Doom: The Dark Ages has arrived, and if you're a fan of handheld gaming PCs, you might be eager to see if the Asus ROG Ally X can handle this latest installment. With a target of at least 30 frames per second (fps) for playability, and an ideal goal of 60fps, let's dive into how this powerhouse handheld performs with such a demanding title.
While the previous game, Doom Eternal, ran smoothly on the Ally, don't expect the same level of performance from The Dark Ages. Let's explore why.
A Note on the Hardware
The world of PC gaming handhelds is thriving, and the Asus ROG Ally X stands out as a leader. It's equipped with the AMD Z1 Extreme, similar to many top contenders, but it differentiates itself with a substantial 24GB of system memory. Of this, 16GB is dedicated to the GPU, and its memory speed of 7,500MHz offers superior bandwidth, crucial for the Z1 Extreme's integrated graphics. This makes the ROG Ally X the ideal candidate for testing Doom: The Dark Ages, pushing the limits of what current handhelds can achieve.
As games grow more demanding, the Ally X serves as a benchmark for whether less powerful devices can keep up. We'll see how it holds up until the next generation of handhelds arrives later this year.
The Best Handheld Gaming PC: Asus ROG Ally X
With double the battery life and significantly faster memory, the Asus ROG Ally X has positioned itself as the top handheld gaming PC on the market. Check it out at Best Buy.
Can the Asus ROG Ally Handle Doom: The Dark Ages?
Before diving into gameplay, ensure your chipset is updated for Doom: The Dark Ages. Updating on the ROG Ally X is straightforward: 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, or use the 'Check for Updates' feature to find the RC72LA update, then select 'Update All'.
For optimal performance, I connected the Ally X to an outlet and set it to Turbo Operating Mode (30W). I also maximized the vRAM allocation for Texture Pool Size to 4,096 megabytes in the game's graphics settings, leveraging the Ally X's 24GB of RAM (16GB usable), which remains underutilized even at the highest settings.
All tests were conducted without resolution scaling. While I tested with dynamic resolution, the results mirrored those at 720p, as the target frame rate was unattainable, causing dynamic resolution to revert to 720p.
Here are the performance results for Doom: The Dark Ages on the Asus ROG Ally X:
- Ultra Nightmare, 1080p: 15fps
- Ultra Nightmare, 720p: 24fps
- Nightmare, 1080p: 16fps
- Nightmare, 720p: 24fps
- Ultra, 1080p: 16fps
- Ultra, 720p: 24fps
- High, 1080p: 16fps
- High, 720p: 26fps
- Medium, 1080p: 17fps
- Medium, 720p: 30fps
- Low, 1080p: 20fps
- Low, 720p: 35fps
For these tests, I repeatedly played the opening section of the second mission, Hebeth, which immediately challenges the hardware with intense effects and particles. The results were disappointing.
At 1080p, Doom: The Dark Ages on the Ally X was unplayable, averaging 15fps on Ultra Nightmare and barely improving at lower settings. Even on Low, it only reached 20fps, far from smooth. At 720p, performance was better but still not ideal, with Ultra Nightmare to Ultra averaging 24fps and High at 26fps. It wasn't until dropping to Medium at 720p that it hit a playable 30fps, with Low achieving 35fps.
Asus ROG Ally X Isn’t Ready for Doom: The Dark Ages
As much as I appreciate handheld gaming PCs and my Asus ROG Ally X, this game highlights their current limitations. The Ally X struggles significantly with Doom: The Dark Ages, only reaching the minimum playable 30fps at Medium and Low settings at 720p.
Steam Deck users can expect even less, given its inferior specs. Playing at 800p on Low settings might be the only way to achieve 30fps, a scenario that applies to all current-generation handhelds.
However, there's hope on the horizon. The next generation of mobile chipsets, such as the AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme expected in devices like the Asus ROG Ally 2 and possibly an Xbox-branded model, could change the game. We'll have to wait and see how well demanding titles like Doom: The Dark Ages perform on these upcoming devices.
