Doom: The Dark Ages has arrived, and if you're a fan of handheld gaming PCs, you're likely eager to know if the Asus ROG Ally X can handle it. I've set a benchmark of 30 frames per second (fps) as the minimum for enjoyable gameplay, with 60fps being the ideal, though perhaps a stretch for such a demanding title.
While the previous game, Doom Eternal, ran smoothly on the Ally, don't expect the same performance with The Dark Ages. Let's dive into the details.
A Note on the Hardware
The world of PC gaming handhelds is thriving, and the Asus ROG Ally X sits at the pinnacle. Powered by the AMD Z1 Extreme, like many top contenders, it boasts a significant advantage: a hefty 24GB of system memory, with 16GB dedicated to the GPU. What sets it apart even more is its lightning-fast memory speed of 7,500MHz, enhancing memory bandwidth crucial for the integrated graphics of the Z1 Extreme.
The ROG Ally X represents the best scenario for testing Doom: The Dark Ages, offering the highest potential to meet its demanding requirements. As games evolve, the Ally X acts as a benchmark, indicating whether less powerful handhelds can keep pace—until the next wave 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 established itself as the top handheld gaming PC on the market. See it at Best Buy.
Can the Asus ROG Ally Handle Doom: The Dark Ages?
Before diving into the game, ensure your chipset is updated. On the ROG Ally X, this 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. If it's not listed, hit Check for Updates. Once the RC72LA update appears, select Update All.
For my tests, I connected the Ally X to a power outlet and used Turbo Operating Mode (30W) to maximize performance. I also set the Texture Pool Size in the in-game graphics menu to its maximum of 4,096 megabytes, rather than the default 2,048. With 24GB of RAM (16GB usable), the Ally X had ample headroom even at the highest settings.
All tests were conducted with resolution scaling disabled. I experimented with dynamic resolution as well, but since the target frame rate was unattainable, the results mirrored the 720p metrics and are thus omitted.
Here are the performance results for Doom: The Dark Ages on the 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 replayed the opening section of the second mission, Hebeth, in Doom: The Dark Ages. This segment is action-packed, pushing the hardware to its limits with numerous effects and particles. The results were eye-opening.
At 1080p, performance was dismal. The average frame rate on Ultra Nightmare was just 15fps, making it unplayable. Lower presets barely improved the situation, with Nightmare, Ultra, and High averaging 16fps, and Medium at 17fps. Only the Low preset managed a slightly better 20fps, but it's still not smooth enough for enjoyable gameplay. 1080p is simply not viable on the Ally X for this game.
At 720p, the game performed slightly better but still fell short of ideal. Ultra Nightmare, Nightmare, and Ultra averaged 24fps, while High reached 26fps. These frame rates are not ideal, but they might suffice if you're determined to play Doom: The Dark Ages on your handheld. It was only at Medium settings at 720p that the game became playable, hitting an average of 30fps. Low settings were even more promising, averaging 35fps.
Asus ROG Ally X Isn’t Ready for Doom: The Dark Ages
As much as I love handheld gaming PCs and my Asus ROG Ally X, this is a clear case where current hardware isn't up to the task. The Ally X struggles significantly with Doom: The Dark Ages. If 30fps is your threshold for playability, you'll need to drop to Medium or Low graphics at 720p.
Steam Deck users are in the same boat. With specs inferior to the Ally X, they'll likely need to play at 800p on Low settings just to achieve 30fps, a challenge for all current-generation handhelds.
However, there's hope on the horizon. The next generation of mobile chipsets, like the AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme, is set to hit the market soon. Rumors suggest it could power the Asus ROG Ally 2, and there are even whispers of an Xbox-branded model. We'll have to wait and see how these new devices handle demanding games like Doom: The Dark Ages.
