"Doom: The Dark Ages Struggles on Handheld PC"

The long-awaited Doom: The Dark Ages has finally arrived, and if you're a handheld gaming PC enthusiast, you might be curious about whether the Asus ROG Ally X can handle this demanding title. Setting a baseline of 30 frames per second (fps) for playability, with a preference for 60fps, we dive into the performance of this latest Doom installment on the Asus ROG Ally X.

The world of handheld gaming PCs is flourishing with diversity, and the Asus ROG Ally X stands out at the pinnacle of performance. Equipped with the AMD Z1 Extreme, similar to other top-tier handhelds, the Ally X distinguishes itself with a robust 24GB of system memory, of which 16GB is allocated to the GPU by default. This memory operates at a brisk 7,500MHz, providing superior memory bandwidth crucial for the Z1 Extreme's integrated graphics.

This configuration makes the ROG Ally X the ideal testbed for Doom: The Dark Ages, offering the best chance to meet the game's demanding requirements. As gaming demands continue to escalate, the Ally X serves as a benchmark to determine if less powerful handhelds can keep pace, at least until the next wave of handhelds hits the market later this year.

The Best Handheld Gaming PC### Asus Asus ROG Ally X

7With double the battery life and much faster memory, the Asus ROG Ally X has solidified its position as the premier handheld gaming PC on the market. See it at Best BuyCan the Asus ROG Ally Handle Doom: The Dark Ages?

Before diving into the game, ensure your chipset is up to date on the ROG Ally X. Updating is straightforward: open Armoury Crate (located in the bottom right menu), click the cogwheel icon, navigate to the Update Center, and select the AMD Radeon Graphics Driver update. If it's not listed, click 'Check for Updates' to find the RC72LA update, then select 'Update All'.

For optimal performance testing, I connected the Ally X to an outlet and set it to Turbo Operating Mode (30W). In the in-game graphics menu, I maximized the Texture Pool Size to 4,096 megabytes, utilizing the 24GB of RAM (16GB usable) effectively, even at the Ultra Nightmare setting.

All tests were conducted without resolution scaling. Although dynamic resolution was tested, it yielded results equivalent to 720p, as the target frame rate was unattainable, causing the game 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 the tests, I repeatedly played the opening section of Doom: The Dark Ages’ second mission, Hebeth, which immediately challenges the hardware with intense effects and particles. The results were unexpectedly poor.

At 1080p, Doom: The Dark Ages on the Ally X performed disastrously. The average frame rate was 15fps on Ultra Nightmare, rendering it unplayable. Lowering the settings to Nightmare, Ultra, and High only slightly improved performance, averaging around 16fps, while Medium settings offered a marginal increase to 17fps. Even at Low settings, the game managed just 20fps at 1080p, still falling short of smooth gameplay. Clearly, 1080p is not a viable option regardless of the graphics preset.

Switching to 720p improved the situation somewhat, but it remained subpar. Ultra Nightmare, Nightmare, and Ultra settings all averaged at 24fps, with High settings slightly better at 26fps. While these frame rates are technically playable, they're far from ideal. It was only at Medium settings at 720p that the game achieved the minimum playable frame rate of 30fps, with Low settings reaching 35fps.

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

Despite my enthusiasm for handheld gaming PCs and the Asus ROG Ally X, it's clear that current hardware struggles to keep up with Doom: The Dark Ages. Achieving a minimum of 30fps is only possible at Medium and Low settings at 720p.

Similarly, Steam Deck users will face challenges, as its hardware is less powerful than the Ally X. Expect to play at 800p resolution on Low settings to hit 30fps, a scenario that applies to all current-generation handhelds.

However, there's hope on the horizon. The next generation of mobile chipsets, like the AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme expected later this year, may bring significant improvements. Rumors suggest it could power the Asus ROG Ally 2, and there are even leaked images of an Xbox-branded model. We'll need to wait and see how these advancements impact the performance of demanding games like Doom: The Dark Ages.