Asus ROG Ally

The Asus ROG Ally is a handheld gaming computer developed and manufactured by Asus as part of their Republic of Gamers (ROG) brand. Released on June 13, 2023, the device competes with Valve's Steam Deck. The ROG Ally runs the Windows 11 operating system and uses an AMD Zen 4 processor called the AMD Z1 and Z1 Extreme. In addition to handheld use, the ROG Ally can be connected to a TV or monitor through a docking station or a dongle and be used like a desktop computer or home video game console.

History
Asus began developing a handheld gaming computer in 2018 to compete with handheld computers such as the GPD Win 2. Development slowed down over the next few years but was accelerated after Valve's 2021 announcement of the Steam Deck, which quickly led to a renewed public interest in handheld gaming computers. The device was announced on April 1, 2023, leading many to believe it is an April Fools' Day prank, with Asus clarifying its legitimacy three days later. Asus revealed the ROG Ally's release date, technical specifications and price on June 11, 2023. Two models were announced, one retailing for US$599 and implementing a Ryzen Z1 Processor, and another retailing for US$699 and implementing a Ryzen Z1 Extreme processor. The latter was released on June 13, 2023, and the former will be released during the third quarter of 2023.

At Computex 2024, Asus announced the ROG Ally X, an updated Z1 Extreme model with 1 TB of NVMe storage using an M.2 2280 slot instead of M.2 2230, 24 GB of LPDDR5X-7500 RAM, a larger battery, and other improvements, retailing for US$799.

Hardware
The ROG Ally implements an AMD APU, based on AMD's Zen 4 and RDNA 3 architectures. Two different models of the ROG Ally were released, one with a Ryzen Z1 processor and another with a Ryzen Z1 Extreme. The Z1 CPU runs a six-core/twelve-thread unit and the Z1 GPU runs on four compute units with a total estimated performance of 2.56 TFLOPS. The Z1 Extreme CPU runs an eight-core/sixteen-thread unit while its GPU runs on twelve compute units at an estimate of 8.6 teraflops. Both processors use variable timing frequencies, with the Z1 running between 3.2 and 4.9 GHz and the Z1 Extreme running between 3.3 and 5.1 GHz.

The main unit of the Ally is designed for handheld use. It features a 7-inch touchscreen LCD display with a 1080p resolution and variable refresh rate that goes up to 120 Hz. Controls resemble those of an Xbox Wireless Controller, including two thumbsticks, a directional pad, A/B/X/Y buttons, two shoulder buttons on each side, and two configurable buttons on the back of the unit.

Software
The ROG Ally ships with Windows 11 Home integrated with Armoury Crate SE, a software utility developed by Asus. Armoury Crate lets the user quickly configure thermal design power with several pre-adjusted presets, as well as change the refresh rate, screen resolution, limit frame rate and adjust clock rates. Armoury Crate also acts as a game launcher, automatically compiling the user's game library from third-party launchers like Steam and Epic Games Store. Although Windows 11 improved touchscreen support, some interactions can only be done using a mouse cursor. Due to this, Armoury Crate lets users emulate a mouse using the left joystick.

The ROG Ally also ships with a three-month subscription to Xbox Game Pass, a video game subscription service from Microsoft.

Reception
The initial response to the ROG Ally was mixed. Tony Polanco of Tom's Guide described it as "solid but imperfect", complimenting its display and ergonomics but criticizing performance and battery life. In contrast to Polanco's review, Sean Hollister of The Verge praised the device's performance, but criticized Asus' choice of Windows 11 as an operating system, calling Windows "largely foreign" on a handheld form-factor. Writing for Eurogamer, Richard Leadbetter wrote: "Various issues conspire to lend the impression that the ROG Ally isn't fully baked quite yet, while the Windows underpinnings may well be a limiting factor that may never be overcome."

A criticism highlighted by multiple reviews is the battery life. Hollister reported a 53-minute battery life playing The Last of Us Part I on the 25W TDP profile, while Kevin Purdy of Ars Technica measured an 88-minute life playing The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt on the 15W profile. Writing for Windows Central, Rebecca Spear described battery life as "pretty atrocious", though Anyron Copeman of Tech Advisor commented that the device's fast 65W charging capability makes up for its poor battery life.