Play your way with the ROG Ally gaming handheld. Access any game that runs on Windows across all game platforms, including Steam, GOG, Xbox Game Pass, cloud gaming services, Android apps and more. Play anywhere, anytime, using handheld mode or by connecting the Ally to a TV and linking multiple controllers to play with friends. The Ally even transforms into a gaming PC by connecting to ROG XG mobile eGPU and dock - supporting mouse, keyboard, monitor, and more of your favorite peripherals. Equipped with an AMD Ryzen Z1 extreme processor, a smooth 7-inch 1080p 120Hz touchscreen with AMD FreeSync technology, and ROG intelligent cooling, the ROG Ally takes handheld gaming on to a whole different level.
Play your way with the ROG Ally gaming handheld. Access any game that runs on Windows across all game platforms, including Steam, GOG, Xbox Game Pass, cloud gaming services, Android apps and more. Play anywhere, anytime, using handheld mode or by connecting the Ally to a TV and linking multiple controllers to play with friends. The Ally even transforms into a gaming PC by connecting to ROG XG mobile eGPU and dock - supporting mouse, keyboard, monitor, and more of your favorite peripherals. Equipped with an AMD Ryzen Z1 extreme processor, a smooth 7-inch 1080p 120Hz touchscreen with AMD FreeSync technology, and ROG intelligent cooling, the ROG Ally takes handheld gaming on to a whole different level.
Play your way with the ROG Ally gaming handheld. Access any game that runs on Windows across all game platforms, including Steam, GOG, Xbox Game Pass, cloud gaming services, Android apps and more. Play anywhere, anytime, using handheld mode or by connecting the Ally to a TV and linking multiple controllers to play with friends. The Ally even transforms into a gaming PC by connecting to ROG XG mobile eGPU and dock - supporting mouse, keyboard, monitor, and more of your favorite peripherals. Equipped with an AMD Ryzen Z1 extreme processor, a smooth 7-inch 1080p 120Hz touchscreen with AMD FreeSync technology, and ROG intelligent cooling, the ROG Ally takes handheld gaming on to a whole different level.
Play your way with the ROG Ally gaming handheld. Access any game that runs on Windows across all game platforms, including Steam, GOG, Xbox Game Pass, cloud gaming services, Android apps and more. Play anywhere, anytime, using handheld mode or by connecting the Ally to a TV and linking multiple controllers to play with friends. The Ally even transforms into a gaming PC by connecting to ROG XG mobile eGPU and dock - supporting mouse, keyboard, monitor, and more of your favorite peripherals. Equipped with an AMD Ryzen Z1 extreme processor, a smooth 7-inch 1080p 120Hz touchscreen with AMD FreeSync technology, and ROG intelligent cooling, the ROG Ally takes handheld gaming on to a whole different level.
Last updated at 06/23/2026 16:03:20
ASUS ROG Ally Gaming Console AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme 16G RAM 512GB SSD.
Affiliate Disclosure: We may receive a small commission for purchases made through this link at no extra cost to you. This helps support our site. Thank you!
ASUS ROG Ally 120Hz 7'' (512GB SSD AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme 16GB RAM) Gaming Handheld - White
Affiliate Disclosure: We may receive a small commission for purchases made through this link at no extra cost to you. This helps support our site. Thank you!
Asus Rog Ally Rc71l AMD Z1 Extreme 16GB 512GB White Gaming PC
Delivery $25.20
ASUS ROG Ally 7" AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme Processor 512GB Gaming Handheld RC71L-ALLY.Z1X_512
Delivery $34.95
originally posted on bestbuy.com
The ROG Ally is a unique device that presents itself as a portable PC in the form of a handheld console. It's important to note that this device isn't designed to cater to every demographic like the Steam Deck, which comes equipped with a gaming operating system. Instead, the ROG Ally requires some initial setup, such as updating the basic version of Windows it comes with. However, it does include Microsoft Office without any unnecessary bloatware cluttering the system.One aspect that could be improved is the Armoury Crate, although it shows promise in its early stages. Despite that, I found it manageable to work with and appreciated the ease of access it provides at any time. During my tests, I primarily focused on 1080p gaming. One game I experimented with was ... MoreThe ROG Ally is a unique device that presents itself as a portable PC in the form of a handheld console. It's important to note that this device isn't designed to cater to every demographic like the Steam Deck, which comes equipped with a gaming operating system. Instead, the ROG Ally requires some initial setup, such as updating the basic version of Windows it comes with. However, it does include Microsoft Office without any unnecessary bloatware cluttering the system.One aspect that could be improved is the Armoury Crate, although it shows promise in its early stages. Despite that, I found it manageable to work with and appreciated the ease of access it provides at any time. During my tests, I primarily focused on 1080p gaming. One game I experimented with was Modern Warfare 2, achieving a commendable 90-100fps on recommended quality settings while using 30 watts. Lowering it to 15 watts resulted in around 70 fps, and at 10 watts, it dropped to about 20fps. During an average game of Team Deathmatch, the battery drained approximately 15% while running at 25 watts without being plugged into power.For Apex Legends, I was able to achieve a stable 60fps on maximum settings using 30 and 15 watts. Additionally, I tested Battlefield 2024 on default settings and achieved an average of 50fps with 30 watts and 30fps with 15 watts. Based on these results, I anticipate using the ROG Ally primarily while plugged into a power source to take full advantage of its 120Hz display. When traveling, I would consider using a battery bank or playing non-triple-A games, as the device's battery life would be limited in those scenarios.If you're determined to play triple-A games on the go without constant access to power, I would recommend scaling down the resolution to 720p and adjusting the settings accordingly, potentially capping the frame rate as well. One of the standout features for me was the device's lightweight design and comfortable ergonomics, making it enjoyable to use for extended periods. Moreover, the option to connect a portable graphics card and create an overkill ROG Ally adds to its appeal.The display quality on the ROG Ally is notably superior to that of the Steam Deck, which is a major selling point. Furthermore, it's encouraging to know that this device offers plenty of options, and I have confidence that Asus will listen to feedback from gamers and continue to refine and improve the ROG Ally as it progresses further in development.
originally posted on bestbuy.com
Let me start with this, regardless what device you get the future for these handheld gaming pc is extremely bright, and having so much competition always ends up benefiting the consumer. That being said I want my review to be about the Rog Ally and not compare it to anything else.Let me start with this The ROG Ally is amazing and having this amount of power and flexibility in my hands is amazing just playing some games I would usually play on the big tv be able to play them on a handheld with very few concessions is awesome, but that doesnât mean itâs perfect or without faults.The hardware is amazing from the comfort to the build quality it looks and feels good the sound is unbelievable for the size and that fact that the handheld is generating so much heat but ... MoreLet me start with this, regardless what device you get the future for these handheld gaming pc is extremely bright, and having so much competition always ends up benefiting the consumer. That being said I want my review to be about the Rog Ally and not compare it to anything else.Let me start with this The ROG Ally is amazing and having this amount of power and flexibility in my hands is amazing just playing some games I would usually play on the big tv be able to play them on a handheld with very few concessions is awesome, but that doesnât mean itâs perfect or without faults.The hardware is amazing from the comfort to the build quality it looks and feels good the sound is unbelievable for the size and that fact that the handheld is generating so much heat but you never feel it is a testament to the design. The screen looks gorgeous, yes 720p on a handheld is fine but there is definitely a difference you can see when you have the games running at 1080p.Being that is runs windows give it so much ease and flexibility to run all the games and programs you want. I have yet to run into an issue where I couldnât play a game, but that leads me to my first issue with the device.Being a windows pc is a gift and curse yes I can run pretty much anything because itâs just a pc bad news is sometimes it takes messing with settings to get it running well, which makes it hard to recommend to anyone that does not have familiarity with playing games on pc. Itâs also not the easiest to mess around with your settings on out without plugging it to a monitor and use a mouse and keyboard to go in and adjust things.Battery life is also not great but at this point in the cycle for these handhelds itâs also not unexpected. Armoury Crate is good but not great at this Point, but even with these issues I am loving my time with Ally and even more excited for the future, I know things will get better with more updates and while I never recommend something based on the future this is good enough now to warrant a recommendation.The future is here and the future is bright come join in on the fun and pick up an Ally.
originally posted on bestbuy.com
Got my first Ally in the mail, delivered to me but the LB was squishy and weird(even had a squeaky spring or something going on beneath the shell that felt like it was making it mushy), nothing at all like the RB. Returned it, but when I did so, it was on the 11th, device wouldn't be properly released til the 13th so had to wait some more. Picked up the new device and LB feels *better* but still kind of feels a little off(I'm just not sure why on two separate devices the LB feels off compared to the RB, it doesn't make sense) but still after a few presses it goes to feeling normal. So I can deal with it. But the B button... it presses down and if you're not that sensitive to the buttons you're pressing, it'll feel normal. I'm hyper sensitive to good controllers and ... MoreGot my first Ally in the mail, delivered to me but the LB was squishy and weird(even had a squeaky spring or something going on beneath the shell that felt like it was making it mushy), nothing at all like the RB. Returned it, but when I did so, it was on the 11th, device wouldn't be properly released til the 13th so had to wait some more. Picked up the new device and LB feels *better* but still kind of feels a little off(I'm just not sure why on two separate devices the LB feels off compared to the RB, it doesn't make sense) but still after a few presses it goes to feeling normal. So I can deal with it. But the B button... it presses down and if you're not that sensitive to the buttons you're pressing, it'll feel normal. I'm hyper sensitive to good controllers and pressing buttons and such(have mechanical keyboards and 100+ dollar controllers, I'm really picky). The B button specifically feels like there's just some slight misaligning of the button itself so the left side of the button doesn't press all the way down. If you roll your thumb over the face buttons and all around the edges of each, A, X, and Y feel as flat and unobtrusive as they should but the B feels like something's preventing it from going all the way flat on just the left side of it. It's very odd... but regardless, I had already set it up so much and downloaded so much that I don't even care anymore at this point. I bought the accidental in case one day the buttons decide to completely break apart or the analog sticks die from not being hall-based sensors. Besides THOSE issues, this device is honestly insane. If it's not able to handle 60 at medium or high at 1080p, it'll most definitely handle it on 720 with punchier colors that blow the steam deck's washed out colors out of the water. The speed and silence of the machine is super nice as well, I didn't think I'd care that much but they're great in comparison. Windows 11 is... windows 11, it doesn't surprise me as a long time user of the operating system but I like how it's slowly attempting to realize that it's being used on a touch screen handheld device(by making touch based gestures and such more user friendly and what have you, you'll see what I mean when you first turn it on compared to something like the OneXplayer or Ayoneo). Emudeck runs perfectly on it and it plays switch games even better than the actual switch so that's a major plus for me honestly(along with PS3 classics). Battery life is abysmal but for playing less intensive games, you could easily run it on "silent" profile and still get a solid 40-60fps on most 2d titles(bastion, disco elysium, etc) and preserve your battery life. I was already prepared to play this thing constantly connected to a power supply of some sort but yeah. All in all, it's an amazing device and I can't wait for the predecessors to blow it out of the water in the future. I could easily see this device(assuming the bottons and sticks don't start dying on me) lasting a good 2-3 years with more and more optimizations and updates to the system.
| Screen Size | 7.0 |
ASUS ROG Ally Gaming Console AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme 16G RAM 512GB SSD.
Affiliate Disclosure: We may receive a small commission for purchases made through this link at no extra cost to you. This helps support our site. Thank you!
ASUS ROG Ally 120Hz 7'' (512GB SSD AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme 16GB RAM) Gaming Handheld - White
Affiliate Disclosure: We may receive a small commission for purchases made through this link at no extra cost to you. This helps support our site. Thank you!
Asus Rog Ally Rc71l AMD Z1 Extreme 16GB 512GB White Gaming PC
Delivery $25.20
ASUS ROG Ally 7" AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme Processor 512GB Gaming Handheld RC71L-ALLY.Z1X_512
Delivery $34.95
The ROG Ally is a unique device that presents itself as a portable PC in the form of a handheld console. It's important to note that this device isn't designed to cater to every demographic like the Steam Deck, which comes equipped with a gaming operating system. Instead, the ROG Ally requires some initial setup, such as updating the basic version of Windows it comes with. However, it does include Microsoft Office without any unnecessary bloatware cluttering the system.One aspect that could be improved is the Armoury Crate, although it shows promise in its early stages. Despite that, I found it manageable to work with and appreciated the ease of access it provides at any time. During my tests, I primarily focused on 1080p gaming. One game I experimented with was ... MoreThe ROG Ally is a unique device that presents itself as a portable PC in the form of a handheld console. It's important to note that this device isn't designed to cater to every demographic like the Steam Deck, which comes equipped with a gaming operating system. Instead, the ROG Ally requires some initial setup, such as updating the basic version of Windows it comes with. However, it does include Microsoft Office without any unnecessary bloatware cluttering the system.One aspect that could be improved is the Armoury Crate, although it shows promise in its early stages. Despite that, I found it manageable to work with and appreciated the ease of access it provides at any time. During my tests, I primarily focused on 1080p gaming. One game I experimented with was Modern Warfare 2, achieving a commendable 90-100fps on recommended quality settings while using 30 watts. Lowering it to 15 watts resulted in around 70 fps, and at 10 watts, it dropped to about 20fps. During an average game of Team Deathmatch, the battery drained approximately 15% while running at 25 watts without being plugged into power.For Apex Legends, I was able to achieve a stable 60fps on maximum settings using 30 and 15 watts. Additionally, I tested Battlefield 2024 on default settings and achieved an average of 50fps with 30 watts and 30fps with 15 watts. Based on these results, I anticipate using the ROG Ally primarily while plugged into a power source to take full advantage of its 120Hz display. When traveling, I would consider using a battery bank or playing non-triple-A games, as the device's battery life would be limited in those scenarios.If you're determined to play triple-A games on the go without constant access to power, I would recommend scaling down the resolution to 720p and adjusting the settings accordingly, potentially capping the frame rate as well. One of the standout features for me was the device's lightweight design and comfortable ergonomics, making it enjoyable to use for extended periods. Moreover, the option to connect a portable graphics card and create an overkill ROG Ally adds to its appeal.The display quality on the ROG Ally is notably superior to that of the Steam Deck, which is a major selling point. Furthermore, it's encouraging to know that this device offers plenty of options, and I have confidence that Asus will listen to feedback from gamers and continue to refine and improve the ROG Ally as it progresses further in development.
Let me start with this, regardless what device you get the future for these handheld gaming pc is extremely bright, and having so much competition always ends up benefiting the consumer. That being said I want my review to be about the Rog Ally and not compare it to anything else.Let me start with this The ROG Ally is amazing and having this amount of power and flexibility in my hands is amazing just playing some games I would usually play on the big tv be able to play them on a handheld with very few concessions is awesome, but that doesnât mean itâs perfect or without faults.The hardware is amazing from the comfort to the build quality it looks and feels good the sound is unbelievable for the size and that fact that the handheld is generating so much heat but ... MoreLet me start with this, regardless what device you get the future for these handheld gaming pc is extremely bright, and having so much competition always ends up benefiting the consumer. That being said I want my review to be about the Rog Ally and not compare it to anything else.Let me start with this The ROG Ally is amazing and having this amount of power and flexibility in my hands is amazing just playing some games I would usually play on the big tv be able to play them on a handheld with very few concessions is awesome, but that doesnât mean itâs perfect or without faults.The hardware is amazing from the comfort to the build quality it looks and feels good the sound is unbelievable for the size and that fact that the handheld is generating so much heat but you never feel it is a testament to the design. The screen looks gorgeous, yes 720p on a handheld is fine but there is definitely a difference you can see when you have the games running at 1080p.Being that is runs windows give it so much ease and flexibility to run all the games and programs you want. I have yet to run into an issue where I couldnât play a game, but that leads me to my first issue with the device.Being a windows pc is a gift and curse yes I can run pretty much anything because itâs just a pc bad news is sometimes it takes messing with settings to get it running well, which makes it hard to recommend to anyone that does not have familiarity with playing games on pc. Itâs also not the easiest to mess around with your settings on out without plugging it to a monitor and use a mouse and keyboard to go in and adjust things.Battery life is also not great but at this point in the cycle for these handhelds itâs also not unexpected. Armoury Crate is good but not great at this Point, but even with these issues I am loving my time with Ally and even more excited for the future, I know things will get better with more updates and while I never recommend something based on the future this is good enough now to warrant a recommendation.The future is here and the future is bright come join in on the fun and pick up an Ally.
Got my first Ally in the mail, delivered to me but the LB was squishy and weird(even had a squeaky spring or something going on beneath the shell that felt like it was making it mushy), nothing at all like the RB. Returned it, but when I did so, it was on the 11th, device wouldn't be properly released til the 13th so had to wait some more. Picked up the new device and LB feels *better* but still kind of feels a little off(I'm just not sure why on two separate devices the LB feels off compared to the RB, it doesn't make sense) but still after a few presses it goes to feeling normal. So I can deal with it. But the B button... it presses down and if you're not that sensitive to the buttons you're pressing, it'll feel normal. I'm hyper sensitive to good controllers and ... MoreGot my first Ally in the mail, delivered to me but the LB was squishy and weird(even had a squeaky spring or something going on beneath the shell that felt like it was making it mushy), nothing at all like the RB. Returned it, but when I did so, it was on the 11th, device wouldn't be properly released til the 13th so had to wait some more. Picked up the new device and LB feels *better* but still kind of feels a little off(I'm just not sure why on two separate devices the LB feels off compared to the RB, it doesn't make sense) but still after a few presses it goes to feeling normal. So I can deal with it. But the B button... it presses down and if you're not that sensitive to the buttons you're pressing, it'll feel normal. I'm hyper sensitive to good controllers and pressing buttons and such(have mechanical keyboards and 100+ dollar controllers, I'm really picky). The B button specifically feels like there's just some slight misaligning of the button itself so the left side of the button doesn't press all the way down. If you roll your thumb over the face buttons and all around the edges of each, A, X, and Y feel as flat and unobtrusive as they should but the B feels like something's preventing it from going all the way flat on just the left side of it. It's very odd... but regardless, I had already set it up so much and downloaded so much that I don't even care anymore at this point. I bought the accidental in case one day the buttons decide to completely break apart or the analog sticks die from not being hall-based sensors. Besides THOSE issues, this device is honestly insane. If it's not able to handle 60 at medium or high at 1080p, it'll most definitely handle it on 720 with punchier colors that blow the steam deck's washed out colors out of the water. The speed and silence of the machine is super nice as well, I didn't think I'd care that much but they're great in comparison. Windows 11 is... windows 11, it doesn't surprise me as a long time user of the operating system but I like how it's slowly attempting to realize that it's being used on a touch screen handheld device(by making touch based gestures and such more user friendly and what have you, you'll see what I mean when you first turn it on compared to something like the OneXplayer or Ayoneo). Emudeck runs perfectly on it and it plays switch games even better than the actual switch so that's a major plus for me honestly(along with PS3 classics). Battery life is abysmal but for playing less intensive games, you could easily run it on "silent" profile and still get a solid 40-60fps on most 2d titles(bastion, disco elysium, etc) and preserve your battery life. I was already prepared to play this thing constantly connected to a power supply of some sort but yeah. All in all, it's an amazing device and I can't wait for the predecessors to blow it out of the water in the future. I could easily see this device(assuming the bottons and sticks don't start dying on me) lasting a good 2-3 years with more and more optimizations and updates to the system.
It pains me to give this 3 stars, ideally it could be a 4.5, but Iâm going to get into it here. I have had many gaming laptops, desktops and a steam deck.It seems clear to me that these are fairly cheaply made and software needs work.First the software and performance :the asus software and the easy access to helpful controls is very nice, and overall the interface and controls just on the desktop work great and I like how they have this device set up, especially after using a steam deck I was thinking it would be hard for a windows device to match or get close to the user friendly handheld interface of the steam deck, but I think this device did a great job. However, I am getting simple applications like steam, pcsx2 and even task manager freezing on me ... MoreIt pains me to give this 3 stars, ideally it could be a 4.5, but Iâm going to get into it here. I have had many gaming laptops, desktops and a steam deck.It seems clear to me that these are fairly cheaply made and software needs work.First the software and performance :the asus software and the easy access to helpful controls is very nice, and overall the interface and controls just on the desktop work great and I like how they have this device set up, especially after using a steam deck I was thinking it would be hard for a windows device to match or get close to the user friendly handheld interface of the steam deck, but I think this device did a great job. However, I am getting simple applications like steam, pcsx2 and even task manager freezing on me currently and itâs frustrating at times. It doesnât happen enough for me to freak out and contact support yet, but it is noticeable and there is definitely something wrong in the software. That being said, when itâs not freezing, the performance is fantastic and running games off an sd card havenât been a problem so far.Build quality and design:The materials donât feel like anything special to me, actually feel like a cheaper plastic than the steam deck, especially the buttons. The sticks and buttons feel very cheap and disappointing, but they work fine. The thermals design seems to be very good and the device feels better in the hands than a steam deck, a little smaller, and doesnât get as hot. The touch screen works well, but mine has a very small dead spot(or bleed spot?) that you can only see on a black screen, and itâs so small you would never know just glancing at it, but itâs still thereâŚyou get it. A huge complaint I have with the design is that the right stick is a little too low where itâs more under my thumb knuckle instead of my thumb pad if that makes sense. So you have an awkward angle to use it, Itâs Not a deal breaker but worth mentioning. Another problem I have with the sticks is that they are in a dugout bay which is a dust trap if you work much with electronics, and to make it worse, if you move the stick all the way to one side you can just slightly see through the to the motherboard through the side, so the dust may get inside easier, but I may just be paranoid. Another small complaint is the usbc port not being by itself makes it harder to plug in in the dark.Conclusion:While I love the performance, look, and interface on this device, I had to dock it due to a manufacturing error and just cheaply made components, like of all things to cheap out on, why the buttons!? Overall though I would recommend it at the price if you donât want to spend over a grand. Hopefully with firmware updates some of my issues will clear up. It is absolutely a pleasurable experience to use this device, when working properly, and I am very much enjoying it.
PROS+ If you are a PC gaming enthusiast already, this device is a lot of fun to play around with+ Bright & colorful 1080p 120hz VRR LCD display+ AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme Processor is very powerful for a handheld+ Stays surprisingly cool and quiet, even when in Turbo mode+ Built-in Armory Crate software makes navigating the device a lot easier as a handheld, with several presets like built-in real time monitoring, power mode presets, AMD RSR & RIS, airplane mode, and more all two clicks away, even when in game+ Being a windows device, it runs almost every storefront from Steam, to Epic Games, to Xbox Game Pass, EA, Ubisoft, GOG, & more+ Windows also means plenty of custom software can be downloaded, like mods, RTSS, and more for PC tweaking+ Lots of tuning if ... MorePROS+ If you are a PC gaming enthusiast already, this device is a lot of fun to play around with+ Bright & colorful 1080p 120hz VRR LCD display+ AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme Processor is very powerful for a handheld+ Stays surprisingly cool and quiet, even when in Turbo mode+ Built-in Armory Crate software makes navigating the device a lot easier as a handheld, with several presets like built-in real time monitoring, power mode presets, AMD RSR & RIS, airplane mode, and more all two clicks away, even when in game+ Being a windows device, it runs almost every storefront from Steam, to Epic Games, to Xbox Game Pass, EA, Ubisoft, GOG, & more+ Windows also means plenty of custom software can be downloaded, like mods, RTSS, and more for PC tweaking+ Lots of tuning if you like to customize things, like joystick & trigger response+ Able to easily connect to an external monitor and peripherals+ Can set custom power modes for performance/battery tradeoffs, and set an 80% max battery charging limit to extend your batteryâs lifespan+ Stereo front-firing speakers are surprisingly loud and full for a small device+ Built-in fingerprint reader makes signing into windows a lot easier+ UHS-II MicroSD card slot allows you to expand storage+ Touchscreen is very useful when dealing with Windows 11CONS- Windows 11 is clearly not built for handhelds or gaming first, so there can be a lot of usability quirks that could take some getting used to if you arenât a PC gamer already- Speaking of which, an external monitor and/or peripherals like keyboard and mouse are almost required to set-up the device on Windows 11, do all of your updates, download games and storefronts, etc. They make the experience A LOT easier- Armory Crate, while very helpful, is still a software app and not an OS, so while it can make things easier, it is still buggy and needs to play nice with Windows. For example, I could never get the built-in FPS limiter in Armory Crate to work, so I needed to use RTSS or in-game limiters if I wanted to lock the framerate- Battery life is not great. For light games, I could probably get 2-3 hours if I managed power and locked framerate, but for heavier games, or unlocked framerates, 2 hours was pretty much the max for me at most, and could be less if I really pushed it- If you are new to PC gaming, there will be a steeper learning curve accentuated by this deviceâs early day quirksEven if you arenât new to PC gaming, there is a learning curve with this device for sure. You definitely need to read the manual and follow the instructions to get the best experienceSO-SO* The controller buttons are fine, but feel behind when compared to modern day console controllers. Face buttons and triggers feel a bit mushy, while bumpers and joysticks feel solid* Likewise, haptics/vibration, are serviceable, but again not great relative to most modern controllers* Joystick RGB is nice if you like it, but colors could be better represented and even the lowest brightness preset is a bit too bright, so I tended to leave them off* Ergonomics took a bit of getting used, I found I needed to hold the device a bit looser than I am used to with a standard controller, since the back grips are more shallow* This is still a first gen device, and a new one, so while strong out of the gate, there is still a lot that will live or die based on software updates and support from ASUSTHE LONG AND SHORT OF ITI want to make two things apparent right out of the gate. First, I had a blast using this device, more than most other tech in recent memory. It is fun to play my PC game catalog on the go and away from my desktop, and for a PC gaming enthusiast and tech enthusiast like me, I personally really enjoyed exploring the device, finding new ways to use it, tweak it, and make it even better for me. That being said, the second thing is that, while for me this device is amazing, it is not perfect, it has its quirks and flaws, and depending on the kind of person you are, you may feel very differently than me. I am pretty tech savvy, and I have been PC gaming for a long time, so I personally had no issues setting-up or using this device; but if you donât like tweaking things, going through long set-up screens, reading manuals, or needing to customize settings to get the best experience, then you may not like this device. What can be fun & rewarding for others, can easily be frustrating for others. zI donât want to imply this is a difficult device to use. It isnât. But this is much closer to a PC than it is a game console, despite the appearance, and so I would not go in expecting it to function out of the box like a game console. But once you have your expectations set, it is so much fun to use!Unfortunately, most of my negative impressions with the ROG Ally came in the first couple of hours, as set-up is really the most tedious process. My tip would be, if you can arrange it, connect the ROG Ally to an external monitor and peripherals, and set it up like you would a new desktop or laptop. It will make your life a lot easier, rather than trying to move the mouse with a joystick or use the touchscreen. The touchscreen is really nice for little usability quirks in Windows 11 (like dismissing notifications when booting a game or confirming sign-in), but for set-up, having dedicated peripherals makes a HUGE difference.This being said, once you are all set-up, all updates made, accounts connected, and games installed, then things get a lot better. You can use the Armory Crate software to maintain your system settings, shortcuts, hardware tweaking, and game library. It isnât a dedicated OS for gaming, but as a software suite built for the ROG Ally, it does work surprisingly well. This being said, certain things were buggy for me, like the built-in FPS limiter not having any effect in games when I enabled it. These are all things that can improve with updates, but will require support from ASUS to ensure these patches come through.Thankfully, when it comes to gaming, this is where the ROG Ally really shines. It is very powerful, and I was surprised just how many games I could run at 60 fps with some setting teaking. I personally love playing classic games, and that is where this device shines most. Playing Batman Arkham Origins was great, Portal 2 felt completely at home on a handheld console. I havenât started doing any emulation with the device, but I imagine it will be an incredible experience. I could also play less demanding more modern games like Cuphead & Inside at 1080p 60 or 120 fps with minimal setting tweaking. For other modern games, like Hi-Fi Rush and Hot Wheels Unleashed, I could also play at 1080p, but with a bit more setting tweaking to get the right performance to visual balance. If you are really concerned with playing modern AAA games, I would not prioritize this device first. You can make many work with low settings, lower resolution, and FPS caps. But you do need to spend some time tweaking things, and even then, you might not get the best experience. For classic games, emulated games, or less demanding games, this thing is incredible. I only ran into 1-2 game crashes during my testing, and by and large, the ROG Ally was able to play almost everything in my catalog with surprising confidence. This is helped by the performance profiles, which allow you to increase how much wattage the APU uses, in exchange for lower battery life. Turbo at 25 watts will suck the life out of the device quickly, but you get noticeably better performance as a result. In general, I kept it in the 15 watt performance profile, and the device performed way above my expectations. This is a supercharged handheld, no two ways about it, and for so much power, it really does stay cool and quiet.Now, this being said, as mentioned above, the battery life is really one of the biggest hardware cons. Your mileage will vary depending on how much you tax it, but in general, expect 90 minutes to 3 hours depending on how much strain you are putting on it while gaming. It isnât great, but for me was never really too much of a hindrance, as I did keep the power supply at hand when needed. Other than that however, the hardware here is really solid. It feels well built, sturdy, decent ergonomics, great screen, and truly feels like a device that a lot of R&D went into designing. It isnât perfect, but as a first attempt at this kind of device from ASUS, it feels like a really strong offering.All-in-all, I really loved using this device, and have since bought expandable storage, a carrying case, and screen protector to really allow me to take this device farther than before. It is a lot of fun to use, and for me, is going to be central in my preferred gaming devices for a while to come. It may take more work to use and maintain, but once you adjust and get comfortable, you are going to find a really powerful piece of PC gaming. Highly recommended if you are a PC gaming geek like me.
Was excited to see more handled PC's being launched and with gaming centric companies taking the helm at the latest chipsets and improved screens? Sign me up.On paper the ROG Ally has a good set of internals going for it, a more advanced AMD Chipset than that of the Steam Deck (at least this version) 512GB of storage by default, and a more vibrant faster refresh display that supports FreeSync. From my limited testing the audio also was pretty good from an indoor test; In Red Dead Redemption 2 it seemed to take advantage of that Dolby Atmos virtual surround and I was impressed since I donât expect it much. To add to that; If the Steam Deckâs positioning on your palms felt too bulky, the Ally has a more sleek profile and itâs a smidge lighter (without feeling cheap) ... MoreWas excited to see more handled PC's being launched and with gaming centric companies taking the helm at the latest chipsets and improved screens? Sign me up.On paper the ROG Ally has a good set of internals going for it, a more advanced AMD Chipset than that of the Steam Deck (at least this version) 512GB of storage by default, and a more vibrant faster refresh display that supports FreeSync. From my limited testing the audio also was pretty good from an indoor test; In Red Dead Redemption 2 it seemed to take advantage of that Dolby Atmos virtual surround and I was impressed since I donât expect it much. To add to that; If the Steam Deckâs positioning on your palms felt too bulky, the Ally has a more sleek profile and itâs a smidge lighter (without feeling cheap) so extended play sessions wont cramp your hands and tire your arms.On Windows; Yes, Windows isnât there yet for handheld computing at least in a way to get everything set up seamlessly. Youâll definitely want to get this set up in a docked mode or at least get a BT keyboard and mouse synced up when youâre logging into your accounts and getting everything downloaded. Its not so much the cursor controls with the right joystick was an issue (but a tutorial through armoury crate would have been appreciated on what functions in desktop mode) but more so the software keyboard is awkward to use at times and you canât tell if youâre typing in a text box that you need to. Only to click on it to make that keyboard go away and⌠then try to awkwardly swipe up to bring it back and hope you still have your entry open in the other window. Aside from that, armoury crate does a good job of grabbing your games when you install those and adding custom control profiles is intuitive enough. I just wish that the software would work when it needs to concerning going back to the desktop (thereâs a dedicated hotkey but it works 25% of the time if it does at all) so thereâs suqicks here and there but its not terrible especially for a first gen product.However, thereâs a glaring issue at least in my unit; The left joystick suddenly stopped working on the X-Axis. I wasnât sure if this was due to a firmware update or BIOS update, but I noticed this while testing out some games and thought it might just be because they were older ports (was trying out non-native games the Deck could not run) â After testing it out in calibration tools, its just the joystick is bad. No combination of BIOS & Firmware rollbacks or wipes fixed it. Iâve yet to hear back from ASUS after 48 hours so Iâm assuming that I need to return this and swap, and as of June 2023 I see thereâs a lot of other people with similar issues that ended up returning.Overall? Good showing from ASUS on getting Windows wrangled to a usable option especially with Gamepass â Once you initially get everything set up itâs a cinch to get into your games. Plus you have the added bonus of having a ultra portable PC if you need to drop into your NAS or get your media all under one unit for travel. However Iâm going to be keeping my Steam Deck for a while, the hardware issues leave a bad taste. If youâve already got something similar Iâd wait out for Gen 2 â Otherwise if this is your first handheld gaming PC you canât go wrong with this, just keep in mind you might have an issue down the line, or right when you unbox it.
Iâve been tempted to buy a Steam Deck over the past year, but I knew that it was just the first device in a new market of powerful gaming handhelds. Enter the ASUS ROG Ally, a Windows-based handheld that claims full compatibility with PC games. After my first week of use, its clear that the ROG Ally has the power and specs to deliver a fantastic on-the-go gaming experience, but there are some major drawbacks such as battery life and quirks with using Windows on a device like this.===SETUP===If youâve ever power up a new Windows PC for the first time, youâll know what to expect. The ROG Ally is basically a mini touchscreen Windows computer, so youâll have to click through all the standard Windows setup screens such as logging into a Microsoft account. One major ... MoreIâve been tempted to buy a Steam Deck over the past year, but I knew that it was just the first device in a new market of powerful gaming handhelds. Enter the ASUS ROG Ally, a Windows-based handheld that claims full compatibility with PC games. After my first week of use, its clear that the ROG Ally has the power and specs to deliver a fantastic on-the-go gaming experience, but there are some major drawbacks such as battery life and quirks with using Windows on a device like this.===SETUP===If youâve ever power up a new Windows PC for the first time, youâll know what to expect. The ROG Ally is basically a mini touchscreen Windows computer, so youâll have to click through all the standard Windows setup screens such as logging into a Microsoft account. One major downside here is that youâll need to wait a while for all of the Windows Updates to complete. ASUS recommends that you let this process complete before playing games since there is at least one BIOS update available via Windows Update that improves battery life and optimizes the fingerprint sensor.After you finally boot into Windows, youâll see the familiar Windows desktop, and the ROG Armoury Crate software should automatically load. Armoury Crate acts as the central location for system settings and your game library on the ROG Ally. Youâll want to spend some time getting to know the various settings available here, since you may want to tweak the various performance modes to optimize frame rates and battery life.Unfortunately, Windows 11 just isnât fully optimized for a device of this form factor or with a touchscreen of this size. Often, the on-screen keyboard will fail to appear when needed. It is sometimes very difficult to tap smaller menu items in Windows settings menus and Start menu. Iâve learned to live with it, and luckily you donât really need to navigate Windows very often if you stick to using Armoury Crate for most of your tasks.===DESIGN AND COMFORT===My first impression was that the ROG Ally felt amazingly slim and lightweight given its large screen. The white color is nice enough, but I wish ASUS would have also offered a black version. There is RGB lighting around each control stick which can be customized or turned off via Armoury Crate. They look nice, but they also flash or pulse even when the device is in standby mode, which can be distracting. The device feels very premium, with textured grips and contoured edges that make holding the ROG Ally for hours on end very comfortable (especially compared to something like the Nintendo Switch).There are two buttons on either side of the 7-inch screen. One button on the right launches the Armoury Crate software, while another on the left pulls up a Command Center where you can control screen brightness, volume, and some other basic settings. The screen itself is beautiful. I was a bit disappointed that it wasnât an OLED display, but that really doesnât matter. This screen gets very bright (up to 500 nits) and packs a 120Hz refresh rate at 1080p. Itâs perfect for this size of a device, and anything more would sacrifice performance and battery life. Also worth nothing is that ASUS included the USB-C charging port on the on the top of the device, so you wonât have to worry about a cable hanging down into your lap or chest while gaming.===PERFORMANCE===This model of the ROG Ally is equipped with a Z1 Extreme chip, 16GB of DDR5 RAM, and a 512GB SSD. I wish ASUS would have included at least 1TB of storage since I have already chewed through most of the 512GB with just a few games installed. Luckily, there is a microSD card slot at the top of the device for expanded storage. In terms of raw gaming performance, youâll need to get used to tweaking most games to run at low to medium settings for maximum performance.Iâve played three games so far: Resident Evil 4, God of War, and Cyberpunk 2077. I dipped the resolutions down to 720p for maximum performance. On RE4, Iâve averaged about 65 FPS on âLowâ presets, with the ROG Ally set to Turbo mode. On God of War, I get about 55-60 FPS on the âOriginalâ preset, also on Turbo mode. Cyberpunk 2077 can push through about 50-55 FPS on âMediumâ presets, also on Turbo mode. Bumping the resolutions up to 1080p causes a noticeable hit to performance at the same presets (about 15-20 FPS downgrade), but this can be alleviated by further reducing quality settings in games. Even at these low and medium settings, games look great. Lower textures and resolutions are barely noticeable on a screen of this size. There are some occasional stutters and frame drops, but I havenât noticed anything that would be a deal-breaker. For gaming on the go, it really doesnât get better than this.===BATTERY LIFE===The ROG Ally represents a case where battery technology simply hasnât kept up with devices that are becoming more powerful and energy-hungry. When I unplug the ROG Ally from a wall outlet and run the same games above with the same settings on Turbo mode, Iâm lucky if I get an hour of battery life. Iâve been able to push it to just about 2 hours by switching the device to Performance mode and limiting the screenâs refresh rate to 60Hz. But this further reduces performance/FPS which is very noticeable in some games.Bottom line - battery life is going to vary drastically based on the games you play and the performance settings you choose. My advice is to never be too far from a power outlet. Or, do like I did - buy a long, 6 to 10 foot USB-C cable and a 65W power adapter and play with the device plugged in as much as you can. Yes, youâll be able to use the ROG Ally in short bursts on airplanes, trains, etc., but until there is a giant leap in battery technology, youâre going to constantly be hunting for a power outlet to get the maximum performance out of this device.===OVERALL===The ROG Ally is an excellent entry into the handheld gaming market from ASUS. Iâve personally never used a Steam Deck, so many users will want to research the pros and cons of both platforms. But the ROG Ally is a device Iâve been dreaming of for a long time - one that can play any Windows game I throw at it with just minor compromises. Yes, battery life leaves a lot to be desired, and there are some strange quirks using Windows 11 on a device like this â but for me, the ROG Ally has everything I need to fully replace a gaming laptop when I travel. Iâll just need to remember to pack the charger. Highly recommended!
The reality is that this handheld gaming is much more than that, in fact it is practically a pc that can fit in the palm of your hand. Since this is something recent, and being this the first version of this device -I hope there will be new versions in the not too distant future- there are some things that are not completely convincing. However, I consider that there are many more positive things in favor of this device.Well let's start with the first thing, the unboxing. The gaming handheld comes in a relatively small box along with its charger, quick start guide and warranty documentation. You need to charge the battery and in the meantime you can start with the setup of the device.Setup - Regarding setup, and pretty much everything else, keep in mind that ... MoreThe reality is that this handheld gaming is much more than that, in fact it is practically a pc that can fit in the palm of your hand. Since this is something recent, and being this the first version of this device -I hope there will be new versions in the not too distant future- there are some things that are not completely convincing. However, I consider that there are many more positive things in favor of this device.Well let's start with the first thing, the unboxing. The gaming handheld comes in a relatively small box along with its charger, quick start guide and warranty documentation. You need to charge the battery and in the meantime you can start with the setup of the device.Setup - Regarding setup, and pretty much everything else, keep in mind that this device is running Windows 11, which means that, excluding the Armoury Crate SE app, any configuration or manipulation of the device and apps will be like setting up a PC. This is important to know because I believe that you need to have a minimum of knowledge about the Windows operating system to solve the various problems that may arise. One of the first things to do is to check and install all available updates for windows, as well as update the app that serves as a control center, Armoury Crate SE. Pre-installed is an asus app, "My Asus", which allows you to download the specific updates for the ROG Ally (In the app go to Customer Support-> Live Update-> Available Updates > Update All), this part is essential because from there you can update the BIOS, a necessary update that fixes bugs and make the device perform better.Once you have installed the necessary updates, you can start downloading games and apps you want. This is done from the Armoury Crate SE app, from there you can download both the platforms and their games (you can also create shortcuts to already installed windows apps). This brings me to the memory section, which despite having a relatively large storage of 512 GB, falls short if we consider that the device can run AAA games that usually use more GB. In my case, having 8 games installed, the available memory is just over 100 GB, the good side of this is that you can replace the memory for a larger capacity (NVMe M.2 SSD), and also has a slot for UHS-II MicroSD memory, something very convenient.Connectivity - The device can connect to the internet via WiFi and is compatible with WiFi-6 for faster download speeds. It also has bluetooth connectivity that allows you to connect headphones, keyboards, mouse, etc., to the device. It also has the option to connect an external graphics card - ROG XG mobile eGPU - in case you need to increase the graphics power of the console and use it as a gaming PC.Audio - The device has a 3.5 jack input for headphones that works without a problem, and the audio quality, whether using headphones or the console's speakers, is outstanding. Mainly the audio of the speakers has left me impressed, normally in this kind of mobile devices the built-in speakers lack power and sound not good at all, but with the RGO Ally is not the case.Screen - The screen is really good, 1920x1080 full HD Touch Screen with a refresh rate of 120Hz, which is perfect if we consider that this console can run games at high frame rate, although this will also make the battery consumption higher. The image quality in games or multimedia content is phenomenal. It has a maximum brightness of 500 nits (many times I do not use more than 60% brightness), which in my opinion is sufficient.Autonomy - Regarding the battery, I consider this is one of the least favorable points of the console, because being a device that is made to take it with you everywhere, you have to carry the charger with you all the time because the autonomy leaves much to be desired, in turbo mode just over an hour, in other modes about 2 hours. It is understandable because of the kind of operating system that uses, where the amount of processes that are necessarily running in the background is enormous, as well as the battery consumption. What somehow balances this, is that if used with the charger connected, although the temperature increases, it does not affect the gameplay or the use of the console, that is, even if the temperature rises, the heat doesn't feelin the hands, this is because of the fans position, the heat dissipation system is very well designed.Design - The design of this portable console is superb, I love it, white color inspired by the Xbox controller, ergonomic design that allows you to play without it slipping out of your hands or being uncomfortable, a well positioned crosshead, good sized joysticks that feel very smooth(arround them theres a RGB light tha can be configure at taste, I deactivated so is a distraccion for me), the A, B, X, Y buttons feel very good, so far none of the four buttons have been stuck or have not worked, rather they work properly that really seems that you are playing with an Xbox controller. It has their respective bumpers and triggers, plus two rear buttons that, personally, I do not use much because I find them a little hard to press, however, in some games I prefer to assign some function that allows me to play more easily. The two speakers are placed at the bottom on the sides of the screen, which allows for a better experience in this area. It has dedicated buttons for certain functions, such as direct access to Armoury Crate and access to the Command Center, where you can change the display settings, refresh rate, fps rate, resolution, Operating Mode, etc., the volume buttons are at the top, near the screen lock button, which in turn is the power button and the fingerprint scanner, which by the way works extremely fast, I was really surprised. In general I consider that everything is very well distributed, it is a very well thought out design.Performance - Regarding gaming performance, something that many of us are on the lookout for, it doesn't disappoint, in fact it surprises. Sometimes I wonder how we got here, I never thought to play the same games I have on my PC, in such a compact device. All the games I installed run smoothly, however, it is important to mention that I experienced this in turbo mode and with the charger connected, in performance mode the games run well but you have to lower the quality to medium, and in silent mode you will have to lower the refresh rate and fps to play smoothly. I have spent several hours testing games, epic games, xbox game pass (the console includes 3 months free), EA. Games like Cyberpunk 2077, Star Wars Battlefront I and II, Metro 2033 Redux, Telltale Batman, Need For Speed MW, Star Wars Squadrons, Hot Wheels Unleashed, Fornite, Rocket League and the list will go on because I have a lot left to play XD, all without any problem, honestly I have spent very good hours of fun playing with this console.Regarding performance outside of gaming, unless you connect a monitor, keyboard and mouse, I do not recommend using this device as a substitute for a tablet or laptop, although it serves to play multimedia content, surf the internet, download office software, perform tasks of a PC itself, the screen is too small for these tasks and the operating system (Windows 11) is not really intended or designed for this device (although it sounds a bit exaggerated we could say that this ROG Ally is almost unique in its class). This can be noticed in some errors that occur from time to time, such as when rebooting the console, or using applications and then freeze and close on their own, when configuring or customizing the operating system itself. Although sometimes it seems that this also happens due to the fact that the RAM (16 GB) is shared with the graphics, this due to the fact that it is an APU (CPU with integrated graphics). What is also important to mention is that Asus is constantly working on updates, just today morning I downloaded the new BIOS update, which is improving with each update the performance of the console and therefore the user experience, so again I recommend keeping an eye on updates. I didn't want to be too incisive with this part, because I think we are witnessing a very important moment at a technological and gaming level, being this the first version of this console that we haven't really seen yet what it can be capable of. If there is a second version in the future, then there will be a more stringent critical benchmark.Prediction - Being a powerful device in many ways, it seems to me that the trend of turning devices like this into powerful computers will be adopted. This device makes it look that way because if you get the ASUS - ROG 65W Charger Dock, you can practically turn it into a desktop PC, as it allows you to connect a monitor via HDMI, a keyboard via USB, and, if you so desire, a wired mouse via USB-C. Unfortunately for this moment this accessory is sold out, you will have to wait to buy it: (goos news: it is cheap and very convenient).Without going any further and in conclusion, this ROG Ally handheld is an excellent choice for that price. For gaming, as I mentioned above, it works excellent, you can play high quality PC games from the comfort of your couch, bed, living room, etc.,. It has an Xbox controller type design, a well distributed button panel and a high quality 1080p full HD screen, excellent sound and image quality. I can definitely highly recommend this devices. Great product!.
The ROG Ally isnât perfect. Dealing with Windows on a handheld device can be annoying, the battery life is wanting, and there are some bugs here are there even with all the updates Asus has put out, but despite that I am absolutely in love with this thing. It really does play all my games and most of them it plays really well. I hesitated with buying a Steam Deck and Iâm glad this came along. If youâre looking for a real portable PC gaming experience I think this is just about as good as it gets right now.In the box you get the ROG Ally, a 65W charging brick with an attached cable, and a little cardboard stand. The stand is easy to mistake for part of the packaging and I almost threw mine away, so be careful about that. Itâs a good-looking device. I know a lot of ... MoreThe ROG Ally isnât perfect. Dealing with Windows on a handheld device can be annoying, the battery life is wanting, and there are some bugs here are there even with all the updates Asus has put out, but despite that I am absolutely in love with this thing. It really does play all my games and most of them it plays really well. I hesitated with buying a Steam Deck and Iâm glad this came along. If youâre looking for a real portable PC gaming experience I think this is just about as good as it gets right now.In the box you get the ROG Ally, a 65W charging brick with an attached cable, and a little cardboard stand. The stand is easy to mistake for part of the packaging and I almost threw mine away, so be careful about that. Itâs a good-looking device. I know a lot of people wish that Asus came out with a black color, but I like the white a lot. The overall size is a bit smaller and thinner than a Steam Deck, but still much much larger than a Nintendo Switch. As big as it is itâs very easy to hold and much lighter than youâd expect it to be. The full size thumbsticks feel very good and so do the buttons. The D-pad is not my favorite, but itâs still pretty good. The built-in controller is using the Xbox-style layout and in terms of comparing the quality of the sticks and the buttons Iâd say they are of similar quality to a standard Xbox controller.For expansion/ports you get a single USB-C 3.2/XG Mobile port, a headphone jack, and microSD expansion slot for up to UHS-II cards. The XG Mobile is for Asusâ proprietary external GPUâs and while itâs annoying you donât have the option for an eGPU via Thunderbolt, you do get 8 PCIe lanes with the XG Mobile port versus 4 lanes over Thunderbolt. Asusâ XG Mobile GPUâs are cool, but very expensive, with a laptop-grade RTX 4090 running at $2K.The ROG Ally is a Windows handheld, so getting it turned on and setup is the standard Windows 11 experience at first. Once youâre past that it boots into the Armory Crate SE software, which is the primary way youâre meant to interface with the Ally and boot and configure your games. Asus has been pushing out a ton of updates for the Ally lately, so itâs important to make sure youâre on the latest firmware and all the latest software to have the best experience. I read about some early issues with Armory Crate SE, but so far itâs been solid for me and lets you adjust all of your device settings and set per-game controls and power profiles. The Command Center provides quick access to settings like resolution, refresh rate, power profile, and more and can be brought at any time with the button above the D-pad. You will need to get outside of Armory Crate to Windows proper to download your game launchers and install your game. Interacting with Windows via the touchscreen works most of the time, though finer selections require the use of the joystick and shoulder buttons, which double as a mouse. Once all of the games are installed Armory Crate should recognize and display them automatically.I tried a few different games and tried to vary my selection between very demanding and lower-end games. Mostly what I have ended up playing so far is Celeste and Forza Horizon 5. With the 25W Turbo power profile I can run Forza Horizon 5 and very close to 60fps on High and if I donât have the FPS counter on I wouldnât be able to tell when it dips below thanks to the Freesync display. Turbo really goes in on the battery life and dialing it back to Medium or Low does allow you to use the 15W Performance mode and still get good performance. Most games even on their lowest settings still look very good on the 7â screen. For Celeste, I was able to put the profile down to the 10W Silent mode with no problems and I imagine this will be the case with just about any other light indie game. Control was another game I tried and I was able to get good performance at Medium settings with the Turbo profile, though a Low-Medium mix at a lower power setting is probably a better move for that game. With the Freesync display I really didnât mind being somewhere between 30-60fps and locking to a lower frame rate will save on some power as well. Most games ran with no issues or bugs that I could spot, though I did run into an issue where the screen would go all black in Alan Wake Remastered. You can make manual adjustments to the power profile as well and really dial in the efficiency/performance.The 1080p 7â display looks fantastic. Colors are accurate and the 120Hz refresh rate is great to have for less demanding games. It gets up to 500 nits and is bright enough to play outside. It can be changed to 720p in the settings as well, but for the most part Iâve been keeping the resolution native and using FSR or RSR for upscaling. The built-in speakers sound really good and the device itself is extremely quiet even in Turbo mode, so you donât have to use headphones with the Ally if you donât want to.Battery life is - not great. You could squeeze maybe 2-2.5 hours out of it if youâre playing less demanding games, but triple-A titles are going to drain the battery in an hour or less. For how I use it though Iâm not too bummed about that as Iâm usually getting a quick race or match in on my lunch break or something. Still, itâs something I have to remember to keep an eye off I get too sucked into my game. Fortunately it does charge up pretty quick.Other things:Thereâs a built-in fingerprint reader on the power button. It works well and is super convenient for signing in.The vibration motors built-in are just okay. Theyâre not particularly powerful and sometimes make quiet but audible whine on my unit.I have not made much use of the programmable M1 and M2 buttons on the back of mine yet, but by default holding them down and pressing some other face button or D-pad direction will do things like show the desktop or take a screenshot. Iâve accidentally activated these functions more than a couple of times, but YMMV.There are still some bugs here and there. I havenât been able to get the built-in framerate limiter to work for me all the time. But Asus seems to be pushing updates for the Ally almost every week and itâs improved a lot in just the week that Iâve had it. If they keep up with this commitment I think theyâre going to have something really special. Even though itâs technically âbetterâ than the Steam deck in terms of the raw power/performance, itâs hard to ignore the community thatâs come up around the Steam Deck and all of the cool things people have created for it. Iâm hoping something similar will happen with the Ally.Handheld PC gaming is still a world of compromises, but it feels like the Ally strikes a good balance at a great price. I used to try to bust out my gaming laptop on my lunch breaks at work, but pulling it out of its sleeve, clearing a spot on my desk, plugging it in, and hooking up my controller was such a process that it didnât feel worthwhile for the small amount of time I had to play. With the Ally though I can just pull it out and start playing and it feels great.
The ROG Ally is or seems to be light years ahead of any handheld console that I have seen. I own competitor consoles and they have been lack luster. The ROG has solved an age old problem, âHow do I came at high fidelity while preserving some sharp graphics, without burning up my system and allowing it to heat up so quick?âThe solution is that the Ally has dual fans, its light, the new AMD Ryzen Z1 should be used for more consoles if these results can be yielded again.The design is immaculate and everything I wanted. The bright white with the color changing joysticks, the nice black accents and the holographic color stripe on the back is a sweet little pop of color.The image quality and sound again are years ahead. I literally have a laptop that boasts these ... MoreThe ROG Ally is or seems to be light years ahead of any handheld console that I have seen. I own competitor consoles and they have been lack luster. The ROG has solved an age old problem, âHow do I came at high fidelity while preserving some sharp graphics, without burning up my system and allowing it to heat up so quick?âThe solution is that the Ally has dual fans, its light, the new AMD Ryzen Z1 should be used for more consoles if these results can be yielded again.The design is immaculate and everything I wanted. The bright white with the color changing joysticks, the nice black accents and the holographic color stripe on the back is a sweet little pop of color.The image quality and sound again are years ahead. I literally have a laptop that boasts these expensive speakers but the company put them in an awkward spot under the device. The Asus + Ally team really understood the mobile gaming experience and added Dolby Atmos with sound sensing technology so it adapts to your environment.The screen colors are amazing, the crisp picture has captivated me on Fortnite and it being a new season I canât put the Ally down. I have a standard gaming console and now the Allyâs graphics and processor react so much better than my home console it is taking some time to adjust to how quick I can get an elimination! At first I was in awe because it didnât make sense. Now I am just kicking butt and getting those wins!Tonight I played for two hours and the device never got hot, as soon as the battery was depleted I plugged it in and it went into/detected that it could go to max power. So rest assured it can sense and change gaming modes as needed.The Armoury Crate makes it easy to play games from all sorts of platforms using Windows 11 while the competitors try to figure out how to play their own games on their systems.Iâve been an Asus fan for sometime and now I can totally see my family jumping in on the fun.If youâre into gaming, enjoy cutting edge tech, and want to expand how you can play games, then the ROG Ally is for you!
| Screen Size | 7.0 |
