The ROG Ally X's Wi-Fi problem has a documented cause and a documented fix, and both are narrower than most owners assume. Windows handhelds with the MediaTek Wi-Fi adapter, the MT7922 Wi-Fi 6E chip in the Ally and Ally X and the Xbox Ally, have repeatedly dropped Wi-Fi or failed to reconnect after sleep. The practical fix reported by Windows Central is to install a specific MediaTek WLAN driver manually from the Microsoft Update Catalog, though results are mixed:
some owners found the catalog driver solved disconnects and latency, others found it introduced new problems and preferred ASUS's own driver or an older build. Power management is the other lever: unchecking Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power on the adapter and turning off fast startup help some owners. The Ally X's Silent power mode also caps CPU and GPU, which can reduce network throughput.
Differential
Likely causes of “ASUS ROG Ally X handheld will not connect to Wi-Fi or keeps disconnecting”, and how to tell them apart
- 1
The MediaTek MT7922 driver
What separates it Wi-Fi drops or does not reconnect after sleep
How to confirm Install the vendor driver from ASUS, or try the MediaTek driver from the Microsoft Update Catalog, and note which build is stable for you
- 2
The adapter's power saving
What separates it The adapter turns off to save power and the connection stalls
How to confirm Device Manager, Network adapters, the MediaTek adapter, Power Management: untick Allow the computer to turn off this device
- 3
Fast startup and hibernation
What separates it Wi-Fi is missing after a shutdown and start
How to confirm Turn off Fast startup under Power Options
- 4
The Silent power mode
What separates it Downloads and online games run slowly in Silent mode
How to confirm Switch to Performance or Turbo in Command Center for a test
- 5
Router band and channel
What separates it The Ally X drops far from the router
How to confirm Use the 5 GHz band close to the router, or try the 6 GHz band on a Wi-Fi 6E router
Before you touch a setting
Record this first — changing settings destroys the evidence
- The Wi-Fi driver version and date in Device Manager
- Whether the drops follow sleep
- The power mode in Command Center
- The router make and model and the band
Try in this order
0 of 6 completedNote the current Wi-Fi driver
ReversibleDevice Manager, Network adapters, the MediaTek adapter, Driver tab: write down the version.
Turn off the adapter's power saving
ReversibleProperties, Power Management, untick Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power.
Turn off Fast startup
ReversibleControl Panel, Power Options, Choose what the power buttons do.
Try the other driver
ReversibleInstall the ASUS driver, or the Microsoft Update Catalog driver, and test over several sleeps.
Check the power mode
ReversibleIn Command Center use Performance for downloads.
Change the router channel
Reversible5 GHz close up; 6 GHz if the router supports it.
Model-specific
What is true of this model and not of its siblings
- The Ally X radio
- A MediaTek Wi-Fi 6E adapter, shared with the original Ally and the Xbox Ally handhelds.
- Why sleep matters
- Handhelds sleep constantly, and the adapter's low-power states are where the reconnect failures begin.
Stop boundary
When this stops being a self-service repair
- !If the adapter disappears from Device Manager after sleep on a clean Windows install, contact ASUS support
- !If every network fails and the driver reinstall does not help, ask ASUS for a hardware check
- !Report the driver version that works to ASUS and the ROG Forum
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
The MediaTek Wi-Fi driver drops and the driver fix.
The driver installed from the Update Catalog and mixed results.
Owners reporting repeated Wi-Fi drops.
Power mode, driver and router checks for slow downloads.
Specifications of the ROG Ally and Ally X.
Exact questions
Common questions
Why does my ROG Ally X keep dropping Wi-Fi?+
The MediaTek Wi-Fi adapter has a history of dropping after sleep. A driver change and the adapter's power-saving setting are the reported fixes.
Which Wi-Fi driver should I use?+
Reports are mixed: some prefer the Microsoft Update Catalog build, others ASUS's driver or an older version. Test one at a time.
Does Silent mode slow Wi-Fi?+
It caps CPU and GPU power, which can reduce throughput; test in Performance.
Does the Ally X support Wi-Fi 6E?+
Yes, with the MediaTek MT7922 adapter.