The ROG Ally is a new portable console from Asus. It seeks to rush into the still young market of mobile consoles / PCs opened by the Steam Deck. To convince, it relies on a solid technical sheet as well as on a very permissive ecosystem. We were able to take it in hand.
Our story begins on 1er last April. Asus publishes an offbeat video in which a strange console is presented there. If everything suggests that we have a fish there, something is catching the public’s attention. The machine put forward is coherent, even credible. Are we really sure this is a joke? The manufacturer leaves doubt for two days before spilling the beans. Yes, this video is real and what it presents will come out fine. This product is the Asus ROG Ally.
The ROG Ally is a portable console / PC in line with the Steam Deck. Asus, however, seeks to differentiate itself from its competitor on two points in particular. On the technique, first of all, with a machine that wants to be better on all fronts. On the versatility then, since the ROG Ally works on Windows 11 and allows you to run all PC games, not just those of Steam. Beautiful promises on paper, but it remains to be seen how this recipe is applied. We were able to take it in hand to give you our first impressions.
A convincing first grip
When we talk about portable consoles today, the first example that comes to mind is the Nintendo Switch with its controllers on the side and the screen in the middle. It is this format that Asus takes over on its own with ROG Ally. Unlike Nintendo’s machine, we have a “full” console, so no detachable pads or even a foot at the back. The overall design, all in white, and its aggressive lines give it a real personality that echoes the ROG range from which it comes. The icing on the cake is of course the LEDs on the back as well as under the sticks. We are talking about Asus, of course there are LEDs…
The ROG Ally weighs 608 grams, i.e. 200 grams more than a Switch and 60 grams less than the Steam Deck. In hand, the heavy weight of the machine is not really felt, since everything is perfectly balanced. Add to that very comfortable textured plastic handles and responsive and pleasant buttons. The comfort is there and we feel that it is an aspect that the brand has particularly taken care of.
For buttons, Asus has taken over the format of those of the Xbox controller, the most common and popular on the PC market. If we are a little confused by the colors of the keys (the A is blue and not green, for example), we quickly find our marks. We are like at home. We particularly like the asymmetrical sticks, the notched triggers as well as the two macro buttons on the back which can be very useful in management games or MMOs. Our doubts would mainly go to the directional cross, which did not really appeal to us.
For the rest, we notice additional buttons on the sides of the screen (to access the Armory Crate SE menu for example) or even volume and ignition buttons on the upper edge. The latter also acts as a fingerprint sensor to protect your data. Appreciable.
Hard to give a definite opinion after only a few minutes of play, but the first contact with the Ally is very positive. We will have to see if this feeling lasts during long sessions. Will the comfort still be there after two or three hours of play? We will analyze all this during our test.
The 120 Hz screen, one of the strengths of the ROG Ally
Once the console in hand, the screen is obviously the first thing that jumps out at you. We have an IPS LCD panel which, at first glance, seems to be of excellent quality. Asus has chosen a 7-inch panel in 1080p with a refresh rate of 120 Hz. On this point, we are well above the competition since the Steam Deck offers a 720p 60 Hz screen.
Regarding the other technical aspects, Asus promises 1000:1 contrast, which is correct for this type of screen, but also a certain solidity thanks to the Gorilla Glass Victus. For the rest, we have a response time of 7ms as well as a brightness of up to 500 nits. It is on this last point that we could express our concern. Indeed, it seems a bit tight for outdoor use, so you will have to check the anti-reflective treatment applied to the machine.
Here again, it is difficult to give a definite opinion on a screen that we only used for a few minutes, which is indoors, but everything seems to be under control. We obviously appreciate the refresh rate at 120 Hz, a real asset on nervous titles like Forza Horizon 5 as well as a contrast which turns out to be much higher than on the Steam Deck. If it is impossible to affirm it without the help of a probe, the respect of the colors also seems to be there. Last surprise: the screen is touchwhich brings greater fluidity in navigation, whether on the Armory Crate SE interface or on Windows 11.
Read also – Asus ROG Flow Z13 test: both PC and tablet, the ultimate ultraportable gamer?
Asus wants to offer a powerful machine
ROG Ally is equipped with a custom processor AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme engraved in 4 nm (Zen 4 architecture, RDNA 4, 8 cores and 16 threads) with 16 GB of RAM and 512 GB of M2-2230 SSD storage. A configuration that can, according to Asus, run all the big games on the market.
The manufacturer did not give us permission to perform benchmarks on its ROG, but we were able to see for ourselves that everything seems to be as promised. In medium graphics (1080p) with the FSR activated, Cyberpunk 2077, A Plague Tale Requiem, and Forza Horizon 5 seemed to easily exceed 30 frames per second. Hard to tell if we’re approaching 60 with the naked eye, but it seems to be. To do with further testing.
The air is sucked in via grids at the back and propelled by a vent located on the upper edge. A provision that does not interfere with the user in game. Even more, the console is only hot on its back cover, not on the handles or the buttons. On Allys that ran for a good hour, we weren’t bothered for a single second. Efficient engineering.
The big question is about noise. To keep the machine cool, the manufacturer has chosen to place two ventilators in its entrails. These are intended to be discreet, but it will be necessary to judge in a completely silent room. Asus promises 20 decibels, which doesn’t seem like much. Too little to be true. Finally, concerning the technique, it is necessary to evoke a thorny question: autonomy. Asus did not wish to communicate on this point, which is not really reassuring. We’ll see how it’s used.
Armory Crate SE, the big interrogation of the Ally
The ROG Ally is a Windows 11 machine and has software specially designed for its use: Armory Crate SE. The latter takes the form of a launcher that brings together all your games, whatever their platforms (Steam, Epic, BattleNet and Xbox). As on the brand’s gaming PCs, 3 months of Game Pass are offered on first start. Great news.
We are less enthusiastic about the software part than the technical part. If Armory Crate SE is clear and intuitive, we notice a few things that make the experience a bit heavy, such as the fact of not being able to close a game directly in the launcher (it must be done from the say-game), or even untimely Windows returns each time the launcher is changed. It’s fast, almost stealthy, but it betrays the “modified PC” condition, as if we were getting a glimpse behind the scenes. All of this makes the Ally perhaps less intuitive than a console. Note that if you want to use it as a “classic” computer, you can. After all, it’s on Windows 11!
On the other hand, we appreciate the command center that Asus has included for the video game. In the middle of the game, a swipe of the touch screen allows you to adjust certain aspects, such as the speed of the fans or the brightness or the refresh rate. Simple and practical.
A promising console, but many questions
With this quick introduction, we were able to get a first idea of this machine and it turns out to be positive on the whole, but there are still a lot of uncertainties and unanswered questions. What about daily use? What is it worth coupled with an external ROG XG graphics card? Will the battery be strong enough to last us during a train or plane trip? What about real performance over the long term? Comfort after long gaming sessions… Questions that we will have to answer in our future test.
And then there is obviously the question that burns everyone’s lips: what will be its price? Asus did not wish to communicate on this point, but promises us an answer soon. Crucial data that will determine whether the ROG Ally could become a game changer or not in the portable console market. The ROG Ally is on paper the ideal nomadic machine as the promise is great. It remains to be hoped that the soufflé does not fall.
