Price When Reviewed

$699

Best Prices Today: Asus ROG Ally

$699.99

Handheld consoles have been round because the late Nineteen Eighties, but it surely lately looks like we’ve entered a brand new period with residence console gaming coming to transportable units.

From the Nintendo Switch being the one practical choice for such handheld high quality a couple of years in the past, we now have credible opponents from the likes of Valve, Logitech and Onex. These are consoles that don’t play conventional bodily recreation cartridges, playing cards, or discs, however as a substitute stream or obtain video games from companies equivalent to Steam or Xbox Game Pass.

But with the ROG Ally, Asus desires to take issues to the following degree. Unlike rivals, it runs a full model of Windows 11, which means you’ll be able to play the identical vary of video games as any PC. Alongside devoted AMD flagship processors and a 120Hz show, Asus means enterprise. 

But does it dwell as much as the hype, and extra importantly, that top value? I imagine so, however provided that you’re prepared to completely embrace the hand-held kind issue and its compromises.

This evaluate initially appeared on TechAdvisor.com.

Design & construct

• Premium however cumbersome design
• Impressive Xbox-style controls
• Good vary of ports

The ROG Ally is an actual assertion of intent from Asus, and that begins with design. It’s a cumbersome, imposing machine with a particular gaming aesthetic, but nonetheless feels slick sufficient to have mainstream attraction. I’m not massively into trendy gamer aesthetics, however haven’t any situation utilizing this in public. 

A fairly gentle weight of 608g and thickness of 21.2mm are a giant promoting level of the Ally, which means you’ll be able to take it nearly wherever with you. For context, that’s thinner and lighter than the Valve Steam Deck, regardless of each units having a 7in show. 

But crucially for such an costly machine, the premium feel and look isn’t compromised to get there. The white end received’t be to everybody’s tastes, however I really feel it contributes to a design that’s modern and trendy. If you’ve used the white Nintendo Switch OLED, you’ll know what I imply. 

Anyron Copeman / Foundry

As good because it seems to be, although, an alternate color choice would’ve been good. Unlike with telephones, you’ll be able to’t simply cowl it up with a case right here. However, the machine does a superb job of avoiding choosing up seen filth marks, one thing I used to be involved about. Your fingers can get sweaty whereas enjoying, but it surely received’t present. 

While the design of the Ally is pretty generic, Asus has nonetheless managed to place its personal stamp on the machine. Small ROG-specific touches will be discovered throughout the machine, from a big brand on the again to RGB lighting round each joysticks. The latter can shortly turn out to be annoying, significantly when you go away it on the default ‘rainbow’ mode, however this may simply be customised or turned off altogether. 

The joysticks themselves are the place my thumbs naturally relaxation, providing a snug expertise. My solely criticism is the shortage of padding, which might turn out to be uncomfortable when making a number of fast actions. 

Anyron Copeman / Foundry

Asus has opted for Xbox-style ABXY buttons within the top-right nook, plus a directional pad diagonally reverse. Both are clicky and responsive, making them straightforward to press irrespective of the sport.

Triggers and bumpers on the highest of the Ally are simply nearly as good, however Asus has added a couple of additional bodily buttons of its personal. The most notable are two on the again of the machine, which the corporate is looking ‘Macro 1’ and ‘Macro 2’.  While not related in lots of video games, one-tap entry to features of your alternative could make a giant distinction in some titles. It’s actually a pleasant choice to have.  

Shortcuts to the View, Command Center, Armoury Crate and Menu sections on the entrance of the machine are extra mundane, however nonetheless value having. Combined, the bodily buttons and joysticks ship a extra convincing expertise than even a devoted controller.

At the highest, the facility button doubles as a fingerprint sensor, which is a cool addition. It’s fairly small, however nonetheless comparatively quick and dependable. Next to it, you’ll discover quantity controls and a surprisingly good port choice.

Alongside a USB-C port for charging, you get a microSD slot for expandable storage, a 3.5mm audio jack, and devoted connector for ROG XG Mobile, Asus’ exterior GPU system. 

Anyron Copeman / Foundry

The latter can supposedly ship a giant enhance to the already glorious efficiency, however I wasn’t despatched one to check out. It additionally prices properly over $1,000/£1,000 and makes the Ally a lot much less transportable. For the overwhelming majority of individuals, it’s completely pointless. 

Screen & audio system

• 7in, Full HD show
• 120Hz refresh fee
• Impressive twin audio system

The show on the ROG Ally is one among its key strengths. It’s a 7in, Full HD (1920×1080) IPS touchscreen, full with Gorilla Glass Victus for additional sturdiness. That decision offers it a traditional 16:9 facet ratio, which means nearly all video games can run natively. 

It’s an actual step up from the Steam Deck and Nintendo Switch OLED, that are each restricted to 720p output. You additionally get a 120Hz refresh fee on the Ally, relatively than the usual 60Hz on the opposite units. 

With all that in thoughts, it’ll come as no shock to study that the show here’s a pleasure to make use of. Gameplay seems to be excellent, with wealthy, vibrant colors and plenty of element. On a display screen of this measurement, you actually don’t want a better decision. 

Anyron Copeman / Foundry

When loading up a recreation for the primary time, I used to be genuinely shocked by how good the display screen appeared. It’s not fairly high-end PC or TV console degree, but it surely’s not far off. This is a premium show.

Prior to testing, I used to be involved about how the LCD panel right here would evaluate to OLED. But darker colors and distinction are nonetheless spectacular on the ROG Ally, and it doesn’t really feel such as you’re lacking out.  

The show’s 7ms response time isn’t the best by PC gaming requirements, however there was no noticeable enter lag whereas enjoying. Only avid avid gamers will observe any distinction in comparison with extra responsive screens.

Given how transportable the Ally is, you would possibly need to use it exterior. A most brightness of 502 nits signifies that’s very a lot potential. 

My solely criticism right here is the bezels, that are a lot thicker than they should be. There’s a ROG brand beneath the display screen, however no webcam on the prime – there’s no digicam in any respect. This is a disgrace. Unlike a pill, there’s loads of area to comfortably maintain the machine already, so Asus has no actual excuse for not squeezing one in.

However, the ROG Ally does profit from twin stereo audio system, which emit sound from each the back and front of the machine. The room-filling audio they supply is stable, contemplating the dimensions of the machine, with a formidable depth to music and sound results. 

Anyron Copeman / Foundry

In-game character voices sound crystal-clear too, although an additional hit of bass and better max quantity could be good. For the very best expertise, you’ll nonetheless want to attach headphones – whether or not they’re wired (by way of the three.5mm jack) or wi-fi (by way of Bluetooth).

Specs & gaming efficiency

• AMD Ryzen Z1 and Radeon graphics
• Superb, console-level efficiency
• Limited storage, however microSD growth

Asus has made a giant deal of the efficiency talents of the ROG Ally, and it’s straightforward to see why. 

The machine is powered by the Ryzen Z1 Series, new AMD chips which are particularly designed for handheld consoles. Asus claims each Ryzen Z1 and Z1 Extreme fashions provide flagship-level efficiency, however solely the latter is coming to the UK – it’s the model I’ve been testing. 

Anyron Copeman / Foundry

While built-in AMD Radeon graphics and 16GB of DDR5 RAM (on each fashions) doesn’t sound significantly spectacular, the outcomes are. Performance is superb, and consistent with cheap gaming laptops within the £600-£800 value vary – because the benchmarks beneath present:

Crucially, that’s mirrored in real-world utilization. I attempted a number of the most demanding PC video games you’ll be able to play, throughout three of the most well-liked platforms: Xbox Game Pass, EA Play and Steam. Everything runs very easily at 1080p, with gameplay wanting excellent on the ROG Ally’s glorious show. 

It’s not fairly nearly as good as a full PC gaming rig or next-gen console, however you received’t be dissatisfied by the efficiency on provide right here. There aren’t any noticeable dropped frames, even throughout fast-paced motion video games. According to Asus, a June 2023 replace supposedly will increase framerates by round 10-20%, boosting efficiency even additional.

Hesitations and lag aren’t a difficulty whereas enjoying video games, and bugs elsewhere appear associated to software program relatively than {hardware}. I extremely doubt extra energy would change something, and it’s value placing up with them for the excellent in-game efficiency.

One characteristic which might typically be neglected is the vibration motor. It’s glorious right here, providing delicate suggestions that actually enhances the gaming expertise. 

After solely a few minutes of enjoying, there was a noticeable build-up of warmth. But the superior cooling system means the Ally solely ever will get heat to the contact, with each followers on the again of the machine the place they received’t be coated by your fingers. Even when in full stream, they don’t get too loud – Asus claims a most of simply 20dB. 

Unlike the Nintendo Switch, it’s important to maintain the ROG Ally in a single piece always. The controllers aren’t removable, though you do have the choice to attach it to a TV or monitor by way of HDMI. 

It works seamlessly, with nice image high quality and no drop in efficiency. But the characteristic depends on the ROG Gaming Charger Dock, which prices £60 additional within the UK. Simply together with an HDMI port on the machine itself would’ve solved this drawback. 

In phrases of connectivity, the ROG Ally options each Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2. There’s no mobile connectivity, but it surely’s straightforward to hotspot out of your telephone whereas out and about. This isn’t a good way to recreation although, as hotspotting to a telephone shouldn’t be a quick technique to stream video games and isn’t a way I like to recommend counting on. If you need to stream video games, that is solely realistically potential on good Wi-Fi.

The upcoming Android-based Razer Edge has a 5G choice, however that machine is far much less highly effective than the ROG Ally.

The ROG Ally Z1 model features a 256GB SSD, whereas the Z1 Extreme mannequin I examined will increase that to 512GB. But with round 54GB taken up by Windows system information, it doesn’t go away a lot room for video games.

Even with solely 5 video games put in, I bought a pop-up message saying inadequate storage when attempting to obtain a sixth. Most titles I performed, together with FIFA 22, F1 22 and Call of Duty: Warzone, had been between 50-100GB. But some – equivalent to Forza Horizon 5 – had been considerably greater. 

Anyron Copeman / Foundry

Thankfully, the storage capability will be expanded by way of microSD, but it surely’s one other separate buy. 

Software

• Runs Windows 11 Home
• Access to full vary of PC video games
• Lots of software program bugs

A key benefit of the ROG Ally in comparison with different handheld consoles is software program. It runs a full model of Windows 11 Home, which means you may have full entry to the identical vary of video games as a PC. You can use a number of totally different recreation companies, and also you aren’t tied to at least one firm’s.

The nice benefit of the ROG Ally is you’ll be able to stream video games when you go by way of a cloud gaming service, or play utilizing on-device downloads. It’s finest with the latter, however having the choice is a luxurious.

Whether you employ Steam, Xbox Game Pass, the Epic Games Store or perhaps a cloud gaming service, they’ll all work on the ROG Ally. All your downloaded video games will be accessed by way of the Armoury Crate SE app, which opens by default whenever you activate the machine.

It acts as a easy app launcher, but in addition a hub for the intensive customisation choices obtainable. You can regulate controls, efficiency, lighting, show and audio, most of which will also be accessed by way of the devoted Command Center button mid-game.

Anyron Copeman / Foundry

You will want to verify the gamepad is chosen for a lot of video games, with keyboard and mouse usually set because the default. But altering all these settings feels slick and intuitive. 

Sadly, the identical can’t be mentioned for the remainder of the Windows 11 expertise. Microsoft’s working system isn’t optimised to run on any such {hardware}, and it reveals.  

I bumped into dozens of bugs and points throughout my testing time, from app crashes and stuttering to video games that merely refused to show in full display screen. On a few events, the display screen wouldn’t activate in any respect. 

All of those had been resolved inside a few minutes, but it surely’s irritating to come across them so steadily. As good because the gaming is, software program bugs seem like half and parcel of the ROG Ally expertise at launch. I may repair each bug by closing or minimising different apps and restarting software program, but it surely was very irritating.

But the advantages of Windows 11 can nearly outweigh the drawbacks. You will simply should be affected person when loading video games, although.

Battery life & charging

• 40Wh battery
• Less than two hours of gaming per cost
• Fast 65W charging

Battery life is the largest cause to not purchase the ROG Ally. It has a 40Wh cell, however clearly that’s not large enough for 1080p gaming on a 120Hz show.  

I absolutely charged the machine earlier than every gaming session, but would at all times hit 0% in lower than two hours. It didn’t matter which recreation I performed – all AAA titles deplete the battery extraordinarily shortly.

This is considerably to be anticipated given the dimensions of the battery and the facility wanted to drive PC-level gaming. But this console can’t even final a brief haul flight earlier than needing a cost, which defeats the purpose – and the enjoyment – if gaming on the go.

Anyron Copeman / Foundry

The Nintendo Switch can hit about six hours at finest, which is significantly better. Granted, these video games are less complicated and never PC-level, however if you need true portability then that is the place the compromise appears to be in the intervening time for such consoles; less complicated video games with good battery life, or PC-level video games with horrible battery life.

A 720p video loop check at 120 nits of brightness isn’t significantly related right here, however a time of simply 5 hours is properly behind any Windows laptop computer we’ve reviewed. Having to fret about battery life a lot relatively defeats the purpose of a conveyable console. A June 2023 replace supposedly improves it by round 10-20% in comparison with after I reviewed the machine, but it surely doesn’t cease battery life from being a key weak point.

Of course, there are issues you are able to do to delay it. Dropping all the way down to 720p gameplay or 60Hz refresh fee will imply the ROG Ally lasts longer, as will decreasing the brightness. But the gaming expertise is nowhere close to nearly as good whenever you scale back these settings.

At least charging speeds are respectable. The 65W adapter included within the field can cost the Ally to 54% in half-hour and 89% in 1 hour, with a full cost taking round 1 hour 45 minutes. 

But when the battery lasts about the identical size of time it takes to cost, that is scant comfort. As is enjoying the factor continually plugged into the mains, which is feasible.

Price & availability

Poor battery life may not be a dealbreaker for you, however the value of the ROG Ally may very well be. 

The Z1 Extreme mannequin with 512GB SSD that I examined will set you again $699/£699, and it’s on sale now. In the US, you should buy one direct from Asus and Best Buy. In the UK, it’s Asus or Currys.

All purchases embrace 90 days of free Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, after which it prices $14.99/£10.99 monthly. 

An everyday Z1 model with a 256GB SSD will value $599.99, though this mannequin marked as ‘Coming Soon’ at Best Buy. It’s anticipated someday in Q3 (July-September) within the US, however there’s no phrase on when (or if) it’ll arrive within the UK or mainland Europe.

Both fashions are considerably dearer than the $399/£349 beginning value of the Steam Deck, though there are dearer fashions. The Nintendo Switch OLED ($349.99/£349.99) is cheaper nonetheless.  

There are different inexpensive choices value contemplating, though none can match the efficiency and have set of the ROG Ally. It simply comes down as to whether you’re prepared to pay the premium for it. 

Verdict

With the ROG Ally, Asus has taken handheld console gaming to the following degree, however with it highlighted the compromises nonetheless wanted within the class.

Dedicated AMD CPUs ship top-tier efficiency throughout all essentially the most demanding video games, whereas the 120Hz touchscreen is a pleasure to behold. Xbox-style controls are acquainted and simple to make use of, even when they’ll’t be indifferent. 

The machine is comparatively gentle and comfy to carry, whereas Windows 11 means you may have entry to the complete vary of PC video games. However, the overall software program expertise is buggy at occasions, and battery life is horrible. 

Are you prepared to place up with these compromises at this value? That’s all the way down to you. The ROG Ally, regardless of these downsides, is likely one of the finest handheld gaming consoles you should buy.

Specs

• AMD Ryzen Z1/Z1 Extreme processor
• AMD Radeon Graphics 
• 16GB LPDDR5 RAM 
• 256/512GB SSD 
• Micro-SD card slot 
• ROG XG Mobile port 
• USB-C port 
• 3.5mm audio jack 
• 7in 1920×1080 show, 120Hz 
• Wi-Fi 6E 
• Bluetooth 5.2 
• 40Wh battery 
• 65W quick charging 
• 280.4 x 111.2 x 21.2mm 
• 608g