Customer Ratings & Reviews

This is a great handheld held back by a few things to be a 5 star for me. The sd card reader can be defective on most units hopefully Asus fixes it soon. It also eats through battery life… The screen is great and It’s powerful and plays almost anything I throw at it. Please don’t expect a console like experience with this. If you’re used to pc gaming and tinkering this is a great addition especially if you already have a desktop gaming pc.

Overall - very happy with the Asus ROG Ally. Asus tech support has been probably the best customer service and support I've dealt with in a long time. I'll go into detail on that. Initially, my unit was having many problems which I started to realize probably wasn't software. Asus quickly repaired my unit and it was working great. I then had a game compatibility issue, which Bethesda told me they do not support handhelds, so I turned to Asus for help. It took some time, but Asus came through and helped me fix the issue. Asus is very thorough, responsive, and quick with their support. Pros: - Screen Resolution and refresh. At 1080 for games that aren't too demanding, they look great - The controls are very comfortable for me and I actually play FPS games very well with them, probably better than with a standard console controller - Sound is decent for a handheld - Seems like Asus is pumping out firmware updates very regularly to fix issues - ASUS support gets a 10/10 from me Cons: - In my opinion if the screen was just slightly bigger I would prefer that much more - I'm worried about rumors of overheating microSD cards so I don't use one anymore in the unit - Windows (handheld mode) needs work - 16gb of RAM is bare minimum these days - 512G SSD is a little small - Very demanding games need to have settings lowered

Works fine you can download programs emulator and play Xbox games but the battery doesn’t last more than 1 hour you have to charger all the time and wet to warm quickly

This review is coming for a steam deck user Pros Better performance Better screen It’s more light and in my opinion more comfortable And the stock joysticks are better Along with the option to add a portable gpu Cons It’s early in it’s life so problems Software can be funny and all over the place My unit seem to have sd card issues (many are experiencing this according to the discord and group chats Overall get this if your okay with waiting for the software to catch up

Title: **Powerful Gaming On-The-Go: ASUS ROG Ally 7" Handheld Review** The ASUS ROG Ally 7" Gaming Handheld is a powerhouse device that redefines portable gaming. Featuring a stunning 120Hz FHD 1080p display and powered by the AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme Processor, this gaming handheld delivers an unparalleled gaming experience in a compact size. **Design and Build:** The sleek and elegant white design of the ASUS ROG Ally 7" Handheld is not only eye-catching but also ergonomic, fitting comfortably in your hands for extended gaming sessions. The build quality is top-notch, ensuring durability and a premium feel. **Performance:** Equipped with the powerful AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme Processor and 512GB of storage, this handheld device handles the latest AAA games with ease. The 120Hz refresh rate of the FHD display provides incredibly smooth visuals, enhancing your gaming immersion. Whether you're playing graphics-intensive games or multitasking between applications, the ROG Ally performs flawlessly. **Gaming Experience:** Gaming on the ASUS ROG Ally 7" Handheld is a delight. The responsiveness of the controls, combined with the high refresh rate and sharp display, creates an immersive experience comparable to high-end gaming consoles. The device's portability allows gamers to enjoy console-quality gaming anywhere, making it a perfect companion for gaming enthusiasts on the move. **Battery Life:** Considering its powerful performance, the ASUS ROG Ally 7" Handheld manages its battery life admirably. It offers sufficient gameplay time on a single charge, allowing gamers to enjoy their favorite titles without constant worry about running out of power. **Additional Features:** The device also boasts impressive connectivity options, including Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, enabling seamless online gaming and pairing with other accessories. The inclusion of expandable storage ensures you can carry your entire gaming library with you. **Conclusion:** In summary, the ASUS ROG Ally 7" 120Hz FHD Gaming Handheld is a game-changer for portable gaming. Its powerful hardware, stunning display, comfortable design, and excellent battery life make it a must-have for gamers who demand high-quality gaming experiences on the go. ASUS has once again proven its expertise in the gaming industry, delivering a device that raises the bar for handheld gaming consoles.

Im sure no one will read this but here we go Pro's: - COD, Fortnite, GamePass, Discord, etc all without weird work arounds - Windows-- anything you want to install from your desktop you can install here - Have yet to find a game I cant get to play at a locked 60 FPS as long as you are willing to tweak some settings - Great download speeds... Downloaded games from steam at over 850 mbps over wifi, xbox gamepass 250-350, even Fortnite was over 200 most of the download - Great screen - Great speakers - Love the button layout, much easier to use for FPS/competitive games - Fingerprint reader is pretty handy and has worked almost every time so far Cons- - Battery life is pretty rough... 45-50 mins on F1 23 1080 low/medium settings. It is better with lighter games, but the reason we bought this is because of the extra power over the steamdeck. - Cloud Backup was ridiculous, had to update bios (No big deal) before swapping SSD's which required setting up windows just to download and then have to do it all over again. Not to mention it took 4 tries and over 2 hours to get the cloud download to complete... I assume server issues? - No case included (even the cheapest steamdeck has a half decent case, my 256 SteamDeck is still in that case) - Armory crate is pretty glitchy, love the idea but needs updates. Using the D-Pad regularly gives double or even triple "clicks" when navigating games causing you to skip over what you are trying to do - Mouse/joy stick control goes away when clicking on Steam or Xbox apps causing you to use touch screen - 512gb SSD isnt horrible, but for the money would have loved to see a 1TB. I would have happily paid a little more for a larger SSD since I spent another 150 on one and upgraded right away Overall, I am happy with my purchase and giving my steamdeck to my wife... but cannot wait until more updates come to fix some of the bugs I am seeing as of now.

It’s actually impressive how well this handheld runs Triple A titles with demanding graphics. I’ve yet to run into a game this device couldn’t run, and since it runs on windows it is compatible with just about every game. That being said there are some downsides. The first downside is Windows itself, and how the device makes controller buttons work for windows. It does work but it is a bit clunky, and windows has a bunch of bloat you will never use on a handheld, aka office 360 software…I’m not writing a paper or making a presentation on my handheld…why on earth was that included…it will take you going through the OS and removing the nonsense to get the most out of your handheld. The second is the battery life…it’s not great. 2 hours at max if you are playing a game that is not graphically intensive, if you are, closer to 1 hour. It does come with fast charging and a long power cord on USB-C, so as long as you are near a plug or have a battery pack you should be OK. The last main issue is the Micro-SD card reader. The vast majority of the devices are having problems with it. It’s right by a vent port so it could be a thermal issue, not smart design, but I also think it’s a software issue because mine will not read the card 99% of the time, and then will just randomly pick it up, so basically as of me writing this, you are limited to the build in storage, though that may change with future updates, and you can upgrade the built in storage to something larger if you want. Those are my main gripes, but all in all I think it’s a step in the right direction, and I think they did a lot of good things with this device as a whole. I had the option of returning it, and I chose to keep it, so that alone speaks volumes.

This is a great device, but it's not quite perfect. I'd give it 4.5 stars if that was an option. Pros: It can play pretty much any game out there at decent fps, if you tinker a little bit with in game settings. Which is impressive for a handheld, considering how many games today are poorly optimized and designed with dedicated graphics cards, or current gen consoles in mind. The screen is beautiful and in the small format, 1080p and even 900p feel super sharp and beautiful, and even 720p looks totally decent. Good controls. They feel responsive and accurate. Reasonably quiet and reasonably cool, for a device you are holding in your hands. Good driver support from Asus so far. cons: Windows adds versatility and it makes things like modding games easy, and it can even serve as an emergency workstation if you were stuck without a laptop and really needed to get something done. However, overall the windows experience on a handheld is negative. Innitial setup takes hours, with windows and bios updates, with notifications, banners, warnings, security prompts, etc. popping up. Even after initial setup, most of the time it feels like the operating system is just getting in the way of the true purpose of the device, which is gaming. For me it's not a deal breaker, but if you are not a big windows fan, be prepared to like it even less on a handheld. The battery life is not great, but then again, you can't expect it to be. It's a battery that has to fit in a small device, not get too hot, and run and cool a powerful little chip. I expect future generations will try to focus on making the device more efficient, as SD has done, but theres only so much that can be done with today's technology.

It ALMOST does so many things. It's portable but the battery burns out in under 2 hours under most use cases. It performs well when plugged in to 65W plus USB C, but they nerfed the TDP to 30W sustain so its not great, and it still runs at 95 C. It can dock and upgrade the storage, but if you dock it, it needs a 100W USB C adapter. The SD card reader WILL die if you use it when in performance mode, its just a matter of time. I had 2 die within 3 weeks of heavy use. The screen is beautiful and 120HZ, but almost nothing you run will actually capitalize on that frame rate, other than indie titles that also run great on steam deck. The ROG Ally is in a weird place. You can run more games with less intervention than the steam deck, and most of them run faster, but you have to be tied to a wall outlet to use its full potential. At that point i wish they unlocked more power so you can really use it, but runs too hot. The Joysticks are good but they will eventually drift. The DPad is terrible. Im constantly pressing up when i don't want to when playing Tetris effect, street fighter 5, or emulators. Its not good enough for any platformers. You can dock and plug a controller in, but at that point why not just get a laptop, or 2 in 1.

The ROG Ally is insanely powerful for its size. Games run smooth at 1080p, and the 120Hz screen looks fantastic. Perfect for gaming on the go or relaxing on the couch. Battery life is solid, and performance is top-tier!

There were some performance issues before BIOS fixes and it’s worth noting the SD card placement can cause them to overheat in Turbo mode. I’d advise removing the SD card during demanding games and store lighter/easier to run games on them, ones that run well in 15W mode. This is after all a first generation product. There’s still a few issues to iron out via drivers and software. There’s still more potential to open up. Asus seems to be looking into every issue as it comes up and providing what I would consider timely fixes. It can’t touch the battery life of the steam deck but it will run games the deck simply cannot or will not run. If you are okay with about an hour of battery in demanding titles (Diablo 4) or close to 2 and a half in light games (Stardew, Transistor, Cult of the Lamb) this might work for you. Of course you can plug it in or use a battery bank to extend that time. If you are only playing light games on the go the Deck might still be a better option. It has the potential to be the best handheld right now but limited performance in 10W mode keeps it from being the best on the go. For my own use, 1 hour train rides or close to a plug/battery bank it’s easy to choose over the deck for the amazing screen (smooth refresh rate) even turned down to 720p and performance in such a small device. Asus should have partnered with iFixit and another company to offer direct Hall effect joysticks for this as an upgrade. That way folks had the choice to keep the cost down or upgrade via verified means. I hope they make the battery and other components available to the public because this is an easy system to work on if you are tech savvy and ever need to open it.

I enjoy using my Ally pretty frequently. The cons you've already heard are still true, the battery life sucks, you might not have a working SD card if you use the SD card reader on this thing, and you're not able to max out the graphics settings on it. But if you can play the Ally near a wall outlet where battery isn't an issue, it's fantastic. I'm able to play AAA games and emulated older nintendo games fantastic. While the AAA games aren't at max graphics and 120fps, they're at a decent enough graphics quality for me that I'm happy that I can play them either at 120fps or 60fps. I don't regret the Ally at all, especially with the prices that I'm seeing on them now. Only recommendation I would make would be to upgrade the storage, get a screen protector, and play near a wall outlet.

First things first: I love being able to play my PC games on a handheld system! The performance on the Asus ally is really something when you consider the size of this thing when compared to a traditional PC set up. It would never replace a full gaming PC, but if you just want to lay on the couch and play... This is as good as it gets! Red Dead Redemption 2, Elden Ring, The Quarry, Death Stranding have all run great for me. The speakers aren't anything crazy but they get the job done. The look and feel of the system in your hand is also great. Now the not so great. Out of the box, I had a lot of trouble getting set up. For some reason I couldn't get it fully set up. I tried a couple of soft/factory resets and it just wasn't cutting it. Ultimately I had to do a full BIOS reset. This took a couple of hours, which was after a couple of hours of trying to do a soft reset... And I hadn't even installed a game yet! Second negative: the battery life on this is atrocious! On RDR2 or The Quarry you get maybe 45 minutes on the 25w performance setting. You can lower the performance setting but it would really only buy another 5-8 minutes. I get it, those are graphically intense games but it would be nice to have a couple of hours of game times before having to plug in. Especially when you are relaxing in a chair, on the couch or in bed: it would be nice to not HAVE to be plugged in. I love this thing, I am super glad that I bought it and I have no buyers remorse. But just like any relationship, you have to get over a few flaws to make things work.

I love the Ally. I see a lot of people go back and forth about returns and issues, and I wont lie, I had to go through 3 exchanged before I finally got a working unit. Asus is known for poor quality control so I already anticipated this. That being said, once I got a working unit, the rest was history. This thing is a beast. The performance is better than my Steam Deck. I still do have my SD because i wanted to keep it but I haven’t used it since I got the Ally. An amazing screen, great performance even at 15 watts (better than SD at 15 watts). 30 and you’re really on your way. Some consumers need to understand this is not an “open box, start, and play” kind of device. Its a literal computer. Windows and all. You need to tinker with settings, just like your average computer. You want a portable you don’t have to mess around with settings too much, then I would say to go for the Steam Deck. I will say though, once you have configured the Ally properly, it truly shows that RDNA 3 performance. For a handheld device, I can take all my AAA titles on the go without any issues. Getting a game to play at the screens 120hx refresh rate isn’t impossible, but don’t expect that from a new AAA game. Indie titles, yeah, you’ll get that or close to it. AAA titles like Baldur’s Gate 3, Dying Light 2, etc.. you can easily get 60+ fps, you just need to change a few in game settings and lower your resolution down to 720p. Getting this thing set up is the main issue though. A lot of updates, a lot of uncertainty when updating which caused one of the consoles to brick itself. Again, Asus is not known for amazing Quality Control. This device needed to bake a bit after launch (prior would have been ideal but we are passed that) but Asus has been providing constant updates which has lead this to being my go to handheld. I emulate and everything on here. Sold my switch, steam deck is still around though as I like it too much to part with it even though I haven’t touvhed it since the Ally released. For those looking to buy, try out an open box model if you’re hesitant. Go to youtube and search up tutorials on setting the device up. From there, you’re golden.

It is an amazing device, I got it during the holidays for $450. I would advice anyone buying this to get it when on sale and upgrade the storage, then install Linux on it and dual boot. Linux is not faster in fact windows boots a lot faster into armory crate, AMD has more options on a driver level for it as well, but once you are into the Linux partition just the suspend and resume is worth it, Battery is the main issue with this device I get about 1-1:30hr, with demanding titles, it runs everything I play at about 60fps, FSR helps a lot, and you’ll be adjusting the power profiles all the time to get the most out of the battery.

#1 Performance: overall score 9/10 Good performance on most games, great performance on indie games/roguelikes, playable performance on very graphically demanding games, with the caveat that you'll probably want to play on the charger. #2 Battery: overall score 6/10 If you are playing less demanding indie games/roguelikes, this device will last quite a long time. Older games that are very optimized and not graphically intense shouldn't be too hard on your battery life. However the graphically demanding games with heavy RTX/shaders, etc. , again will probably need to be plugged into the charger while playing. Caveats: - It runs on Windows 11. Windows 11 is not optimized for gaming, meaning it eats up a lot of your RAM. It also must be updated frequently, and does not have a console friendly interface. This is my single biggest gripe with the device. - Many keyboard and mouse games don't have a control scheme set up for the game, and may have to be set up manually in Armoury Crate. Overrall I'd give it an 8/10, because even though Windows 11 can be a pain, it gives plenty of freedom for the user to do whatever they want.

I purchased the extreme variant of the Ally after spending some time with the base model. For my needs the performance boost justified the 100 price increase. However, if you play less demanding games or don’t mind 720p, the base model of the Z1 would most likely be perfectly fine for you. The ally is also the most comfortable handheld I have ever used. Much more comfortable than my steam deck. The screen, while not OLED, has pretty good colors that surprised me at first. In games that can take advantage if it, the 120hz looks amazing. The only complaint I have is the sound of the vibration. You can hear a distinct rattle at times, which I thought might just be my device but i have tried 2 separate Ally devices and they both had the issue. I even find myself turning off vibration sometimes because it can be distracting. Storage is meh but can be upgraded later. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who travels a lot or just likes to lay in bed and play some games. Keep an eye out for any open box deals.

Being my first handheld PC gaming device (I skipped the Steam Deck), and 2nd overall handheld after the Nintendo Switch, I have to say that I am overall enjoying the ASUS ROG Ally. The screen clarity is wonderful. Sound is powerful. Paired with a 1TB Micro SD card, I can install a hefty ton of games on this. Not just games though, since it runs on Windows 11, I can also install other applications like Discord, or even Office 365 to do some work while on the road. The first game I picked up was No Man's Sky from my Steam account, which I was able to log into and use flawlessly. NMS plays great with little to no hiccups (when you play on performance mode, wither 25W on battery and 30W plugged in). Which brings me to the gripe, battery life. Read any write up online and the #1 problem is the battery life. Sure, you can play a game that isn't intensive and turn the power usage down to get some extra play time, but if you choose to use the 25W mode, you won’t be playing for more than 2 hours. Overall, it's a lightweight and powerful device to enjoy those 1st/3rd person shooters and 2D scrollers on. Keep a charger nearby though.

Portable power like I've never experienced, and my favorite handheld PC to date. But as an overall product, is it perfect? No. Battery drain, clunky Win 11 experience, killed an SD card within one week's time, right shoulder button would only depress about 95%, leading to the button not functioning in some games (which I was able to rectify on my own with built in proprietary software).. Returned for another, and this model has had no issues. SD card going strong, buttons all function as they should, took a few hours to set up but I'm super happy. I share this in advance because you'll want to spend a lot of time with your model for the first 2 weeks making sure that it's functioning as a new $700 toy should. With that out of the way.. Diablo 4, Tiny Tina's Wonderlands, Destiny 2, and almost any other new game I've thrown at it all have 60+ stable frames with some tweaking (mostly play in 720p with higher settings like AA turned up, and looks amazing). Plugged in gives it that extra performance boost (it's the only way I play). Speakers are amazing, analog sticks feel great, the screen is gorgeous, and it's honestly exceeding all of my expectations for what I bought it for. I use my Steam Deck if I know I'll be on the road and need a few hours to play on battery, but I use this bad lad in bed, plugged in, for a top tier gaming experience while the wife watches a show or is reading a book. It has its place in my eco system, and for a first gen product, I'm very happy with it. And as they continue to make further tweaks, I'm confident the user experience will only get better. If you're looking for something that'll work right out of the box with minimal tweaking, or don't want to spend time really digging into whether or not you have a fully functioning system, I wouldn't recommend at this time. If you're willing to devote the time to making sure you have a fully working, functional product, and to customize both the unit and the games you play to get the most out of the experience, you will NOT be disappointed. For me, and despite the flaws I've mentioned, still 5 stars overall.

If you’re familiar with Windows and don’t mind the fact you need to set this up like a PC, but on a tiny screen it’s a solid machine. This has the capacity to run Battlefield 2042 online with large maps and anything along the likes of that. The processor and GPU built into it is pretty incredible considering it’s size and cooling. 512GB is a problem for space. You will fill this up in a heart beat. Asus failed to design this with a standard 2280 size ssd in mind so you can almost forget upgrading. The controls are very good. I mainly used for Diablo 4. They don’t get hot, the air is directed away from where your hands are. The areas where I would not recommend this is: If you think this is anything but a smaller gaming laptop that needs to essentially plugged in to get the performance. If you think because it has a battery it will give you any reasonable amount of gaming time unplugged If you don’t want to tinker with windows or set this up on a tiny screen just to get going. And if you want to install multiple large games. In conclusion this offers great performance in a hand held with windows games, well beyond the capacity of a steam deck but with terrible battery life. If you cant play this plugged in don’t bother. And do not expect to fit a bunch of games on here. You will need external storage if you do. Personally the price should be $599 or $549. It’s a great stepping stone to the future but we’re not there yet.