The ROG Ally, a portable computer that resembles a Steam Deck that was announced on April 1st, is actually a real product that is currently in production, according to Asus. Although the price and release date have not yet been announced, it appears that the device will be more expensive than the Deck and will outperform it in terms of APU power and display performance.
The ROG Ally will have an AMD Zen 4/RDNA 3 chip, allowing for “comfortably” higher framerates than the Steam Deck, as well as a 120Hz, 1920×1080 screen, according to YouTuber Dave2D, who Asus provided with an early engineering unit. The Deck’s Linux-based SteamOS should no longer have problems with game compatibility because it will also run Windows 11.
Additionally, according to Dave2D, the ROG Ally weighs 608g, which is significantly less than Valve’s 669g handheld, and its cooling fans are much quieter than those on the Steam Deck.
Although it’s unclear if the ROG Ally will function with GPU enclosures made by manufacturers other than Asus, he also successfully connects it to an external GPU device, the ROG XG Mobile. Even without one, according to Asus, the Steam Deck’s internals are about twice as powerful as the newer ones.
In spite of the deep, sweltering tedium of April Fool’s stunts, it’s pretty intriguing that a major player in PC hardware like Asus is entering the market for handheld computers. In contrast to more specialised handheld brands like Ayaneo, it appears that the Steam Deck’s success has attracted others. And a stronger APU would address a worry I recently voiced to the designers of the Steam Deck: that it might have trouble running the future’s more graphically demanding games.
The ROG Ally’s durability, affordability, and place in your existing PC kit are all valid concerns, though. Zen 4 is a more energy-efficient architecture than the Deck APU’s Zen 2 in terms of battery life, but the combination of more power and a faster screen refresh rate still sounds like an endurance issue that Asus will need to address. If the battery life is significantly less than that of the Deck, which can already shut down after 90 minutes of play on some games, it will damage its reputation for portability.
Asus will also need to be astute with its pricing. The ROG Ally won’t be as inexpensive as the Deck due to higher specifications and the fact that ROG is the company’s premium gaming brand. It won’t necessarily fail because of this, but a high cost might make it too similar to desktop hardware.
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