The single-most important performance tweak you can make on an Xbox Ally or Xbox Ally X is to change the device’s VRAM allocation from the default — and doing so, carefully and with the right expectations, will eliminate texture-related errors, reduce stuttering, and deliver smoother frame pacing for many modern 3D titles. The setting is exposed in ASUS’ Armoury Crate / Armoury Crate SE as “Memory Assigned to GPU,” and while the default is conservative (Auto or 4GB), practical testing and OEM guidance show that reserving 6GB for the GPU is the pragmatic “sweet spot” for most modern 3D games — with 8GB reserved for the heaviest single-player, photoreal titles on the more capable Ally X.
The Xbox-branded ROG handhelds are Windows PCs first, handheld gaming machines second — the base Xbox Ally ships with 16 GB LPDDR5X while the premium Xbox Ally X steps up to 24 GB, paired with a beefier AMD Z2 Extreme APU and expanded thermal headroom. These devices run Windows 11 and a full-screen Xbox shell, but they retain the same under‑the‑hood PC memory architecture as other ROG handhelds: the GPU uses a portion of main memory as shared UMA VRAM, and that allocation is adjustable. Both vendors and hands-on reviews confirm the devices’ launch timing and their hardware split between the 16 GB and 24 GB SKUs.
Why is this relevant? On discrete-GPU desktops the graphics card has dedicated VRAM. On UMA systems like these handhelds the GPU draws from the system RAM pool, and Windows/OEM tools let you set how much of that pool is reserved for graphics. Too little reserved VRAM forces the GPU to share more dynamically, which can lead to texture streaming failures, “not enough memory” game errors, frequent texture pop‑in, and stuttering. Set it too high and you starve the OS and game of system RAM for AI, entity management, and background tasks. The trick is finding a balanced reservation for the games you actually play.
Adjusting the “Memory Assigned to GPU” is a small change with a disproportionately large impact on real-world playability for many modern titles on the Xbox Ally family — do it first, reboot, and then tune further only if you still see texture errors or stuttering.
Source: Windows Central Your Xbox Ally handhelds will run better if at proper VRAM
Background
The Xbox-branded ROG handhelds are Windows PCs first, handheld gaming machines second — the base Xbox Ally ships with 16 GB LPDDR5X while the premium Xbox Ally X steps up to 24 GB, paired with a beefier AMD Z2 Extreme APU and expanded thermal headroom. These devices run Windows 11 and a full-screen Xbox shell, but they retain the same under‑the‑hood PC memory architecture as other ROG handhelds: the GPU uses a portion of main memory as shared UMA VRAM, and that allocation is adjustable. Both vendors and hands-on reviews confirm the devices’ launch timing and their hardware split between the 16 GB and 24 GB SKUs. Why is this relevant? On discrete-GPU desktops the graphics card has dedicated VRAM. On UMA systems like these handhelds the GPU draws from the system RAM pool, and Windows/OEM tools let you set how much of that pool is reserved for graphics. Too little reserved VRAM forces the GPU to share more dynamically, which can lead to texture streaming failures, “not enough memory” game errors, frequent texture pop‑in, and stuttering. Set it too high and you starve the OS and game of system RAM for AI, entity management, and background tasks. The trick is finding a balanced reservation for the games you actually play.
How VRAM allocation works on the Ally family
UMA, shared pools, and "Memory Assigned to GPU"
- UMA (Unified Memory Architecture) means the GPU and CPU use the same physical memory pool.
- The “Memory Assigned to GPU” control changes the UMA buffer size: the fixed amount of system RAM set aside for the GPU’s exclusive use at boot.
- Changing that allocation requires a reboot so the firmware (or OS layer) can set the UMA buffer at system startup.
Step-by-step — change VRAM allocation (Armoury Crate method)
- Press the Armoury Crate / Armoury Crate SE button or open the Armoury Crate app from the Xbox Game Bar / Command Center.
- Go to the Settings (cogwheel) and select Operating Mode / Performance (nomenclature may vary by OS build).
- Open GPU Settings and locate Memory Assigned to GPU at the top of the page. There’s a dropdown.
- Choose the target allocation: 4GB (default), 6GB (recommended for most 3D AAA), or 8GB (for very texture-heavy titles on Ally X). Hit Confirm and allow the handheld to reboot.
What allocation should you pick? Practical recommendations
Every game uses RAM and VRAM differently; here’s a practical cheat-sheet to map play styles to allocations.- 4 GB (default / Auto)
- Best for 2D, retro, and low-poly titles, emulators, cloud streaming, or if you want to maximize system RAM for massive mods or world simulation. Good baseline for many indie and older titles.
- 6 GB (practical sweet spot)
- Recommended for the majority of modern 3D single-player and many multiplayers on handhelds. This is the balanced setting that improves texture budgets without sacrificing too much system RAM. Most users report stable results at 6GB across a broad game catalog.
- 8 GB (heavy textures / photoreal AAA)
- Reserve this for very texture‑heavy games (large single‑player cinematic AAA titles), and preferably on the Ally X whose 24GB pool offers more headroom. Expect diminishing returns on the base 16GB Ally if you set 8GB and then try to run CPU/RAM-hungry background tasks.
- Xbox Ally (16GB RAM): start at 6GB, drop to 4GB for primarily retro/2D libraries or heavy modded older titles that are CPU/RAM bound. Move to 8GB only if a specific game explicitly requires it and you're willing to accept lower system RAM headroom.
- Xbox Ally X (24GB RAM): 6GB will work for most; 8GB is reasonable for the most demanding single‑player experiences while still leaving ample RAM for system tasks.
Why 6GB? The tradeoffs explained
Modern engines stream large texture pools; many titles list 6GB VRAM as a practical minimum for high-quality texture packs and mods. When the GPU’s texture pool is too small, the engine will either (a) downscale textures, (b) page textures in/out of memory (causing hitching), or (c) refuse to launch and show an “available graphic memory below required” error. Reserving 6GB reduces all three risks for most titles while preserving enough system memory for physics, AI, and entity management on a 16GB handheld. For the Ally X, the 24GB total pool makes 6–8GB an easy choice without crippling system RAM.Per-game tuning: how to test and verify
- Use Task Manager (Performance > GPU) or GPU-Z to watch VRAM usage while the game is running. Look for sustained VRAM near the allocation limit or for large spikes during level loads.
- If a game reports “not enough VRAM” or refuses to run, bump the allocation one notch and reboot. If the game stutters while textures stream, try increasing to 6GB or 8GB (if available).
- Conversely, if you’re running an MMORPG or heavily simulated open-world title with many NPCs and systems, monitor system RAM usage. If system RAM gets close to saturation, reduce VRAM allocation to free up headroom for non-graphics subsystems.
- Always reboot after changing the UMA value — the firmware enforces the buffer at boot time.
- Start the game with default allocation; note texture issues or errors.
- If errors or heavy texture load problems appear, increase to 6GB and reboot. Test again.
- If you still see texture thrashing in the heaviest scenes and you have an Ally X, try 8GB; otherwise, revert to 6GB and use in-game upscaling or reduce texture settings.
Troubleshooting and common pitfalls
- Armoury Crate option missing: make sure Armoury Crate and the Xbox shell are up to date. Some systems may not show the UI element, in which case the BIOS/UEFI contains the UMA setting. Changing firmware options directly is possible but riskier; create a full backup before proceeding. Community threads confirm both solutions: the UI writes firmware values, and the BIOS exposes the same control.
- “Auto” mode or value stuck: a minority of users report Armoury Crate resetting to Auto or being stubborn after changes. Reinstalling Armoury Crate, updating firmware, or explicitly setting the value in BIOS tends to resolve it; if problems persist, file a support ticket with ASUS.
- Stuttering despite higher VRAM: VRAM allocation fixes only texture-pool constraints. Stuttering can be CPU-bound, thermally limited, or caused by driver instability. Use power profiles (plugged-in performance vs battery) and cap framerates to stabilize clocking. Also keep AMD graphics drivers and Windows updated; frame-generation and upscaler features are rapidly evolving and driver variants can change behavior substantially.
- Too much VRAM = less system RAM: allocating 8GB on a 16GB Ally leaves 8GB for OS and game system tasks. That can be problematic for heavily modded titles or large open worlds. If you hit heavy system RAM pressure, reduce VRAM or close background apps.
Complementary performance tips (to pair with VRAM tuning)
- Use upscalers: AMD FSR / RSR or vendor upscalers can dramatically reduce VRAM/compute load while maintaining perceptual quality. On Ally X, expect better headroom for quality upscalers.
- Cap framerate: a steadier 30–45 or 40 fps locked experience is usually smoother than a wildly fluctuating 30–60 fps result on thermally constrained handhelds.
- Plug in for best sustained clocks: handhelds throttle more quickly on battery; plug in when you want sustained higher TDP and fewer frame dips.
- Update drivers and Armoury Crate frequently — driver fixes and firmware updates address upscaling, frame-generation, and memory-handling bugs that directly affect VRAM behavior.
The risks and limits of fiddling with UMA VRAM
- No silver bullet: VRAM allocation fixes only some classes of problems. If a game is CPU‑bound, or the handheld is thermally throttling, increasing UMA won’t fix frame rates. Consider the whole performance stack — TDP, clocks, driver maturity, and game-side optimization.
- Firmware and support caveats: Changing BIOS-level UMA settings can introduce instability if done incorrectly. Armoury Crate is the supported path — if you must use BIOS, follow documented steps and keep a recovery plan. Community posts show users manipulating BIOS successfully, but these are advanced steps and not officially supported as the primary workflow.
- Vendor claims vs. independent verification: some marketing claims (for example, exact NPU TOPS on Z2 Extreme variants) have inconsistent reporting in public sources. Treat micro-architecture numbers or precision TOPS claims as provisional until the vendor’s detailed technical datasheets or independent third-party analysis confirm them. This uncertainty doesn’t change the practical VRAM guidance, but it does matter for buyers expecting large AI-driven performance leaps.
Real-world examples and when to step up to 8GB
- Several modern AAA remasters and photoreal games are reported to require 6GB+ VRAM in practice (for example, certain modern remakes and texture-heavy ports). If a Steam error or in-game diagnostics specifically demand more than 4GB, set 6GB first. If the title still shows texture streaming stutters or warns for 6GB, and you have an Ally X or abundant system RAM, test 8GB. Expect the largest quality improvements in texture fidelity and reduced load-time micro-hitches.
Final verdict and a recommended default configuration
For most users who want a sensible, low-hassle balance between graphical fidelity and system responsiveness, set the Ally or Ally X to 6GB VRAM and:- Reboot the device after making the change.
- Run your most-played titles and watch VRAM/system RAM usage.
- If a title explicitly demands more VRAM or textures stutter badly and you have an Ally X’s extra memory pool, try 8GB for that game only and evaluate the tradeoffs.
- If you primarily play retro, 2D, or massively modded simulation/MMO titles that are CPU/RAM bound, keep 4GB and invest time in reducing background services and using the Xbox full-screen environment to free system RAM.
Adjusting the “Memory Assigned to GPU” is a small change with a disproportionately large impact on real-world playability for many modern titles on the Xbox Ally family — do it first, reboot, and then tune further only if you still see texture errors or stuttering.
Source: Windows Central Your Xbox Ally handhelds will run better if at proper VRAM
