Doom: The Dark Ages Hits PC Gaming Challenge

Doom: The Dark Ages has arrived, and if you're an enthusiast for handheld gaming PCs like myself, you're likely wondering how the Asus ROG Ally X handles it. While 30fps serves as my baseline for playable performance, achieving higher frame rates—especially 60fps—would be the golden standard, though unrealistic given the game's intensive requirements.

Doom Eternal set high expectations with its stellar performance on the Ally, but temper your hopes for similar results with The Dark Ages – this sequel pushes hardware considerably harder.

A Note on the Hardware

The current landscape of PC gaming handhelds offers diverse options, yet the Asus ROG Ally X stands at the pinnacle. While sharing the AMD Z1 Extreme processor with competitors, its advantage lies in abundant memory. Equipped with 24GB of system RAM (16GB dedicated to GPU by default) running at blazing 7,500MHz speeds, it provides superior memory bandwidth crucial for integrated graphics performance.

This makes the ROG Ally X the ideal testbed for Doom: The Dark Ages' demanding specifications. It represents the upper limit of what current handhelds can deliver, serving as a benchmark before next-gen devices launch later this year.

Asus ROG Ally X

With upgraded battery capacity and cutting-edge memory, the Asus ROG Ally X currently reigns supreme among handheld gaming PCs.

Can the Asus ROG Ally Handle Doom: The Dark Ages?

Before testing, ensure your system runs the latest AMD graphics drivers through Armoury Crate's Update Center. For optimal performance assessments:

• Operated on AC power with Turbo Mode (30W) enabled
• Maximized vRAM allocation (4,096MB)
• Disabled resolution scaling for consistent testing

Results from benchmarking the game's intensive opening sequence revealed:

• 1080p proved unplayable across all presets (15-20fps)
• 720p performance ranged from borderline (24-26fps) to acceptable (30fps+ at Medium/Low)

Asus ROG Ally X Isn't Ready for Doom: The Dark Ages

Current handheld gaming PCs simply lack the muscle for smooth performance with this demanding title. The Ally X's struggles suggest even less powerful devices like the Steam Deck will face greater challenges, likely requiring 800p resolution and Low settings to approach 30fps.

Looking ahead, upcoming mobile chipsets (including the rumored AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme) and next-gen handhelds like the potential Asus ROG Ally 2 – possibly featuring an Xbox-branded variant – may finally meet these intensive gaming demands.