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Asus, a renowned name in the world of PC hardware, has ventured into the handheld gaming realm with their latest offering – the Asus ROG Ally. With this, Asus is poised to reshape the handheld gaming PC landscape while bringing PC gaming to the mainstream audience. This article will unravel the intricacies of this handheld gaming PC and evaluate its potential to steer the future of PC gaming.
Asus ROG Ally: A Handheld Gaming Powerhouse
The Asus ROG Ally, with its unapologetic gamer-centric design and impressive features, is a true testament to Asus’s commitment to providing innovative gaming solutions. The device’s sharp corners, speaker grilles cut at acute angles, and RGB elements all signal its gaming pedigree.
Design & Build Quality
The ROG Ally is a beautifully designed device that screams gaming. The device’s design is characterized by dual analog sticks, RGB rings, and holographic stickers featuring the ROG logo. Asus has been careful to ensure that the design is not too aggressive, keeping the corners soft to ensure user comfort.
The build quality of the device is a testament to Asus’s commitment to quality. The device’s sturdy feel and lack of flex or creaking noises suggest a well-constructed piece of hardware.
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Specifications
The ROG Ally is powered by the Z1 Extreme APU, which includes an eight-core Zen 4 CPU and a 12-CU Radeon 780m iGPU based on the RDNA 3 architecture. The device comes with a 512GB NVMe SSD and 16GB of dual-channel memory running at 6400MT/s.
Ergonomics & Usability
The Asus ROG Ally is designed to ensure user comfort during extended gaming sessions. Despite its sharp edges, the device is comfortable to hold and does not cause any discomfort during prolonged use.
Controls & Inputs
The Asus ROG Ally comes equipped with a variety of controls and inputs, including dual analog sticks, four face buttons, start and select buttons, and a pair of shoulder buttons on each side. While these controls are generally of good quality, some users may find the placement of the two paddle buttons at the bottom of the device to be less than ideal.
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Performance & Thermals
The performance of the Asus ROG Ally is impressive, thanks to the AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme APU. The device is capable of running demanding games at 1080p with relative ease. However, the device does have some thermal limitations, which can cause the device to heat up during intense gaming sessions.
Display & Audio
The 7-inch, 1080p IPS display on the ROG Ally is one of the device’s standout features. The display offers vibrant, punchy colors and is incredibly bright. The speakers on the device are also quite impressive, providing clear and loud audio.
Software & Functionality
The ROG Ally runs on Windows 11, which is not the most optimized operating system for handheld devices. Asus has tried to alleviate some of these issues by including a variety of software features, such as Armory Crate, which allows users to tweak a variety of settings.
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Battery Life
The 40Wh battery within the ROG Ally is adequate but not particularly impressive. Depending on the power mode used, users can expect around 2-3 hours of gaming on a single charge.
SD Card Reader Issues
One significant issue that has been reported by several users is the SD card reader, which has been known to corrupt or even destroy memory cards. Asus has acknowledged the issue and released a BIOS update to try and mitigate the issue, but problems persist.
Asus ROG Ally vs. Steam Deck
When compared to Valve’s Steam Deck, the Asus ROG Ally holds its own. While the Steam Deck has better ergonomics and controls, the ROG Ally has superior performance, display, and audio. However, the Steam Deck has better battery life and a more optimized operating system for handheld devices.
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Conclusion
The Asus ROG Ally is a powerful handheld gaming PC that offers impressive performance and features. However, it is not without its flaws. The SD card reader issues and the less-than-optimized operating system are significant drawbacks. Despite these issues, the ROG Ally is a promising device that suggests a bright future for handheld gaming PCs.
Overall, if you’re looking for a powerful handheld gaming device and are willing to overlook some of its shortcomings, the Asus ROG Ally is certainly worth considering.
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