Last year, Valve launched the Steam Deck as a new and promising portable console. At that time, three models entered the shops, which slightly stirred up the stagnant market. And now here is another pebble (or stone, maybe rock?) that can make more waves: it ASUS ROG Ally. What at first seemed like an April Fool’s joke is now almost within arm’s reach.
ASUS will launch two models, but only one of them will arrive on June 13. It will be the most powerful hardware built around an AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme Processor, with 8 Zen4 cores. Graphics tasks will be handled by an AMD RDNA3 GPU, whose computing capacity, according to the manufacturer, will be 8.6 Teraflops. 16 GB of LPDDR5 memory is included, while storage is provided by a 512 GB PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 SSD.
The weaker model is expected sometime in the third quarter, there is no exact date yet. It is powered by an AMD Ryzen Z1 Processor with 6 Zen4 cores. The graphics tasks are also performed by an AMD RDNA3 GPU, but its computing capacity falls well short, it will be “only” 2.8 Teraflops. The 16GB LPDDR5 will be the same, but only a 256GB PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 SSD will be included.
There will be no difference in the display between the two models. They also get a 7-inch IPS panel with a resolution of 1920*1080 pixels. It will refresh at 120Hz with a 7ms response time, 500 nits of brightness and FreeSync Premium support. Of course, it is a touch screen, it will be protected against scratches and damage by Gorilla Glass DXC and Gorilla Glass Victus.
If the Ally’s factory graphics performance is not enough, you will also have the option to connect ASUS’s external graphics controller, the ROG XG Mobile. In addition, you can even turn Ally into a multiplayer game console, as you can connect several controllers to it, and pair it with a TV or monitor.
As for the controls of the console itself, we find solutions reminiscent of the Xbox controller. On the right side, next to the analog stick, there are ABXY buttons, and on the left side, next to the analog stick, there is a D-Pad. The usual smart keys are not missing either, and the additional function keys (view, menu, command center, armory crate) are also present.
The device is equipped with a motion sensor, a fingerprint reader, an AI-powered noise filter, two speakers and microphones. Wireless communication is provided by Bluetooth 5.2 and Wi-Fi 6E. A 40Wh battery is responsible for the operating time, which can be charged with 65W. The ASSU Aura Sync function is not missing either.
Ally will run full-fledged Windows 11, on which popular game clients such as Steam, Epic Games Store, GOG and others will be accessible without any problems. Importantly, customers also receive a three-month Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription!
The more powerful version of ASUS ROG Ally can therefore land on store shelves on June 13, just a month later. Therefore, the manufacturer will ask for $ 699. And the smaller brother will cost $599, but it is not yet known exactly when it will arrive. The big question is how big of a slice of the cake it will be able to get next to the Steam Deck, because its pricing is a bit excessive, but ASUS can trust its brand-loyal customer base.