The ASUS ROG Ally is one of the newest competitors to the Steam Deck, and when it first launched, it appeared to be the answer to everyone’s prayers. ASUS ensured that users could rely on more than just Steam to run their games, with options like EA, Xbox, and more making their way to the device. What seemed like a perfect experience in theory, though, is somehow more niche than a device wholly dedicated to a single service.
ASUS ROG Ally for the Average PC User
The ASUS ROG Ally is built on Windows. It isn’t just called a handheld console. It’s a “handheld console PC.” To the average player, that sounds ideal. We all use PCs. We know what we are getting into. However, Windows just isn’t built for this kind of system. The interface is incredibly complicated for something we all feel we should already be familiar with. Unless you are highly skilled with PCs, ASUS’ ROG Ally is probably not for you and definitely not for your kids.
Let’s dig into why we wouldn’t recommend the ROG Ally to the average user. There are bugs—a lot of them. Often the controls won’t work correctly with certain portals—EA and Xbox would often make me switch to on-screen controllers instead of the joysticks or the D-pad. Though this isn’t device-breaking, it is incredibly frustrating and inconsistent.
There were also plenty of occasions where something would pop up on screen (Windows notifications, for example), and they would get stuck there, meaning you have to stop what you’re doing, end the task, or restart the device. This also doesn’t include that closing actual windows means you need to click the X on-screen, much like a regular PC, but now it is teeny tiny, and chances are your fingertips aren’t quite that small.
These things alone may seem like minor inconveniences, but they can absolutely ruin the flow of gaming, especially if you’re sitting down for a quick gaming session. The ROG Ally can become challenging if you don’t fiddle with PCs often. This doesn’t even account for the number of times Armoury Crate (the ROG Ally’s software that keeps all your games/apps in one place and allows you to access important settings) would completely freeze. I actually had to pin the Windows task manager to the taskbar because I was closing applications that froze so often.
The real issue for inexperienced users, however, is going to the bloat that greatly affects battery life and performance on the device. Even Microsoft Teams is downloaded when you turn the Ally on. The battery life on the ROG Ally leaves a lot to be desired. This can be skirted around if you are willing to tinker with the device and Windows itself, but if you aren’t a tinkerer, it will definitely cause issues. ASUS knows this themselves, as they have posted guides to help you extend your battery life.
When plugged in, obviously, this isn’t an issue, and you can get all the performance you want out of the Ally. But if you plan to game on the go at all, you’re in trouble. The ROG Ally does offer the ability to play offline, but unlike the Nintendo Switch, this isn’t as easy as it sounds. Because the device runs so many different apps and ways to play, you’d need to switch to offline mode for each option, which is hard if you aren’t sure how. The ROG Ally really is a guide gold mine, and ASUS knows it.
They tried using Armoury Crate and the Command Center to simplify processes, but half the time, they didn’t work. When they work, you can choose between pre-set performance and battery life options, like FPS limiters, and mode selections, like Silent, Performance, and Turbo mode. Unfortunately, these aren’t enough to run ASUS’ ROG Ally at its full potential. For $699 USD, I want full potential.
Oh, and there is a spelling error in the OS. It affects nothing but boggles my mind.
For Experienced PC Users:
The experience on the ROG Ally is completely different if you jump in as someone who knows what they’re doing regarding PCs. Many of the issues above seem to melt away because you’ll no longer need the guides. Users can jump into Armoury Crate and the Command Center to adjust the above settings. You can also use real-time monitors to check on the device’s performance, allowing users to tweak things as they go for optimal use.
You can also turn on AMD RSR (Radeon Super Resolution) for a performance boost and use any quick launch buttons the device has selected for you. I like that the ROG Ally will let you turn almost any game into a controller-supported title. Though many games do not support controllers online, like One Lonely Outpost, I could go into Steam or directly into the Ally software and assign the gamepad controls to other things.
Though this may not make things perfect, it’s just one more way players can customize their ROG Ally to their liking. Customization is key with the ROG Ally, and that’s why it will work for experienced PC users over the average person. You can fiddle with your RGB lighting, things like Extreme Standby Mode, the amount of memory assigned to your GPU, and even different visual modes based on what you may be playing or watching, like Racing, Cinema, and Vivid modes. If you can make the most out of your PC, you can make the most out of ASUS’ ROG Ally.
ASUS ROG Ally General Performance
Expert levels aside, this device has some great things to consider. The ROG Ally has been out for a while, so I will spare you the spec details. You can find them on their website. I will tell you, though, that when you finally get everything up and running, games look beautiful on the ROG Ally.
I had one instance where there were some major rendering issues while I was playing Redfall via the cloud, the game was completely unplayable, but since then, the issue has not shown up again. I’ve checked out several titles on the device, including SYNCED, One Lonely Outpost, Mass Effect, Redfall, Hades, and more. Once loaded in, everything ran smoothly.
The display on the ROG Ally is stunning, making games like SYNCED look flawless, and the sound was great through the speakers and through headphones. Every game was crisp, clear, and vibrant, and I couldn’t ask for more from a handheld display. Mass Effect ran comfortably between 30 and 60 frames per second. Fortnite would run anywhere from 24 to 30 FPS, though. While playing games is when you will really see the battery drop, as during SYNCED gameplay, I didn’t even make it to two hours of battery life, and that was with things like lighting and Turbo mode off.
As mentioned before, the buttons on the ROG Ally can be remapped, including the two “pro” buttons on the back of the device. These are shortcuts for things like the on-screen keyboard while not gaming. There is also the Command Center, where you can map shortcuts, and I found this incredibly useful, especially during review while wanting quick access to screenshots and video recordings.
The Ally is not small in size at 280 x 111 x 21.2mm and 608 grams. For comparison, the Nintendo Switch OLED is 102 x 242 x 13.9mm and 420 grams. That being said, it does not feel too bulky but definitely takes up space in your bag. This wouldn’t be something to travel with comfortably, but more move from the desk to the couch when I want to be more comfortable.
Though the list of issues with the ROG Ally will outweigh the good for average gamers, for anyone who enjoys min-maxing their device, so to speak, this would be perfect for them. The ROG Ally can be a powerful device when put into the proper hands, but for $699 USD, I would not recommend this for a family device or anyone who isn’t completely tech-savvy.
