ASUS - ROG Ally 7" 120Hz FHD 1080p Gaming Handheld - AMD Ryzen Z1 Processor - 512GB - White

I've always wanted a way to play my favorite games on the go. I'm sort of a PC gamer in that I own a PC and have a few games, but nothing too processor heavy since everything I have is many years behind. When the steam deck was announced, I thought that would have been the perfect solution to my ongoing need for portable gaming. Then came along the Asus ROG Ally. Even the lower end model (which I purchased), it was on par with the highest end steam deck model AND it runs Windows 11. This allowed me to access my games through not only Steam, but Origin, Epic, and the Xbox marketplace. I was able to search around for the best deals on games I wanted to take with me me without the constraints of one gaming ecosystem to stick to. Pros: Ultra portable gaming. Windows 11 if I want to run any mundane applications other than games. Functions like a touchscreen computer. Carry around portable bluetooth keyboard and you've got a perfect on the go writing solution. Cons: The battery life isn't great while unplugged, but most places for travel should have an outlet nearby. Accessories are minimal and a little more expensive. Frame rate on higher end games a little choppy, but if you wanted a high end gaming machine you would have put way more money into it than what this costs. All and all, this is basically all I've ever wanted and I am very happy with this purchase.

I bought this for $150 below the MSRP by purchasing an excellent condition used device from Best Buy during a $100 off sale. It is far and away the best value to performance ratio for a Windows gaming handheld on the market right now, just be advised that the lower spec Z1 processor pales compared to the Z1 Extreme in the more expensive model and games are not always optimized for it the way they are for the Steam Deck's processor. I am not trying to play huge AAA games on the go, so I am totally satisfied with its performance in 2D games, smaller 3D games, and so on. I exclusively play in the 10w TDP silent mode or the 15w TDP balanced mode, never the maximum TDP performance mode because the games I play don't require it. I previously owned a base spec AYANEO Air Plus that was too weak to play 3D games above 30 FPS, and before that I paid a ton for a ONEXPLAYER Mini Pro (Ryzen 6800U) that was pretty powerful but a couple hundred dollars more expensive than this device. Both of those devices had really buggy software and broken features, whereas ASUS' Armoury Crate software has been reliable for me. It's hard to overstate how nice it is to have reliable software on one of these handhelds. If you're on the fence, the only real competition is the Steam Deck at this price point, and I prefer the size and weight of this device over the Steam Deck; it's far more comfortable, even though the weird geometrically shaped grips don't seem like they would be. Also, I have a lot of Amazon Prime, Epic Games, and Xbox Game Pass games I like to play, so having Windows is a must for me compared to a Steam Deck. (The screenshots show the Armoury Crate game launcher interface, Various Daylife published by Square Enix, and Deep Rock Galactic Survivors. Various Daylife runs at 60 fps capped with max graphics settings, DRG Survivors runs at 60 fps capped with 2X anti-aliasing. Both are rendering at the display's native 1080p resolution.)

Priced at $399. The z1 version is definitely worth it imo! But it being a handheld please hold you expectations in check! as NO handheld will many games at maxed settings at 120fps!! Games that ran really well that i’ve tested and played: - Baldurs Gate 3 - Assassins Creed Mirage - Assassins Creed ezio collection - Elder Scrolls online - Skyrim - Batman Arkham Asylum - Sea of Stars - Far Cry 6 **Starfield i could not get it to a playable state, even at low settings it was mid teens rendering it unplayable! Maybe future updates may fix this As i stated at $399 for this z1 version is definitely worth it and with future updates i see performance increasing. Again hold your expectations in check as it still is a handheld and not a high end PC!