Customer Ratings & Reviews

I love it! It's not perfect but I knew it wouldn't be when it's the first generation. But it plays all the games I'd like it to. I'll list the pros and cons to me but I'm sure review videos may be more informative. Pros -portable pc video gaming! -beautiful screen and speeds -good sound and customizable settings -quick to charge when using the ac adapter -doesn't get hot where my hands touch -buttons are easy to reach and responsive -not too heavy to hold. I'd say similar to a switch since I will play with it resting on something after a few hours. Cons -battery life of course, it's an energy demon -game sounds iffy on some games when on lowest power setting, but fixed if you up the setting (ff14 is the one I saw this on, personally) -works like a windows pc which is good for me until you're trying to navigate w an itty bitty mouse cursor or a comparably giant finger on small text. Despite this, I love and recommend it to everyone!! Though I always mention the battery in case that's a deal breaker. To me it's not though. I always have my adapter handy ;D

Title: "Portable Gaming Powerhouse!" I recently had the pleasure of trying out the ROG ALLY handheld gaming PC, and it's safe to say that it left a lasting impression. This compact gaming device truly delivers a punch, combining portability with impressive performance. Design: The sleek and ergonomic design of this handheld gaming PC immediately caught my eye. The device is lightweight and comfortable to hold, making it perfect for gaming on the go. The high-quality build ensures durability, while the controls are responsive and well-placed for an immersive gaming experience. Performance: Don't let its size fool you—this handheld gaming PC packs a serious punch under the hood. Equipped with a powerful processor and a dedicated GPU, it handled graphically demanding games with ease. The display quality is impressive, providing vibrant colors and sharp details for an immersive gaming experience. Versatility: What sets this handheld gaming PC apart is its versatility. It runs a full-fledged operating system, allowing users to not only play games but also perform other tasks like browsing, streaming, and productivity on the go. The device seamlessly transitions from gaming console to a versatile portable computer. Battery Life: The battery life exceeded my expectations. I was able to enjoy several hours of gaming on a single charge, making it suitable for long flights, road trips, or just extended gaming sessions without the constant need for a power source. Connectivity: With a range of connectivity options, including a usb -c port and wireless capabilities, this handheld gaming PC offers flexibility in connecting peripherals, accessories, and external displays. The inclusion of the usb-c port enhances the overall user experience. Conclusion: In conclusion, the ROG ALLY handheld gaming PC is a game-changer in the world of portable gaming. Whether you're a dedicated gamer looking for on-the-go excitement or someone who needs a versatile device for various tasks, this handheld PC is worth every penny. With its impressive performance, sleek design, and versatility, it stands out as a top choice in the handheld gaming market. Highly recommended for gaming enthusiasts and tech-savvy individuals alike!

Note: I have returned the ally at the time of writing due to already having a top of the line pc and gaming laptop though do plan on picking it up in the future for gaming outside of my house. This review is written in regards to the ROG Ally Z1 Extreme and not the non extreme version. My first impression is that it won't be replacing my pc as my main source of gaming entertainment, but it can definitely work well at certain times. 1) Storage looks great but with the amount of storage games take up I wish that there was an option to opt for 1tb or even 2tb from the factory, especially with the issue of the sd card slot getting too hot and damaging the sd card thats inserted. Note: ASUS do plan on implementing a fix but Im unsure if it has already happened or not so do research if needed. 2) Performance is not going to replace your top of the line gaming pcs in terms of graphics power, but it is solid for its price and even its size. Even though you won't be cranking graphics to max you can definitely enjoy games with solid fps as long as you tone the graphics down. 3) Controller and just controls in general were actually amazing, armory crate worked well, and the ease of access to different power profiles and fan speed settings was a very welcome feature. Also being able to change the refresh rate of the screen to save battery if needed was nice too. 4) Battery life is rough when you're going full tilt at the highest power profile but with the different power profiles you can make the battery last. The included charger is quick and speedy, but I do think that the charger hdmi all in one accessory should have come in the box as it blows the included one out of the water due to having the hdmi and having the wire be detachable so replacment of said wire is an option. All in All I will definitely recommend this as an entry to pc games/gaming as it is a very solid option, you can play all the games that you would be able to on a normal PC right out of the box unlike the steamdeck and you have access to xbox game pass for pc/ultimate. Definitely recommend it for a good holiday gift for any aspiring gamers that want to play pc games. Besides gaming this machine is also solid at being a normal pc albeit needing a dongle/dock to plug in more than one device such as a mouse and keyboard. Side Note: You can technically use it as a powerful gaming pc by buying an external graphics card that is compatible with the ROG Ally but note that its worth investing into and actual PC because of the prices of these external cards.

Hey all, ROG Ally is going back to Best Buy. Decided to write up a final thoughts review for anyone wondering or on the edge of purchasing/returning. TLDR, I give this device overall a 7/10. Performance - 10/10 As far as handhelds go, I don't think you can do much better than the Ally at the moment. It runs Starfield beautifully with the driver update, and has excelled at any AAA game l've thrown at it. If all you care about is the ability to play games, then get the Ally. Ergonimics - 7/10 It's a bit on the thin side and there aren't very many options out there as far as grip attachments. I bought a grip attachment on Etsy and they were a bit big for my hands, and there weren't any options outside of that. The device itself is light and perfect size IMO. The button placements and button feel were great. The joysticks were a little on the loose side, but I got used to it. I just wish the grip was better. The Steam Deck and upcoming Legion Go are huge in comparison. Battery - 5/10 l usually just game at home, but we all know the battery sucks. I found myself having to tote my charger around with me wherever I went, and finding a spot next to an outlet. That's just not fun. If you're looking for a device that you can pop out while waiting in the queue at Disneyland, this aint it. Windows Experience/ASUS Software - 5/10 I'm fully aware of how to use Windows as l've been building and configuring windows desktops all my life Microsoft needs to make a handheld version of their os Plain and simple. It's not horrible if you know how to use windows, but it's not the greatest if you're not somewhat technical sound I'm willing to het 90% of those open box Allys at Best Buy are due to the windows experience on a handheld. The upside is you can run whatever you want on the device, including anti-cheat games, video editors, sound editors, etc. It's literally a handheld desktop machine. Also, can ASUS please combine MyAsus and Armory Crate into one app? Why do I need to open two apps to check on updates? Bugs/Hardware Failures - 1/10 This is what did it for me. For $750 after tax, I expect to be able to use the device and all of the features within reason. The fact that much of the community has to accept that the SD Card slot is just non-existent, is disappointing, and ASUS' response to it is less than desirable. I also started to have issues with my battery draining while on the charger. This was while playing Starfield with a custom 20w profile and fan curve that kept temps in the 60s. The game was totally playable, but the battery shouldn't drain while on the charger. Also, sleep/hibernate is kinda bad, and I understand this is a Windows issue. Sometimes I'd have to force shut the whole thing down to wake it from sleep. Trying to hibernate in the middle of gameplay would sometimes result in me coming back to a hot device and battery nearly drained. So again, l'd have to be mindful of keeping it on the charger while walking away. When I was playing games, I was happy. But I just couldn't accept the fact that the hardware (SD Card Slot) was faulty, and there was likely no recourse for it. Hopefully they iron things out with the Ally 2. Enjoy!

I bought this instead of Steam Deck. I was going back and forth and when I did you can’t play Destiny 2 on a SD, this cemented my choice. I’m SO happy with this little device. It really is great. The screen is fantastic, and bright. The colors are vivid. The device isn’t really loud either, even when the fans are on full blast. I also find it comfortable to hold for long periods of time. I also find that it plays nearly all of my games with ease. Now for some cons: the battery life is not great when playing at max cpu levels (this should be fairly obvious). The official case for it isn’t included like a steam deck, and even if it was, I’d probably complain about it because it’s not as good as some aftermarket cases. I also wish for the price, it came with 1 TB of memory as standard issue. For the higher price point this device is at, I think Asus could make that happen. Also, maybe include a better dock/stand. The one included is comically bad. But at least I was able to use my 3d printer and print out a better one. Lastly, I’m not super thrilled about having to use full Windows 11 on it. It’s a necessary evil, but I wish Microsoft had a special streamlined “console edition” manufacturers could use for devices like this. Overall, I’m really happy with the device. It was my Xmas present to myself. And I’m very glad I made the jump. I’m an old gamer (40s), and when I was younger, I had a Sega GameGear. This gives me that nostalgia vibes.

I recently got my hands on the ROG Ally gaming handheld, and I must say, it's an absolute gem for portable gaming enthusiasts like me. This nifty device has so much going for it, making it a standout choice for on-the-go gaming. The first thing that struck me was the impeccable build quality. The ROG Ally feels sturdy and well-crafted, ensuring it can withstand the rigors of constant travel and gaming sessions. Its compact design makes it easy to carry around, and the textured grip on the back ensures a comfortable and secure hold during extended playtime. Performance-wise, the ROG Ally truly shines. Equipped with top-of-the-line hardware, the gaming experience is smooth, and the graphics are stunning. Playing my favorite AAA titles felt like a breeze, and I was pleasantly surprised by how well it handled demanding games. The high-resolution display adds an extra layer of enjoyment, providing crisp visuals that rival larger gaming setups. Moreover, the battery life is commendable for a handheld gaming device. It lasted through hours of gaming without requiring a recharge, which is perfect for long commutes or flights. The software and pre-installed gaming applications are fantastic, offering a diverse selection of titles to choose from. The device's customization options also allow me to fine-tune my gaming experience to suit my preferences. It's evident that ROG put effort into curating a top-notch gaming library for their users. However, the one gripe I have is with the user interface (UI). While it does its job most of the time, I found it to be a bit wonky and not as intuitive as I had hoped. Navigating through menus and switching between apps could sometimes be a bit confusing, especially during intense gaming sessions. Nevertheless, with some time and patience, I got used to the quirks, but I believe there's room for improvement in this aspect. Overall, the ROG Ally gaming handheld is an impressive device that delivers an exceptional gaming experience. It offers great performance, a stunning display, and a wide selection of games to enjoy on the go. The minor UI issues don't overshadow the many positives it brings to the table. If you're a gaming enthusiast who loves gaming on the move, this handheld is definitely worth considering.

Had high hopes for this device, and they have mostly been met. I only have a few complaints, but significantly more satisfaction. Games run very well on it. Far Cry 5 ran at no lower than 31 Fps, Project Wingman fluctuated from 33-60 fps. Forza Horizon 5 ran smoothly at 60fps... all on performance mode. The only 2 games I've had an issue with were Tmodloader for Terraria not responding to any controls once I load a world, and Ace Combat 7 which runs smoothly at 50fps on Turbo mode, but absolutely drives the cooling insane to the point where the fans start spinning so fast, they start shaking the system, leading me to shut it down. The console feels great in my hand. It's gonna take me a bit to get used to the control layout since I'm used to using a Playstation 4 controller, but anyone who has felt comfortable with an Xbox One controller should feel right at home. One of my gripes is the storage. The Ally was advertised with 512Gb, yet my settings show I have 476Gb, with 150Gb or so of that being taken up by Armory Crate. I understand some essential software takes up some storage, but my total storage is less than advertised. I have an SD card coming in. I also have an issue with sleep mode, where the device turns the screen and RGBs off to save battery. My problem is that occasionally, the screen refuses to turn back on, so I have to hold my power button for 10 seconds to restart the device. Battery life is also an issue. I get around 3.5-4 hours of playtime before I have to plug it in. Asus is supposedly working on updates to improve this, so I won't complain too much about it. Other than the gripes I've listed, I'm having alot of fun with my system and I'm very happy I pre-ordered it.

The Rog Ally is a special device. It's not perfect, but it's really special. As someone whose been a playstation / xbox / nintendo console owner since they were little - a powerful PC that's been fitted into the size of a handheld truly unlocked a lot for me. Hundreds of Xbox Gamepass games available at a moment's notice, steam's entire library, and any game that runs on PC *could* potentially run on the ROG Ally (if it's something super new and super graphically challenging, it may be hard to run on it, of course). Multiple performance modes to handle different levels of graphical intensity - using the lowest level of performance for simpler indie games extends the battery life by hours. I played Insomniac's Spiderman all the way through on the ROG Ally at 720p 60fps and it truly looked gorgeous and played perfectly just as well. Swinging through NYC while on a plane...playing a whole console game on a plane?? I felt like a kid. I then relived my young adulthood and beat Far Cry 3, a game i'd been wanting to play for almost a decade all over again, from the comfort of my bed. Then I beat Uncharted, a Thieve's End at 1080p 75fps in bed as well. It has a beautiful 1080p screen, solid ergonomics, and great speakers. On the higher performance modes - playing some of the games i'd mentioned above, the battery life does only last about an hour. But the Ally comes with a long power chord and brick so you can play comfortably while plugged in. If you're someone who doesn't already have a Steam Deck or a PC, travels a decent amount, the ROG Ally is a great device to pick up. Cheers

Best handheld when purchased at launch and still amazing 2 years later. Plays AAA titles on low settings. Older games, indies, and emulators run extremely well. VRR screen for smooth gameplay. Battery life can be about an hour on demanding games but light to medium can stretch to 2-3 hours. If you can stay plugged it you get a performance boost and battery is not an issue. Would recommend to anyone wanting a handheld PC.

I bought two of these for my kids for Christmas. Now they can play all the games they have wanted to because their favorite streamers and YouTubers played them. Basically will run just about any PC game. There are some gimmicks. It is prone to crashes every so often, mostly due to kids/users treating this like a Nintendo Switch. It literally runs Windows 11 so you have to train users to manually close games like you would on a PC. That said the integrated controls are surprisingly robust and straight forward. There is a shortcut physical button for ALL installed games which is a nice feature. In addition, while you can hook up a mouse and keyboard to it, you can use the right joystick to act as a mouse cursor and the right bumper is the left click emulation of a mouse. It makes fine tuning setting easier because tapping the screen (while works) can be frustrating because it's a full desktop on a small screen and sometimes requires precision clicking- so at least they thought of that. Every typing field pops up with a digital keyboard if you don't cinnect a physical one. For games that support a controller, this works REALLY well with the system. As far as performance, it runs most games at medium or high settings which is impressive, although some games will have lower frames because it doesn't have the hardware to support them. My son has played Goat Simulator, Minecraft, Spiderman Miles Morales, Garten of BanBan, Five Night at Freddy's, Dave the Diver, Poppy Play Time, and Subnautica on there. All worked pretty well. I do recommend it for light gaming when not plugged in, as it does kill the battery fast under load. Not to mention plugging in the charger it comes with puts the system into turbo mode which gives you best peak performance. This is where I'd buy a docking station and plug in a keyboard and mouse. I think this is how my kids will uave the most fun with it.

This is very convinient for myself. I wanted something that I can take on the go if needed. So busy with life, that most days I don't have the luxury to sit down and game for hours on my PS5 at my desk. This is a little more convenient, and the fact that it is a small PC, makes it great. It is not restricted to only gaming, you can browse the web. The only down sides are 2 major things that I was aware of; the battery life, within 2 to 3 hours you will need to reacharge, the low storage, this only comes with 512GB which is nothing for today's videogames,and the SD card slot has been known for failing due to heat. I will still stand by this product and say it was worth the money.

Pros: - Great display - 1080p 120Hz display with VRR makes playing games look great on this device. 7" is fine, but I do wish it was just a little bigger by filling up some of the large bezels around the display. - Can play all AAA titles I've tried - I've played Star Wars Jedi Survivor, Spiderman Remasters, and Diablo IV so far on this and they have all performed well on the Z1 Extreme APU. This isn't a high-end PC so expect to lower your graphical settings to low and even 720p on some really demanding games if you want smooth FPS. However, the lower graphical settings aren't an issue on these smaller handheld displays. - Nice design - Compact and lightweight. Traveling with the ROG Ally is nice because of this, and you won't get as easily fatigued from longer gaming sessions. Cons: - Short battery life - If you want to unlock the full potential by playing on turbo mode when it is not plugged, expect around 1hr of battery. Performance mode is still playable and you should be able to get around 2hrs. Silent mode is pretty much unplayable on all games i've tried. - Setup and Update Process - Windows 11 on this device comes with many benefits, but the biggest drawback is the setup and update process. When I got my device, it came with a corrupted Windows 11, so I had to do a reset on the device and reinstall Windows 11. After the install and setup which took a bit of time, the update process isn't very straight forward and also takes a lot of time. First, I had to do all the OS updates through Windows, then I had to do driver updates through the MyASUS app, and then I had to do updates for the performance apps through ASUS Amoury Crate. Tedious and long process. - No track pad - A track pad would have made navigating through Windows 11 a bit easier on a smaller screen. Overall: Even going from my home PC which has an Intel i9-13900k, Nvidia 4090, etc, playing on this still seems very solid. I bought this for when I travel for work, or if I feel like relaxing on the couch or bed with my wife. Very pleased with the ROG Ally. Plays all the games I wanted to play on it and plays it pretty well. The display is gorgeous to look at, although I wish it were just a bit bigger.

First and foremost, I’m also a Steamdeck owner and much of my Ally experience is from that perspective. In comparison, the Ally is lighter, the triggers and buttons feel more premium and the screen is great. I have not seen the performance differences Asus claimed, but much of that could be Win11 eating up resources compared with the bespoke Steam OS. Battery life with the Ally is disappointing, as is the lack of 3rd party cases. The Asus one should have shipped with the device instead of being an extra $40, and doesn’t provide for external battery storage which is essential for traveling with the Ally. Asus has also had some quality control issues, my first purchase had a bumper that wasn’t working out of the box, but the second device has not had any issues. A Bluetooth keyboard and mouse are extremely useful add ons, and I do recommend a dock if you want to use this device like a console and play it on the TV. As much as I like the Ally, I find I still grab the Steamdeck when I’m on the go, primarily because I’ve got a travel case that fits it perfectly, and holds a 20k amp battery bank. It’s gets more minutes of play per watt, even if the Ally has a few more smiles per watt. I’m hopeful with tweaks I can get the Ally more comparable with time. The deck had lots of issues too at launch.

After fidgiting with the settings and getting my games/emulators on it, this machine runs like a dream. Be warned abkut its battery though, it does not last long and can heat up pretty quickly. The screen has a nice resolution, hrtz rate and can run most of the games out on the market. If your looking for an emulator machine, this is definitely my pick for one. One final reccomendation for this however is that i do recommend an additional SD card. 500 GBs can get filled up very quickly. Ps: I dubbed this the albino steam deckand you cannot change my mind

the best portable console by far. It plays any game I trow at it with no problem, it never overheats and the VRR makes game not look like a complete mess when fps drops from 60 to 40 or even 30. The built quality is just outstanding and made with hard plastics that even when droped you wont see visible damage on the plastic, on top of that its the lightest of all portable windows consoles with this amount of power. Id love to see windows release a "Portable mode" for these new window portable consoles but other than that this is a solid pice of hardware that will last you for years.

Let me enlighten and let you know that this device delivers as advertised. Chances are, you been slowly loosing your connection to gaming, but it is it isn’t because of interest. It’s more like not having the mobility of having a gaming platform to go where you go! My friend, this is where the Asus ROG Ally is your Ally. I’ve been fortunate enough to experience gaming when the moments count and hopefully it can do the same for you. Usual trips food shopping and short travels are now exciting. During the calm in my commute, I simply pull out my Ally and engulf myself in non-ending fun. The Ally is truly a portable handheld with marvelous engineering into it. Nothing appears lacking in its design. From how efficient it does on cooling itself from a long gaming session, to the insane, short loading times. The 1080P screen is easy on the eyes, and the 120hz refresh rate complements it well. Its physical layout feels natural on my medium size hand, and proves well in overall ergonomic without fatiguing the hands. You heard it alright, PC gaming on this rocks. My Steam gaming collection plays well, and you customize the controller layout for each game to comfort you specific Joysticks dead zones for example. I’m been overly surprised, on how attached I’ve became over the last few days to the device. Being able to retire during my lunch break to play a quick round of Zombie clean up on Call of duty, or resuming my exploration in Diablo is nothing short than relaxing. The games take good advantage of the hardware when configured in medium settings with FPS hovering between 70 to 120FPS. In closing, the ROG Ally performs above expectation. Moreover, what elevates it’s presence more is ASUS commitment in ensuring us, the gamers are listened to with issues brought forward. This is already reflected with their active support with continuous BIOS updates and numerous updates with the Armoury Crate SE software. The ROG Ally just gets better day after day.

So I've been looking at this for a while now, and I pulled the trigger on an open box and I'm so glad that I did. This plays almost everything I've thrown at it, monster hunter world, metal gear sold v, the outer worlds 1 and 2. Pros Great performance Steam and Xbox game pass, origin, etc. Good software Cons The software Battery life. So when I first plugged this in and was on the setup screen I had stick drift on my right analog stick. I updated windows and all of the rog software and this seems to have fixed it. Looking into it, it seems that the mouse support is from an emulated Xbox controller, which for the most part works fine. But I did have to calibrate it. The stick has only drifted 3 times total. So bummer for sure but it's been fine since. Windows has gotten better with using this console as a "tablet", and the rog button brings up an on screen display that let's you change things like cpu wattage, turbo mode, in game stats and other things. What's really nice is it's customizable how ever you want it. Overall I'm happy with this system, I just wish that there was a larger ssd but I added in a high endurance micro SD card.

An interesting, powerful, handheld gaming PC. Certainly not without it's faults, but an amazing device if you have need for a handheld Gaming device. I've had a handful of issues that have apparently been prevalent with other ROG ally owners, such as SD cards being fried, SD card reader failing and most frustrating for me, the left bumper not functioning. Despite these shortcomings, I love this device. I travel a lot for work, so I don't often get time to sit in front of a laptop or desktop to play games, it gives me a more free experience. Performance is great, I've yet to encounter any games that won't run with decent settings. It constantly blows me away with how powerful it is despite its small form factor. Pros: Great device for PC gaming, yet to encounter anything it won't run (even if sometimes settings have to be set to the lower end) Great screen Form factor is comfortable (I have large hands, so this is important to me) Speakers are nice, buttons feel great. -upgradable SSD Cons: -I am not thrilled with ASUS' nor Best Buy's support for this device. This is a pretty big downside, my only advice from ASUS was to send it in for an RDA. -SD card reader issues are in abundance. Do a search on Reddit and see all the users who have had these issues. -normally, a 512gb sdd isn't the worst, but given the lack of SD card slot in my case (and for many other users) this is an issue. Overall, I love this thing. But I just can't recommend it from the issues I've had and the lack of support.

I love the speed and the way you forget that your on a handheld. I have trouble seeing my phone and this took no time to adjust to my eyes. Its awesome that thw windows works as well as on my pc. The dedicated settings button is great also Now the bad - the sometimes i cant get a controller to control the game it just open the little menu at the top and i have to plug it in the dock and turn off the gamepad and sometimes trying to hook a controller takes a long time while on the docked to the tv. . Usually Its easier to turn off and start over. The system cant be put down unless in the stand and it came with cardboard stand. You cant put down on its back because it blocks the fan and you dont wanna put down on front for obvious reasons. I molded the og cardboard dock and made awsome docks with resin ill put in ebay tonight. Now for the ugly. The sd card slot stopped working and the system runs really hot other than that its amazing its ps5 xbox series w at least steam and Nintendo switch all built in one and can be taken anywhere .

Great little handheld, but setback will be windows. The battery drains and the software. Having said that I really like the feel and performance and the screen is very beautiful with very is a must now, very close to OLED. Quick tip for better battery life while in sleep mode research command line shutdown /h this will put your dog in deep sleep memory mode only which will it drain your battery, cheers!