Doom: The Dark Ages Struggles on Handheld Gaming PC

The much-anticipated Doom: The Dark Ages has arrived, and if you're a fan of handheld gaming PCs like the Asus ROG Ally X, you might be eager to see how it performs. For a satisfying gaming experience, I've set a benchmark of at least 30 frames per second (fps), with 60 fps being the ideal, though challenging, goal for such a graphically intensive game.

While the previous installment, Doom Eternal, ran smoothly on the Ally, Doom: The Dark Ages unfortunately doesn't meet those expectations. Let's dive into the specifics to understand why.

A Note on the Hardware

The landscape of PC gaming handhelds is thriving, with the Asus ROG Ally X leading the pack. It features the AMD Z1 Extreme processor, similar to other top-tier handhelds, but it stands out with its 24GB of system memory. Impressively, 16GB of this memory is dedicated to the GPU, and it runs at a swift 7,500MHz, providing superior memory bandwidth essential for the integrated graphics.

The ROG Ally X represents the pinnacle of current handheld technology, making it the ideal candidate to test the demanding system requirements of Doom: The Dark Ages. As games continue to push hardware limits, the Ally X will serve as a benchmark for other handhelds until the next generation arrives later this year.

The Best Handheld Gaming PC

Asus Asus ROG Ally X

With a doubled battery life and significantly faster memory, the Asus ROG Ally X has established itself as the premier handheld gaming PC available. Check it out at Best Buy.

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

Before diving into Doom: The Dark Ages, ensure your chipset is updated. On the ROG Ally X, this is straightforward: navigate to Armoury Crate via the bottom right menu button, click the cogwheel at the top, and head to the Update Center. Look for the AMD Radeon Graphics Driver update, and if it's not visible, hit Check for Updates. Once you see the RC72LA update, select Update All.

For my tests, I connected the Ally X to a power outlet and used Turbo Operating Mode at 30W to maximize performance. I also set the maximum vRAM allocation to Texture Pool Size in the in-game graphics menu, adjusting it to 4,096 megabytes from the default 2,048. Given the ROG Ally X's 24GB of RAM (16GB usable), this wasn't a strain even at the Ultra Nightmare setting.

I conducted all tests without resolution scaling, and although I tried dynamic resolution, the results mirrored those at 720p, as the target frame rates were unattainable regardless of the settings, causing the resolution to default to 720p.

Here's a detailed look at the performance metrics for Doom: The Dark Ages on the ROG Ally X:

For testing, I repeatedly played the opening section of the second mission, Hebeth, in Doom: The Dark Ages. This part is action-packed and stresses the hardware with its effects and particles, revealing the Ally X's limitations.

At 1080p, the performance was dismal, averaging just 15fps on Ultra Nightmare, barely improving with lower settings. Even at Low, the game only managed 20fps, which is far from smooth. Clearly, 1080p is not feasible on the Ally X for this game.

Switching to 720p offered some improvement, but it's still not ideal. Ultra Nightmare, Nightmare, and Ultra settings averaged 24fps, while High reached 26fps. These frame rates are barely playable, but if you're determined to play Doom: The Dark Ages on your handheld, they might suffice. It's only at Medium and 720p that the game becomes truly playable, hitting the 30fps mark. Dropping to Low at 720p further improved performance to 35fps.

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

As much as I love handheld gaming PCs and my Asus ROG Ally X, it's clear that they lack the power needed for Doom: The Dark Ages. The Ally X struggles significantly, only achieving the minimum playable 30fps at Medium and Low settings at 720p.

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

However, there's hope on the horizon. The next generation of mobile chipsets, such as the AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme, expected to be integrated into new handhelds later this year, may improve performance. Leaks suggest it could power the Asus ROG Ally 2, and there are even rumors of an Xbox-branded model. We'll have to wait and see how these advancements impact demanding games like Doom: The Dark Ages.