Asus ROG Ally Review : Handheld Powerhouse or Missed Chance?
Is It A Game-Changer or a Missed Opportunity?
The gaming industry is evolving rapidly, and handheld gaming PCs have become the next big thing. Asus, a brand well-known for its gaming hardware, stepped into the handheld market with the ROG Ally.
Promising high performance, portability, and an immersive gaming experience, the ROG Ally directly competes with devices like the Steam Deck. Let’s take a deep dive into the device, explore its strengths and weaknesses, and determine whether it’s a hit or a flop.
Why You Should Try the Asus ROG Ally?
The ROG Ally could be a viable option for gamers for a plethora of reasons. Here are five reasons justifying that :
Strong Performance
The Asus ROG Ally boasts an AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme processor, complimented by an RDNA 3 GPU and 16GB LPDDR5 RAM, thus providing excellent performance anywhere, even for a handheld. It plays modern AAA titles with smoothness, whether you are playing AAA RPGs, high-paced FPS arena shooters, or indie treasure hunts; there just won't be any hiccups-all smooth sailing.
Beautiful Screens
While the screens on the Steam Deck top out at around 800p, the ROG Ally features a 7-inch 1080p Full HD display with an astounding refresh rate of 120Hz. This translates into crisp visuals with buttery smooth gameplay, ensuring that the gaming experience stands on a pedestal-with particular reference to fast-paced action titles.
Features Windows 11
Another trump card of the ROG Ally in the whole portfolio is that it's running Windows 11, allowing one to run Steam, Xbox Game Pass, Epic Games, etc., with no restrictions. This increases the versatility of the device compared to its competitors, which are bound to a single ecosystem.
Incredible Ergonomics
The ergonomics of the ROG Ally have also been well thought out. It's lightweight, employs a comfy grip, and it has an intuitive button layout that keeps long gaming sessions enjoyable.
Expandable Storage and Accessories
512GB SSD storage capable of microSD expansion provides the end user sufficient room for games. For added incentive, Asus has the XG Mobile eGPU that connects ROG Ally to an external GPU for desktop-like performance.
How This Gaming Device Is Lacking?
There are the cons of the ROG Ally that are really worth considering.
Bad Battery Backup
Battery life is disappointing. The opposing devices like the Steam Deck will give you 2-8 hours of usage depending upon the game. The ROG Ally, on the other hand, battles with a 2-3-hour time frame at best, which is not very helpful in carrying into long gaming on the go.
Not Optimized for Windows 11
Though it's supposed to be great with Windows 11 support, the OS is hardly optimized for handheld devices. Because of constant updates and background processes, as well as scaling issues in the user interface, the experience can be very glitchy. Windows navigation with no keyboard and mouse, according to gamers, is quite horrible.
Restricted Game Compatibility and Software Problems
Windows, unlike Steam Deck's SteamOS that is specifically created for handheld gaming, it does not offer game compatibility and optimization at all. Most, if not all, games are bad to some degree when performing, and some require tweaking just to work at all. Added to this is the fact that Asus's Armoury Crate SE software, intended to have one-up for archiving picked-out games and performance settings from the rest, tends to be pretty dodgy.
Overheat and Noise from Fan
The design of the ROG Ally leaves little room for consideration in terms of heat dissipation because the device heats up greatly under extremely heavy loads and has now become so loud with its terrific noise from the cooling fans that some might even find it a bit much.
The Asus ROG Ally is a mixed bag. It is a technological marvel, because it brings high-end PC gaming into a portable form. Yet it is plagued by some basic issues, battery life and software optimization among them.
- Hardcore gamers who demand high portable power while running Windows will find a worthy candidate in the ROG Ally. It integrates the perfect looks, controls, and an extensive library of PC games.
- For casual gamers who are battery-conscious, efficient, and easygoing, a Steam Deck might prove to be a more competent deal thanks to better software integration and battery.
In all fairness, ROG Ally is not a total fiasco, but nor is it a resounding success. It could still get better by virtue of new firmware and upcoming series, but for now, it sits somewhere in between.
Conclusion
As far as handheld gaming PCs are concerned, the Asus ROG Ally is an exciting attempt at its renaissance-but not without its rough edges. Great hardware, an excellent display, and Windows 11 support make it tempting, but battery life, software glitches, and heating issues drag it down from greatness.
If you're looking for a handheld gaming PC that can replace your laptop for lighter chores and gaming, consider the ROG Ally. If, on the other hand, you're looking for a more polished and stable handheld experience, perhaps you will want to see some improvements in future models.
