More rounded shapes, more storage and a change from white cases to the always elegant black color: ROG Ally X It is the next PC model with ASUS portable console shapes, but its new features will not be equivalent to a design change nor to what is considered a generational leap, but to something in between. Exactly what? Before the first anniversary of the original, all the cards will be put on the table, but some of those shown already give us a glimpse of the game.
The first ROG Ally went on sale June 13, 2023 largely following in the footsteps of Steam Deck, although ASUS always knew how to promote comparisons with the Valve machine to emphasize its strengths. In fact, they were not the first to bet on what a wide variety of Asian manufacturers have been offering for years, but ROG Ally’s reason for being is to offer a good response to the ever-increasing demand from PC players to continue their games away. of the keyboard. Which brings us directly to what we can expect from its successor.
The triple X of the next ROG Ally: Extra, Extreme, Expand
Through the official ROG channels, Jake Kulinski and Whitson Gordon wanted to put the growing and better detailed rumors around the next ROG Ally in short by offering specific data, but also reserving the substance for the already official presentation of the ROG Ally X
As Whitson Gordon makes clear, the name is also a declaration of intent: instead of ROG Ally 2, it has been preferred to call it ROG Ally for video games an “eXtra” based on the feedback obtained with the original and focusing on key concepts such as expanding what is already offered and offering a more extreme gaming experience.
In other words, although there will be no changes to the gaming experience equivalent to a full successor that encourages replacement, there will be substantial improvements for those PC players looking for something similar to a “Pro” revision. Improvements, in fact, related to the battery (the original is 40 Whr four-cell) that ensure greater autonomy, as well as more storage capacity, changes to be announced in the connectivity ports and, as suggested, some more shapes round with better sticks.
Short of seeing it and taking a look at the price tag, and on paper, all that is very good, we are not going to deny it. But What happens if we hit the screwdriver?
Same processor and screen. New system to play
Regarding the processor we know that we will once again bet on the AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme and the same 7-inch IPS panel, reserving other details for the presentation. However, Kulinski and Gordon wanted to gain muscle by announcing that they will have a launch with Armoury Crate SE 1.5which implies a leap in terms of the software that will enable new functions and that, as expected, can also be installed in the 2023 model.
Although ROG Ally the original is amortizable: we can continue playing our Steam, GOG or Game Pass games, but now we will have the content much better organized.
In fact, the intention is to make it much easier to customize the game library both when it comes to making filters and in terms of its design with a few gestures. We can configure the size of the covers, whether the menus are horizontal or vertical and, ultimately, accommodate the experience when we are not playing what we would like to see on the screen.
Another of the officially announced functions is the possibility of creating, importing and exporting profiles that affect the control system, so that we can add more configurations from outside of each title to those already offered from the game itself. However, it is worth remembering that, at the moment, all these functions are in the Beta phase. And, to be fair, we are not sure if they will arrive before or after the ROG Ally X
The three big unknowns of ROG Ally X
On paper, the news of ROG Ally X shown and hinted at beyond its software make it an alternative to take into account. However, the success of this “eXtra” model will be based on three pillars that, for the moment, remain up in the air.
1. The price
- In the ASUS store, and without applying discounts or promotions, the original ROG Ally model label marks 799 dollars. And that’s if we don’t add extras. To put it in perspective, the 1 TB OLED Steam Deck model (the most expensive) costs 679 dollars, and the difference with the Xbox and PlayStation consoles is 300 dollars. Seeing the news already confirmed, either the 2023 model is lowered, or we can expect the cost to be higher.
2. The release date
- We know that ROG Ally ASUS must know how to get the date right given that both Nintendo and PlayStation have begun to roll out their own plans with their respective systems. All in all, Microsoft is taking steps to offer a more convenient and versatile Xbox application on portable systems.
3. Size and weight
- We do not know the new design or the shapes that ROG Ally 608 grams. That is, 60 grams less than the Steam Deck, neither of them are exactly light. In other words, if ASUS is going to focus on improving the battery, it has to be consistent with the weight. I say this from experience.
We trust that all these questions and more will be answered next June 2 in a year in which the absence of E3 will not deprive us of highly anticipated events, great announcements and, with some luck, surprises and joys for video game lovers, including the increasingly demanding PC players. But one thing is clear: the competition between what ROG Ally and Steam Deck are capable of is getting more and more interesting.
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