ASUS ROG Ally review: The Steam Deck’s most powerful rival

Handheld gaming PCs are booming. During the last 12 months and a half, we have seen compelling gadgets from Valve, Ayaneo, GPD and others, and now ASUS is getting into the fray with the ROG Ally. It is smooth, it is quiet and it packs a beautiful 1080p show. And with a brand new Ryzen Z1 Excessive chip from AMD, it could be the Steam Deck’s strongest rival but. It additionally runs Home windows 11 as a substitute of Steam OS, so it has even higher sport compatibility. Nonetheless, the Ally is a contact dearer and there’s a trade-off for all that additional efficiency, so is it actually higher than the system that reinvigorated the gaming handheld class again in early 2022?

Value

At $700, the Ally seems to be far more costly than the Steam Deck, which fits for as little as $400 (and even much less throughout a sale). However as a result of the Ally comes with a 512GB SSD, it’s not likely truthful to check it to Valve’s $400 base mannequin, which solely has 64GB of onboard storage. I must also point out {that a} cheaper model of the Ally with a non-extreme model of the Z1 chip is due out someday later this 12 months, however that wasn’t obtainable for assessment.

For now, a greater comparability is a completely loaded Deck, which options the identical quantity of storage together with Valve’s upgraded anti-glare etched display screen, which is what I used for all my comparisons. Nonetheless, even at its most costly, the Steam Deck prices $650, which is $50 cheaper than the Ally. For individuals on a finances, Valve’s machine is the higher possibility.

One other factor to contemplate is that in contrast to the Steam Deck, the Ally doesn’t include a case – which can run you an additional $40 from ASUS. And after lugging this factor round for a couple of weeks, I can undoubtedly say you’ll need some type of safety to forestall scratching the display screen or placing an excessive amount of stress on the joysticks.

Design and show

Measuring 11 inches large and weighing 1.34 kilos, the Ally has dimensions that seem fairly much like the Steam Deck. However these figures don’t absolutely encapsulate how a lot smaller the ROG actually is, as a result of at 0.83 inches, it’s half as thick because the Steam Deck. You additionally solely get two rear paddles as a substitute of 4, and ASUS does not embody little touchpads in entrance like Valve does, which can be a little bit of a downer for anybody hoping to play conventional mouse-and-keyboard video games.

That leaves you with a really acquainted Xbox-style structure with two joysticks, a typical assortment of face buttons and shoulder triggers, in addition to some additional shortcuts for fast settings and ASUS’ Armoury Crate app. There’s additionally a useful fingerprint sensor constructed into the ability button, a quantity rocker and a single USB-C port, which you should use by itself for knowledge and charging, but additionally for hooking up ASUS’ XG Mobile dock. And identical to the Steam Deck, the Ally has a microSD card slot for expandable storage, which is sweet.

Total, it’s a really useful setup. All of the controls are simple to succeed in and I haven’t run into any points with buttons getting caught like I’ve heard about from different customers. I additionally recognize how the Ally’s smaller bezels make the system really feel extra compact, even when its 7-inch show is identical dimension because the Steam Deck’s. The one factor I miss although is greater grips within the again, as a result of whereas I do know ASUS was going for a slimmer body, holding the Ally simply doesn’t really feel fairly as safe or snug.

As for its show, the Ally’s display screen is one among its finest options. Not solely is it a 120Hz panel, its 1080p decision can also be sharper than the Steam Deck’s 800p. On high of that, the Ally is far more colourful and a contact brighter at round 475 nits versus nearer to 400 nits on Valve’s handheld. When seen aspect by aspect, there’s no competitors — the Ally’s display screen pops with wealthy hues and sharper particulars, which actually helps whenever you’re making an attempt to learn small tooltips on a tiny display screen.

With out getting right into a protracted debate about how a lot decision you actually need on a conveyable PC, the Steam Deck’s lower-res and extra washed-out-looking show has been one among my largest complaints concerning the system since its launch so I’m actually pleased with the Ally’s panel, even for those who can’t all the time take full benefit of its 120Hz refresh charge in additional demanding video games.

Efficiency

As for efficiency, the Ally has a major leg up over the Steam Deck, because it sports activities AMD’s new Z1 Excessive APU and 16GB of RAM. Sadly, out of the gate, the Ally’s efficiency is fairly underwhelming. With each the Ally and the Steam Deck set to fifteen watts, framerates have been very comparable. In Shadow of the Tomb Raider at 720p and excessive settings, the Ally averaged 43 fps whereas the Steam Deck hit 42 fps, in order that they have been mainly neck and neck. It was an almost an identical state of affairs in Cyberpunk 2077, the place each programs hit 44 fps at 720p on medium. Frankly, that’s not very spectacular for fancy new silicon and actually far off a few of the claims ASUS made the Ally pre-launch.

However then I up to date the system to put in the brand new drivers and firmware ASUS launched two weeks after launch (which took greater than a few set up and restart cycles) and that’s when the Ally began to differentiate itself. With the system absolutely up to date, framerates jumped by 15 to 25 p.c, and the Ally began to hit 54 fps in Shadow of the Tomb Raider and 50 fps in Cyberpunk 2077 on the identical settings.

That’s a noticeable enchancment, however it will get even higher. Whereas the Steam Deck tops out at 15 watts, the Ally has a Turbo mode that reinforces whole energy draw to 25 watts, or 30 watts for those who’re plugged in. With the 25-watt Turbo mode activated, I used to be in a position to get 60 fps in Tomb Raider and 67 fps in Cyberpunk, which is spectacular for a handheld PC. So though the Ally doesn’t even come near providing double the efficiency of the Steam Deck like ASUS initially boasted, for individuals who need huge energy in a conveyable system, the Ally is the simple decide.

Battery life

After all, with all that oomph comes diminished endurance. Normally, I discovered that the Ally sometimes solely lasts about an hour and a half to 2 hours relying on the title. In the meantime, the Steam Deck typically provides you two and a half to 4 hours, and even longer for much less demanding fare. To place that into perspective, I performed Diablo IV on each machines at medium settings, beginning at 100% and I didn’t cease till they died. The Ally conked out at one hour and 31 minutes in comparison with 2:07 for the Steam Deck. And let’s not neglect, Diablo IV doesn’t have native Linux assist, so the Steam Deck runs it in an emulation layer which makes use of some additional energy. In brief, for those who actually care about getting the longest-lasting handheld PC, the Steam Deck is it.

Sound

As for audio, the Ally has some relatively punchy front-firing stereo audio system, which sound loads higher than what you’d sometimes get on a equally priced laptop computer. However to me the extra spectacular factor is what you don’t hear: followers blaring within the background. I’m not solely certain what sort of voodoo ASUS did, however the Ally is surprisingly quiet. It barely registers above a whisper whereas working benchmarks, and when in comparison with the whiny whir that’s virtually all the time popping out of my Steam Deck, the Ally is certainly the extra family-friendly system. I can sport on it whereas watching TV with my spouse with out her needing to show up the quantity (or worse, taking the console from me) and that’s a small however essential solution to preserve a cheerful dwelling.

Software program

The final main distinction between the Ally and the Steam Deck is their software program. As a substitute of going with one thing like Valve’s Linux-based OS, ASUS went with Home windows 11. The thought was to make sure that the system works with all the most important on-line sport shops like Steam, Battle.web, Epic and extra, which it does. On high of that, ASUS tweaked its Armoury Crate app to function a sport launcher, whereas additionally letting you alter numerous settings or RGB lighting. One faucet on the devoted button allows you to see your entire put in titles at a look, whereas a push of ASUS’s different shortcut key brings up a menu for fast settings like working modes, sport profiles, and extra.

The difficulty is that whenever you’re not utilizing Armoury Crate, Home windows 11 nonetheless feels clunky. Microsoft’s OS merely isn’t designed for smaller gadgets with out keyboards that usually need to depend on contact controls. ASUS has included a desktop mode toggle that permits you to use the best joystick to maneuver your mouse and the best shoulder buttons to click on. However that feels extra like a band-aid than an actual resolution, which might in all probability be a purpose-built gaming UI.

Extra importantly, though the Ally can run mainly each Home windows sport ever made, the expertise isn’t all the time clean. For instance, once I tried to play Avenue Fighter 6, the sport booted up in Windowed mode and reduce off the underside of the UI, so I couldn’t see the navigation menu. However even after I sorted that out, the sport nonetheless ran poorly. At medium settings, I used to be getting simply 20 fps which made the sport run in slow-mo. I needed to spend the subsequent 10 minutes fidgeting with graphics settings. In the meantime, on the Steam Deck, I acquired a constant 60 fps from the leap, which was an enormous shock since I used to be not anticipating a sport that has solely been out for a month to be this well-optimized on Linux.

There’s a flipside to this, although. When you can set up video games like Diablo IV that aren’t obtainable on Steam and aren’t Deck Verified, it may be an actual chore to get them up and working. It’s important to set up the Battle.web launcher, manually change the Steam Deck’s compatibility mode after which add it as a non-Steam Sport. Then it’s important to set up Diablo IV itself, change its compatibility mode and manually add that to Steam’s library too. And that’s skipping a whole lot of the extra sophisticated steps in between. Granted, there are a ton of how-to’s on-line to information you thru the method. But when that is your first time making an attempt this on Linux, you’re spending 10 to fifteen minutes at the very least. There’s no simply sitting down and hitting play. In distinction, getting D4 to run on the Ally is a breeze and though the sport runs comparatively nicely on each programs, there are fewer hitches and stutters on ASUS’ machine.

Total, Steam OS is mostly simpler to make use of — till you run right into a sport that isn’t Deck Verified or simply doesn’t run on Linux, which is the place the Ally has the benefit.

Wrap-up

After testing each gadgets side-by-side, I’ve acquired a couple of takeaways. The primary is that I’m much more impressed with the Steam Deck now than I used to be at launch. Over the previous 12 months and alter, Valve has put a ton of labor into sharpening and optimizing it. I don’t suppose any gadget in current reminiscence has gotten as many updates as this factor. And now that there are over 10,000 Steam Deck-verified video games, its library ain’t shabby. We’re on the level the place you may play new AAA titles like Avenue Fighter 6 on day one, whereas different video games like Cyberpunk 2077 are getting customized graphics settings particularly for the Deck so that you don’t have to spend a ton of time tweaking efficiency. However most significantly, with a beginning value of $400, the Steam Deck is the simple decide for those who’re on a finances.

As for the ROG Ally, merely calling it a extra highly effective Steam Deck doesn’t really feel fairly proper. Because of its AMD Z1 Excessive chip, it undoubtedly has an edge in efficiency. However for all that velocity, there’s an enormous trade-off in battery life. Even with each programs working at 15 watts, the Steam Deck lasted longer each time, which suggests the Ally isn’t all the time one of the best companion on longer journeys. You additionally don’t get built-in touchpads or as many rear paddles. And whilst you can run mainly any sport ever made on it, Home windows 11 simply isn’t as well-optimized for handheld programs as Steam OS. Valve has an enormous benefit due to being in control of each software program and {hardware} design for its system. Nonetheless, whereas I like and recognize the Steam Deck, the ROG Ally’s beautiful display screen and tremendous quiet followers would all the time have me wanting over my shoulder just like the distracted boyfriend meme.

So which one must you get? To reply that, you’ll want to resolve what sort of gamer you might be. Because of Steam OS, the Steam Deck affords an easier, extra console-like expertise, as long as your video games have been verified to play properly on Valve’s software program. In the meantime, for those who wish to tinker with settings and wish increased framerates and a sharper show, the Ally is perhaps the machine for you. It’s additionally the extra transportable of the 2, and ASUS’ XG Cell dock allows you to plug it right into a monitor and different equipment so you should use it as a desktop whenever you need. However with costs for these beginning north of $1,000, it’ll value you.

The most important unknown is how nicely ASUS goes to assist the Ally, as a result of as we’ve seen with the Steam Deck, {hardware} can solely take you thus far with out common updates. Sadly, there simply isn’t a one-size-fits-all handheld PC gaming console proper now, so choosing the right system depends upon your preferences for OS, efficiency, battery life and extra. However no matter which one you decide, there’s loads to love concerning the newest technology of handheld PCs, and I hope that is solely the start of an extended line of compelling gadgets.