Where they actually differ
The most decisive specs, ranked by how much they matter — before the full spec table.
| Spec | Sony - PlayStation 5 (Launch) | ASUS - ROG Ally X |
|---|---|---|
| RAM | 16 GB | 24 GB |
| Storage | 825 GB | 1024 GB |
| Disc drive | true | false |
| VR support | true | false |
| Max resolution | 8K | 1080p |
Between the PlayStation 5 (Launch) and ROG Ally X, the PlayStation 5 (Launch) comes out ahead in disc drive / vr support, while the ROG Ally X wins on ram / storage. Overall, the PlayStation 5 (Launch) scores 71.1 and the ROG Ally X scores 63.2 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
The PlayStation 5 (Launch) edges ahead on the Mars Score (71.1 vs 63.2), but the 7.9-point gap is small enough that the right pick comes down to which spec advantages matter to you.
Pick the PlayStation 5 (Launch) if you care most about disc drive / vr support. The biggest gaps in its favor are disc drive, vr support, max resolution. The single most decisive one: Has Disc drive.
Pick the ROG Ally X if you push the hardware — gaming, on-device AI, heavy multitasking — and the extra compute headroom is worth the trade-offs. Its strongest claims are ram, storage. The single most decisive one: RAM — 50.00% more. 24 GB vs 16 GB.
Both ship with comparable max refresh, ray tracing, vrr, so those specs do not separate the two — focus on the differences below.
Bottom line: the PlayStation 5 (Launch) is the safer default. The other model is the right choice only when its specific advantages line up with your priorities.
Which should you buy: Sony - PlayStation 5 (Launch) or ASUS - ROG Ally X?
Sony - PlayStation 5 (Launch) leads the current Mars Score by 7.9 points.The more useful decision is the trade-off behind that result: compare ram, storage, max resolution against the way you will actually use the product.
Choose Sony - PlayStation 5 (Launch) if…
Sony - PlayStation 5 (Launch) has the measurable edge on has disc drive, has vr support, max resolution.
Choose ASUS - ROG Ally X if…
ASUS - ROG Ally X has the measurable edge on ram gb, storage gb.
This is a structured comparison of the published catalog values. It is not a claim of identical real-world performance across every workload; use the linked spec drill-downs and methodology page to inspect the inputs.
Why Sony - PlayStation 5 (Launch) wins
- ▲Has Disc drive.
- ▲Has VR support.
- ▲Max resolution: 8K (vs 1080p).
Why ASUS - ROG Ally X wins
- ▲RAM — 50.00% more. 24 GB vs 16 GB.
- ▲Storage — 24.12% more. 1024 GB vs 825 GB.
Spec comparison
Performance
| Spec | Sony - PlayStation 5 (Launch) | ASUS - ROG Ally X |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | AMD Zen 2 8-core | AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme |
| GPU | AMD RDNA 2 (10.3 TFLOPS) | AMD RDNA 3 (~8.6 TFLOPS) |
| RAMⓘ | 16 GB | 24 GBlead |
| Max resolution | 8Klead | 1080p |
| Max refreshⓘ | 120 Hz | 120 Hz |
| Ray tracing | true | true |
| VRRⓘ | true | true |
Storage
| Spec | Sony - PlayStation 5 (Launch) | ASUS - ROG Ally X |
|---|---|---|
| Storageⓘ | 825 GB | 1024 GBlead |
| Storage typeⓘ | NVMe SSD | NVMe SSD |
| Expandable storageⓘ | true | true |
Design & I/O
| Spec | Sony - PlayStation 5 (Launch) | ASUS - ROG Ally X |
|---|---|---|
| Disc drive | truelead | false |
| HDMIⓘ | 2.1lead | 0 |
| USB ports | 4lead | 1 |
| Weight | 4.5 kg | 0.678 kglead |
| VR support | truelead | false |
Frequently asked
Does PlayStation 5 (Launch) or ROG Ally X have a disc drive?+
PlayStation 5 (Launch) has a disc drive; ROG Ally X is digital-only.
Which has more storage, PlayStation 5 (Launch) or ROG Ally X?+
ROG Ally X ships with 1024GB of NVMe SSD.
Which supports higher refresh rates, PlayStation 5 (Launch) or ROG Ally X?+
ROG Ally X supports up to 120Hz vs 120Hz.