The much-anticipated Doom: The Dark Ages has finally arrived, and if you're a handheld gaming PC enthusiast, particularly an owner of the Asus ROG Ally X, you might be curious about its performance. Aiming for at least 30 frames per second (fps) for a playable experience, with 60 fps being the dream, let's dive into whether this powerful handheld can handle the game's demands.
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 boasts the same AMD Z1 Extreme chip found in many top-tier handhelds but distinguishes itself with an impressive 24GB of system memory, of which 16GB is dedicated to the GPU. Moreover, its memory speed of 7,500MHz provides a significant boost in bandwidth, crucial for the Z1 Extreme's integrated graphics. This makes the ROG Ally X the ideal candidate to test the limits of Doom: The Dark Ages, setting a benchmark for other handhelds.
The Best Handheld Gaming PC### Asus Asus ROG Ally X
7With its doubled battery life and superior memory speed, the Asus ROG Ally X has solidified its position as the top handheld gaming PC. You can find it at Best Buy.Can the Asus ROG Ally Handle Doom: The Dark Ages?
Before you jump into playing Doom: The Dark Ages, ensure your chipset is up to date. On the ROG Ally X, this is simple: access Armoury Crate (via the 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 visible, hit Check for Updates. Once the RC72LA update is available, select Update All.
For optimal performance testing, I connected the Ally X to an outlet and used the Turbo Operating Mode (30W). I also set the in-game Texture Pool Size to its maximum of 4,096 megabytes, far from taxing the ROG Ally X's 24GB RAM capacity, even on the Ultra Nightmare preset.
Tests were conducted with resolution scaling disabled, and although dynamic resolution was tried, it didn't affect the results, which remained pegged at 720p due to the inability to reach target frame rates.
Doom: The Dark Ages ROG Ally X PerformanceUltra Nightmare, 1080p15fpsUltra Nightmare, 720p24fpsNightmare, 1080p16fpsNightmare, 720p24fpsUltra, 1080p16fpsUltra, 720p24fpsHigh, 1080p16fpsHigh, 720p26fpsMedium, 1080p17fpsMedium, 720p30fpsLow, 1080p20fpsLow, 720p35fpsTo push the hardware to its limits, I repeatedly played the opening section of the second mission, Hebeth, which is packed with effects and particles. The results were disappointing.
At 1080p, Doom: The Dark Ages on the Ally X was unplayable, averaging only 15fps on Ultra Nightmare. Lowering the graphics settings to Nightmare, Ultra, and High didn't significantly improve the frame rate, with averages around 16fps. Medium settings slightly increased to 17fps, while Low settings reached 20fps, but none were smooth enough for enjoyable gameplay. 1080p performance is simply not viable on the Ally X for this game.
At 720p, the situation improved marginally. Ultra Nightmare, Nightmare, and Ultra settings averaged 24fps, while High settings reached 26fps. These frame rates are barely playable. It was only at Medium settings that the game became truly playable, averaging 30fps, and Low settings provided a smoother experience at 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 technology falls short for Doom: The Dark Ages. Achieving a playable 30fps is only possible at 720p on Medium or Low settings.
Steam Deck users will likely face similar challenges, given its lower specs compared to the Ally X. Expect to play at 800p on Low settings just to achieve 30fps, a scenario that applies to all current-generation handhelds.
However, hope is on the horizon with the upcoming next-generation mobile chipsets. The AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme is expected to power new handhelds, including possibly the Asus ROG Ally 2 and an Xbox-branded model. We'll need to wait and see how these advancements fare with demanding titles like Doom: The Dark Ages.
