Doom: The Dark Ages has arrived, and if you're a handheld gaming PC enthusiast like me, you're likely curious about whether the Asus ROG Ally X can handle it. I've set a minimum playability standard of 30 frames per second (fps), with a preference for 60fps, though that might be a stretch for such a demanding game.
While Doom Eternal ran smoothly on the Ally, don't expect the same performance from The Dark Ages. Here's a closer look at how the Asus ROG Ally X fares.
A Note on the Hardware ----------------------The world of PC gaming handhelds is buzzing with innovation, and the Asus ROG Ally X stands out. It uses the same AMD Z1 Extreme as many top handhelds but boasts a significant advantage: 24GB of RAM, with 16GB allocated to the GPU by default. This RAM is faster too, running at 7,500MHz, which boosts memory bandwidth crucial for the Z1 Extreme's integrated graphics.
This makes the ROG Ally X an ideal candidate for testing Doom: The Dark Ages. As games become more demanding, the Ally X serves as a benchmark to see if less powerful handhelds can keep up—until the next generation arrives later this year.
The Best Handheld Gaming PC### Asus Asus ROG Ally X
7With double the battery life and significantly faster memory, the Asus ROG Ally X has solidified its position as the premier handheld gaming PC. Check it out at Best Buy.Can the Asus ROG Ally Handle Doom: The Dark Ages?
Before diving in, ensure you update your chipset for Doom: The Dark Ages. It's straightforward on the ROG Ally X: Open Armoury Crate (bottom right menu button), click the cogwheel at the top, and navigate to the Update Center. Look for the AMD Radeon Graphics Driver update, and if it's not listed, hit Check for Updates. Once you see the RC72LA update, select Update All.
For my tests, I connected the Ally X to an outlet and set it to Turbo Operating Mode (30W) to maximize performance. I also increased the vRAM allocation to Texture Pool Size in the in-game graphics menu to 4,096 megabytes from the default 2,048. With 24GB of RAM (16GB usable), the Ally X has ample headroom, even at Ultra Nightmare settings.
All tests were conducted with resolution scaling disabled. I also tested with dynamic resolution, but the results mirrored the 720p metrics, as the target frame rate was unattainable, causing dynamic resolution to default to 720p anyway.
Doom: The Dark Ages ROG Ally X PerformanceUltra Nightmare, 1080p15fpsUltra Nightmare, 720p24fpsNightmare, 1080p16fpsNightmare, 720p24fpsUltra, 1080p16fpsUltra, 720p24fpsHigh, 1080p16fpsHigh, 720p26fpsMedium, 1080p17fpsMedium, 720p30fpsLow, 1080p20fpsLow, 720p35fpsFor testing, I repeatedly played the opening of Doom: The Dark Ages' second mission, Hebeth, which immediately throws you into intense action, pushing the hardware to its limits. The results were surprising.
At 1080p, Doom: The Dark Ages on the Ally X was a letdown. It averaged 15fps on Ultra Nightmare, making it unplayable. Lower presets didn't help much, with Nightmare, Ultra, and High settings averaging 16fps, and Medium at 17fps. Only the Low setting at 1080p managed 20fps, but it's still not smooth enough. At 1080p, the game is simply unplayable across all presets.
At 720p, the game performed better but still fell short of ideal. Ultra Nightmare, Nightmare, and Ultra averaged 24fps, while High managed 26fps. These aren't playable in my book, but if you're eager to play Doom: The Dark Ages on your handheld, they might be tolerable. It wasn't until I dropped to Medium at 720p that it became playable, averaging 30fps. Low settings were even better at 35fps.
Asus ROG Ally X Isn’t Ready for Doom: The Dark Ages
As a fan of handheld gaming PCs and the Asus ROG Ally X, I must admit it struggles significantly with Doom: The Dark Ages. If 30fps is your minimum for playability, you'll need to stick to the Medium and Low graphics presets at 720p.
Steam Deck users will face similar challenges, given its inferior specs. If the Ally X barely runs it, the Steam Deck will likely be limited to 800p on Low graphics to reach 30fps, as will all current-generation handhelds.
However, there's hope on the horizon. The next generation of mobile chipsets, including the AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme, is expected to hit the market this year. Rumors suggest it might power the Asus ROG Ally 2, and there are even leaks of an Xbox-branded model. We'll have to wait and see how well demanding games like Doom: The Dark Ages perform on these new devices.
