On April 1, ASUS announced that it will launch a ROG allies.
Due to the timing of the release, many thought Asus was making an April Fool’s joke, but that’s not the case: the ROG Ally is very real, and it sounds pretty darn good.
According to YouTuber Dave2D (thanks RPS), who received an early device, the ROG Ally runs on Windows 11, features an AMD Zen 4/RDNA 3 chip, and features a 120Hz, 1920×1080 screen. The system’s cooling fans are fairly quiet and the system weighs only 608 grams.
While it sounds like a serious contender for Valve’s Steam Deck, Asus has yet to announce final specs and, more importantly, pricing.
Valve’s handheld is priced at $399, $529, or $649, depending on options chosen, so it’s unclear how competitive the price will be; however, Asus isn’t known for being cheap, as some of its ROG (Republic of Gamers) laptops can cost as much as $2,700, depending on the year and model.
While the company’s laptops can be quite pricey, they’re pretty solid in our opinion. Our Asus laptop is a 2014 model and is still going strong, and although it’s dated (it has an Nvivida 860M for example), it can still play a lot of games. And we’re also partial to Asus motherboards, refusing to buy other brands when assembling a computer.
So as to whether the system can compete with Steam Deck, and possibly brand recognition and loyalty, it all probably comes down to price.
