Asus’ line of gaming-focused hardware, the ROG, has already cellphone and laptop. Now, the company is challenging Valve’s Steam Deck by unveiling its own handheld gaming rig.
ROG Ally debuted on Saturday and as of Monday Already Listed on Best Buy Although it is not yet available for pre-order. In theory, Ally has a similar build to Steam Deck, but with a few differences that give it an edge over Valve’s hardware.
Powering the Ally is a custom AMD Zen 4 APU that takes Steam Deck’s Zen 2 APU to the next level. YouTuber Dave2D who had access to the prototype. Both devices have 7-inch screens, but the Ally has a brighter 1,080p display and a 120Hz refresh rate. The Ally’s fan noise has also been significantly reduced.
Unlike the Steam Deck, Ally doesn’t have a touchpad, instead it has two standard analog sticks. It also runs Windows 11, so it’s not geared towards gaming, but it’ll be easier to run more games than Steam OS. At home, Ally can be connected to an external GPU which provides more power when gaming.
Asus did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The company hasn’t provided details on a release date or pricing, but according to Dave2D, Asus says it will be “competitively” priced.