Doom: The Dark Ages has arrived, and if you're passionate about handheld gaming PCs like I am, you're likely questioning whether the Asus ROG Ally X can run it smoothly. Considering 30fps the baseline for playable performance, higher frame rates—especially 60fps—would be ideal, though unlikely given the game's intense demands.

While Doom Eternal performed exceptionally well on the Ally, temper your expectations for The Dark Ages. Unfortunately, matching that level of optimization seems unrealistic this time.

The Best Handheld Gaming PC

Asus ROG Ally X

With doubled battery life and superior memory, the Asus ROG Ally X dominates the handheld gaming PC market. Available at Best Buy

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

First, ensure your chipset drivers are updated. On the Ally X, launch Armoury Crate (via the bottom-right menu), click the settings cog, and navigate to Update Center. Install the AMD Radeon Graphics Driver (RC72LA) if available—or manually check for updates.

Testing was conducted while plugged in, using Turbo Mode (30W) for peak performance. Texture Pool Size was maxed at 4,096MB (vs. default 2,048MB), leveraging the Ally X’s 24GB RAM without strain even on Ultra Nightmare settings.

All tests disabled resolution scaling. Dynamic resolution yielded identical results to 720p, as target frame rates were unattainable—forcing the system to default to 720p regardless.

Testing focused on the opening sequence of the game’s second mission, Hebeth—a stress test crammed with effects and particle chaos. The results? Concerning.

At 1080p, performance cratered: Ultra Nightmare averaged 15fps (unplayable), with minor gains at lower presets (16–20fps). Even Low settings couldn’t salvage smooth gameplay. Dropping to 720p improved metrics marginally—24–26fps on higher presets—but only Medium (30fps) and Low (35fps) delivered passable experiences.

Asus ROG Ally X Falls Short for Doom: The Dark Ages

As a handheld enthusiast, I hate admitting this: the Ally X isn’t cut out for Doom: The Dark Ages. Hitting 30fps requires Medium/Low settings at 720p—a compromise no gamer wants.

Steam Deck owners face worse odds; its weaker specs imply sub-30fps struggles even at 800p on Low. Current-gen handhelds simply lack the muscle.

There’s a silver lining: upcoming mobile chipsets like the AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme—slated for the ROG Ally 2 and leaked Xbox-branded models—might finally tame demanding titles like this. Patience is key.