Doom: The Dark Ages Struggles on Handheld PC

Doom: The Dark Ages has arrived, and if you're a fan of handheld gaming PCs like the Asus ROG Ally X, you're likely eager to know if it can handle this demanding title. Setting a baseline of 30 frames per second for playability, with a preference for higher rates like 60fps, is crucial. While Doom Eternal ran smoothly on the Ally, don't expect similar results with The Dark Ages.

The world of PC gaming handhelds is vibrant and diverse, with the Asus ROG Ally X standing out as a leader. Powered by the AMD Z1 Extreme, it boasts a significant advantage with its 24GB of system memory, of which 16GB is dedicated to the GPU. More importantly, this memory operates at a swift 7,500MHz, enhancing memory bandwidth crucial for the integrated graphics. This makes the ROG Ally X an ideal candidate for testing Doom: The Dark Ages, serving as a benchmark for other handhelds. As games become increasingly demanding, the Ally X's performance will indicate whether less powerful devices can keep up, at least until the next wave of handhelds arrives later this year.

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

7With its doubled battery life and faster memory, the Asus ROG Ally X has solidified its position as the premier handheld gaming PC. Check it out at Best Buy.Can the Asus ROG Ally Handle Doom: The Dark Ages?

Before diving into the game, ensure you update your chipset. On the ROG Ally X, this is straightforward: Open Armoury Crate (bottom right menu button), select the cogwheel at the top, and navigate to the Update Center. Look for the AMD Radeon Graphics Driver update. If it's not available, select Check for Updates. Once the RC72LA update is visible, choose Update All.

For optimal testing, I connected the Ally X to an outlet and used the Turbo Operating Mode (30W) to maximize performance. I also set the Texture Pool Size to its maximum of 4,096 megabytes in the in-game graphics menu, as opposed to the default 2,048. With 24GB of RAM (16GB usable), the ROG Ally X has ample capacity even at the highest settings.

All tests were conducted with resolution scaling disabled. Although dynamic resolution was tested, the results mirrored those at 720p, as the target frame rate was unattainable, causing dynamic resolution to default to 720p.

Doom: The Dark Ages ROG Ally X PerformanceUltra Nightmare, 1080p15fpsUltra Nightmare, 720p24fpsNightmare, 1080p16fpsNightmare, 720p24fpsUltra, 1080p16fpsUltra, 720p24fpsHigh, 1080p16fpsHigh, 720p26fpsMedium, 1080p17fpsMedium, 720p30fpsLow, 1080p20fpsLow, 720p35fpsFor testing, I repeatedly played the opening segment of Doom: The Dark Ages' second mission, Hebeth, which immediately challenges the hardware with its intense effects and particles. The results were disappointing.

At 1080p, Doom: The Dark Ages on the Ally X was unplayable, averaging just 15fps on Ultra Nightmare. Lower presets only marginally improved performance, with Nightmare, Ultra, and High hovering around 16fps, and Medium at 17fps. Even at Low settings, the average was a mere 20fps, which remains choppy. 1080p is simply not feasible on any graphics setting.

At 720p, performance was better but still not satisfactory. Ultra Nightmare, Nightmare, and Ultra settings averaged 24fps, while High reached 26fps. These rates are barely playable but tolerable if you're determined to experience Doom: The Dark Ages on your handheld. It wasn't until I used Medium settings at 720p that the game became truly playable, averaging 30fps. Low settings improved this to 35fps.

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

As a fan of handheld gaming PCs and my Asus ROG Ally X, I'm disheartened to report that it falls short with Doom: The Dark Ages. If 30fps is your minimum for playability, you'll need to stick to Medium or Low graphics settings at 720p.

Steam Deck users face similar challenges, as its hardware is less powerful than the Ally X. Expect to play at 800p on Low settings to achieve 30fps, a standard 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, is expected to improve performance in handhelds later this year. Rumors suggest it will power devices like the Asus ROG Ally 2 and even an Xbox-branded model. We'll have to wait and see how these advancements handle demanding titles like Doom: The Dark Ages.