Asus ROG Ally X Review - The best gaming handheld thanks to faster RAM and a huge 80 Wh battery
Posted by Antonis_32@reddit | hardware | View on Reddit | 172 comments
Sockobotto@reddit
I just ordered a Retroid Pocket 5 for old school emulation. My next two buys are the Nintendo Switch 2 and the next iteration of the Rog Ally X. I'm so goddamn excited for handheld gaming. I hope one day they take all these handhelds and make them VR compatible with professional headsets. Id love to play all my old school games in some gigantic virtual theatre.
I personally hope handheld gaming becomes the new console wars.
PXLShoot3r@reddit
LCD screen for 900€ yikes
Satta23@reddit
lcd is pretty fine lol.
Why don't you stick to your under-performing oled devices?
Exciting-Ad-5705@reddit
I don't need extreme performance on a handheld for way more money
Satta23@reddit
Good for you mr yikes
What's the use of oled if you can't run your favorite games.
I'm not paying 679 euros for a weak device with outdated hardware. Steam deck is old, Ally X is new, I can probably find a cheaper og aly than a og steam deck.
Some people would pay 5000 to play their favorite high demanding games at 120fps handled.
Probably another one pissed at Asus for not getting Warranty after breaking their shit lol.
Spoiled kid
Exciting-Ad-5705@reddit
Spoiled is when you don't spend 1 morbillion dollars on a handled
PXLShoot3r@reddit
Mmh tasty. Someone trying to start a handheld war.
Satta23@reddit
Eeuhm. you're talking to yourself? you okay there buddy?
Flowerstar1@reddit
It's VRR which makes it fantastic. It's also much better than the Steam Deck LCD screen.
Real-Human-1985@reddit
And $300 more than the Steam Deck OLED.
dope_like@reddit
Steam Deck is only 800p
castorkrieg@reddit
It's all about tradeoffs - increasing resolution will decrease performance, same as keeping resolution the same but using a higher graphic preset.
pwreit2022@reddit
you can't compare steam deck LCD to this. that came out 2 years ago and the steam deck lcd costs 419,00€
53% cheaper.
VideoGameJumanji@reddit
You can compare anything champ, the Ally was the first major Steam deck competitor.
MartyJannetty187@reddit
If the prices were based on just the screens you would have an argument.
NoAirBanding@reddit
Does on OLED 90~120hz VRR horizontal panel exist?
VideoGameJumanji@reddit
Nope!
The OLED deck is close but has no vrr and is limited to 800p. It's very close to being a perfect screen.
AlexWarrington@reddit
The screen on my normal Ally is beautiful. The steam deck is weak, screen might look nice, but a nice OLED screen is pointless at 15-20 fps.
Prestigious_Move_451@reddit
This. The Ally screen is a top tier LCD panel. VRR is nothing to scoff at. Plus the internals of this device justifies the price. It's leaps beyond what the SD can offer in terms of performance, massive battery, more and faster ram. It's just a fantastic piece of kit. Add on dual boot Bazzite, or better yet run Windows in VM within Linux and you're really cooking.
grilled_pc@reddit
if they went OLED with this i'd actually get one over the steam deck. They were so bloody close.
KingstonHawke@reddit
Yeah, I don't understand why they didn't go OLED. Maybe they already had a deal for the screens they had. But it just seems like that's the ONLY thing holding this back.
Well, the screen, the controllers not being detachable, and I wish the controllers had two paddles like the X-Box Elite ones.
They fix those three things and this becomes the perfect mobile device.
grilled_pc@reddit
plus mouse pads on the sides. They are so damn close to greatness. As much as i love my steam deck oled. ASUS were so bloody close to destroying it with this.
Price aside of course.
DesPardesDev@reddit
LCD doesn't mean bad. Macbook Airs are using LCD and they're color accurate, brought and are quite good.
It's just that steam deck used shitty LCD and now everybody thinks LCD = Bad
I'd happily take a color accurate LCD screen over OLED for longevity personally. Also can't handle black smearing in OLEDs.
FreestyleStorm@reddit
That's more on VA panels. don't really happen at all on oleds.
nVideuh@reddit
When did OLEDs have black smearing? I think you’re mistaken for VA.
Sorry_Condition_7254@reddit
I have a ASUS ROG ALLY that is bitlocker locked and since i bought it offline from someone i do not have access to the original account or a way to access the bitlocker code to enter into the ROG. Is there a way to bypass it on my ROG or can i wipe the OS from it and then re-install OS from a usb?
trololololo2137@reddit
Steam deck still wins thanks to better software
Satta23@reddit
you can install steamos on ally
mckeitherson@reddit
I get that Reddit has a hard-on for the Steam Deck, but this is objectively false. Steam Deck OLED doesn't even break 20ish fps in many of these game benchmarks. The Ally X and Legion Go get 50-100% more fps at better resolutions and graphical settings. Both are also capable of running Steam and natively supporting games in someone's Steam library instead of having to wait for a Steam Deck-compatible version.
advester@reddit
The better software is about ease of use of the device, not fps. Windows is not made for handhelds.
AbbreviationsLeft124@reddit
Whos using windows on this?
100% of the person i know that have this, are running bazzite with a steamOS skin, it's literally the same ease of use for more fps.
ctaps148@reddit
So what? If I'm using my handheld gaming device, I'm spending maybe 5% of my time in the OS and 95% of my time in a game. Some slightly inconvenient software is irrelevant when the performance is better AND there are infinitely more natively compatible games
BighatNucase@reddit
That's not necessarily the best way of looking at it. Reliable suspend resume and better integration with the steam controller stuff makes it infinitely more useable as a handheld than the Ally. Better game compatability is also really only relevant depending on the user. 99% of people play games that are either playable on the Deck or otherwise aren't ideal for a handheld anyway.
Androidtechy259@reddit
great and if i want to use this as a pc no windows sucks or play cod or valorent or ea steam software is great i dual boot it with windows but the steam deck is ass
Brandon_2149@reddit
One of the most played games on steam deck is baldur's gate 3 and that shit is like 10-15fps in act 3, but it's marked great on deck. Sometimes I wonder and question steams software and check mark policy. I think stable frame rates should factor into getting the approval, but seems like valve doesn't care about that. Does it function good enough rest is all subjective I guess since steam deck users seem to be more approving of low fps.
BighatNucase@reddit
I mean if it's most played then clearly it can't be that big of an issue for most people.
StrangerKey7930@reddit
It's most played, not because of all the Steamdeck players, which there are a lot yes, but no where near as many as PC users. That is why it is most played. Ot doesn't mean most played on Deck, it means most played on Steam, which is going to be way more PC than Decks. I play BG3 on my PC or my Legion Go. I love my SteamDeck, but I will not play BG3 on it. The performance just isn't there and that's OK. No piece of hardware is or has to be the best at everything. It is ok to admit this, even if you like product. I like my Legion Go and my Rog Ally, they do some things better than my Deck and they also have things that they lack at and my Deck does better. Just like there are some games I play on my Switch and not on those, like recently Animal Well. Just like I play some games on my PS5 and not my $6k 4090 PC, Ghosts of Tsushima. And there are some games I only play on my Deck, like Outer Wilds. I don't know why everyone has to just fight to the end when it comes to what they play their games on; as if their entire identity is wrapped up in that platform and to admit that it may not be the best at something will complete shatter their ego.
Brandon_2149@reddit
Clearly not that's why most people play on consoles too
BighatNucase@reddit
Clearly yes otherwise people wouldn't be playing it
supershimadabro@reddit
Placing the device to hibernate when the power button is pushed is the same as my steam deck functionally. Suspends all game play, and I can resume wherever I left on. Now the default setting caused issues where games didn't pause, wouldn't start back up, or the device would stay powered and have issues heating up. Not sure what you mean about controllers however.
smodtactical@reddit
What are you using ?
MartyJannetty187@reddit
Facts
mckeitherson@reddit
And yet plenty of Windows-based handheld users are able to easily use their device.
CommunicationUsed270@reddit
Same thing with windows mobile before iOS and Android killed their market
mckeitherson@reddit
And yet the Windows handheld market seems to continuing just fine and growing based on the number of devices being made.
madafakamada1@reddit
idk why you get downvoted..
mckeitherson@reddit
People don't like hearing the truth
madafakamada1@reddit
They killed themselves with wrong decisions and low numbers of apps... which has nothing to do with this situation and is not relevant at all
Strazdas1@reddit
if anything, every iteration of windows felt more and more made for handhelds/touchscreens than a PC. I want windows 7 UX back.
Stan717@reddit
I sold my steam deck it was trash compared to what's coming
Fragrant_Cellist_125@reddit
What's coming ?
cfdn@reddit
I think the biggest thing is the increased docked performance for me. I’ve got a big 2m cable and I love lying on the sofa and letting it rip at 30w. It performs 2x better in some games than my steam deck did.
mckeitherson@reddit
Yes being able to dock my Go and get so much better performance out of the Z1E is really nice. Especially when that means you can bump up the resolution and graphics settings instead of having to stick with 720p and low settings.
Prestigious_Move_451@reddit
I always found 900p, medium to be a sweet spot in most games. Even the more demanding. I think we can expect similar results now, with a 10% performance gain across the board.
bb0110@reddit
Most of these games that the steam deck doesn’t run great still doesn’t run great on the ally x, they just run a little better but still not great. These games are best on a pc either way. If the ally x actually ran these games well then it would be a different story.
Prestigious_Move_451@reddit
Out of curiosity; which games are you referring to?
vVvRain@reddit
Sure, but it’s also at a ~200-300 greater cost and still no OLED screen.
SolaceInScrutiny@reddit
VRR IMO is far more important than OLED on a device like this. The smoothness plays a bigger role in overall enjoyment vs contrast ratio especially when you consider how small and low resolution the display is.
Of course an OLED capable of VRR would be best but given the super low frame rates these devices operate under it would likely be a flickerfest. Asus made the right call here.
Strazdas1@reddit
When average game runs at 20 fps, VRR is a lot more important than normal setup.
mckeitherson@reddit
Steam Deck OLED = $650 for the 1TB version
Ally X = $799 for the 1TB version.
So it's $150 more than the Steam Deck OLED. People will be better off with better/more stable gaming performance due to the better APU, more RAM, and VRR on the Ally X than the OLED screen on the Steam Deck.
Rusti_Roggy@reddit
Yeah soz man $150 is a lot of money. Long live the steamy oled
Brandon_2149@reddit
You're doing a great job selling me on consoles>pc :)
KingArthas94@reddit
Absolutely false, FIRST it's ASUS so it's shit, second it's Windows so it's shit
BrushPsychological74@reddit
100% more fps doesn't mean shit when it stops getting updates as I 100% expect from ASUS.
mckeitherson@reddit
The Ally continues to get updates from Asus...
BrushPsychological74@reddit
Do you know what the word "when" means?
mckeitherson@reddit
And when exactly do you expect it to stop getting updates? Every company at some point 100% stops supporting old products.
BrushPsychological74@reddit
Long before Valve considering ASUS track record. That's "when".
mckeitherson@reddit
So nothing worse than the average tech company? Cool that's good enough for most people.
BrushPsychological74@reddit
It's a support that makes the device. There have been devices before the steam deck. There will be ones after. There's a reason why the steam deck is way more popular. That's the reason for most people.
mckeitherson@reddit
The amount of updates it will get isn't the reason lol. It's the fact that it was the first handheld from a mainstream company that subsidized the cost to increase adoption of it.
BrushPsychological74@reddit
Decades of steam and years of development in wine/proton/Linux is hardly "subsidized". Its bedrock for an excellent experience that they absolutely didn't have to do. All of this is a benefit of a company that cares about their customers and their products. I can't say I have that confidence in ASUS.
mckeitherson@reddit
Valve isn't selling the Steam Deck out of the kindness of their heart to their customers. They are selling it at a subsidized cost because it increases their market share, helps them sell more games from their store, and keeps users locked into their walled garden.
BrushPsychological74@reddit
Where did I claim they do this out of the kindness of their hearts? I didn't and that's not what I'm eluding too. They have a better track record and it's painfully obvious. So let's not misrepresent what said to make an irrelevant point.
Conflating every other greedy corp and their bad behavior with Valve is disingenuous and dishonest. They stand head and shoulders above everyone else for gold reason.
mckeitherson@reddit
You mean a track record like launching new products then discontinuing them like Steam Machine, Steam Controller, and Steam Link?
Likewise. The fact remains that the Steam Deck has the adoption rate it currently does is because Valve subsidizes the total cost of it to keep people locked into the Steam platform.
BrushPsychological74@reddit
Conflating a product cycle with the bad behavior... Again.
No. Not likewise. I didn't misrepresent anything you said.
Show me one product that that has people "locked into". A bold statement considering that valve has been pushing alternative operating systems like Linux for years now so people actually have a choice. They're on record publicly disagreeing with Windows and Microsoft and how they do business. Which by the way our poster child's of exclusivity and "locking" in customers.
mckeitherson@reddit
And yet this thread started with you conflating an Asus product cycle with bad behavior...
You went on a tangent rant about Steam and Wine/Proton/Linux development when the conversation was about Valve subsidizing the cost of the Steam Deck to increase its adoption rate. You are still avoiding discussion of that point.
The Steam Deck which uses Valve's SteamOS to keep players locked to the Steam store. People pitching the Steam Deck due to the "superior software/user interface" ignore all the extra work you have to do if you want to use something else than Steam.
BrushPsychological74@reddit
I wasn't ranting about anything. I was explaining how you're ignorant conflation was wrong.
Speaking of wrong, esteem Deck is absolutely not locked down to any OS. The operating system they use is open sourced. Not only that but you can exit to desktop mode anytime you want and use it as a desktop. And obtaining root is as simple as setting its password. Not to mention that installing another operating system is a simple right to USB boot USB and install.
Just admit you don't know what you're talking about.
mckeitherson@reddit
More like demonstrating your hypocritical position by conflating Asus product lifecycle with bad behavior, and continuing to avoid answering the question regarding Steam Deck cost subsidization.
Right back at you in a thread that claims the Steam Deck is better due to its software, where you go on to detail methods that disproves the software's ease of use claim if you don't want to be locked into the Steam store.
BrushPsychological74@reddit
Apparently setting a password and clicking a button that says exit to desktop or installing an operating system just like anyone else does on any other computer are detailed methods that disprove ease of use. That's the most asinine bullshit I've ever heard.
Im not being hypocritical when I say that Asus is known to drop support for their shit. And it's way worse than Valve. The best you have about valve are three products that still actually work and are not locked down to their platform.
Again... Admit you don't know what you're talking about. If setting a password or pressing a button it's proof that something is locked down because you have to do those things is about as equally as ridiculous as saying that pressing the power button is a prime example of something being locked down to the off opposition.
areyouhungryforapple@reddit
Guess they only play indie/8bit titles lol
mckeitherson@reddit
I guess so lol.
If people like the longer battery life or playing at a low tdp setting then that's fine. But these subjective claims that the Steam Deck is still better because of "better software" are just people trying to justify their expensive purchases lol.
theludeguy@reddit
And trackpads, we can't forget about the trackpads. Even if there is a "better" steamdeck competitor released, it's already a hard pass if it does not have trackpads.
i8abug@reddit
Legion go has a trackpad too but it totally sucks. You can't use it in games.
LinkTimemstr@reddit
The legion go is actual trash. Hear me out
I was super excited about it. I pre-ordered it and went and picked it up the day it was released, I bought it to games. I loved while traveling.
After about two weeks of using it, I absolutely started to hate it, sure the screen is big and colorful, but it’s a portrait screen, and some of the games I played had some real issues initially launching because of the screen. The more I used it the more uncomfortable it became, and the battery was just absolutely garbage.
I had trouble connecting my Xbox controller to it, I had trouble connecting my PlayStation controller to it.
The speakers were absolutely pieces of shit and McDonald’s toys have better speakers than Legion go.
I actually gave it away From one of my friends kids
My ROG Ally X showed up today and truthfully, I opened the box. I looked at the device, but I haven’t had a chance to set it up as I’ve been working with clients all day.
I’m extremely excited to set it up and use it mind you
i8abug@reddit
I agree with most of these criticisms. In addition, I almost find the screen too big at times. All that said though, I only paid $599 for mine and for that price, it is fantastic at filling a need i had. I can play lots of games that I couldn't before, and it doesn't take up much space.
But the speakers are awful, it's a bit uncomfortable at first because it is too big, and I almost always use it plugged in because of battery life. Rog ally x is probably solves all of these (but costs way more). Legion go is a great entry for first gen and I bet a second gen version could fix a lot of these issues
Rude_Commercial_9037@reddit
I can't even hold the legion go, let alone manipulate the triggers and bumpers without almost dropping it 😑
RelevantFix4640@reddit
So how is the experience so far on Ally X?
rinoa69@reddit
This guy speaks the truth
yalocalsnack@reddit
Hard pass? U not a real gamer if u need track pads😂tf typa games u be playing to where the track pads are required?
theludeguy@reddit
For me it needs to work as a PC as well. I can't imagine desktop mode without the use of trackpads. When it comes to games I have a bunch that don't have controller support and for those that do, the trackpads are excellent at being adressable menu wheels.
crazyl999@reddit
That's why I'm looking forward to seeing reviews for the Zotac Zone. Main concern there though will be battery life as I think it has the same capacity as the original ally.
trololololo2137@reddit
true, I have no idea why other companies don't include them
Prestigious_Move_451@reddit
Bazzite Os remedies that though. It's almost running perfectly at this point and I'm sure they can add swivel of joysticks to mimic the circular trackpad scrolling.
Strict_Junket2757@reddit
You know you can install bazzite os on ally right? Will be the exact same software more or less
Significant_Stick213@reddit
It's not specs or the funky interface, Nintendo Switch still king.
Strazdas1@reddit
Switch was never king. It just does not have the games.
BrushPsychological74@reddit
And support. And their incredible contributions to proton/wine and Linux. It's a serious no brainer for me.
cfdn@reddit
Yeah, agree 100%, the software on the ally is much better, I love being able to play all of my games without risk of anti-cheat
Very glad to not have to deal with the mess that is desktop mode on the deck anymore 😂
NeroClaudius199907@reddit
But you have access to steam, gamepass, ubi+, ea+. Steamdeck is just steam...
lcirufe@reddit
No, Steam Deck is a handheld PC. You can run other game storefronts on it just fine.
What the original commenter was getting around is that the general user experience on a steam deck is miles ahead of any gaming handheld running Windows.
-Manosko-@reddit
No it’s not, it’s a Linux PC, you can install plenty of other launchers.
4everban@reddit
Yeah, I think things could change once (and if), valve opens the steam os to everyone.
fapow-dev@reddit
Runs windows, no oled. Hard pass.
Now if MS released a version of windows that catered to the handheld market and asus could deliver an oled screen... welp, you've got my cash.
AbbreviationsLeft124@reddit
Its a better screen than an oled😂
Higher fps, (not 15fps)
Higher res, and just install a different OS? Or are you THAT tech illiterate grandma?
Sopel97@reddit
if a handheld can have 80Wh then why is it that hard for laptops???
jimmystar889@reddit
It’s also nice not getting so hot, point aside that they can’t fly on planes at >=100
blakester410@reddit
200Wh couldn’t go on planes. Has to be below 100Wh for planes
JakoDel@reddit
it's time to change this stupid rule then.
ctaps148@reddit
Huh, TIL.
https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/whatcanibring/items/lithium-batteries-100-watt-hours-or-less-device
I feel like big tech manufacturers could easily lobby to get this changed, though. I feel like the real answer is just that the vast majority of customers simply don't care about super long battery life. The number of people trying to use their laptop for 10 hours nonstop without charging is insignificant
YeshYyyK@reddit
you can bypass it by simply having 2 batteries
I would say that even if you could do 200Whr, then it will take significantly longer to charge/make more heat/need larger charger?
Instead of optimizing for idle draw/battery (I guess you could do both)
Obviously different people have different priorities.
Strazdas1@reddit
You cant because a) batteries are not replacable and b) you cannot hotswap batteries.
Ambassador-Cool@reddit
Only because we lack the technology (which normally means it's not profitable enough for the ppl making stuff to care lol)
Strazdas1@reddit
So we cannot bypass it by simply having 2 batteries, because we lack technology. You agree.
Ambassador-Cool@reddit
Facts, make the charging brick another 100w battery bank essentially. That way if you lose power your charger still essentially works 🤯
YeshYyyK@reddit
Anker Powercore Fusion does that, it's convenient but not space/weight efficient for some people (and limited)
blakester410@reddit
Yeah old thinkpads got around this with an external and internal battery. Sadly external batteries have died. It’d be neat to choose between a slim smaller battery or bulky big battery
josh_is_lame@reddit
what gaming laptop are you getting more than two hours on?
maybe its different from way back in the day (2020) but rog has consistently had dog shit battery life. my even older rog laptop with a 1070 couldnt even make it an hour while browsing chrome. you could watch the battery drain in real time
Ar0ndight@reddit
Modern gaming laptops (and I do mean laptops not those monstruous "mobile workstations") will usually have around 6-7h of light use battery life.
Strazdas1@reddit
if all you do is taking notes on a meeting, do you need what is refered to as a "gaming laptop" though? if you are buying that you probably want to do a bit more with it.
Eruvae@reddit
Usually, you don't want to do heavy tasks like gaming on battery anyway. Not only because of the short battery life, but also because the GPU performance will be significantly reduced. But it can be convenient to be able to use the same device for both intensive tasks when connected to power and lighter tasks with a decent battery life.
Sipas@reddit
For now. If I'm not mistaken, solid state batteries won't have that limitation and they are now in some products. We might see laptops with it in a few years.
Sopel97@reddit
who cares about planes though
blakester410@reddit
A lot of people, myself included. I’d like to take my laptop on a plane. Makes traveling a whole lot easier
uneducatedramen@reddit
If it exceeds 100wh you just plain can't take it or it goes into the cargo?
blakester410@reddit
You technically can’t even check lithium batteries at all. All lithium batteries have to be carry on and that’s limited to 100Wh. At least I’m pretty sure that’s the rules
Strazdas1@reddit
Those are the rules herein EU at least. Could be different elsewhere.
monjessenstein@reddit
Last I checked you can check in bigger batteries (I think up to about 150-160) but you have to inform the company you're flying with beforehand to get special permission.
Sopel97@reddit
seems like a very US thing
blakester410@reddit
I think most of Europe has the same rules. And Europe/ USA are big destinations
Sopel97@reddit
I was talking about air travel being so necessary for people
blakester410@reddit
If you’re visiting other countries (or states in the case of the US) then it’s nice to save time. You COULD drive like 10 hours or you could fly an hour
Strazdas1@reddit
and you would put out enough pollution from than hour fly to drive for 100 hours and not beat it :)
If we ever get seriuos about things like pollution, global warming, etc plane travel will be severely restricted.
Also did you knew that plane fuel got excemption from lead bans so planes are actually causing lead poisoning (old engines, jet engines use different fuel).
Strazdas1@reddit
And yet apple is the only one even doing 99W batteries, everyone else seems to be eating glue with 60W and bellow.
Strazdas1@reddit
because then they cant make it so thin you need reinforced metal to not snap it every time you pick it up!
bulbousinfantbrain@reddit
It's interesting seeing the handheld x86 arms race and I like that it's now possible to play demanding PC games in that form factor, but do the games themselves really lend themselves to such a small screen? The games I end up playing on my Steam Deck (OLED) are all emulated or indie; anything more full fat visually and I prefer a monitor or TV. I've tried to play some stuff like Talos Principle 2 or Cyberpunk and even though it looks great, it's just too small.
I'd actually prefer a smaller, lighter, downlocked but fanless handheld - that's more than enough for my use case.
Two USB-C connections and a big battery are nice wins for the Ally X.
KnightOfTheOctogram@reddit
I almost exclusively use my steam deck. I have a gaming desktop with a Radeon 6950xt. I have a laptop with a 4090. I have a ps5. I still use my steam deck for all games that play well with a controller. It plays all of the latest games at good fps with decent graphics for the screen. Its display is awesome.
The only times I use anything else is the ps5 for exclusives
hubris105@reddit
I would have thought that, too, but I found myself preferring to play Ghosts of Tsushima on my Steamd Deck rather than at 4K on my 42" OLED. It was weird.
Acrobatic-Economy-47@reddit
As an adult professional with only one TV in my house, having the Z1 Extreme has allowed me to enjoy gaming so much more. I have vivid memories of games like Skyrim played on my console and television. I've enjoyed being able to take that same experience on the plane, the train, the couch, the porch, in bed. The screen size has not inhibited my enjoyment in any way.
Draguss@reddit
I feel like this kind of thing is more for gamers who travel a lot for one reason or another. Like, you're a pilot or flight attendant, or maybe a trucker or something, then the ability to play full AAA games anywhere is probably invaluable. But for those of us with regular jobs where we can count on being home every evening, there's not much point to them.
Winter-Upstairs3655@reddit
Now I want this because Ned Luke used it, LOL 😂😂😂😂.
darktooth69@reddit
i just can't justify spending over $1000 for a handheld "pc" when i can get a powerful and also portable laptob or even a beastly pc with the same price and also get a steamdeck. the handled market is just... dumb.
The_Echelon30@reddit
Different use cases. Are you going to game on your bigass gaming laptop on the bus or airplane? It's not in the same league of portability. Also, saying you can get a decent gaming pc + steam deck for the same price is bs.
Ruhire@reddit
No, you cant get a substantially more powerful pc with 900
Strazdas1@reddit
comparable to Ally? You can.
Ruhire@reddit
I’ve seen a few YouTube videos comparing the ASUS ROG Ally to $700 laptops, and they make it clear that the Ally isn’t a bad deal performance-wise. Now that the Ally’s price has dropped to $500, it’s even more appealing. Finding a laptop for $500 that offers a significantly better experience than the Ally might be tough, so the original Ally at this price is a no-brainer.
For $900 (including taxes), the Ally X gives you a lot of bang for your buck. It comes with a long-lasting battery, 24GB of super-fast RAM, and a TB of storage. Most laptops at this price point usually offer 512GB of storage and 8 or 16GB of RAM with terrible screens and battery life and build quality.
So, bottom line, $900 for the Ally X is definitely not a bad deal either all things considered.
MartyJannetty187@reddit
Maybe a tower. Have fun with no mouse, keyboard, monitor, and speakers.
NoAirBanding@reddit
Plenty of less than retail RTX 3060 laptops for under $900
But gaming on 16" laptop only really works well when you have a desk spot for it. I've used and traveled with my Steam Deck and Ally far more than the laptop.
Brandon_2149@reddit
As someone who loves handhelds and hates laptops I couldn't disagree more lol. A laptop is like a worse desktop with none of the upsides for me gaming wise. Handheld at least it has portable factor locked down.
BotherBrilliant1803@reddit
"powerful" laptop which will last 30 mins in even medium games + don't forget about weight
Fragrant_Cellist_125@reddit
A lot bang for your buck lol ok .
Fullerfit93@reddit
When I had a ROG ally I just preferred playing the games on my gaming laptop because it was easier. On the steam deck I prefer playing certain games because of the console experience.
Personally, the Deck is better when you have a main gaming rig because it's a different experience. If you don't have a gaming rig then I can see where someone would prefer the ALLY.
Prestigious_Move_451@reddit
I can see that! Though, to me it's all about perspective.
One can buy a gaming handheld and hold on to it for 5 years all the while being happy with the purchase. Just because something new comes out in 6-12 months doesn't make what we currently own obsolete. The same goes for a handheld without a dedicated GPU.
I prefer gaming on a gaming handheld over a screen in front of a desk. Being able to lounge and get fully immersed while laying down is way more comfortable. Especially when gaming is supposed to be a way to relax and escape for a little while. The only exception would be on couch with a big TV (which I currently don't own, but did in the past. High quality samsung TV with VRR). Gaming on a desk just isn't the same once past the age 30 imo.
It's all about perspective and desired use case.
TopAd8938@reddit
Returned my Steam Deck for the Ally. Luckily I was still in the 14-day return period through Best Buy, and pre ordered the X. Had it for 2 days so far, and I got to say this is the best handheld I ever used. From the Ergonomics to the quality feel. Absolutely s***s on the Steam Deck and LeGo.
Antonis_32@reddit (OP)
TLDR:
Pros + functional chassis w/ improved ergonomics + access to fans and M.2-2280 SSD + powerful AMD Zen4 SoC + 24 GB RAM (LPDDR5x-7467) and 1 TB SSD + great IPS-display for gaming + excellent software integration + comprehensive configuration options + much improved battery life + fast Wi-Fi and microSD reader + improved input devices & speakers + 2x USB-C (1x USB 4.0) Cons - noisy fans in Turbo mode (on mains) - no webcam - display brightness falls short of advertised 500 nits
Groomsi@reddit
Should gave more cons. Weight is missing and its huge.
Serpent-6@reddit
The Ally X weighs about the same as the MSI Claw, it weighs 6% more than the Steam Deck OLED, and it weighs 22% less than the Legion Go. How does this make it huge?
Groomsi@reddit
Battery size and weight increase will always be an issue.
Its not just about, X has more or less than Y.
(As an option) And the consoles are not built for detaching battery (when playing indoors connected to cable), as it disrupts the airflow system.
NtnV6@reddit
Ally X's weight is a huge deal for a toddler, sure.
Serpent-6@reddit
You have to compare it to what is practical and being offered by the competition, not some unrealistic, unrealized desire of what you think the hardware should be. So, I don't consider your argument valid. I reject your reality and substitute my own!
InevitableSherbert36@reddit
Strazdas1@reddit
I agree 4:3 is superior :)
DODOKING38@reddit
Why would I want a webcam?
MobiusOne_ISAF@reddit
Web conferencing. It's a game console but it's still a Windows PC at the end of the day, and it would be nice to have the option of a camera. I wouldn't consider it to be a real con, but it's worth mentioning.
whiskeywalk@reddit
I hear the argument, but I mean it affects so few people based on the use case for this device I hardly feel a camera is worth the mention. Dock it and usb it if you must. Silly add to an otherwise decent assessment above.
JuanElMinero@reddit
IMO, every unit of space in a portable gaming device would ideally be used to improve the portable gaming experience.
I'd rather use a USB webcam than make any price/space tradeoffs for an integrated one.
Lee1138@reddit
Cons: Asus track record of dogshit handling of RMAs.
Juicepup@reddit
That non 500 nits is going to be an issue for some.
4everban@reddit
I’m still a sd boy but webcam is not a thing in this market segment
djc5166@reddit
So is there any info on if the SD card reader is changed or re-worked on this? I can't really find any specific info on if those issues have been fixed. It looks like the slot is still in the same place next to one of the exhaust vents.
MrMoussab@reddit
I have a deck but gotta admit, this thing is sick. Once bazzite devs fix all the issues, this is gonna be way better than a deck.
shhhpark@reddit
Don’t support asus