Handheld PCs Perfect for Elden Ring: Nightreign

Elden Ring performed exceptionally well on the Asus ROG Ally X, but with Nightreign's release, handheld gaming enthusiasts (myself included) eagerly wanted to know if the performance held up. Given that Shadow of the Erdtree was more demanding than the base game, and Nightreign being a standalone title, expectations were mixed. Surprisingly, it runs even better than the original Elden Ring.

Why Nightreign Runs Better

The performance improvement makes sense when considering Nightreign's design: it's confined to the smaller Limveld map rather than Elden Ring's sprawling open world. This means fewer on-screen elements at any given time. The environmental design also helps, being based on Limgrave rather than Shadow of the Erdtree's more complex visual effects that previously challenged the Ally's hardware.

Hardware Spotlight: The Asus ROG Ally X Advantage

Among current handheld gaming PCs, the Asus ROG Ally X stands out as the top performer. While it shares the AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme processor with competitors like the Lenovo Legion Go, its upgraded 24GB of 7,500MHz RAM allows allocating 16GB to the GPU - double the original Ally's capacity. This makes it ideal for testing demanding games like Nightreign, at least until AMD's Ryzen Z2 Extreme arrives in the rumored Xbox-branded Ally.

Despite the Ally X's superior specs, Valve's Steam Deck shouldn't be underestimated. Their track record of game-specific optimizations, like the Elden Ring Steam Deck enhancements, could potentially give Nightreign a performance boost on Valve's device too.

Performance Benchmarks: Putting the Ally X to the Test

For thorough testing, I focused on Limveld's central castle - the most demanding area with giants hurling magical projectiles. Using Turbo mode (30W) and allocating the full 16GB to GPU, these were the results:

Finding the Optimal Settings

The Ally X delivers excellent performance at 1080p Maximum settings, maintaining near-30fps throughout most gameplay. For smoother performance, 720p Maximum offers around 41fps - a good middle ground. Players chasing 60fps will need to lower settings to Medium or Low at 720p, though sustained 60fps isn't achievable even then.

The visual sacrifice for higher framerates is noticeable, especially on Low settings where Limveld loses detail and shadow complexity. For the best balance of visual fidelity and performance, I recommend 1080p High or 720p Maximum settings.