Customer Ratings & Reviews

I love my new Rog Ally. If you always travelling, RA is so portable handheld gaming PC with a good lasting battery (but of course, you have to buy separate accessories). Rog Ally has it’s pros and cons against Steam Deck. When does RA > SD, - faster and better spec - lighter and a little bit smaller - higher fps - can run different apps like steam, epic, gog, xbox live, psn and many more without modding When does RA < SD, - doesn’t have touch pad - doesn’t come with a case - only 2 back flipper buttons Both can be attached to a big screen TV with a dock (bigger like nintendo switch) or the hdmi charger dock (smaller, more portable, and less hassle) and use a console controller/ mouse and keyboard. ***Since this is still a new release, it has a few minor hiccups, it can be fix with the updates from the windows, rog armor crate, and bios.***

On day one while downloading patches unit crashed to blue screen. I had to go into bios to restore it from scratch. The entire process took up an entire day. Afterwards it ran smooth playing Diablo 4 on turbo at 1080p. The battery lasted 90 minutes but unit ran hot. Disabled cpu boost to fix that issue. For the price they should have installed a 1TB drive. Especially with the SD card slot issue. At home I dock it and use it as a browser to look up builds while playing. If it was not for how good the games look and how well they run on the unit I would have took it back. Be prepared to buy a new SSD drive if you plan on running multiple games.

I thought there might be room in my life for both the SteamDeck and the ROG Ally. I was wrong. Unless you are planning to run only indie titles or older emulators at extremely low wattage, the Ally just performs better in every regard. It is also more comfortable to hold for an extended period of time, weirdly feels lighter even though it’s about the same weight, has a significantly better screen, and runs Windows off the bat so it’s compatible with every game. My only gripes about the ROG Ally are that you still start off with a bloated instance of Windows 11 and have to spend a half hour trimming the preinstalled fat and disabling various Windows features that impact performance while gaming. But just go on YouTube and find any of the many videos that walk through tweaking Windows for gaming and you’re golden.

I remember watching reviews for this pre-release, and the consensus was. "This is amazing, but it wont replace the steam deck. If you want a console like experience, get the steam deck." At first i didnt understand that sentiment, like this is overall objectively better in every specification and can play more games than steam os, how could it not replace it? But holy cow, after using it for a few weeks i definitely understand. Any PC gamer knows that windows is quirky in and of itself, but putting it in this form factor just amplifies and creates more issues. Windows is NOT optimized at all for this, and Armory Crate only slightly alleviates this issue. I could not physically set up this device without an external keyboard. Apparently this is a common issue, but when setting up the device for the first time, the keyboard wouldnt pull up on screen. Which makes it impossible to setup unless you are already a PC gamer who has an external keyboard who ALSO happens to have a USB-A to C adapter. The Windows homescreen is basically just the desktop version, which makes it extremely difficult to navigate in the tiny screen size (closing a window is surprisingly annoying) My left joystick also died 9 days into owning it, so im actually currently on my 2nd ROG Ally. It was only moving on the Y-Axis, not the X-Axis. This is also apparently a common issue, and nobody really knows what the issue is with that. Some people claim its a software issue with how incompatible windows is with this form factor; some say its an inevitable hardware consequence of not using hall effects joystics. Regardless, the solution for everyone was just getting a new one. Which isnt typically what people wanna hear waiting so long for this device. ALL THAT BEING SAID when youre in game, all those issues fade away. The quality is insane. Max wattage I can comfortably run even new games like Far Cry 6 at 60fps at 1080p at 120hz (coming from a switch that is a major difference). That is such a surreal experience to me being actually able to access my PC library in a mobile form factor in a way that ACTUALLY runs perfectly smooth. I cannot emphasize enough how amazing in-game performance is; absolutely head and shoulders above the steam deck. And having access to my entire steam, xbox, and epic library as opposed to only a few steam games makes this the absolute clear pick for me. So my main gripes with this thing are mainly software. Windows is real quirky in this form factor, and i honestly could not in good consciousness recommend this to a console gamer who has never touched PC in their life. For those people I still see the value in the console-like experience of the steam deck; at least until Microsoft can actually competently make a mobile version of Windows. But if you dont mind dealing with those software quirks and all the little bugs that come with owning a first generation device such as this; this is a game-changer. Absolutely nothing else in this category touches this in terms of sheer performance and even with all the issues I had, I do not regret my decision at all.

I recently bought this handheld monster, it feels lighter than my Steam Deck. Here’s what I just found out though, before you buy it, BE AWARE: The battery lasts about 1.5 hour (gaming or more) to 4 hours (without gaming). I was really invested on the Ally but realized that I didn’t do my research properly. I still give it a 4 since it has great performance and fast response with using a gamepad and using the buttons. It’s been 3 hours (I did plug it in to charge) now and been playing Destiny 2 and battery life sucked it all out after an hour and a half. I do prefer the Steam Deck more but still, this one is still a beast of a handheld!

This is a solid handheld PC. I have owned this for a year now and I haven’t had any issues personally. But if you’re looking at this because it’s cheaper than the Ally X then let’s weigh out your options. If you plan on just doing light gaming on the go that isn’t going to be to demanding on your battery and take up too much storage then this may be the device for you. But if you plan to download a few AAA games and do some heavy gaming, then I would definitely spend the extra money and get the Ally X. I play AAA games on this and even though it’s a portable device, I can’t stray too far from an outlet. I already had a good portable charger but if you don’t and plan to play more games away from an outlet you’ll need to buy one. Also, the storage was full after I downloaded three or four games so I upgraded the SSD to a 1tb which was even more money I had to spend. Granted it wasn’t to hard to do especially since I’m new to the PC world. So if I had the chance to buy the Ally X when I bought this. I would have definitely done that. Because you’ll have to spend that extra money upgrading the device and buying accessories anyway. But I’ll reiterate if you’re just planning on playing light indie games then you can adjust the performance and get a solid couple of hours of gameplay with the right settings. So get what works best for you and your situation. It’s still a good device and I have enjoyed playing on it. It is comfortable in the hand and I don’t feel fatigued after long gaming sessions. I hope this review helps.

I recently snagged an open-box deal on the Ally Rog Extreme Handheld, and overall, I'm quite pleased with my purchase. Let's dive into the specifics. First off, the screen brightness is a standout feature. It's vibrant and crisp, making gaming sessions an absolute joy. Combined with the lightning-fast performance, the Ally Rog Extreme delivers an immersive gaming experience that's hard to beat. Speaking of performance, this handheld is a beast. Games run smoothly and load up in a flash, thanks to its impressive processing power. Whether you're playing casual mobile games or diving into more graphically demanding titles, the Ally Rog Extreme handles everything with ease. However, there's a glaring issue that can't be ignored: the battery life. Regardless of whether I'm conserving power or pushing the device to its limits, the battery drains at an alarming rate. It's disappointing, especially considering the otherwise stellar performance of the device. While it doesn't completely overshadow the great price I got on the open-box purchase, it's definitely a drawback that needs addressing. In conclusion, the Ally Rog Extreme Handheld is a solid choice for gamers looking for top-notch performance at a reasonable price. The screen brightness and speed alone make it worth the investment. However, the lackluster battery life is a definite downside that can't be overlooked. With some improvements in this area, the Ally Rog Extreme could easily become a must-have for gaming enthusiasts everywhere.

I have been using the ROG Ally for quite some time now and I must say it's an exceptional device. The performance is top-notch with a powerful processor and graphics card. However, the battery life could be better, especially during heavy usage. That being said, the portability is great, and I've had no trouble carrying it with me on my travels around the world. Overall, I am extremely satisfied with the device and would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a high-performing device with great portability.

I’ve had my ROG Ally since release date and I am absolutely blown away by the sheer power and customizability with this fantastic device. It’s user friendly to those who have even the tiniest bit of tech knowledge and it’s not too complicated to maintain and keep the ROG in optimal conditions without completely messing up your ally. If you’re a console gamer who doesn’t want to spend an arm and leg for a laptop or a desktop and still wants to reach that high level gaming experience anywhere in your house? This device is a godsend for you. If you aren’t tech savvy I highly suggest you do a LOT of research before investing in the ally to see if it’s something you could get into, things like power wattages, manual profiles, controller configurations, updates, and more. On the surface it seems intimidating but the ROG team works diligently to provide these experiences to us customers as best as possible and delivering swift updates that improve quality of life usage for your Ally. This device is only going to get better and better and in the future I can see that eventually the Ally will become so user friendly to the point where someone with a basic knowledge of computer understanding can buy it and use its fullest capabilities right out of box. I for one have a lot of hope in ROG, they always deliver good in my opinion over other computer manufacturers and I would pick the Ally over Asus’s handheld competitors any day. I appreciate all the hard work that Asus does to deliver us all these experiences and hope that those of you who get one will do so in mind with the notion that there is so much more to the ally than what negative users might think. In terms of gaming; the ally is amazing yet again. Playing games like forza horizon 5, final fantasy 14, 15, streaming 16, mw2, saints row, assassins creed, and many more mainstreamed fan favorites can play on this device absolutely no problem with performance that will make your console seem unworthy of your gaming needs exceeding 60 fps and making your gameplay experience a smooth and satisfying session. The ROG ally is a windows device, so that also means with great power, comes great gamability; with the complete option to game, EXCLUSIVE PC games! Yes, with the Ally you can use it as a regular pc and even hook up a keyboard and mouse and get into your favorite pc games you’ve always wanted to play but never had the hardware to do it, hoping one day that the developers would make a console version. Those days are over. The ability to use desktop mode on handheld needs some work on but I’ve transitioned into using the joysticks for desktop without much trouble, the only thing that needs to be worked on which in my opinion isn’t all too bad right now — is the dead zone problem which you can find out all about that online. This doesn’t mean that these issues are set in stone, because the ROG team is working hard on all these fixes to make all the experiences more enjoyable and unproblematic. The ability to customize the Ally to add more storage or even mod the ally to fit your specific needs is easier than ever with absolutely no soldering needs, just a guitar pick, a screw driver, and your patience is needed to begin analyzing the inner skeleton of the Ally and make adjustments if necessary. I’ve seen crazy things that people have already done in hopes of modding the ally so let your imagination run wild and let your inner mad scientist go crazy! Just be extremely careful to not mess up your ally (the asus team encourages people to modify their ally and they mentioned that they enjoy watching the outcome of that and mentioned that doing so will NOT void warranty). The controls remind me of using a PS5 controller which I’m a fan of and proud owner of a PS5 (post scalper), and I could feel similarities in the buttons and overall texture touch. It’s comfortable in my hands but be careful of staying in the same position for too long, lest your hands may start to cramp. The touchscreen is very easy and fun to use sometimes over mouse or joystick, and sometimes will make what your doing go a lot faster for those who can’t use the joystick too well (due to dead zone issue). The ally charges extremely quick, I barely notice the times of when I plug it in to the times it becomes fully charged, and using the ally while charging and gaming isnt hard at all, (please pay attention to your temperature as it’s always a possibility you can fry something such as your SD card, you never want to reach temps of 85 degrees Celsius or higher and if you do you need to immediately take action into reducing the heat such as using lower wattages or reducing gaming graphics or screen brightness. I found that 69% screen brightness makes my ally become 4 degrees cooler). One thing that the ally does need is more accessories but I imagine many product manufacturers are scrambling to make some for the ally. In conclusion, the ROG ally is nothing short of innovative computer engineering and this is just the beginning, and so far in my personal opinion, Asus has the crown in the race for innovative handhelds. Happy gaming, and ALWAYS KEEP AN EYE ON YOUR TEMPERATURE!

Excellent handheld for those who are familiar with windows 11. I can’t give it 4 or 5 stars because I had to return this due to having a bad fan. I would return it due to a bad left thumb stick, but I am beyond my 15 day return windows for Best Buy. The fan was whining. I can’t even give it 4 stars because the left thumb stick is Grinding against the plastic when I move the thumb stick in circles. Also the automatic turbo setting has bad fan optimization. It gets too hot at turbo (around 90 degrees Celsius). The fans should rotate faster at the automatic turbo setting. That being said the performance is amazing and it has a great 120hz screen. But that’s it. I been doing windows gaming for over 20 years. So the programming problems are no problem for me. The only problems so far are what i mentioned to you. I’ll have to replace the thumb stick myself and the thumb stick lights. The thumb stick is fairly easy to replace, but to remove the thumb stick lights i have to remove almost all internals. I cannot recommend this to any one not able to self repair their computer or handled or to anyone not experienced with Windows 11 and the programming and optimization of windows 11. I basically modded windows for the best gaming experience. However I can’t say that many folks can do that or even have the time to invest in that. Also the Windows experience is still windows. Expect things to crash occasionally. If your great with programming and replacing parts or are willing to RMA this and wait for it to get fixed and returned to you ( only has a 1yr warranty unless you pay for an warranty extension) then stay away because at $699, $740 with tax, you will have issues with it. Don’t expect it to work and stay healthy for 2-3 years. Murphy’s law: “What possibly could happen, will happen”. If your willing to except Murphy’s law prior to purchase then be my guest.

Worked great at the beginning. I changed the ssd to 2 tb and it was a lot it hard. Had to do multiple upgrades then instal the ssd. The battery log is not that great I see it drains only by using windows and install ing games. Hopefully a new update can fix that. Or I am thinking it is the normal life of the machine. Runs games great even emulators. I recommend it if you know it’s capabilities The plastic feels good. One screw (from the ssd) came stripped and had to change it. The stand that comes included is a joke and had to get another one. The controller feels a little bit akward

Great product at great price. Already put 100 more hours in RDR2. It plays basically any game and I haven’t found one that hasn’t worked yet. Must buy over the steam deck which I also have, it’s not nearly as good as the ally. I easily swapped out a 2T SSD and it’s working amazing. 45 to 60+ fps on mid to high settings with the whole suite of AMD sharpening settings. It’s nice a light too. How it stays so cool idk. As of 12/8/23 the SD card slot does not work and will burn your card out, so go with a 1T or 2T SSD.

Got this open box for over 200 dollars off retail price, in excellent condition. Works great, but would recommend getting it on a sale or discount in 2025 or wait for the next generation to come out. Needs a storage upgrade and battery life is poor.

In the short time that I have had with the ASUS ROG Ally, it has really impressed me. I also own the Steam Deck so I can make a direct comparison. Be aware, this is a device I would say is more aligned with a power user to get the most out of it, whereas the Steam Deck delivers an almost console experience in its simplicity and user interface. If you are familiar and willing to do a little more exploration and tinkering around, you will find this is an exceptional device in all but battery life. The sound output is particularly full and vibrant. The screen is beautiful and the controls work well. Battery life has been poor, but understandable. If you are traveling, be sure to have a hefty battery pack!

Any game I throw at the Ally it handles it like a champ. If you are planning on gaming anywhere without a wall outlet then you'll need to tweak graphics settings (especially high demanding games) to get maximum playtime on battery. Since I'm always near a wall outlet I never have felt the need to experiment but even if you do find the best settings, I believe the battery will not last over 2 hours gaming. On turbo mode, I usually get a little over an hour on battery. The speakers are loud and clear. The 1080p 120hz screen is beautiful. Hardware buttons work as they should. Upgrading the internal storage is super easy. I plan on swapping to 2TB storage in the future. I highly recommend!

I bought this because I like to play fighting games on the go. So far, it has played my entire library of fighting games. There are aome compromises you have to make in certain games (MK1/MK11) but other than that, I can play all of my fighting games at 1080p. The sound is great and its lighter than the deck. The only caviat is that there are certain commands that can be triggered during game play. It can be solved by changing them but you can work around it. I did have one bad experience, the “Y” button did not work on the first unit i purchased but the second unit worked great.

The ROG Ally feels like a turbo-charged gaming laptop in your hands. The performance? Running games with no problems. I played 100+ hours on Elden Ring and it's DLC with no problems. With the different power settings, you can crank this bad boy to Ultra and it runs games super-fast. Want to set it to save battery? Lower the power settings and it'll run the battery longer. The only set back is the battery life but I have this hook with the charger most of the time. Plus, you can use this as a mini PC. Running Excel like speed runner. Well, you can do that. Or, stream your favorite movies on it. The controls are smooth. I have relatively medium size hands and I have no issues holding the device. With the back buttons and nice cooling the device rarely gets hot. The sticks are buttery smooth and the buttons are nice! A, B, Y, X, L2, R2, R2D2. It's all here. Overall, the ROG Ally is a powerful little beast that makes you feel like the gaming overlord of all dimensions—just make sure to bring a charger. Better yet. It's upgradable. You need that in a device like this.

[Employee of bestbuy] This review was written, created and posted using the ASUS ROG Ally! The Asus ROG Ally is a true game-changer that takes portable gaming to new heights. When compared to its competitor, the Steam Deck, the Ally shines in every aspect, offering a superior gaming experience that justifies its slightly higher price. One of the most noticeable advantages is the Ally's 1080p 120Hz display, which outshines the Steam Deck's 800p 60Hz display in every way. The visuals on the Ally are not only clearer, but they also exhibit vibrant colors and smoother motion. Whether you're exploring vast landscapes or engaging in intense battles, the Ally's display ensures a truly immersive gaming experience. Beyond the display, the Ally's Windows 11 operating system unlocks a world of gaming possibilities. Unlike the Steam Deck, which runs on SteamOS (Linux), the Ally lets you play a wide range of games that are not available on the Steam Deck. Popular titles like Call of Duty, Destiny, and Fortnite become accessible, allowing you to enjoy a vast library of games without restrictions. Under the hood, the Ally's more powerful Zen 4 AMD APU, with its 8 cores and 16 threads, offers higher clock speeds and superior gaming performance compared to the Steam Deck's Zen 2 AMD APU, which has 4 cores and 8 threads. This hardware advantage translates to smoother gameplay, faster load times, and overall improved gaming performance. In terms of storage, the Ally offers the flexibility to easily upgrade from the included 512GB 2230 M.2 drive to a spacious 2TB SSD. If you don’t feel comfortable taking the Ally apart you can put up to a 1TB MicroSD card. This upgradeability ensures that you have ample storage for your growing game library, media files, and applications, giving you the freedom to expand without compromise. Another compelling reason to choose the Asus ROG Ally is the convenience of the Best Buy Protection Plan which even covers accidental damage. Unlike the Steam Deck, which lacks accidental damage warranty. This protection is especially important for a handheld device that you'll be taking with you on your gaming adventures, providing peace of mind for your investment. When comparing the Ally's price of $699 to the Steam Deck's closest spec model at $649, the Ally emerges as the clear winner for just $50 more. With its superior display, Windows 11 compatibility, more powerful APU, easy storage upgrade options, and physical damage warranty, the Ally delivers exceptional value for the price. It’s easy to forget that the Ally is a full fledged Windows 11 PC, that can be docked to full size monitor, mouse & keyboard to deliver a fully productive PC experience with hardware better than many laptops, all in one, and desktop PC’s for $699. I would’ve loved to have had a system this versatile growing up, making this a jack of all trades for young people who may not have a lot of money to get into PC and much better investment than a traditional gaming console. In summary, the Asus ROG Ally Windows Handheld Gaming PC is a top-tier choice for gamers seeking an unparalleled portable gaming experience. With its stunning display, wider game compatibility, powerful hardware, easy upgradability, and added protection, the Ally outshines the Steam Deck and solidifies its position as the ultimate handheld gaming device. Invest in the Asus ROG Ally and elevate your gaming adventures to new heights.

This is a wonderful device, IF you are willing/able to tinker with Windows in order to game. PC gaming, in general, can be very fiddly, and even moreso when your device needs updates from 4 different places. Please do some research before buying. If you can handle that, the device is absolutely amazing. Coming from the Steamdeck, the Ally is lighter, more powerful, and quieter. The battery is not great, but it ain't half bad. Again, do your research.

I've never been one to fall head over heels for an inanimate object, but folks, let me tell you about my whirlwind romance with the ROG Ally Windows 11 gaming device. From the moment I laid eyes on its sleek, futuristic design, I knew this was no ordinary handheld console – this was love at first sight. First off, let's talk about aesthetics. The ROG Ally is like the James Bond of gaming devices, effortlessly blending sophistication with a hint of danger. Its metallic finish gleams in the light, and the RGB lighting? Don't even get me started. I've never felt so fancy whipping out a gaming gadget in public – it's like carrying around a piece of the future in the palm of my hand. But it's not just about looks – oh no, this baby's got brains too. Powered by Windows 11, the ROG Ally is a multitasking marvel. I can seamlessly switch between crushing my enemies in Fortnite and drafting important work emails (read: sending memes to my friends) without breaking a sweat. It's the ultimate productivity tool for the discerning procrastinator. And let's not forget about performance. With its lightning-fast processor and crystal-clear display, the ROG Ally delivers a gaming experience that's smoother than a freshly buttered hotcake. Whether I'm exploring vast open worlds or engaging in epic multiplayer battles, every frame is buttery-smooth and oh-so-satisfying. But perhaps the most surprising thing about the ROG Ally is its battery life. I swear, this thing runs on pure magic – I can play for hours on end without needing to recharge. It's like having a personal gaming genie granting all my wishes, except instead of three wishes, it's unlimited gaming time. Score! In conclusion, if you're in the market for a handheld gaming device that's as stylish as it is powerful, look no further than the ROG Ally. It's sleek, it's sexy, and it's got enough horsepower to satisfy even the most hardcore gamers. Consider me smitten – I think I've found my Player 2 for life.