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[Draugoth]

Asus announced that its ROG Ally handheld gaming PC will be released on June 13, and you can pre-order one starting today. It’s launching with AMD’s new Z1 Extreme processor, and a 512 GB SSD for $699.99 — only $50 more than Valve’s most kitted-out Steam Deck. A less powerful version is coming for $599.99 in Q3 2023.

Following the ROG Ally’s slightly misguided debut on April Fool’s Day, of all days, we’ve learned a lot more about how the portable gaming PC will stack up against the Steam Deck, as well as other competing models. Is it worth the price? Check out Chris Plante’s full review to find out.

The pairing of its AMD Z1 Extreme processor and 16 GB of speedy LPDDR5 RAM seem capable of running PC games with fewer visual compromises than what we’ve become accustomed to on the Steam Deck (which itself is no slouch). Not to mention, its 1080p display is a higher resolution, and it doubles the refresh rate — up to 120Hz — for smoother-looking gameplay.

Notably, it has a proprietary slot where you can plug in one of Asus’ capable XG Mobile external GPUs, which is essentially a docking station that’s packed with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 and numerous ports. With that, the graphical bottlenecks will disappear. But in addition to being costly (well over $1,000), using it comes at the expense of portability.

Where can I pre-order the Asus ROG Ally?​

Best Buy is the sole retailer in the U.S. that is accepting pre-orders. You’ll be able to pre-order the $699.99 model online starting today. The Best Buy listing is live for the $599.99 model with the AMD Ryzen Z1 processor and 512 GB of storage, but it won’t ship until Q3 2023. We’ll be keeping an eye out for links at other retailers.

Asus ROG Ally handheld PC​

• $700

 

[Chupanibre]

Should have got Seth Rogan for the launch event.

Missed opportunity.

 

[Abriael_GN]

This looks way better than the Steam Deck. May actually get it.

The only thing I'm iffy about is Armory Crate. It's not exactly the most optimized software. I got an Asus Rog Strix motherboard on my main rig, and Armory Crate got uninstalled instantly.

 

[Imtjnotu]

Battery life is trash but I can deal with that

 

[Warnen]

2hr battery….

 

[HeisenbergFX4]

Ordered

 

[Abriael_GN]

€799 for something that costs $699 in the US. Honestly, F. this shit.

 

[FBeeEye]

This is a must buy. I love where all of this is going.

 

[BeardGawd]

Wait this weighs less than a Steam Deck??

That by default makes this more comfortable! Plus (twice?) The power?

Seems like a no brainer!

 

[j0hnnix]

 

[ThaMonkeyClaw]

I get why you would want the USB C connector on the top, but they should have put the dock connector/USB C on the bottom...then they could have created a docking solution like the Nintendo Switch has where you have all your outputs, etc. on the docking station.

 

[GHG]

This thing is good but it looks like they are making an effort to sell the steam deck short with that chart comparison.

 

[Abriael_GN]

This thing is good but it looks like they are making an effort to sell the steam deck short with that chart comparison.

The Steam Deck's hardware is pretty crap.

 

[BeardGawd]

This thing is good but it looks like they are making an effort to sell the steam deck short with that chart comparison.

How do you mean?

Better screen, better CPU, better GPU, 10% lighter... sure the RAM bandwidth will be a bottleneck but thats a nice upgrade for the price difference.

 

[GHG]

The Steam Deck's hardware is pretty crap.

How do you mean?

Better screen, better CPU, better GPU, 10% lighter... sure the RAM bandwidth will be a bottleneck but thats a nice upgrade for the price difference.

I'm referring to the "programmability" and "extra features" sections. Anyone who has used a Steam Deck will immediately be able to see how much they have omitted and at that point it clearly appears to be intentional.

Charts like this should be factual.

 

[Crayon]

Good price!

No trackpad no buy from me, though. Idk how many people use them but I can't live without them.

 

[Abriael_GN]

I'm referring to the "programmability" and "extra features" sections. Anyone who has used a Steam Deck will immediately be able to see how much they have omitted and at that point it clearly appears to be intentional.

Charts like this should be factual.

Eh, they've likely omitted a lot on both sides.

That this is a superior product to the Steam Deck, it's pretty evident.

 

[Fredrik]

€799 for something that costs $699 in the US. Honestly, F. this shit.

It’s over $900 in Sweden

 

[GHG]

Eh, they've likely omitted a lot on both sides.

That this is a superior product to the Steam Deck, it's pretty evident.

That's not what I'm arguing, and spare me with the "both sides" crap. If they are missing things on the ROG Ally side then they should also be included.

Not sure why you're taking issue with this in all honesty, if IGN want to claim to be a reputable outlet then they should at least get the basics right. Literally every button on the steam deck is programmable, the thumbstick deadzones can be adjusted as can the trigger sensitivity. However the chart they have produced would lead you to believe those things are only possible on the ROG.

 

[KormaChameleon]

UK gaffers, Currys pre-orders may be going live soon. I've also heard that it will be exclusive to Currys.
(Not confirmed fully on exclusivity, I heard that everything is being finalised between the two.)

 

[Lasha]

€799 for something that costs $699 in the US. Honestly, F. this shit.

$700 is ~€640 excl. VAT. Add in 20% VAT and the price is around €770. The difference is basically tax.

 

[Kdad]

That's not what I'm arguing, and spare me with the "both sides" crap. If they are missing things on the ROG Ally side then they should also be included.

Not sure why you're taking issue with this in all honesty, if IGN want to claim to be a reputable outlet then they should at least get the basics right. Literally every button on the steam deck is programmable, the thumbstick deadzones can be adjusted as can the trigger sensitivity. However the chart they have produced would lead you to believe those things are only possible on the ROG.

I think the word you want is exhaustive...not 'factual'....IGN hasn't lied....they haven't listed every feature either.
However, it isn't IGN's job to sell the Steam Deck...that's Valves job.

 

[Abriael_GN]

$700 is ~€640 excl. VAT. Add in 20% VAT and the price is around €770. The difference is basically tax.

€770 and €799 are not the same thing.

 

[Hayabusa83]

This thing looks sleek.

 

[VectorVictor]

€799 for something that costs $699 in the US. Honestly, F. this shit.

Would it be cheaper to have someone in the US buy it for you and then insure/ship it over?

Honest question—not sure how this would work (if it is indeed possible).

 

[GHG]

I think the word you want is exhaustive...not 'factual'....IGN hasn't lied....they haven't listed every feature either.
However, it isn't IGN's job to sell the Steam Deck...that's Valves job.

Not accusing them of lying, they are omitting things from the Steam Deck's feature list that are present on both systems, which is bizarre.

Regarding the bold, it's actually not their job to try and sell any system. So with that in mind, they should attempt to include all the relevant information they can if they are going to go out of their way to create comparison charts like this.

 

[Kdad]

Not accusing them of lying, they are omitting things from the Steam Deck's feature list that are present on both systems, which is bizarre.

Regarding the bold, it's actually not their job to try and sell any system. So with that in mind, they should attempt to include all the relevant information they can if they are going to go out of their way to create comparison charts like this.

"Charts like these should be factual" is what you said in a post....that implies that it isn't...afaik that is the same as saying the chart is lying.
I guess you expect more of IGN than most? They're not Consumer Reports...they're IGN...not sure they've ever had a reputation for thorough trustworthy reviews.

 

[Abriael_GN]

Would it be cheaper to have someone in the US buy it for you and then insure/ship it over?

Honest question—not sure how this would work (if it is indeed possible).

Probably not by much, if any. Shipment costs suck unless you're a big company.

 

[Lasha]

€770 and €799 are not the same thing.

Same ballpark. VAT is 25% in parts of Europe which pushes the price to €800. You'll also have a better return policy and far more consumer rights related to your purchase that an American only gets if they purchase an extended warranty.

 

[Jack Videogames]

This thing is good but it looks like they are making an effort to sell the steam deck short with that chart comparison.

Yep. They've also ommited that the price for their single SKU is more than twice than the price of the Deck's cheapest SKU (in Europe at least) And that it has essentially the same battery than the Deck with higher power consumption so it will evaporate like a fart in the wind.

Getting there, but this is no real competition for the Deck yet.

 

[GHG]

"Charts like these should be factual" is what you said in a post....that implies that it isn't...afaik that is the same as saying the chart is lying.
I guess you expect more of IGN than most? They're not Consumer Reports...they're IGN...not sure they've ever had a reputation for thorough trustworthy reviews.

A chart that states one platform has certain features while omitting the fact that the other platform also has those features is not factual.

This isn't difficult to grasp.

Getting there, but this is no real competition for the Deck yet.

Wouldn't go that far, this is very much competition for anyone who might be considering the top end Steam deck model (will depend on what the person values most in terms of the raw hardware vs usability/features/etc). However, the chart in the OP from IGN doesn't paint the whole picture, far from it in fact.

 

[Jack Videogames]

A chart that states one platform has certain features while omitting the fact that the other platform also has those features is not factual.

This isn't difficult to grasp.



Wouldn't go that far, this is very much competition for anyone who might be considering the top end Steam deck model. However, the chart in the OP from IGN doesn't paint the whole picture, far from it in fact.

I mean, in the eyes of the public this will be an enthusiast tier machine. A good part of the success of the steam deck is that it has a lower priced SKU for the general user.

I can see the ROG doing well amongst gamers but being pretty much ignored by everyone else.

 

[Flutta]

2hr battery….

About the same battery life as my DS controllers.

 

[Abriael_GN]

Same ballpark. VAT is 25% in parts of Europe which pushes the price to €800. You'll also have a better return policy and far more consumer rights related to your purchase that an American only gets if they purchase an extended warranty.

Lol. Tell me you've never built a PC in Europe without telling me you've never built a PC in Europe.

 

[Lasha]

Lol. Tell me you've never built a PC in Europe without telling me you've never built a PC in Europe.

Man straight to the ad hominem. I'll never get why Europeans never see the connection between the standard of living that they dunk on Americans about and higher prices.

 

[rofif]

I absolutely don’t understand the hype for this stuff. Steam deck is only great because of the ecosystem. Its power is meaningless if not for steamos and valve achievements. You can download controls and customise everything easily. Running windows on this stuff is pain.
And I don’t know why anyone needs that much power and heat in Their hands. You are not going to see the details anyway on a small screen and battery will drain.
Honestly, the PlayStation streaming crap might be worth it’s salt if battery lasts long around the house.

 

[Baki]

€770 and €799 are not the same thing.

I think 799 euros is close to parity with the US price considering FX fluctuations and the weak euro. However, whether it's a fair price doesn't matter. If people in EU don't buy the ROG because of price, they will cut the price to shift the units. Consumers have the upper hand here.

 

[DenchDeckard]

I absolutely don’t understand the hype for this stuff. Steam deck is only great because of the ecosystem. Its power is meaningless if not for steamos and valve achievements. You can download controls and customise everything easily. Running windows on this stuff is pain.
And I don’t know why anyone needs that much power and heat in Their hands. You are not going to see the details anyway on a small screen and battery will drain.
Honestly, the PlayStation streaming crap might be worth it’s salt if battery lasts long around the house.

This allows you to run game pass, epic launcher, steam...whatever you want...emulators etc in the palm of your hand.

The demand is just going to get bigger and bigger.

 

[rofif]

This allows you to run game pass, epic launcher, steam...whatever you want...emulators etc in the palm of your hand.

The demand is just going to get bigger and bigger.

This always just sounds better than it is in reality. In reality it will be annoying to run this stuff, you will spend 50 hours setting everything and then never emulate a single game lol.
At least this is my handhelds experience. Steam deck is the best but even it was too much hassle for me. But it’s so good

 

[PsyEd]

Well steamdeck still hasn't officially released in down under...so have no other choice.

 

[Gamer79]

Dead in the Water at that price. The economy is slipping, this will flop.

 

[GHG]

Pretty comprehensive review:

 

[Spukc]

120hz and a 1080p screen is a fucking mistake

 

[DenchDeckard]

This always just sounds better than it is in reality. In reality it will be annoying to run this stuff, you will spend 50 hours setting everything and then never emulate a single game lol.
At least this is my handhelds experience. Steam deck is the best but even it was too much hassle for me. But it’s so good

my steam deck experience was turn it on....sign in...install games...goto desktop mode...run the emudeck...everything installed....

This will be as difficult as operating windows 11. I feel pretty confident I can do that. Lol

 

[rofif]

my steam deck experience was turn it on....sign in...install games...goto desktop mode...run the emudeck...everything installed....

This will be as difficult as operating windows 11. I feel pretty confident I can do that. Lol

It’s a better experience than gaming on windows but a long shot.
I best found myself constant fiddling with controls, hz and fps limit and other settings. You can run all as is and it’s a good experience but you do have to get into all settings for optimised experience

 

[DenchDeckard]

It’s a better experience than gaming on windows but a long shot.
I best found myself constant fiddling with controls, hz and fps limit and other settings. You can run all as is and it’s a good experience but you do have to get into all settings for optimised experience

This with vrr should be pretty damn decent I think

 

[rofif]

This with vrr should be pretty damn decent I think

For sure. Expect for battery. Vrr implies you are running at whole capacity mostly

 

[IFireflyl]

I absolutely don’t understand the hype for this stuff. Steam deck is only great because of the ecosystem. Its power is meaningless if not for steamos and valve achievements. You can download controls and customise everything easily. Running windows on this stuff is pain.
And I don’t know why anyone needs that much power and heat in Their hands. You are not going to see the details anyway on a small screen and battery will drain.
Honestly, the PlayStation streaming crap might be worth it’s salt if battery lasts long around the house.

You have got to be the whiniest PC gamer on this site. You know you are allowed to enjoy things, right?

 

[Perrott]

This looks way better than the Steam Deck. May actually get it.

The only thing I'm iffy about is Armory Crate. It's not exactly the most optimized software. I got an Asus Rog Strix motherboard on my main rig, and Armory Crate got uninstalled instantly.

Does that speak bad of Asus motherboards in any meaningful way? I was looking to buy an AM5 motherboard from them since I thought they were one of the leading brands in PC gaming components, but now I'm not really sure.

 

[Kdad]

Does that speak bad of Asus motherboards in any meaningful way? I was looking to buy an AM5 motherboard from them since I thought they were one of the leading brands in PC gaming components, but now I'm not really sure.