ASUS Vs. ROG: The Battle for the Ultimate Portable PC?

When people talk about handheld gaming consoles, the most popular devices are the Nintendo Switch and the Steam Deck. And despite the popularity of smartphone gaming, we’re seeing a resurgence in demand for handheld consoles.

ASUS, one of the biggest makers of gaming laptops, PCs, and peripherals, saw this need and jumped into the market with the ROG Ally.

So, what is the ROG Ally? And when could you get your hands on it?

ASUS Announces a Steam Deck Competitor

On April 1, 2023, the ROG Global YouTube channel posted a video called “ROG Ally – ROG’s First Gaming Handheld Console”. But because of the timing of the video and the somewhat cheesy voice-over, many shrugged off the announcement as just another April Fool’s Day joke.

But a couple of days later, we were greeted by preview videos from two YouTube channels: Dave2D and Linus Tech Tips. Simultaneous with these videos, ASUS opened the ROG Ally page , where you can sign up to get notified when the handheld console is available for pre-order.

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What Is the ROG Ally?

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Image Credit: Dave2D/YouTube

The ROG Ally is a Windows 11-based handheld console with a similar size and layout to the Steam Deck. Since the device is still a prototype, we don’t have exact specifications yet. But these are the notable things that the reviewers noticed with the ROG Ally:

• 7-inch 16:9 screen.
• 1080p Full HD resolution at 500 nits.
• 120 Hz refresh rate at 5ms response time.
• 4nm AMD Zen4 RDNA3 APU .

ASUS’ latest handheld console also has a chockful of ports and system controls. You get a 3.5mm combo headphone jack, a UHS-II microSD slot, and a USB-C port that also connects to the ASUS ROG XG Mobile external GPU. If you plan to get one for your Asus ROG laptop and future ROG Ally console, you should check out these things you must know about external GPUs .

Image Credit: Dave2D/YouTube

Because the Ally is powered by Windows 11, you’re not limited to specific game and app stores like the Steam Deck. You can run titles from other publishers and stores, like EA Play, Epic Games, Xbox, and, of course, Steam.

Aside from the console itself, you also get a 65-watt adapter that’ll charge the Ally via USB-C, has an extra USB-A port, and also serves as the HDMI out for it. So, the adapter that comes in the box could also work as some sort of dock.

After all, if you’re going to plug your handheld console into a TV, you’d likely plug it in an outlet, too, to avoid draining its battery.

When Can You Get Your Hands on the ROG Ally? How Much Will It Be?

Image Credit: ROG Global/YouTube

ASUS has no specific release date for the ROG Ally as of the time of writing. Neither did ASUS have any prices for it. However, Dave2D says its price will be competitive.

Given that, we can check the specifications and prices of the available Steam Deck models . The base 64GB Steam Deck with eMMC storage is $399, while the 256GB NVMe SSD-equipped Steam Deck goes for $529. If you go for the top-end 512GB Steam Deck, you’ll have to shell out $649 for it.

If ASUS aims for competitive pricing, expect the ROG Ally to go for around the same price—between $400 and $700, depending on the storage capacity.

As for the launch date, we expect the handheld console to appear on store shelves this year. Although ASUS didn’t announce when we could start buying its console, the fact that it has shown the prototype to everyone and even allowed Dave2D to play with it for a week means production is well underway.

Image Credit: ROG Global/YouTube

So, if we give ASUS a six-month buffer to get everything ironed out, the device should come out by October 2023—just in time to hype the product and ramp up sales for Christmas. Again, this is just an assumption, as ASUS is mum about when we could get the ROG Ally.

The Handheld Console Gaming Scene Is Heating Up

The Nintendo Switch revived the handheld gaming console, and the Steam Deck added fire to the mix. Although there are other small handheld console makers, like AYANEO and GPD, none have the deep pockets and brand recognition of Nintendo and Steam.

With the entry of ASUS into this highly-competitive space, Nintendo and Steam will be forced to give better offers and deliver better hardware to keep gamers happy. These developments will help the handheld gaming console stand its ground against the rising tide of smartphone gaming.

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