Last April 1, ASUS released their latest gaming device, ASUS ROG Ally to the internet. Many expected it to be an April Fool's joke, but a few days later, they confirmed that it was a gaming device that they were actually developing.
Soon after, they announced a collaboration with AMD to develop a dedicated AMD Ryzen Z1 processing chip for the device which helps in giving the device great performance in low power consumption.
We were recently given the opportunity to try this ASUS ROG Ally device for ourselves, and here are my initial impressions of it.
Specifications
ASUS ROG Ally
Screen 7.0″ Full HD(1920×1080) IPS, 120Hz, Touch
AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme CPU
AMD Radeon RDNA3 GPU
RAM 16GB LPDDR5-5200
512GB PCIe Gen4 Internal Load
Main Camera None
I/O 1x USB4
1x PCIe
1x microSD card reader
40 Wh Battery (4 Cells)
65W charging
SIM/Telephony None
WiFi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/6e
Audio Jack Yes
Waterproof None
Scan System None
Sale Price $699 (AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme
ASUS ROG Ally comes with two processing chip offerings, namely AMD Ryzen Z1 and AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme. The two significant differences shown in these processing chips are that the AMD Ryzen Z1 chip comes with a combination of 6 cores and 12 threads of power and the AMD RDNA 3 graphics chip with 4 CU cores, while the AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme processing chip comes with 8 cores and 16 threads power and an RDNA 3 graphics chip with 12 CU cores.
In terms of memory supply, both models come with 16GB LPDDR5 memory and 512GB PCIe 4.0 SSD storage. In terms of computing performance, not much difference can be shown between these two models, but in terms of graphics performance, the model with the AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme chip is expected to come with higher graphics processing capabilities.
This ASUS ROG Ally also comes with a new cooling system called the Zero Gravity Thermal System which consists of blocks and heat pipes that conduct heat to two cooling fans that will flow it to the top of the device and ensure that the back of the device remains cool even during gaming sessions the old.
Design
Although console devices with PC gaming capabilities seem to have only become popular with the introduction of Steam Deck devices, ASUS says that ASUS ROG Ally has been in development since its design five years ago.
From iteration to iteration, ASUS says that they have been developing the design for this device for five years to ensure that users are comfortable holding it for long periods of time, and also that all the buttons on this device are easily accessible to users.
ASUS ROG Ally is loaded with a 7-inch IPS display with Full HD resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate, which is higher than console devices like Steam Deck and AyaNeo 2. This display also has a touch function that is quite useful to access this device if don't want to use the controls.
Speaking of controls, this ROG Ally device uses the Xbox controller layout including the location of the analog controller, and this is quite useful especially when you realize that this device uses Windows 11 as its operating system.
Another advantage of this device comes through the user's ability to access the inside of the device, where components such as SSD storage and game controllers can be changed, and the ROG Ally cooling system can also be disassembled to change newer cooling materials if needed.
In terms of plug offerings, ROG Ally comes with a USB 4 Type-C plug for charging purposes combined with a PCIe plug that is used together to connect to ROG XG Mobile external graphics card accessories that house powerful graphics cards such as NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080/4090 and also a number of other plug-ins that allow you to use this console as a powerful computer.
It also comes with a MicroSD storage slot that allows you to expand the internal storage if needed and a 3.5mm audio plug that can be used to connect to wired earphones if needed.
All of these plugs also fit into the top of the device, so you can hold it on a tabletop without worrying about needing to use any of them.
Its lightweight design at 608g also allows this device to not only be carried anywhere in your bag, but also light enough to play comfortably no matter where you are, and you don't have to worry about feeling sluggish during long gaming sessions.
Software Support
Like consoles like AyaNeo 2, GPD Win and so on, ASUS ROG Ally uses the Windows 11 operating system and this allows users to install a large number of game warehouse platforms such as Steam, GoG, Epic Games Store, Ubisoft Connect and so on.
To further facilitate the use of this device, ASUS also offers Armory Crate SE software. Armory Crate is a software that houses various controls for previous ASUS components and accessories, and with Armory Crate SE, it is also used to access installed games quickly and easily, as well as to access various settings of this device.
You can also set the performance mode, change the settings of the control buttons, add and remove the games you want in the game list, control the lighting for these devices and even ASUS ROG accessories that support Aura Sync lighting technology connected to this console.
The Command Center function allows users to activate or deactivate functions such as performance mode, use of the built-in game controller, device performance monitoring, FPS limiter, automatic resolution switching and Radeon Super Resolution.
The combination of these softwares gives ASUS ROG Ally an advantage in terms of support for different games, unlike Steam Deck which can only run games on its platform, or games downloaded with emulator software ) others.
The use of the Windows 11 operating system also allows this ASUS ROG Ally to be used as a computer, and this means that various other applications such as Netflix and so on can be downloaded through the Microsoft Store, and can make this device a pretty good multimedia tool.
It's a shame the device doesn't have a built-in SIM card slot that allows it to connect to the internet without WiFi, but maybe it's something they'll think about for future iterations of the device.
User Experience
If we talk about gaming performance alone, I can say that ASUS ROG Ally comes with the ability to run computer games at 720p and Full HD resolution which is very good.
The selected settings also seem to make a difference in terms of the quality of the graphics processing and also the displayed refresh rate, but typically for some of the games we tested, we could run some modern games like Doom Eternal, and Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus, at resolutions 720p and mid settings at 60FPS refresh rate without issue.
In fact I would say that most of the games you will play on this device will run at that resolution and refresh rate, even though this display screen is capable of supporting refresh rates up to 120FPS. This is not a big problem, and I always say that for gaming on a device with such a small screen, the need for high resolution is not that important.
I will say that in all the games I've played, such as Doom, A Plague's Tale, Honkai Star Rail and so on, I've rarely experienced issues like stuck frame rates or lag issues in games.
In fact, this device also does not face heat issues, in the handle and game controller, where it is quite good for short gaming sessions or long hours. The cooling system used by ASUS for this ROG Ally device is efficient in transferring heat from the SoC components to the ventilation holes on the top of the device, and combined with the low power consumption of this AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme SoC at only 30W, it is not surprising that the device this can be held for long periods of time without problems.
Even better, users are also given easy access to the console's interior, where users can upgrade the built-in SSD storage if they want, and even swap out the analog controller when needed.
In fact, this ROG Ally can also be used as a normal computer if you buy a dock that supports HDMI, DisplayPort and so on, and connect it to the screen display.
If you want even greater performance, and have the money to have it, you can also connect this device to the XG Mobile graphics card, which gives you access to a premium class graphics card (NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080/4080) that can make the device this as a powerful class desktop computer.
However, throughout my use of the ROG Ally console, my issues with the device have generally been regarding the UI (interface) and also the UX (use experience). I say this because ROG Ally is a device powered by Microsoft Windows 11 operating system.
This allows the ROG Ally to power a wide variety of gaming platforms without issue, but it also comes with its own issues. First is the interface design of this operating system which is no different from a desktop or laptop computer. The issue here is that the ROG Ally has a 7.0-inch touchscreen that doesn't have the right scale to use an interface like this.
The issue for me is that accessing this operating system's menu, and scrolling through the various settings of this operating system is much more difficult with a screen this small. In fact, when using the digital keyboard to access some settings such as to enter the WiFi password, search for software and so on, it is quite difficult to input on this device.
Microsoft has said that it will develop a Windows 11 interface for console devices like the ROG Ally, but until that day comes, you'll have to live with this slightly clunky interface.
Another UI/UX issue on this device comes through the Armory Crate SE software. The way ASUS uses this software is actually quite good, because you can access the games installed on this device quickly and easily from the home screen of this device. Device settings such as overclocking rate, screen refresh rate, button settings and device updates are also all accessible from Armory Crate quickly and easily.
The only issue for now, especially when the ROG Ally isn't on the market yet, is that it also comes with some interface and user experience issues of its own. The first is that if you open more than one game warehouse software such as Steam and Xbox Store, you cannot access the desktop of this device using the built-in shortcut buttons because it will only repeat the windows of these digital warehouses and Armory Crate SE only, although it able to do it before.
ASUS appears to be releasing a number of updates to the software, but as I write this review, this is still one of the biggest issues for me that still occurs.
The next thing might not be a big issue, but in my experience playing with this ROG Ally as well, only one game software can be activated at a time, where the device will ask you to close the previous game before you play a new game.
On modern consoles like the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series, you can let games "sleep" in the background while playing a new game, but unfortunately it's not something that can be done on these devices at the moment.
Audio
ASUS ROG Ally comes with built-in stereo speakers, and supports Dolby Atmos technology that promises a pretty good listening experience. The device's built-in speakers are loud enough, but not to the point where the audio breaks, making this ROG Ally a good multimedia device not only for gaming purposes, but for watching and listening to content as well.
Battery
The ASUS ROG Ally console comes with a 40Wh battery which ASUS promises will last for 4 hours on a full charge. This expectation is not untrue, but only if you use this device for purposes such as browsing the web or watching videos through the Netflix application.
When used for the purpose of playing your favorite games, this device can live for an hour to two hours depending on the game played, and what is interesting is that if the battery life is sufficient, it can run these games at fresh settings and rates a high return.
Through the promotion done by ASUS, it is seen that the ROG Ally is a device that should be used together with their Power Delivery 65W charger accessory. If you have a power bank with the support of such charging technology, technically you can also get a long enough game life without any problems.
Only yes, with the built-in battery only, the estimated lifespan of this device is not as long as what ASUS announced.
In the box
In the ASUS ROG Ally box that we were supplied with, this is the content shown for now. This content is likely to change when the device is officially sold later.
1x ASUS ROG Ally
1x Power Delivery 65W charger
Closing
ASUS ROG Ally is the hybrid PC gaming console that people have been waiting for since ASUS officially confirmed its existence in early April. In terms of build, performance and even gaming software support, I have no hesitation in saying that it is the best gaming console in this segment.
I just hope that ASUS will improve the interface and some of the issues contained in the Armory Crate SE to further improve the quality of the user experience for those who are interested in purchasing this console.
If there is one undeniable advantage is that with the official presence of this device in Malaysia, those who buy it will get support from ASUS Malaysia in terms of warranty and also device repair which is much easier and better.
If you are willing to import this ROG Ally console when it launches this June, my recommendation is to wait until ASUS fixes the issues related to the interface, user experience and even the battery of this device.
Even as I end this review, I'm sure that ASUS will still come with many more software updates to improve the quality of this console before it reaches the hands of customers who I expect can't wait to use this device.
For now, ASUS Malaysia has not yet confirmed the price tag of this device, but we know that this model, powered by AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme comes with a price tag of $699 in the United States, which is still below the RM4000 price tag and will start sold in the local market starting this July, depending on global stock supply.
Pro
Impressive performance
The design and construction of the device is compact and easy to carry anywhere
Easy to use
Supports more than one digital game warehouse
Not hot
Melodious audio quality
Easy access to components
Cons
Battery life is not as claimed
Interface and user experience issues that could be further improved