This gadget turns the ROG Xbox Ally X into the Swap 2 Professional I’ve all the time wished

Again when Switch 2 rumors began to swirl just a few years in the past, a number of reviews hinted that Nintendo’s subsequent handheld would possibly function a better decision display, a extra highly effective chip, a revamped design, and different commonplace upgrades you’d anticipate from a next-gen handheld. Whereas most of those rumors turned out to be true, there is a key leak that did not turn out to be a actuality.

At one level, a number of dependable reviews indicated the Swap 2 may function a dock designed to supercharge the Swap with a extra highly effective chip. That is what I’ve all the time wished from a handheld-home console gaming system as a result of it affords the perfect of each worlds and looks like a pure evolution of the unique Swap. Whereas we in all probability will not get that sort of gaming expertise from Nintendo any time quickly, one other firm is retaining that dream alive.

That is the place Asus’ undeniably value $2,500 USD ($3,500 CAD) ROG XG Cellular (2025) eGPU and the spectacular, however flawed ROG Xbox Ally X are available.

The ROG XG Cellular is not excellent, however it looks like the way forward for gaming

Be ready to pay an costly value, although

The ROG Xbox Ally X already options the fashionable, highly effective AMD Z2 Excessive chip, coupled with a 24GBLPDDR5X. It isn’t a desktop or gaming laptop-level graphics card, however so far as handhelds go, it is essentially the most highly effective at present obtainable and means that you can play fashionable titles like Battlefield 6, the Outerworlds 2, Avowed,Indiana Jones and the Nice Circle, and extra, at various graphics settings and resolutions — normally with the assistance of AMD’s AI upscaling function, FSR Tremendous Decision.

Some video games run higher than others and the Xbox Full Display expertise is a glitch-filled mess, however usually, should you put the work in to tweak the settings, the ROG Xbox Ally X is able to taking part in most fashionable video games in handheld mode. Whenever you plug the hand held right into a TV for a docked expertise, although, issues begin to collapse. Graphics settings that ran easily on the hand held’s 7-inch 1080p display, simply do not work on larger shows (like my 65-inch 4K TV, for instance), and the body charge slows significantly, forcing me to drop the visible settings to potato ranges with the intention to get some video games to play in any respect.

That is the place the XG Cellular (2025) turns into helpful. The model of the exterior graphics card I am testing options Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 5090 laptop computer GPU, alongside 24GB of GDDR7 VRAM, making it a really highly effective piece of {hardware} and arguably the top-tier laptop computer graphics card that is obtainable proper now. It connects to the ROG Xbox Ally X via the hand held’s Thunderbolt 4 port. Whereas the XG Cellular (2025) helps Thunderbolt 5, the ROG Xbox Ally X would not, so that you’re caught utilizing the last-gen port’s velocity.

The XG Cellular (2025) additionally works as a dock and options all kinds of further ports, together with a Thunderbolt 5 port, a USB-C energy port with energy supply as much as 140W, a 1Gb/s LAN port, a microSD card reader (UHS-11), an HDMI 2.1 port, and a Show Port 2.1 plug. Since I am utilizing the XG Cellular in my workplace, I do not really want to benefit from its docking capabilities.

As a substitute, I take advantage of the colorful (and somewhat shady) third-party Switch 2 dock I picked up just a few months in the past to attach the ROG Xbox Ally X to my 4K Ultragear 27GP950-B monitor (it is simply simpler since I have already got that twine obtainable, and I needn’t transfer something round). I then use the included Thunderbolt 5 cable to plug the XG Cellular (2025) into the Xbox Ally X’s Thunderbolt 4 slot, and plug the Swap dock into its USB 3.2 Gen 2 energy supply slot. I additionally prop up the XG Cellular (2025) with its Swap 2-like Kickstand since this helps save house on my crowded desk.

Setup is usually quite simple and requires you to obtain just a few updates from the Armoury Crate app. You may additionally want to put in Nvidia’s driver replace app, too. After that, the XG Cellular (2025) is plug and play, and the eGPU is immediately acknowledged so long as it is connected to the Xbox Ally X.

Does the XG Cellular (2025) actually flip the ROG Xbox Ally right into a console?

So long as you are prepared to place the work in, it principally does

When you can, in fact, use the XG Cellular eGPU with the Xbox Ally X in handheld mode, this does not actually make a number of sense. Regardless of its “cell” identify, the eGPU is a cumbersome factor to hold round all over the place, even in your individual house, and also you clearly additionally have to plug it in. As a substitute, I have been primarily utilizing the XG Cellular (2025) with the Xbox Ally X at my desk, permitting me to show up the graphics and body charge when taking part in video games on my monitor with a gamepad.

Here is how the XG Cellular matches into my life and the problems I’ve encountered with this setup to this point. The primary two video games I am taking part in proper now are Battlefield 6 and The Outer Worlds 2, so these are the titles I’ve primarily examined the eGPU with, although I’ve performed Indiana Jones and The Nice Circle, Avowed, and some different titles. The Outer Worlds 2, on the Xbox Ally X by itself, I can get between 40-60 fps out of the sport with a mixture of high and low graphics settings and FSR Tremendous Decision set to efficiency.

I’ve a four-month-old son, so my gaming is completed in sporadic bursts these days, together with typically a fast session within the morning whereas he is napping. Later within the day and typically within the night (primarily on the weekend), I am going to typically have a bit extra time on my arms and need to recreation in my workplace, so I head downstairs and plug the Xbox Ally X into the XG Cellular (2025). That is the place I noticed that I might want to alter the graphics settings/decision and restart the sport each time I need to use the eGPU, which is usually a finicky course of, particularly since dialing in particular settings is integral for some newer, extra resource-intensive video games to run on the ROG Xbox Ally X. Utilizing an eGPU with the hand held sadly is not as seamless as dropping the Swap 2 on its dock.

With the XG Cellular (2025) linked, I can crank all of the graphics settings to excessive at 1080p and nonetheless handle to hit a strong 60fps (or typically above). Turning the decision as much as 4K ends in a decrease, much less steady body charge, so I turned on Nvidia’s DLSS and set it to efficiency, permitting me to keep up a fairly regular body charge at a better decision.

My expertise with Battlefield 6 has been comparable. By itself, the ROG Xbox Ally X will get between 40-60 fps with graphics set to medium/excessive and FSR Tremendous Decision on efficiency. With the assistance of Nvidia’s RTX 5090, I can flip all of the visible settings as much as excessive alongside growing the decision to 4K, all whereas sustaining a 50-60fps. It isn’t the identical as taking part in Battlefield 6 on my very highly effective RTX 5090-powered gaming PC, however the expertise is surprisingly comparable.

Total, my greatest situation is needing to alter the graphics settings, and in some instances, generate shaders yet again, each time I take advantage of the eGPU. This possible will not be the state of affairs with each recreation, however at the very least to this point, I have never discovered any title that flips between settings associated to each chips (there are third-party options to this situation, however I haven’t tried them yet). It is also value noting that the XG Cellular (2025) is absolutely loud when beneath a heavy load, so you will possible need to use headphones whereas taking part in and place it at the very least just a few ft away from you.

Who’s the XG Cellular (2025) for?

eGPUs are undeniably cool, however have a restricted viewers

Whereas I’ve actually loved my time with the RX Cellular (2025), this setup will not be for everybody. First off, it prices an undeniably costly $2,500 USD ($3,500 CAD) for the RTX 5090 model of eGPU after which $1,000 USD ($1,300 CAD) for the ROG Xbox Ally X, bringing the entire to $3,500 USD ($4,800 CAD).

For that value, you can get a fully top-tier PC gaming setup and both the ROG Xbox Ally X or one other PC-like handheld, supplying you with an analogous setup that means that you can play anyplace, however nonetheless recreation at a desk on a monitor or TV, too.

So the place does that go away the XG Cellular (2025)? For those who’re prepared to pay the hefty value and simply need one smooth system that’s able to doing all the things, I can see the XG Cellular (2025) and ROG Xbox Ally X combo working fairly effectively for some individuals. Including to this, given the XG Cellular (2025) options Thunderbolt 5, you should use it with extra than simply Asus’ handheld, which could assist justify its value.

Nonetheless, it is undeniably forward-thinking and funky to undertake a one-device-to-rule-them-all strategy, however for this Swap 2 Professional-like setup to enchantment to extra individuals, the worth tag undoubtedly wants to return down, and I do not see that taking place any time quickly.