ROG: Xbox Ally X20 at the Tokyo Games Show 2026, Improving Further, but no SteamOS in sight
A few days ago we went to the Tokyo Games Show 2026 and as expected, we were able to see the new model from ROG/ASUS, the Xbox Ally X20. Why 20? Well, ROG celebrates their 20th year anniversary so the model gets the 20 from there. They had a huge booth at the TGS 2026, even bigger than last year’s, with a large number of X20 units to try hands-on.
What’s new with that X20 model?
Before reading on, I’d recommend you check our review of the previous Xbox Ally X model from last year, where we tested the machine both on Windows and with Bazzite.
We have an interview in video with Ayaka Sugiyama (ASUS Japan PR representative) from the ROG booth at the TGS2026, if you can spare a few minutes:
For the X20, the core silicon is unchanged. It’s still the AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme, same APU as last year’s ROG Xbox Ally X. That means you’re not getting a CPU upgrade, just better packaging around it. The Z2 Extreme is a powerhouse though, putting it way ahead of the Steam Deck in terms of actual performance as we have seen before.
The chassis is slightly wider with a slimmer top bezel. The ROG staff described ~60% reduction in bezel size versus previous model, which lets them fit a larger screen in essentially the same body outline. The display is the biggest visible change. It’s a 7.4-inch ROG Nebula HDR OLED up from previous 7-inch LCD. It’s marketed as 1080p 120Hz with FreeSync Premium Pro and VRR 30-120 Hz. Official pages list VESA DisplayHDR True Black 1400 certification, 1400-nit peak highlights in HDR mode and ~600 nits SDR. Anti-reflection coating is said to reduce reflections by 65% vs a standard OLED. On the show floor it was probably not the ideal place to judge the quality of the display but the games looked great and had good contrast.
Weight is quoted at 756 g. In hands, it felt larger but still comfortable to use and fairly light.
It features a translucent black skeleton chassis with gold accents on internal fans and components, gold joystick lighting. I’m not sure it works very well to give a premium look but it is what it is. I do like the translucent case, it has a nice look to it.
Controls are improved, with a new D-pad design. Lift and rotate it 90° and you toggle between strict 4-way mode for retro/indie titles and 8-way mode for fighting games. The analog sticks use Hall effect to avoid stick shift over time. Rubberized grips with embossed ROG logo replace last year’s texture, and in-hand they feel more secure. Face buttons are domed ABXY with lighter actuation, bumpers are reshaped for a more definitive click, triggers have deeper travel paired with impulse haptics.
Cooling gets an extra exhaust vent versus the prior X model. Staff said it improves thermal headroom and lowers noise under load, while we’ll need to have more time with the model to judge.
While this is an anniversary edition, the X20 will apparently be sold permanently and is not limited in numbers. This is in fact an expansion of the current line-up. Previous models stay on sale. The base A model remains as entry option, X stays premium. White colour variants are maintained too. The staff mentioned that the X model has consistently outsold the non-X model since launch because of higher performance perception.
The pricing is not going to make you guys happy. In Japan it is quoted as ¥258,800, which is more than 1600 USD at today’s rate. ASUS attributes upward pressure to component costs: memory, CPU pricing and general AI-driven demand for silicon, and says price reductions are unlikely near term. Again, not surprised they are going for more premium pricing since it seems that the model X from last year has been doing fairly well all things considered.
They’re offsetting it with added value: Anniversary Set bundles a Pelican-style hard case, protective carrying sleeve for the Ally itself, and an ROG XRR1 Edition accessory sold alongside bare device.
It’s unlikely you will need this device if you already have the Xbox Ally X model, but if you are looking for the best device money can buy, this may be on the shortlist, while I’d recommend you also look at what the competitors are doing (Lenovo and OneXPlayer for example).
By the way, the new Final Fantasy VII Revelations was running on the X20 on the booth, and it was one of the worst performing titles showcased. I don’t blame ASUS, I am pretty sure it’s SQUARE-ENIX’s lack of optimization at work…
The Linux question
While I expected the answer, I still asked if there was any change they would consider SteamOS or a Linux-based OS in the future. There does not seem to be any plan at the moment to offer SteamOS with the ROG line-up, which is hardly surprising as they are focusing on the Xbox branding and a collaboration with Microsoft. But they mentioned that things could change in case they get a lot of requests from their users…
ROG is heavily invested in the ecosystem with their Armory Crate solution, so I’m not sure how likely it is they will consider some kind of official support for a non-Windows OS, even if users ask for it. But we can always hope things change.
If we manage to get our hands on a unit, we will give it a go and give you a longer review down the road.