Asus seems to be getting into the handheld gaming market, taking on competitors like AyaNeo or GPD and even gamers’ beloved Steam Deck. On the 1st of April, Asus announced the release of its first-ever handheld gaming PC, the ROG Ally, that runs an AMD-based setup and looks similar to the Steam Deck. You might be thinking, April Fools? But it’s a real product, with a Best Buy retail page and confirmation from Asus themselves on Twitter.
As with most gaming tech, the ROG Ally is custom-built, with hardware details on the sparse side. However, Asus claims that it’s using an “the fastest AMD APU yet” which gives the device enough oomph to run Windows out of the box with access to a wider range of games without the need for an additional Linux-based compatibility layer.
The device has dual fan cooling and a full high-definition resolution screen that promises to work well under direct lighting; it features RGB lighting around the analog sticks and a rear strip for added effect. Additionally, the device has rear handle buttons that make it feel comfortable when being held for prolonged gaming sessions.
Asus has integrated an X-factor into the design by offering the option to use an external graphics card dock. The ROG Ally can work with this proprietary dock, capable of providing a discrete graphics card to its AMD-based hardware. The dock not only charges the Ally but also enables external displays, making local multiplayer with wireless controllers very easy. There is no information available if the dock is the same one used by the latest Flow laptops, which are available with up to a mobile GeForce RTX 4090 GPU, but they do look very similar. There are no details on the price or the release date so far, but interested buyers can sign up for email alerts at Best Buy.
It seems that Asus is going to give a run for their money to its competition, with all of the exciting features that it has to offer. The ROG Ally is packed full of great features and the option to add an external graphics card dock makes it a firm contender in the handheld gaming market. If you are an avid handheld gamer, the ROG Ally should definitely be on your radar.
Author: Michael Crider, Staff Writer
Michael has been building and tweaking desktop computers for longer than he cares to admit he is a former graphic designer. His interests include science fiction, football, folk music, and salsa verde, in no particular order.
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According to https://www.pcworld.com/article/1680929/asus-takes-on-the-steam-deck-with-its-rog-ally.html
The material in this article is written on the basis of another article.
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