My dead Xbox ROG Ally X is going back to ASUS already
My Xbox ROG Ally X is dead. Long live the Xbox ROG Ally X. I’m joking because if I’m not laughing, I’m crying.
I spent 800 Great British Pounds ($1,095 USD) on this device in September 2025, only for it to very randomly give up the ghost. I’m sharing this because my customer service experience so far hasn’t exactly filled me with confidence — and poor customer service is something ASUS has become notorious for in the past. How will I fare this time around?
My Xbox ROG Ally X just … stopped turning on
This isn’t my first rodeo; tech has failed on me before, and I’ve spent plenty of time troubleshooting devices back to life. However, this unit is brand spanking new. I’ve been treating it like a newborn baby, diligently transporting it everywhere in a JSAUX hard case. I haven’t even been pushing the specs to their limit. Lately I’ve mostly been playing Stardew Valley and other lightweight games.
After a recent session, I turned off the console and put it away, only to return a day later and find it wouldn’t wake up.
“No bother,” I thought, “it must just be a dead battery.” I plugged it into the official charger, only for my heart to drop: there was no LED indicator to show it was drawing power.
Thinking the charger might be the culprit, I tested it on my phone. The charger was totally fine. The Xbox Ally X itself was the problem.
Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time the Ally has stalled on me. There were two prior instances where it did this, but I was able to hold down the power button for 30 seconds to force it back to life. Both those times, I at least had a charging light; this time, I had nothing. I followed every troubleshooting guide online. Holding power and volume, cycling the charger, the works. Nothing. It is dead, extinct, an ex-ROG Xbox Ally.
First stop, the retailer. Currys: my arch nemesis.
I ordered my ROG Ally X through Currys. In my opinion, they can be one of the more frustrating electronics retailers in the UK. I stress this is my personal opinion — your mileage may vary.
I’ve had a number of unfortunate experiences with Currys’ customer service in the past, so you could say it’s my own fault for taking another punt with them. But they were the only ones with stock in the UK at the time. Much to my regret.
I couldn’t simply send an email or call them. You have to wait in line via “live chat.” After jumping through hoops on day two, I was informed that because my item was older than 30 days, I couldn’t use the chat at all. I needed to call a dedicated phone number, which of course wasn’t listed on the website.
When I finally got through, I spoke to someone who seemed to know significantly less about the device than I did. They actually suggested I try turning it off and on again three times. Babe, it won’t turn on in the first place!
Anyway, after half an hour with Currys Customer Service and their “troubleshooting” if you can call it that, I was foisted off to ASUS to request a repair. ASUS who … weren’t answering or accepting enquiries over the weekend. Great, more waiting. Which brings me to today.
Submitting my RMA request with ASUS
So, a total of 4 days after I first got this issue, I’ve started the process with ASUS to get an RMA sorted out. Now, for all I know, the rest of the experience may be fine, but I’m not filled with confidence when I’m met with this message on the ASUS website:
The message reads “ASUS are currently experiencing high repair volume.
Therefore, as a temporary measure some UK Mainland RMA repair requests will temporarily be routed/diverted to our Overseas Repair Facility.”
Oh dear. While this doesn’t specifically mean there is an influx of ROG Ally units failing, it certainly gives me the “heebie-jeebies” to know that ASUS is currently overwhelmed with repairs across their product range. Could the Xbox Ally be the culprit? There doesn’t seem to be an influx of failures over on the primary subreddit … so perhaps I am simply supremely unlucky. If you’re an Xbox Ally owner reading this, I hope for your sake that my situation is a one off.
When I first bought the ROG Ally X, I wrote that I’d put down my Steam Deck for good and hoped I wouldn’t live to regret it. Right now, after paying £800 for a device that barely lasted five months without causing me major stress, I’m already questioning if I made the right move.
Stay tuned.
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