steam Deck” graphics setting within their options menu. Based on Arch Linux, it draws next to no power, has minimal background processes, and is almost the perfect way to game without being bogged down by your OS.

However, there are pros and cons to the SteamOS, precisely because it is based on Linux. Windows 11 is the default OS for most home computing devices nowadays, and installing any app, Steam included, onto it is pretty straightforward. To expand your domain beyond Linux, you’d have to install Windows on the Steam Deck on your own, which isn’t guaranteed to work well out of the box, requiring further tinkering to be done correctly.

Meanwhile, the ROG Xbox Ally can and will run any Windows app, and you can do with the system whatever you please, with a dedicated button taking you to the regular Windows desktop in an instant.

The Steam Deck is also pretty much bound to Steam, with Game Pass only available via streaming, which drains battery life and has tremendous input lag and quality issues. The ROG Xbox Ally has the Xbox app, so natively running Game Pass is no biggie, and likely even intended.

What’s more, the ROG Xbox Ally can run Steam and Steam games, though without Steam Deck verification, which shouldn’t be an issue, especially for Xbox Ally X users who will be able to run most games at satisfying performance with upscaling.

Thus, the Xbox Ally gives you the best of both worlds, trading in custom-made stuff for extra freedom and power.

Price, worth, and conclusion

Steam Deck remains competitive at this price range, especially with its $320 cheapest option, which, though weaker, is the deal of the century. Image by Destructoid

The ROG Xbox Ally is a $599 machine, its big brother a $999 option, while the Steam Deck OLED sits at $549. All three are capable machines that’d offer you a tremendous amount of customization, freedom, and on-the-go gaming, no matter the genre. However, being so close in price, and with similar if not better internals, the base ROG Xbox Ally is an enticing offer over the Steam Deck OLED, while the Ally X remains out of reach as way too expensive.

Though it will offer a lot more than the base version in terms of raw performance, the screen remains the same, and so do many other things, which are not worth the extra $400 in my opinion.

If you are a fan of Valve and how they’ve been handling (pun intended) the Steam Deck, its SteamOS (which can also be installed on the Ally), and the store all of this is named after, then sticking to your guns won’t hurt you all too much.

After all, the Steam Deck is a capable machine, has Valve itself verifying games’ performance on it, and an OS that’s as fast as they come.

Is it worth $549? Probably, but compared to the ROG Xbox Ally, it should reduce its price to $499 due to its more aged components. That should put it ahead of the Xbox Ally as the better option, but right now, with these prices, I would choose the base ROG Xbox Ally personally, since you can do whatever you want with the thing, including installing SteamOS and doing as Valve does.

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September 27, 2025 0 comments
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Three-quarter view of Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (2025) open on desk with green wall in background
Gaming Gear

Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (2025) review: a small but mighty gaming laptop with plenty of heat

by admin September 26, 2025



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Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (2025): Two-minute review

The Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (2025) is a thin and lightweight gaming laptop with a small design but a large spec, allowing it to perform as well as its bigger rivals.

To look at, it seems more like an everyday machine than a gaming powerhouse. The only giveaway is the diagonal LED strip across the lid, which does little to add interest.

It has an impressively compact form, though, making it a contender for the best gaming laptop that’s practical to carry around. It lacks the bulk usually associated with such devices, being exceptionally thin and light by gaming laptop standards.

The lid is especially lightweight, and it opens easily yet remains stable once in place. Also, the bezel around the display is about as thin as it could possibly be, which helps to maximize screen space.

For such a compact device, the Zephyrus G14 (2025) has a generous selection of ports, even putting much larger gaming laptops to shame. There are two USB-C and two USB-A connections, as well as an HDMI port, a headset jack, and a microSD card reader.

More importantly, though, the performance of the Zephyrus G14 (2025) is also impressive. The 5070 Ti in my review unit provided very high frame rates, even with maximum graphics settings.

The 120Hz OLED display contributed to the smoothness, and also rendered scenes with plenty of vibrancy, brightness, and contrast. What’s more, the 3K resolution offered a super sharp image, which was great for gaming as well as other tasks.

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(Image credit: Future)

  • Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (2025) (14-inch 1TB) at Amazon for $1,579

However, you’ll have to contend with a fair amount of fan noise and blistering heat in the pursuit of this high-end performance. Temperatures around the keyboard are kept to reasonable levels, but the rear and underside of the unit can get uncomfortably hot, even at the slightest provocation.

The keyboard of the Zephyrus G14 (2025) is another highlight. The switches are deep and tactile, offering enough resistance to provide feedback without being onerous to use. The large size of the key caps and their comfortable spacing also makes them good for typing.

The touchpad is similarly excellent, thanks to its large area and smooth surface, although you probably won’t be using this while gaming. What’ll deter you even more is the fact that it can get in the way when using the WASD keys. Thankfully, there’s a shortcut to easily disable its functionality.

Battery life is poor, though. It only managed a little over two and a half hours in our movie playback test, which is short even by gaming laptop standards. The Razer Blade 14 (2025) and the Acer Nitro V 15 can both outlast it by a considerable margin.

At over $2,000, the Zephyrus G14 (2025) doesn’t come cheap. It’s close to more premium models, such as the Razer Blade 14, which is about the best compact gaming laptop we’ve tested. For some – or perhaps many – it may be worth spending that bit more for the Blade, but the Zephyrus G14 (2025) remains a fine pick if you’re after a compact and capable gaming machine.

Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (2025) review: Price & Availability

(Image credit: Future)

  • Starts from $2,099.99 / £2,699.99 / AU$3,899
  • Available now
  • Premium end of the market

The Zephyrus G14 (2025) starts from $2,099.99 / £2,699.99 / AU$3,899 and is available now. Various models are available with varying Ryzen 9 CPUs and RTX GPUs, from the 5060 to the 5080. RAM and storage capacities alternate between 16GB and 32GB, and 1TB and 2TB, respectively.

It’s cheaper than the Razer Blade 14 (2025), even though both base models get an RTX 5060. However, the price gap isn’t huge, and the Blade 14 is one of the best gaming laptops around right now, impressing us with its incredible performance, design, and display.

If you’re looking for the best budget gaming laptop, the Acer Nitro V 15 is a fine choice. You’ll have to settle for an RTX 5050, but it can still game with aplomb. In fact, when I reviewed the Nitro, I was impressed with its 1080p performance. Like the Zephyrus G14 (2025), it can get quite hot in certain areas, but not to the same degree.

Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (2025) review: Specs

Swipe to scroll horizontallyRow 0 – Cell 0

Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 Base Config

Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 Review Config

Price

$2,099.99 / £2,699.99 / AU$3,899

$2,499.99 / £2,699.99 / AU$4,999

CPU

AMD Ryzen 9 270 (8 cores, 4.0GHz)

AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 (12 cores, 2.0GHz)

GPU

Nvidia GeForce RTX 5060, 8GB

Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Ti, 12GB

RAM

16GB LPDDR5X

32GB LPDDR5X

Storage

1TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 SSD

1TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 SSD

Display

14-inch (2880 x 1800) OLED, 16:10, 120Hz, G-Sync / Adaptive-Sync

14-inch (2880 x 1800) OLED, 16:10, 120Hz, G-Sync / Adaptive-Sync

Ports and Connectivity

2x USB-A 3.2 Gen 2, 2x USB-C (1x 3.2 Gen 2, 1x USB 4), 1x HDMI 2.1 FRL, 1x microSD, 1x 3.5mm combo audio, Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4

2x USB-A 3.2 Gen 2, 2x USB-C (1x 3.2 Gen 2, 1x USB 4), 1x HDMI 2.1 FRL, 1x microSD, 1x 3.5mm combo audio, Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4

Battery

73Wh

73Wh

Dimensions

12.24 x 8.66 x 0.63 ~ 0.64in (311 x 220 x 15.9 ~ 16.3mm)

12.24 x 8.66 x 0.63 ~ 0.72in (311 x 220 x 15.9 ~ 18.3mm)

Weight

3.31lbs / 1.50kg

3.46lbs / 1.57kg

Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (2025) review: Design

(Image credit: Future)

  • Non-gaming looks
  • Remarkably small and light
  • Surprising number of ports

One of the most impressive aspects of the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (2025) is that it looks like a normal laptop, lacking the bulk and brash aesthetic of those designed for gaming. This is also helped by the light silver colorway of my review unit, which I found to be an uplifting antidote to the dour shades of many of its rivals (although such a finish is available).

What marks the Zephyrus G14 (2025) out as a gaming device is the diagonal LED strip across the lid and the small shiny embossed logo in the corner. Both are relatively subtle, although the strip is quite incongruous.

Not only is the screen size small for a gaming laptop, but so are all of its dimensions. The lid is especially thin, even beating some of the best MacBooks in terms of how sleek it is. The bezel around the display itself is also about as thin as I’ve ever seen in this class of laptop.

However, the chassis is thicker than you’ll find on many other laptops, and there are a few juts and sharp angles, as well as the thick rubber bars underneath, that sully the smooth planes somewhat. But all things considered, the Zephyrus G14 (2025) remains impressively elegant for its class.

Build quality is also quite good. All the materials feel premium and solid, and there’s only a small amount of wobble to the lid. Crucially, it remains stable once set in position.

(Image credit: Future)

Despite its small size, the Zephyrus G14 (2025) has a generous keyboard layout. There are some useful shortcut keys, including those for disabling the touchpad and toggling performance modes, and even four customizable M buttons. However, some peripheral keys are truncated in size, with the arrow keys being the worst casualty in this regard from a gamer’s perspective.

The LED backlighting on the keyboard is a nice touch, although it can be hard to make out at times, especially when certain colors and RGB patterns are displayed. This appears to be caused by the narrow openings of the key markings and a lack of overall brightness.

The touchpad on the Zephyrus G14 (2025) stretches right from the back edge of the space bar to the very end of the chassis, offering a larger surface area than you’ll find on other laptops this size.

Another surprise is just how many ports there are on the Zephyrus G14 (2025), putting many gaming laptops much larger to shame. It features two USB-C ports, which both support Power Delivery and DisplayPort standards each, although only one supports G-Sync/ Adaptive Sync displays. There are also two USB-A ports, an HDMI port, a headset jack, and even a microSD reader.

Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (2025) review: Performance

(Image credit: Future)

  • Great gaming at max resolution
  • Fantastic OLED display
  • Gets very hot in places

Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (2025) benchmarks

Geekbench 6
(Single Core): 2,939 (Multi Core): 15,680

Cinebench R23
(Single Core): 2,017 (Multi Core): 20,803

Cinebench R24
(Single Core): 117 (Multi Core): 1,192

Crossmark Overall: 1,974

3DMark
Fire Strike: 32,113 Steel Nomad: 3,488 Solar Bay: 71,022 Speed Way: 4,031 Port Royal: 10,119

BlackMagicDisk
Read: 4125MB/s Write: 4015MB/s

25GB Copy Test: 1,729MB/s

Civilization VII
(1080p, Medium): 193fps
(Max Resolution, High): 123fps
(Balanced Upscaling, Max Resolution, High): 94fps

Shadow of the Tomb Raider
(1080p, Medium): 168fps
(Max Resolution, Highest): 118fps
(Balanced Upscaling, Max Resolution, Highest): 158fps

Total War: Warhammer III: Mirrors of Madness
(1080p, Medium): 119fps
(Max Resolution, Ultra): 47fps

Cyberpunk 2077
(1080p, Medium): 371fps
(Max Resolution, Ultra): 143fps
(Balanced Upscaling, Max Resolution, Ultra): 133fps

F1 2024
(1080p, Medium): 256fps
(Max Resolution, Max Quality, No RT): 127fps
(Balanced Upscaling, Max Resolution, Max Quality with RT): 93fps

I found the performance of the Zephyrus G14 (2025) to be excellent. My review unit was equipped with an RTX 5070 Ti, and it handled the AAA titles I threw at it very well. When I played Cyberpunk 2077, I got between 200-230 frames per second on average. This was with the Ray Tracing: Ultra preset selected (which the game chose by default for the laptop) and DLSS Auto scaling and Frame Generation enabled.

This was also with the Zephyrus G14 (2025) running in Turbo mode. As you might expect, this causes the fans to produce a fair amount of noise, but it was nothing the best PC gaming headsets couldn’t drown out.

Dropping down to Performance mode didn’t seem to make much difference to frame rates, and only marginally decreased fan noise. Despite the raucous, though, the fans weren’t able to disperse heat as effectively as I would’ve liked.

During my sessions with the Zephyrus G14 (2025), it became very hot in places. The keyboard and front section of the chassis only remained tepid (thankfully, since this is where you’ll be making the most contact), but the area above the keyboard became too hot to handle.

(Image credit: Future)

The same was true of the underside of the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (2025). Despite the aforementioned ground clearance created by the rubber bars, there’s still not enough for optimal cooling it seems; this is certainly a laptop I’d recommend using with one of the best laptop cooling pads if you can.

The OLED display is pleasingly sharp and vibrant, which makes it great for all kinds of tasks, not just gaming. That aforementioned ultra-thin bezel means the 14-inch display projects a bigger image than you might expect, too.

The keys are tactile, thanks to their surprising resistance and deep travel relative to those of other laptops, even ones designed for gaming. This makes them well suited to the task, while still being light and snappy enough for comfortable typing.

The touchpad is great as well. Its impressive size, along with its very smooth surface, makes navigation easier. However, this will likely be irrelevant for most gamers, since it’s still no match for the best gaming mouse.

What’s more, it gets in the way when you’re using the keyboard, even if you stick to the WASD position. This means you’ll likely want to disable it when gaming, but you’ll be more reluctant to do so while typing, given its usefulness for productivity purposes.

Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (2025) review: Battery Life

(Image credit: Future)

  • Poor battery life
  • Quick to charge

The battery life of the Zephyrus G14 (2025) is quite poor. When we ran a movie on a continuous loop, its battery lasted just over two and a half hours. This is way down on its key rivals, such as the Blade 14 and the Nitro V 15, both of which manage over twice that duration.

Thankfully, the Zephyrus G14 (2025) is quick to charge, taking about 90 minutes to fully replenish via the included power adapter.

Should I buy the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (2025)?

Swipe to scroll horizontallyAsus ROG Zephyrus G14 (2025) Scorecard

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Value

The Zephyrus G14 (2025) is at the higher end of the market, and there are slightly better rivals for not much more.

3 / 5

Design

The Zephyrus G14 (2025) is surprisingly compact and elegant for a gaming laptop. It also seems built to a high standard.

4.5 / 5

Performance

The RTX 5070 Ti in my review unit handled AAA titles brilliantly, and the display rendered them in their full glory. There’s a worrying amount of heat in places, though.

4.5 / 5

Battery Life

Poor even by gaming laptop standards; there are plenty of rivals that can outlast it. At least it’s quick to charge.

2.5 / 5

Total

The form factor, performance, and display are all excellent, but the heat, noise, and steep price mean you’ll have to assess your priorities before determining whether it’s the right gaming laptop for you.

4 / 5

Buy the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (2025) if…

Don’t buy it if…

Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (2025) review: Also Consider

How I tested the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (2025)

  • Tested for a week
  • Used for gaming and other tasks
  • Plentiful gaming laptop experience

I tested the Zephyrus G14 (2025) for a week, using it for gaming, working, and general browsing. I also connected various peripherals to it.

I played AAA titles such as Cyberpunk 2077 with various graphics settings, and conducted our series benchmark tests designed to test multiple facets of gaming laptops. I also ran our battery test, playing a movie continuously until the battery depleted.

I’ve been PC gaming for over a decade, and have used numerous machines in that time, both desktop and laptop. I’ve also have plenty of experience reviewing gaming laptops, as well as those made for productivity and everyday use.

  • First reviewed: September 2025
  • Read more about how we test

Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (2025): Price Comparison



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September 26, 2025 0 comments
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Xbox's new ROG Ally handheld now available to pre-order, but it's pricier than a home console
Game Reviews

Xbox’s new ROG Ally handheld now available to pre-order, but it’s pricier than a home console

by admin September 26, 2025


Microsoft has finally revealed the price of its ROG Xbox Ally handheld, and it’s more expensive than an Xbox Series X.

Launching globally on 16th October, the handheld (much like its home console siblings) comes in two flavours:

  • ROG Xbox Ally X (£799) – comes with 24GB RAM and 1TB storage
  • ROG Xbox Ally (£499) – comes with 16GB RAM and 512GB storage

ROG Xbox Ally Pre-Order TrailerWatch on YouTube

For comparison, an Xbox Series X currently costs £499.99 for its disc drive edition with 1TB of storage. The all-digital Series S costs £299.99 for its 512GB edition.

The ROG Xbox Ally is in direct competition with Valve’s Steam Deck, offering a handheld device that merges Xbox and PC capabilities.

While its user interface is inspired by the Xbox console, it has controller-like grips, and there’s a dedicated Xbox button offering a Game Bar overlay, the device also offers an aggregated gaming library across Xbox and other leading PC stores like Steam.

It also offers both Cloud Play to stream your games, and Remote Play to play games from your console.

Microsoft even offers a Handheld Compatibility Programme to indicate which games play well on handheld, just like Valve’s Steam Deck Verified system.

Full details can be found on Xbox Wire.

For further comparison, Valve’s Steam Deck costs £479.99 for its 512GB OLED model and £569.00 for its 1TB OLED model. The Ally isn’t OLED, but then neither is the Switch 2 and that has a gorgeous screen.

The handheld’s release is all part of Xbox’s Play Anywhere campaign, allowing players access to its games wherever they are and across a range of devices.

There’s no denying, though, that this comes at a hefty cost.



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September 26, 2025 0 comments
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The ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X prices aren’t too bad in the UK, but tariffs bite in the US
Game Updates

The ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X prices aren’t too bad in the UK, but tariffs bite in the US

by admin September 26, 2025


After much hemming and hawing, Asus and Microsoft are finally ready to talk pricing on their handheld PC team-ups, the ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X. It’s nothing too egregious in the King’s sterling, with the Xbox ROG Ally confirmed at £499.99 and the Xbox ROG Ally X at £799.99 – while hardly chump change, these are pretty standard prices for entry-level and premium portables respectively.

Those in the US, however, will be paying $599.99 for the ROG Xbox Ally and $999.99 for the ROG Xbox Ally X, the latter representing a big increase on Asus’ current ROG Ally X model.

That, at least, won’t quite make it the most expensive Windows handheld around, as the MSI Claw 8 AI+ has also hit (give or take a penny) the one-grand mark in recent months. But still, this looks an awful lot like the effects of US tariff policies, with the added cost of importing Taiwan- and China-made hardware being passed down to aspiring owners. It’s a process Microsoft’s console business will be familiar with, its current generation of lounge-dwelling Xboxes having hiked their prices twice in the past year, with big green fingers pointing at macroeconomic conditions on both occasions.

By contrast, the ROG Xbox Ally X’s UK price merely matches that Asus’ 2024 predecessor, while upgrading its innards with a newer, faster AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme APU. The ROG Xbox Ally, mind, still seems like something of a wildcard. It’s only £21 more than the equivalent 512GB Steam Deck OLED, and £50 less than the already budget-minded Lenovo Legion Go S SteamOS. Yet mystery surrounds its own APU, the Ryzen Z2 A, a chip whose four cores and ageing RDNA 2 graphics processor gives it specs largely in line with the original Steam Deck. If performance is a match as well, then it’ll struggle with the GPU-threshers that are modern 3D games.

That said, Microsoft and Asus aren’t just banking on framerates. The ROG Xbox Ally duo will be the first Windows 11-powered handhelds to include the operating system’s new, bespoke, Xbox-branding gaming mode, where many of Win11’s extraneous guff remains switched off at launch to preserve speed and batter life. It’ll have a more handheld-friendly UI than standard Windows as well, potentially wiping out a major advantage that SteamOS has always held over its desktop-tuned rival.

I’ll be seeing whether this mode will be worth the money, especially for stateside punters, with a review prior to the handhelds’ October 16th launch date. That’s assuming they’re not partaking in ongoing boycott calls against Microsoft for their alleged dealings with the Israeli military, including providing access to Azure cloud storage and AI tools for the purpose of running a mass surveillance programme against Palestinians. Microsoft have, reportedly, since revoked this access.



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September 26, 2025 0 comments
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ROG Xbox Ally Prices Revealed, Preorders Are Live At Amazon
Game Updates

ROG Xbox Ally Prices Revealed, Preorders Are Live At Amazon

by admin September 26, 2025



Asus has revealed the launch prices of the ROG Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X in the US. The ROG Xbox Ally is $600, while the more powerful Xbox Ally X clocks in at $1,000. The first Xbox-branded gaming handhelds launch October 16, and preorders are starting to go live at major retailers. The ROG Xbox Ally is up for preorder at Amazon, Walmart, and Best Buy. The Xbox Ally X is only listed at Best Buy and the Microsoft Store (for now). An official carrying case is up for preorder for $70 at Amazon.

The $600/$1,000 price points are higher than some expected, though not all that surprising. After Best Buy quickly removed $550/$850 prices from the Xbox Ally store pages, it seemed likely that the prices of both devices would be at least a bit higher. As with many new tech products this year, Asus and Microsoft waited longer than usual to announce price points and preorder details. The ongoing tariff situation in the US has led to price increases for PlayStation, Nintendo, and Xbox hardware in 2025. Just last week, Microsoft announced price increases for the Xbox Series X|S in the US; the new prices take effect October 3.

Check out the specifications of each ROG Xbox Ally handheld below.

$1,000 | Releases October 16

The ROG Xbox Ally X, the more powerful of the two devices, has an AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme processor (Zen 5), 24GB DDR5 RAM, and a 1TB SSD. The Z2 Extreme is 8-core, 16-thread CPU; the GPU has 16 cores and is built on RDNA 3.5 architecture.

The grips are inspired Xbox Wireless Controller, and it has all of the inputs found on an Xbox controller as well as a pair of remappable back buttons.

Other small differences found on the X version: The UHS-II microSD card reader also reads UHS-I cards–the base model only reads UHS-I. One of the USB Type-C ports is USB4, while the other is USB 3.2 Type-C. On the base model, both Type- ports are USB 3.2. Xbox’s Impulse Triggers are found on the Ally X, while the base model has Hall Effect triggers.

Specs:

  • Processor: AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme
  • RAM: 24GB LPDDR5X-8000
  • Storage: 1TB M.2 2280 SSD
  • Display:
    • 7″ FHD IPS (Gorilla Glass Victus)
    • 120Hz refresh rate
    • AMD FreeSync Premium
  • Controller Design:
    • Contoured grips
    • Impulse Triggers
    • Shoulder bumpers
    • ABXY bumpers
    • 2 remappable back buttons
    • Analog sticks with light rings
    • 6-Axis motion controls
    • HD haptics
    • 5 menu/settings buttons
  • Ports:
    • USB4 Type-C
    • USB 3.2 Type-C
    • 3.5mm audio
  • microSD: UHS-II reader (also reads UHS-I)
  • Network: Wi-Fi 6E / Bluetooth 5.4
  • Battery: 80Wh
  • Weight: 715g
  • Dimensions: 290.8 x 121.5 x 50.7mm

$600 | Releases October 16

The ROG Xbox Ally has an AMD Ryzen Z2 A processor (Zen 4), 16GB of DDR5 RAM, and a 512GB SSD. The Z2 A has half the number of CPU cores (4) and threads (8) as the Z2 Extreme. The number of GPU cores is also cut in half (8), and the GPU is built on RDNA 2 architecture. Overall, the ROG Xbox Ally looks to be comparable to the Steam Deck OLED in terms of specs.

Both models have 7-inch FHD IPS displays made of Gorilla Glass with 120Hz refresh rates and FreeSync.

Specs:

  • Processor: AMD Ryzen Z2 A
  • RAM: 16GB LPDDR5X-6400
  • Storage: 512GB M.2 2280 SSD
  • Display:
    • 7″ FHD IPS (Gorilla Glass Victus)
    • 120Hz refresh rate
    • AMD FreeSync Premium
  • Controller Design:
    • Contoured grips
    • Hall Effect triggers
    • Shoulder bumpers
    • ABXY bumpers
    • 2 remappable back buttons
    • Analog sticks with light rings
    • 6-Axis motion controls
    • HD haptics
    • 5 menu/settings buttons
  • Ports:
    • 2x USB 3.2 Type-C
    • 3.5mm audio
  • microSD: UHS-II reader (only UHS-II)
  • Network: Wi-Fi 6E / Bluetooth 5.4
  • Battery: 80Wh
  • Weight: 670g
  • Dimensions: 290.8 x 121.5 x 50.7mm

Comparisons to the Xbox Series X|S are natural due to the branding, but it’s worth emphasizing that these devices aren’t really Xbox handhelds. The ROG Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X are Windows PCs running custom UI that will remind players of the Xbox. At the end of the day, though, the ROG Xbox Ally is playing Windows versions of games. As such, the prices are more aligned with other Windows handhelds like the regular Asus-branded ROG Ally handhelds, Lenovo Legion Go, and MSI Claw. But that also means you aren’t restricted to the Xbox Store; you can launch Steam, GOG Galaxy, the Epic Games Store, and any other PC game client supported by Windows.

ROG Xbox Ally Accessories

Asus 2-in-1 Hard Case | Asus 100W Charger Dock

Official Accessories:

We also know the prices of two official ROG Xbox Ally accessories from Asus: A $70 hardshell carrying case with a built-in stand and accessories pouch, and a 100W Charger Dock. This is an AC adapter with a built-in HDMI 2.0 port and two USB 2.0 ports for accessories. It can be used to connect the ROG Xbox Ally to a monitor or TV.

Third-party (unlicensed)



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September 26, 2025 0 comments
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This ASUS ROG Strix G16 Gaming Laptop (RTX 5060) Just Dropped in Price, Amazon Is Selling It at No Profit
Game Reviews

This ASUS ROG Strix G16 Gaming Laptop (RTX 5060) Just Dropped in Price, Amazon Is Selling It at No Profit

by admin September 3, 2025


Gaming laptops do not come at bargain prices. If you’ve ever been walking around for one, you know that the instant you want to have powerful specifications, you’re facing a giant check. That’s why this Amazon sale is like a sweet surprise at the start of the school year. The 2025 ASUS ROG Strix G16 ( has just dropped to $1,274, down from its $1,500 price point, its all-time low.

See at Amazon

Fantastic Gaming Laptop

This is a proper gaming machine, not a stripped-down entry-level model. At its heart, it’s powered by the new Intel Core i7-14650HX which is one of Intel’s latest 14th Gen laptop processors and built to handle demanding games. Pair that up with NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 5060 Laptop GPU, based on the fresh Blackwell architecture, and you’re ready for modern titles with cutting-edge performance. It also supports DLSS 4, NVIDIA’s new AI-driven upscaling tech, so you can enjoy more frame rates from your favorite games without sacrificing visual quality.

Of course, however, power is just half the tale. You need speed and room for your stuff, and this box has both: It comes with 16GB of DDR5 memory clocked at 5.6GHz, so running lots of different apps at once or streaming your games is silky-smooth. Storage is also generous: a 1TB PCIe Gen 4 SSD gives you speed and space. That’s space for a ton of current AAA games, plus your work, media, and files.

The screen on the ROG Strix G16 deserves some special mention as well: A 16-inch FHD+ display with 16:10 aspect ratio and scorching 165Hz refresh rate ensures gaming is truly gratifying. That higher refresh rate doesn’t just help with competitive games: it’s also smoothes out scrolling websites, video watching, and even everyday motion. With a 3ms response time, ghosting and blur are reduced.

ASUS has also relied on its ROG Intelligent Cooling solution which involves a full vapor chamber layout, tri-fan technology, and liquid metal to help cool the CPU. Translation: you can push the hardware more aggressively without worrying about thermal throttling, and fans stay reasonably controlled compared to past versions. If you’re sweating out a marathon gaming session or exporting a video project, the machine has learned how to stay stable.

At $1,274, this deal really hits a sweet spot: You’re getting a brand-new 2025 model that combines powerful internals with thoughtful display features and cutting-edge cooling in a design that looks sharp. The biggest challenge may not be choosing it but catching it before Amazon runs out of stock!

See at Amazon



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September 3, 2025 0 comments
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Microsoft lock in a release date for their ROG Xbox Ally handhelds, but no price yet because macroeconomics
Game Updates

Microsoft lock in a release date for their ROG Xbox Ally handhelds, but no price yet because macroeconomics

by admin August 21, 2025


Xbox’s handhelds have a confirmed release date, and yes, it’s the one that leaked. As for how much the ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X will cost you, Microsoft aren’t sharing a price yet, because there are some macroeconomics to take into account, don’t you know.

The pair of Asus devices souped up with some extra Xboxiness to fit the company with all the green branding will release on October 16th. As I said, no price or pre-orders as of yet, with Asus senior vice president Shawn Yen having offered the following explanation to IGN as to why that’s the case:

I think we will have to… we need more time to figure the macroeconomic impact to pricing, and that’s why we’ll be sharing more later, in September and October.

Odds are that’s exec speak for something along the lines of ‘We’d like to see how things play out a bit more with these US tariffs, if you please’. Dealabs, whose reliable leaker Billbil-kun was behind the early sharing of the handhelds’ release date, report that the Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X’s US prices could be $549.99 and $899.99 respectively. We’ll just have to see if that’s accurate, and what it equates to in sadness island pounds and pence.

Xbox also revealed a Handheld Compatibility Program, that’ll let you look for the “Handheld Optimized” or “Mostly Compatible” badges on games in your library to see what should work on your Xbox Ally, much like you’d check for Steam Deck verification. There’ll also be a “Windows Performance Fit indicator” that’ll “reflect expected performance” on your hardware.

Odds are our James will have plenty to say about both when they debut, which’ll amount to far more than my expert analysis that them be some cheeky little thumbsticks. I can’t see myself investing in one over a Steam Deck whenever I inevitably decide a handheld’s a thing I need more than life itself, as Phil Spencer has over the past couple of years.

I’ll run out the clock here by flagging that there have been protests going on this week at a Microsoft’s Redmond, Washington campus. Staff continue to voice their opposition to the company’s business relationship with Israel’s armed forces amid the on-going assault on Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza. Read Edwin’s full write-up here.



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August 21, 2025 0 comments
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