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ASUS ROG ALLY

The ASUS ROG ALLY Handheld Gaming PC.

This is all based on the AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme Processor version.

You already know this, but I wanted to cover it upfront anyway. I am not a professional game reviewer, tech YouTuber, or benchmarking mad scientist. I am just a person who likes to play some games, and every once in a while, likes to do that away from the computer/consoles.

Unboxing and Setup

  • Using Windows is just not fun. I highly suggest compartmentalizing this device’s setup process from the actual playing games part. This ensures the former does not taint the latter.
  • Lots of standard Windows crap to uninstall and delete. Microsoft Office. Really?
  • Windows Updates until you die.
  • The box contains the device and charger. End.

General Hardware

  • I appreciate the charger being on the top, as that tends to be a better location when plugged in and playing. It might be nice to have some kind of pins or something that would allow this to be set in a dock to charge when not in use so you can grab and go.
  • The screen is really nice!
  • The audio quality is good too.
  • Control sticks and buttons feel good. I like the placement of the offset joysticks on this device versus the aligned set on the Steamdeck.
  • It has a fingerprint reader to log in, which is nice. However, the setup was meh at best, and using it doesn’t even feel close to as invisible as using something like Touch ID on an iPad or Mac.
  • The system case is all plastic except for the nice glass screen. No issue here; just pointing it out. It keeps the unit light and doesn’t have any noticeable flex to it. All around solid feeling.
  • Max resolution is 1080p, which is great considering the screen size, 4k would have no appreciable benefit and would only waste GPU. You can also drop down to 720p if you are playing something, particularly demanding. Even at 720p, it still looks really nice.

General Software

  • Again, it’s Windows, so you must deal with all the “features” that come as part of Windows.
  • A “helper” app called Armory Cart SE is meant to be a central hub for launching all your games. It works fine, but I don’t really know if it saves time.

Installing Games

  • Game catalogs I have installed
    • Steam (Big Picture Mode): Feels very good on this device, like it was made for it. This makes sense to me because the Steamdeck is similar in form factor.
    • Epic: Standard Windows application experience. Nothing special, but it works fine. Nothing to really worry about as this is just to install the games. As long as it does that, job done.
    • Battle.net: Standard Windows application experience. Nothing special, but it works fine. Nothing to really worry about as this is just to install the games. As long as it does that, job done.
    • GOG: Standard Windows application experience. Nothing special, but it works fine. Nothing to really worry about as this is just to install the games. As long as it does that, job done.
    • Xbox Game Pass: Standard Windows application experience. Nothing special, but it works fine. Nothing to really worry about as this is just to install the games. As long as it does that, job done. Be sure to enable offline mode for games so you can play them while not on WiFi!

Games I have tried out on the Ally

  • Forza Horizon 5
  • Diablo IV
  • Team Fortress Classic
  • Overwatch 2
  • Command & Conquer: Remastered
  • Minecraft
  • Minecraft Legends
  • Minecraft Dungeons
  • Team Fortress 2
  • Fortnite
  • Rocket League
  • Sniper Elite 5
  • Slime Rancher 2

I was 50/50 when I purchased this device if it would make the cut or get returned. I am now 2 full weeks into it, and barring anything catastrophic that might pop up, I am happy to keep playing on this handheld for many more weeks into the future.

I can’t cover everything. If you have a question or are curious about something I didn’t touch on, send me a message, and I’ll see about answering it!