ROG Ally: The 'Steam Deck' from ASUS.
The handheld from ASUS will cost $699.99 in America, and €799 in Europe.
ASUS recently showcased its portable gaming handheld, the ROG Ally. To give you a bit of context, ROG stands for Republic of Gamers); it is ASUS's 'gaming division', they fabricate hardware with gaming, overclocking, and high performance in mind.
The ROG Ally can compete neck to neck with the Steam Deck. It is a good proposal; however, some people might stay away from becoming early adopters due to the hardware and software maturity level.
Here is the trailer from ROG Global YouTube Channel.
As you can see, the ROG Ally has been in development for years, and ASUS certainly took the Steam Deck concept, and improved upon it.
Instant access to all your PC gaming library
ROG Ally is a Windows gaming handheld that will allow you to play your entire PC gaming library. In today's day and age, all your PC gaming library is scattered through many platforms like Steam, Epic Games Launcher, Ubisoft Connect, Xbox and EA App, etc. It is quite convenient to have a system that will instantly provide us with access to our games in a Direct X environment.
Custom-made AMD Ryzen APU
The handheld features a custom-made AMD Ryzen APU. APU stands for Accelerated Processing Unit; it is basically a processor (CPU) and graphics card (GPU) put together. This solution is implemented in the Steam Deck, and Nintendo Switch as well.
The ROG Ally will have two hardware versions: one will come with the AMD Ryzen Z1, and the other with the Ryzen Z1 Extreme.
Here is a processor comparison between the 'Extreme' and 'Base' models.
Dual gaming with TV & Handheld mode
You can play the console on the go, or hooked to a TV or monitor, very much like the Nintendo Switch. This is such an underrated feature, especially if you play RPG games like Stardew Valley, Final Fantasy, and other titles best enjoyed in the comfort of your couch, or bed.
When playing TV mode, you can connect the ROG Ally to the ROG XG Mobile e-GPU. This device is a portable graphics card; however, its price tag can be too steep for its purpose. The RTX 3080 version will set you back $1,499, while its AMD equivalent (RX 6850M) is $100 less. You don't need the XG Mobile to play in TV mode.
If money is not an issue, and you can afford this device, then it is a great feature to have; however, for that price, why not go for a gaming PC or laptop from the get-go?
Silent gaming
It features a dual fan for improved cooling. Now you won't be embarrassed to get your handheld out and get the stink eye because it suddenly started sounding like a jumbo jet. ROG Intelligent Cooling allows you to play for long sessions without the console feeling too hot to handle, and its silent dual fans will keep the console quiet, even during heavy, triple A gaming sessions.
Full HD 120 Hz backlight screen
It features a 120Hz 1080p display. This is quite an improvement over the Steam Deck, especially the refresh rate. It is going to be crucial for shooters like Fortnite or Apex Legends. Let's hope the APU is capable enough to boost up the frame rate to match the display's refresh rate.
Another thing to point out is that the Ally has a 7-inch screen like the Steam Deck; the difference is that the Ally's screen has 500 nits which is brighter, the Steam Deck has 400. A curious thing to point out is that the aspect ratio on the Ally is 16:9, while on the Deck is 16:10.
The backlight screen makes the console truly portable. You will not be limited to indoor gaming. Playing in the park on a sunny day is now a reality with its backlight screen.
Quality of life features
The Ally has a feature called the Armory Crate which unifies your gaming library into one convenient place. The app goes beyond being a glorified library, you can save different button mapping and settings, depending on the game. This is something that adds tremendous quality of life features to the handheld.
Using different button configurations is a feature that dedicated gamers really take advantage of. It truly shows the meticulous design process that ROG Ally has been through. Changing the game's settings and having access to the game's media gallery are other features present in the Armory Crate. Being able to access your screenshots and clips is a great feature. Let's see if the app lets you pair accounts like Twitter or Instagram.
The ROG Ally is available for pre-order on Best Buy and will include three months of Game Pass Ultimate.
On the meantime you can check Dave2D's technical review:
ROG Ally vs Steam Deck
The ROG Ally features two models. The base model, which is priced at $599.99, and an 'Extreme' model that has a better processor and more storage, priced at $699.99. Every other spec is exactly the same between the two models, even the battery.
It is expected that the higher clock and more cores will drain the 40WHrs, 4S1P, 4-cell Li-ion battery faster in the 'Extreme' model, however you can plug in the console via USB C to keep playing your games with better performance.
Its power supply is a TYPE-C, 65W AC Adapter that can output: 20V DC, 3.25A, 65W, and its input is a universal 100~240V AC 50/60Hz plug.
The price difference between the 'base' 256GB models is $70, and between the top-of-the-line models is $50. The ROG Ally has a very competitive price for both models and the hardware is significantly better.
The 'Base' model will be available later during the year, and it is not yet available for pre-order. The $100 difference might be imperceptible in terms of performance with non-demanding games. The big difference is storage; if you plan to fill up your Ally with hefty, Triple A games, then you should go for the 'Extreme' model.
It is very tempting to start installing a lot of games since you get Xbox Game Pass Ultimate included for 3 months. At the moment, this is the best subscription service available for gamers. Not only do you get to play Xbox games from the get-go; you also get access to EA Play, and Ubisoft+.
The ROG Ally 'Base' model is comparable to the mid-tier Steam Deck with 256GB of storage, while the 'Extreme model is comparable to the top-tier Deck with 512GB of storage. All of the models feature a PCIe® 4.0 NVMe™ M.2 SSD.
As we can see, ROG Ally's price is extremely competitive. As mentioned above, a mere $50 difference between their premium models will definitely get you thinking.
The base model with the AMD Z1 and 256GB of storage will cost 599.99, and the 'Extreme' version of the handheld costs 699.99 and has the AMD Z1 'Extreme' and 512GB of storage.
ASUS is known for having great products and great prices; however, you can find occasional exceptions like the ROG XG Mobile e-GPU which is just too steep. The Ally's features are certainly premium; its gaming-oriented screen and custom APU makes the product slightly pricier than a Steam Deck, but the difference is minimal.
[Source: ROG Global, Dave2D]
