![]() ![]() That might limit your options with less controller-friendly Windows games on the go. An iconic part of Valve’s hardware design since the original Steam controller, Asus opted to go for larger, Dolby Atmos-compatible front-facing speakers instead. Asus was also quick to point out that it has a smartphone-style Gorilla Glass Victus cover with a Corning DXC coating for better visibility in sunlight. At 7ms of response time, it’s not incredibly quick, but standard FreeSync compatibility, which most gaming laptops have (and the Steam Deck’s internal screen does not) should help fix that. It’s the same size, but with full 1080p resolution, 500 nits of brightness, and a doubled 120Hz refresh rate, making it match a mid-range gaming monitor. But the Ally beats it in almost every way. The Deck’s 7-inch, 800p screen maxes out at 400 nits, which is fine for what it is-again, about the same as the original Nintendo Switch. The other big difference versus the Steam Deck is the screen. During our brief demonstration time, the Ally managed to stay cool even while playing Ghostrunner and Forza, a testament to its dual interior fans, which were hard to hear spin up. I can see this thing going for hours of gaming sessions… or at least one to two hours, when your battery will need a recharge. The gadget is rounded in all the right places, and your hands don’t touch any of the angular bits while in play. Though the slanted lines and angled plastic make it look “sharper” than the curvy Steam Deck, this is deceptive. That’s a bit heavier than an iPad, but feels lighter thanks to those comfy grips.Īnd the Ally is comfy, for lack of a more precise word. I didn’t have a kitchen scale handy, but specs say that it’s a little over half a kilogram (1.34 pounds). Not so! While it’s large and only “pocketable” if you’re still rocking vintage JNCOs, it should be light enough to toss it in almost any bag and forget it’s there. Seeing this incredibly compact hunk of plastic and electronics, ostensibly with full PC power, you’d assume it would feel heavy in your hands like an oversized smartphone. But what shocked me is that it’s also about as light. That’s probably not surprising-that’s what the thing looks like, after all. Picking up the Ally reminded me of a larger, more angular Nintendo Switch. The ROG Ally might just be the first Steam Deck competitor that can measure up. But it’s certainly shaping up to be an interesting alternative for those who demand more power and options. Will that extra capability be worth the inevitably higher price of the ROG Ally versus the Steam Deck, especially since the ROG XG Mobile eGPU is another thousand bucks (at least) on top of that? Who knows. Hell, it might just be able to replace a full desktop PC, period. And thanks to compatibility with the same proprietary external graphics cards as the ROG Flow laptops and tablets, it might- might-be able to fully replace a gaming laptop or desktop. And it was made from day one with Windows gaming in mind, to the same degree that the Steam Deck was built around its operating system. It’s a familiar form factor, with more power thanks to a brand new AMD Z1 chip based on Zen 4. ![]() The Asus ROG Ally might just be the first competitor that can. Want to know more about the Steam Deck? Here’s everything you ever wanted to know about the portable gaming machine. Such competitors that have arrived in the last year come from smaller companies without the resources to either sell games or make software, and have thus had to settle for more expensive machines with roughly the same specs, running Windows. Valve’s portable machine has singularly carved out a new hardware niche for PC gamers, but it did so with a system built around the Linux-based SteamOS from the ground up. ![]()
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