Wake from Sleep sometimes crashes the Xbox Ally X

[SAH7777]

Hi Valve,

I see this github page isn't monitored properly for issues by developers at Valve (it should be), according to the text on the main page. But just in case someone at Valve eventually checks it, here goes...

I understand you are trying to position SteamOS as a global competitor to Win 11 Xbox FSE, and doing so by expanding from: SteamDeck -> Other AMD handheld gaming PCs -> Intel handheld gaming PCs -> Desktop PCs.
Please get step 2 correct....

Device details:

Asus ROG Xbox Ally X manufactured Sep 2025.
BIOS 317 flashed ok.
Model code RC73XA-NH011W.
Installed SteamOS Beta Channel 3.8.2 and been updating all the way up to 3.8.7, same deal, same problems...

Problem 1.

Wake from Sleep either sometimes crashes the Xbox Ally X requiring hard reset, or it wakes from Sleep with Fans ON MAX and requires restart to fix.

Problem 2.

If you don't wait like 10 SECONDS after the Xbox Ally X is full booted or woken from Sleep, before trying to connect (turn on controller) your external Xbox Bluetooth Wireless Controller, it will show connected on the controller lights but it's not really connected to SteamOS (controller has no action in OS)... and the controller has to be reset to get it to connect properly functionally. It's like there is a long lag to the Xbox Ally X bluetooth chipset waking up.

Problem 3.

External Xbox Bluetooth Wireless Controller ALWAYS fails to wake up Xbox Ally X from Sleep. It's like the Xbox Ally X bluetooth chipset isn't actively listening when SteamOS is Sleeping.

Problem 4.

There is no global Disable Steam Input for XYZ type controller global options in SteamOS like there is in Win 11 Steam Client.

Problem 5.

If you have the official Asus Bulwark Dock and transition from on-dock-tv-connected to handheld play (or other way around too) then the Xbox Ally X thumbstick LED lighting gets messed up. Please test it.

Problem 6.

The SteamOS utilize HDMI-CEC setting/feature DOESN'T DO ANYTHING at all for using the Xbox Ally X on the official Asus Bulwark HDMI-TV-dock. Please fix.

I hope someone from Valve reads this and tries to fix things. And thank you for the KINDA WORKING SteamOS product for Other AMD handheld gaming PCs.

[cyruzin]

Hey dude, I have a ROG Xbox Ally. I’m currently on the beta channel running version 3.8.7, and I’m also using the beta client.

I gave up on using the Xbox controller. I bought an 8BitDo Ultimate 2 Wireless, and it’s working perfectly over Bluetooth (rumble, gyro, etc.). The 2.4 GHz connection also works great, but Bluetooth is definitely the way to go.

I’m having the same HDMI-CEC issue on mine, nothing happens.

I’ve also noticed that when I remove it from the dock, the UI sometimes doesn’t scale correctly and stays at the TV’s scale. In addition, the UI scaling in handheld mode seems overly zoomed in.

I’m using a JSAUX dock (model: HB0609B). Another issue I’ve run into is with USB devices. When resuming from sleep, my 2.4 GHz headset isn’t recognized unless I unplug the receiver from the dock and plug it directly into the ROG.

In handheld mode, it’s working just as well as my Steam Deck LCD. But using it in docked mode has been pretty painful lol.

[SAH7777]

Replying to #2459 (comment)

Thanks kindly for the comment/extra info.

I have an expensive Xbox Elite Series 2 Core (white) wireless controller, so not gonna change off that, but thanks anyway. Bluetooth should work properly in the year 2026.

I also noticed issues with UI Scaling when transitioning from on-dock-tv-connected to handheld playtime (and vice versa). But I can't pin down an exact method to reproduce the issue. I now run both my dock-HDMI->TV and my Xbox Ally X internal display at 1080p FHD for simplicity in settings and playmode switching.

I use official Bulwark dock HDMI audio out, so never tried USB audio. HDMI audio seems solid. Internal speakers seem solid also. And assuming the 3.5mm audio jack output is solid too, but never tried it. Maybe you should give up on USB audio if you can spare the $ to change.

On-official-bulwark-dock-HDMI-TV-connected is my primary playmode each day, and handheld playtime is for forced moving around the house or trips only.

Anyway, Best to you!

[cyruzin]

Guys, a quick and important update. I was having a lot of issues with my JSAUX dock not recognizing USB devices after resuming from sleep. In the end, the problem turned out to be the ROG Xbox Ally itself, the primary USB-C port wasn’t reactivating the dock properly. After switching to the secondary USB-C port, everything started working normally.

It now correctly recognizes the 2.4 GHz dongles for my 8BitDo controller (although I use Bluetooth because the features work better in that mode) and my Edifier Hecate GX05 headset as well. The funny thing is that the primary USB-C port outputs video normally and charges the device without any issues. That’s why I think it’s a bug rather than a hardware problem.

Does anyone know where I can report this issue to ASUS?

[SAH7777]

Replying to #2459 (comment)

On the Xbox Ally X, the top USB Type-C ports run off different internal chipsets with different bus speeds. Maybe it's the same for the white coloured non-X, check the manual.

But, My 30 year experience on issues like this goes like this...

Report the issue to Asus on your personal registration profile with them > get bugged about system specs/hardware reports OTT > start getting frustrated > they claim they want the unit back for testing > you waste time sending them the unit back and lose all your setup > they send you a similarly defunct unit/issue, unfixed > you have to waste hours and hours re-setting up the new unit > you live with your partial working fix and wish you never sent back the original model. So, I don't recommend going along with a lengthy discussion about it with Asus, but you can report it via their simple Technical Support forum/page (google for it), and I'd recommend NOT linking the technical report in any way to your actual Asus online registration account/unit.

Almost every serious electronic product with an operating system that I've even owned had flaws, some livable with, and even the supposedly highly-polished/checked Xbox Series S/X, PS4 Pro and Nintendo Switch 2 all have serious hardware and software issues/flaws/bugs. I'd say a change of port is livable with. That's my two cents over decades of experience with say 20 products.

Best to you

[SAH7777]

And recapping: The BIGGEST PROBLEM of this entire Post is about the Xbox Ally devices with SteamOS hard-crashing or with-fan-on-MAX after wake from Sleep. Everything else is livable with, although flawed, but I still want Valve to at least try and fix it all. :-)

[cyruzin]

@SAH7777 Is adaptive brightness working for you?

I’m not sure whether waking from sleep via Bluetooth is supported on the ROG devices either. That doesn’t work either. Could you test these two features on your device?

[SAH7777]

@SAH7777 Is adaptive brightness working for you?

I’m not sure whether waking from sleep via Bluetooth is supported on the ROG devices either. That doesn’t work either. Could you test these two features on your device?

Sorry, Not sure about auto/adaptive brightness, but the manual brightness controls in the SteamOS Quick Access Menu do work for adjusting the brightness of the Xbox Ally X's internal embedded FHD display.

See Problem 3. in the original post at the top herein regarding Bluetooth stuff. But everything Bluetooth-related should work (but doesn't) in 2026 because it's barely different from the Steam Deck, just maybe a different bluetooth controller chipset.

You can check the Beta Channel Changelogs here (https://www.steamdeck.com/en/news). I check it daily. Under the SteamOS posts, under the Non-Deck sub-section, Valve devs commonly reference "Xbox Ally" units as being worked on. So there is hope for things to start working better in future SteamOS Beta builds.

[mitosu-me]

I have problem 1 but a little different. My problem isn’t my Xbox ally x won’t wake from sleep but won’t go to sleep probably, once I press the power button the screen will black but the status light near volume rocker will stay up, I have to do a hard power off in order to solve the problem.

[kisak-valve]

Hello @SAH7777, in general. multi-issue issue reports are bad for any issue tracker. Each individual issue should be tracked separately.

For tracking purposes, only your first issue will be tracked here. This issue report should not be used as a catch all for a device.

[SAH7777]

Hello @SAH7777, in general. multi-issue issue reports are bad for any issue tracker. Each individual issue should be tracked separately.

For tracking purposes, only your first issue will be tracked here. This issue report should not be used as a catch all for a device.

Moderator for Valve can write with a pen and paper the issues and give them to Steam devs to fix, report done