Asus ROG Ally Review: Powerful Compromise

Worth When Reviewed

$699

Finest Costs At present: Asus ROG Ally

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

From the Nintendo Swap being the one life like possibility for such handheld high quality a couple of years in the past, we now have credible rivals from the likes of Valve, Logitech and Onex. These are consoles that don’t play conventional bodily sport cartridges, playing cards, or discs, however as a substitute stream or obtain video games from companies reminiscent of Steam or Xbox Recreation Go.

However with the ROG Ally, Asus desires to take issues to the subsequent stage. In contrast to rivals, it runs a full model of Home windows 11, that means you may play the identical vary of video games as any PC. Alongside devoted AMD flagship processors and a 120Hz show, Asus means enterprise. 

However does it reside as much as the hype, and extra importantly, that prime value? I imagine so, however provided that you’re keen to totally embrace the hand-held kind issue and its compromises.

Design & construct

• Premium however cumbersome design
• Spectacular 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 vastly into fashionable gamer aesthetics, however don’t have any subject utilizing this in public. 

A fairly mild weight of 608g and thickness of 21.2mm are an enormous promoting level of the Ally, that means you may 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. 

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

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Nearly as good because it appears to be like, although, another color possibility would’ve been good. In contrast to with telephones, you may’t simply cowl it up with a case right here. Nevertheless, the machine does a great job of avoiding selecting up seen grime marks, one thing I used to be involved about. Your fingers can get sweaty whereas taking part in, nevertheless it gained’t present. 

Whereas 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 rapidly grow to be annoying, notably should you go away it on the default ‘rainbow’ mode, however this could simply be customised or turned off altogether. 

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

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

Triggers and bumpers on the highest of the Ally are simply pretty much as good, however Asus has added a couple of further bodily buttons of its personal. Essentially the most notable are two on the again of the machine, which the corporate is asking ‘Macro 1’ and ‘Macro 2’.  Whereas not related in lots of video games, one-tap entry to capabilities of your selection could make an enormous distinction in some titles. It’s definitely a pleasant choice to have.  

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

On the high, the facility button doubles as a fingerprint sensor, which is a cool addition. It’s fairly small, however nonetheless comparatively quick and dependable. Subsequent 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 Cell, Asus’ exterior GPU system. 

Anyron Copeman / Foundry

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

Display & audio system

• 7in, Full HD show
• 120Hz refresh charge
• Spectacular twin audio system

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

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

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

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When loading up a sport for the primary time, I used to be genuinely shocked by how good the display regarded. It’s not fairly high-end PC or TV console stage, nevertheless it’s not far off. This can be a premium show.

Previous to testing, I used to be involved about how the LCD panel right here would evaluate to OLED. However 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 in fashionable gaming, however you solely have to make use of the touchscreen to enter textual content and cargo up video games, so it doesn’t negatively have an effect on gameplay.

Given how transportable the Ally is, you may wish to use it outdoors. A most brightness of 502 nits signifies that’s very a lot doable. 

My solely grievance right here is the bezels, that are a lot thicker than they should be. There’s a ROG brand beneath the display, however no webcam on the high – there’s no digital camera in any respect. This can be a disgrace. In contrast to a pill, there’s loads of house to comfortably maintain the machine already, so Asus has no actual excuse for not squeezing one in.

Nevertheless, 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 scale of the machine, with a powerful depth to music and sound results. 

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

Specs & gaming efficiency

• AMD Ryzen Z1 and Radeon graphics
• Very good, console-level efficiency
• Restricted storage, however microSD enlargement

Asus has made an enormous deal of the efficiency talents of the ROG Ally, and it’s simple to see why. 

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

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Whereas built-in AMD Radeon graphics and 16GB of DDR5 RAM (on each fashions) doesn’t sound notably spectacular, the outcomes are. Efficiency is great, and in step with low-cost gaming laptops within the £600-£800 value vary – because the benchmarks beneath present:

Crucially, that’s mirrored in real-world utilization. I attempted a few of the most demanding PC video games you may play, throughout three of the most well-liked platforms: Xbox Recreation Go, EA Play and Steam. Every thing runs very easily at 1080p, with gameplay trying excellent on the ROG Ally’s glorious show. 

It’s not fairly pretty much as good as a full PC gaming rig or next-gen console, however you gained’t be disenchanted by the efficiency on provide right here. There are not any noticeable dropped frames, even throughout fast-paced motion video games.

Hesitations and lag aren’t a problem whereas taking part in video games, and bugs elsewhere appear associated to software program slightly 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 generally be ignored is the vibration motor. It’s glorious right here, providing refined suggestions that actually enhances the gaming expertise. 

After solely a few minutes of taking part in, there was a noticeable build-up of warmth. However 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 gained’t be coated by your fingers. Even when in full movement, they don’t get too loud – Asus claims a most of simply 20dB. 

In contrast to the Nintendo Swap, you need to hold 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 really works seamlessly, with nice image high quality and no drop in efficiency. However the characteristic depends on the ROG Gaming Charger Dock, which prices £60 further within the UK. Merely together with an HDMI port on the machine itself would’ve solved this downside. 

When it comes to connectivity, the ROG Ally options each Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2. There’s no mobile connectivity, nevertheless it’s simple to hotspot out of your cellphone whereas out and about. This isn’t an effective way to sport although, as hotspotting to a cellphone will not be a quick technique to stream video games and isn’t a technique I like to recommend counting on. If you wish to stream video games, that is solely realistically doable on good Wi-Fi.

The upcoming Android-based Razer Edge has a 5G possibility, 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 Excessive mannequin I examined will increase that to 512GB. However with round 54GB taken up by Home windows system recordsdata, it doesn’t go away a lot room for video games.

Even with solely 5 video games put in, I obtained a pop-up message saying inadequate storage when making an attempt to obtain a sixth. Most titles I performed, together with FIFA 22, F1 22 and Name of Responsibility: Warzone, had been between 50-100GB. However some – reminiscent of Forza Horizon 5 – had been considerably larger. 

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Fortunately, the storage capability will be expanded by way of microSD, nevertheless it’s one other separate buy. 

Software program

• Runs Home windows 11 Residence
• Entry to full vary of PC video games
• A number 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 Home windows 11 Residence, that means you have got full entry to the identical vary of video games as a PC. You should utilize a number of totally different sport companies, and also you aren’t tied to 1 firm’s.

The good benefit of the ROG Ally is you may stream video games should you go by way of a cloud gaming service, or play utilizing on-device downloads. It’s greatest with the latter, however having the choice is a luxurious.

Whether or not you utilize Steam, Xbox Recreation Go, the Epic Video games Retailer or perhaps a cloud gaming service, they’ll all work on the ROG Ally. All of 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 in depth customisation choices obtainable. You’ll be able to regulate controls, efficiency, lighting, show and audio, most of which will also be accessed by way of the devoted Command Middle button mid-game.

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You will have to ensure the gamepad is chosen for a lot of video games, with keyboard and mouse typically set because the default. However altering all these settings feels slick and intuitive. 

Sadly, the identical can’t be mentioned for the remainder of the Home 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. On a few events, the display wouldn’t activate in any respect. 

All of those had been resolved inside a few minutes, nevertheless it’s irritating to come across them so incessantly. Nearly as good because the gaming is, software program bugs look 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, nevertheless it was very irritating.

However the advantages of Home windows 11 can nearly outweigh the drawbacks. You’ll simply should be affected person when loading video games, although.

Battery life & charging

• 40Wh battery
• Lower than two hours of gaming per cost
• Quick 65W charging

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

I totally charged the machine earlier than every gaming session, but would all the time hit 0% in lower than two hours. It didn’t matter which sport I performed – all AAA titles deplete the battery extraordinarily rapidly.

That is considerably to be anticipated given the scale of the battery and the facility wanted to drive PC-level gaming. However 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.

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

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A 720p video loop check at 120 nits of brightness isn’t notably related right here, however a time of simply 5 hours is nicely behind any Home windows laptop computer we’ve reviewed. Having to fret about battery life a lot slightly defeats the purpose of a transportable console. 

After all, there are issues you are able to do to lengthen battery life. Dropping all the way down to 720p gameplay or 60Hz refresh charge will imply the ROG Ally lasts longer, as will decreasing the brightness. However the gaming expertise is nowhere close to pretty much as good whenever you scale back these settings.

Not less than 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. 

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

Worth & availability

Poor battery life won’t be a dealbreaker for you, however the value of the ROG Ally might be. 

The Z1 Excessive mannequin with 512GB SSD that I examined will set you again $699/£699. Pre-orders can be found now (by way of Currys within the UK), forward of its launch on 13 June.

All purchases do embrace three months of free Xbox Recreation Go Final, after which it prices $14.99/£10.99 per 30 days. 

A less expensive common Z1 model with a 256GB SSD can be anticipated sooner or later, however no launch date info has been offered.

However at its present value, the Ally is considerably costlier than the $399/£349 Steam Deck. The Nintendo Swap 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 keen to pay the premium for it. 

Verdict

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

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

The machine is comparatively mild and comfy to carry, whereas Home windows 11 means you have got entry to the complete vary of PC video games. Nevertheless, the overall software program expertise is buggy at occasions, and battery life is horrible. 

Are you keen 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 greatest handheld gaming consoles you should purchase.

Specs

• AMD Ryzen Z1/Z1 Excessive processor
• AMD Radeon Graphics 
• 16GB LPDDR5 RAM 
• 256/512GB SSD 
• Micro-SD card slot 
• ROG XG Cell 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