Customer Ratings & Reviews

WHAT'S IN THE BOX? Open it up, and you'll discover the ROG Ally at the forefront. Alongside it are a paper stand to prop the Ally and a 65W USB-C charger. I'm not a huge fan of the paper stand, but hey, it'll get you started. DESIGN: The ROG Ally is beautiful, despite being a light-weight plastic build. Holding it feels good, though the bottom edge's design might strain your hands over prolonged use. For my hands personally, it fit almost perfectly. Its sleek and slim profile might be more travel-friendly tucked inside a case or bag, but it might compromise a bit on hand comfort. CONNECTIVITY & EXPANSION: Kicking things off with our I/O ports, you get a 3.5mm jack, a microSD slot, and a USB-C 3.2 gen 2 port. If you're looking to elevate the ROG Ally's graphics capabilities and convert it into your primary desktop, the ROG XG Mobile external GPU dock, albeit pricey, is an option. Keep in mind this is an ASUS proprietary system though, so you won't be able to use the external GPU dock on any 'ol handheld PC. Internally, the only component you can upgrade is the m.2 2230 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD, and ASUS has a wonderful tutorial for how to complete this process on their website. I'm a big fan of how quick and easy it is to swap drives. CONTROLS OVERVIEW: The Ally's face buttons offer a tactile experience, with comfortable and reactive analog triggers. It also features an Xbox-like offset thumbstick layout. Additional rear macro buttons are customizable via the Command Center software, though with limited scope. Quick-access buttons are found on either side of the display: Command Center on the left (giving access to power profiles, real-time performance monitoring, and more) and Armoury Crate on the right (leading you to game content and specific Ally settings). However, the top-located volume controls might feel a tad out of reach during gameplay. A highlight is the power button doubling as a fingerprint reader, which has worked almost perfectly throughout my testing. DISPLAY: The Ally boasts a 7” 1080p IPS LCD touchscreen capable of 60Hz or 120Hz and backed by FreeSync. The display quality is sharp and vibrant, reaching around the 450 nit mark, and it's beautiful to see. While modern phones might have greater pixel density, the Ally’s display is just as attractive, especially with its vibrant colors and adjustable brightness. However, the touchscreen's efficiency is hampered by Windows' on-screen keyboard. Using Windows with a touchscreen in general is not a favorite of mine, but it's an option for navigating with at least. PERFORMANCE AND BATTERY: For gaming, the ROG Ally gives a decent performance, but it's crucial to maintain realistic expectations. This system is absolutely great for 2D titles and light gaming, but if you're aiming to play some AAA titles such as CyberPunk 2077, Doom, Horizon Zero Dawn, you'll need to temper your expectations a bit. My goal with any 3D game is to get closer to 30 FPS, and I can achieve that with the ROG Ally as long as I really tone down the graphical settings in-game. You'll want to try adjusting some of your performance settings, such as setting resolution to 720p and utilizing the FPS limiter. What's important here is to understand that the ROG Ally Z1 does not have the same performance as the ROG Ally Z1 Extreme. For those of you who really want to maximize on 3D gaming while on the go, you will want the Z1 Extreme. Personally - I've enjoyed playing Stardew Valley, Brotato, Turbo Overkill, and Noita on this system and achieving over 60fps consistently. I think the lighter system requirements are perfect for this type of handheld. You get the ability to "just click play" and go. Whereas, with other titles, you'll be spending a fair amount of time dialing in the performance. Also, friendly reminder that screen motion will always look better in 120hz mode than 60hz mode. Switching gears to the battery, battery life can be unpredictable. Lighter gaming might offer 4ish hours, while AAA could drain the battery within 1.5 hours. As always with devices like this, you need to tone down your settings a little bit to get the most battery life possible. I'd recommend setting the performance profile to 10w or 15w, capping frame rates, and turning down some of the game's graphical effects. If you choose to go higher than the 10w Silent or 15w Performance profile, your battery will be zapped before you know it. FINAL THOUGHTS: While I have no major complaints, there are some things I'd like everyone to keep in mind. If you need better performance for 3D gaming on-the-go, you'll want to look at the Ally Z1 Extreme. If you're savvy with a Windows computer, you'll appreciate having the full flexibility to use ANY game launcher for any Windows-based game title. But again, if you're someone who wants a portable Windows PC to game on, I'd assume that you'll be playing some AAA 3D titles. So where does this leave the ROG Ally Z1? Well... It's a wonderful system, but it's just a bit under-powered compared to the Z1 Extreme. If you enjoy playing a lot of simple titles like me, you'll appreciate this handheld, but some of you will be left wanting more.

Plays games decent nothing to impressive. Good for light gaming

Performance was impressive but the weight and windows really made it unenjoyable for me. Windows isn’t comfortable or ergonomic enough to navigate using the built in controller or touch screen at this size. And because of the weight I’d rather use a laptop or something that I can rest in my lap, like a regular controller and separate gaming system/monitor.

You are losing out on a lot of performance getting this instead of the $100 more Z1 Extreme. This is like a Switch Lite vs. PS5 in terms of performance. You will be spending more money on an XG mobile to get better performance down the line if you get this version. Save yourself the disappointment and spend the extra Benjamin!

UNBOXING: Inside the box, you’ll find the ROG Ally, a surprisingly sturdy paper stand for the Ally, and a 65W USB-C wall adapter. Other than that, it’s pretty simple packaging. Unfortunately, a case and screen cloth will need to be separate purchases. BUILD: The Ally is a sturdy plastic build. It fits comfortably in my hands, although perhaps over time I feel a bit more stress in my palms due to the way the bottom edges are angled. I think ASUS opted to go with an overall slimmer profile, which some may find less comfortable, although it is sleeker and perhaps more portable that some competitors if you stow it away in a case or bag. PORTS, EXPANSION & UPGRADES: The ROG Ally is unfortunately very light on ports. For most folks, you have a 3.5mm combo jack, a microSD Card Slot that supports up to UHS-II cards (although there have apparently been a lot of issues with this slot damaging customer microSD cards), and a USB-C 3.2 gen 2 port for Power Delivery, DisplayPort output, and data. Additionally, for a very high price, you can purchase the ROG XG Mobile external GPU dock which can give more graphics horsepower to your Ally as well facilitate the usage of your Ally as your primary desktop computer since it has additional USB ports, Ethernet, and display outputs. But the proprietary nature of this technology means you’re solely relying on ASUS to provide newer docks over time, not to mention the exorbitant price you’re paying for a laptop-grade graphics boost as opposed to a desktop-grade graphics boost. As far as onboard upgrades are concerned, you can really only upgrade the m.2 2230 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD. Both the RAM and WiFi modules are non-removable, so you are locked in with no options to change. CONTROLS: The face buttons and bumpers have decent tactility and the analog triggers are also quite comfortable and responsive. It uses offset thumbsticks akin to an Xbox controller which I find very natural coming from an actual Xbox Series controller. You also have rear macro buttons which can help serve secondary functions or be remapped through the Command Center software (although options are a bit more limited). You also have the Command Center button on the left of the display which can give you quick access to a variety of Ally-specific functions like power profiles, an FPS limiter, a real-time performance monitor, a quick 60Hz/120Hz toggle, and 720p/1080p toggle. I really like having these options accessible without needing to dive into deep menus to make adjustments, and I hope they expand on the user experience in the command center over time. And on the right of the display you have the Armoury Crate button which will give you quick access to your game content across all your libraries as well as many Ally-specific settings like controls, lighting and display calibration. And while perhaps not the main attraction, the volume buttons are on top of the Ally—which I do find a bit inaccessible if I want to make a quick adjustment, but you can always use Command Center to make such adjustments without taking your hands off the gamepad. Lastly, the power button actually functions as a fingerprint reader, which I like. This means your Ally can be quickly secured and unlocked by only you, and you can always unlock via pin or password via on-screen keyboard should your fingerprint fail. That being said, I found the fingerprint reader to work accurately. DISPLAY: The Ally uses a 7” 1080p IPS LCD touch screen display that can operate at 60Hz or 120Hz and with FreeSync variable refresh rate. My display had the hardware ID of TMX0002 and the monitor name TL070FVXS01-0. Subjectively, the display looks quite good and is crisp at the 7” display size. Compared to the mainstream alternatives, it’s a notable upgrade and while modern smartphones are higher pixel density, this display makes me forget about that when it’s quite vibrant and can get plenty bright for daytime use and also reasonably dim for late night gaming sessions. As for the touch-screen aspect, it’s quite responsive to input, but I feel like the biggest limitation is really Windows’ on screen keyboard experience. I simply cannot get fast at typing on a screen of this size, and the limited customization of the touch screen keyboard in windows makes improving this a challenge. For this reason, I can understand why some of the competition is using other clever methodologies through hardware for keyboard input. MICROPHONES: The onboard dual array microphones are flanking the display, positioned just above the view and menu buttons. In my testing, they are very clear and do a great job at isolating speech. If your speakers are constantly blasting noise, it might struggle to pick up your speech properly, but if you’re playing games with others and have lower in-game volume, then the Ally should do a fantastic job for that circumstance. In my opinion, there’s no need to use a separate microphone while playing games on the Ally where voice communication is prominent. SPEAKERS & HEADPHONE: Audio on the Ally is one of its stronger suits. You have two front-firing speakers that deliver clear audio and it gets plenty loud for portable handheld gaming. Pushed a little too hard and you might get a touch of distortion, but overall I do feel it’s under control. Headphone performance is sufficient for most consumer headphones and some high-sensitivity audiophile headphones as well. Just be aware that by default, Audio Enhancements are enabled on the headphone output within Windows, so music may sound unnatural at first. I disabled this and found a significant improvement in clarity over headphones. With that said, this is a Realtek integrated audio chipset. It’s still not going to compete with many modern audiophile headphone dongles, but I don’t expect most folks to be running expensive IEMs or headphones through the Ally. PERFORMANCE: Game performance on the ROG Ally Z1 is decent, but you have to keep your expectations in check. Given that this variant only has 6 cores, 12 threads and 4 RDNA3 compute units, it simply does not have the same power as the Z1 Extreme variant of the Ally. I decided to focus on testing my catalog of modern 2D titles, and across the board many of these games like Gravity Circuit or Ember Knights could reach 120Hz at 1080p maxed out. Even under the Turbo power profile, 2D games which employ more advanced effects like Ori and the Will of the Wisps will not be able to yield 120Hz on High settings—especially without dynamic resolution scaling. Usually, a combination of dropping down to 720p, using 60Hz or lowering settings can get you a smooth experience for these more demanding titles. But it’s important to note that if you’re on battery, these kinds of games can draw a lot of power. Additionally, some games still need more than 4GB of VRAM to operate on higher settings, even at 1080p. So depending on the game, you might find it advantageous to tinker around with the amount of reserved VRAM through Armoury Crate, but you’ll need to restart for the changes to take effect. And in some cases where I could yield a consistent 40fps, it’s important to note that using the 120Hz display refresh rate will yield a smoother experience compared to the 60Hz mode. While on battery, I do think 120fps is really only a feasible framerate target under the 15W Performance profile or higher, while I found the Silent profile to be better suited for light gaming at 60fps. I also tried to take advantage of the built-in FPS limiter in the Command Center, but it wasn’t until I looked around online that people said you needed to set your FPS limit before you start the game, which isn’t an intuitive user experience. I also found it strange that there’s no 40fps frame limit option while the 120Hz refresh rate is engaged, but instead a 45fps option which would cause some dropped frames. BATTERY: Battery life is really challenging to gauge since this is a handheld focused on gaming. If you consider the ROG Ally as a 2D gaming machine with fantastic compatibility for different ecosystems like Steam, PC Game Pass, Epic Games Store, GOG, Itch, etc. then you may be able to yield 3-5 hours on battery if you use a manual performance profile with the lowest possible 7W power settings, lower screen brightness and stick to 720p 60Hz. But if you decide to push the limits in Performance or Turbo modes, you can reasonably only expect somewhere between 1-3 hours. CONCLUSION: Overall, I think the ASUS ROG Ally Z1 is a good product as is, but it certainly has areas where it could improve. I do think more tools to yield better battery stamina could improve the value of the Z1. But there’s no denying that having Windows installed means it has a ton of compatibility out of the box, and it does have sufficient power for a lot of gaming experiences. But it simply doesn’t have the same kind of horsepower that The Z1 Extreme variant has, although it may have an advantage in having a lower power draw. So if you’re a gamer that is focused more on indie titles without too many advanced graphical features, this could be a good option, but you will be able to get more out of it when plugged into power. But is it worth saving the $100 over the Z1 Extreme? I think most gamers probably would want the extra performance to ensure smooth gameplay while getting clear visuals on the Ally’s 1080p display. So this puts me in a bit of a bind. Most of my graphically intense games, I’d much rather do without compromise, so I tend to play those on a more powerful system, while I look at the Ally Z1 as a fantastic gaming handheld for a vast ecosystem of wonderful 2D games like Gravity Circuit, Ember Knights, Sea of Stars, and Eastward. My closing thought is that if you heavily lean towards games with low graphics demands, the Z1 Ally may be a good option for you. But if you’re an enthusiast who wants high performance, you should be looking at the Z1 Extreme variant.

I bought an open box excellent and the condition was not like new. There were food stains on the stand and marks on the grips. I ended up returning it and getting a used z1 extreme on mercari instead

A great piece of hardware that is fully let down by windows. I really wanted to enjoy all my Xbox game pass games, but it is such a slog to get anything in working order.

Had it one day. It worked well for a few hours. But then I updated the drivers using the proprietary ASUS software and it basically bricked it. The time and effort it would require to get out it to run again seem not worth it.

The unit I was sent to test and review is having some issues with its Wi-Fi (MediaTek) adapter. After contacting support and trying some troubleshooting steps, Asus will be sending a replacement soon. The Wi-Fi would drop randomly and sometimes it won't pick up without hard rebooting the ROG Ally (holding the power button). The Wi-Fi driver will go unknown with exclamation mark. Uninstalling and re-installing the driver would make it recover, sometimes. Trying to troubleshoot and fix this issue, I've tried to downgrade the Wi-Fi connection to Wi-Fi 5 but it didn't fix the issue. I tried using my phone as hotspot with several connection modes, but the Wi-Fi will still drop. Wi-Fi will show connected until you try to use it then it will go missing completely. While the Wi-Fi on the Ally is working, it is amazing how it is running windows 11 smoothly. With that on board, it can run other stuff (other than gaming) and get some real productivity on it (Teams, Email, …). It is loaded with a very large PCIe 512GB storage and 16GB RAM. The possibility to use a micro-SD card is adding a nice option to move files into and out of the Ally. Installing Windows games is also possible. The body of the Rog Ally is made from a good plastic. It is super nice and sturdy. The control buttons are amazingly accurate, and they feel like they are lasting. They are well placed to be reached with all fingers without issues. The Ally can connect to an HDMI screen and outside controllers (Keyboard and Mouse) using a regular USB-C to outputs adapter. I had to do some work around the screen resolution but that's the fault of my old TV and not the console. Asus offers a docking station type for better connectivity to the Ally. I was surprised that my regular adapter was able to connect also. Touch screen is amazing too. Very sensitive with nice multi point functioning. I thought the fan would be noisy and bothering but it is not. Working smooth, quiet, and fine. Battery life is ok (most my usages are offline apps / games due to the Wi-Fi issue). Charging speed is ok with the provided power charger (USB-C). I was able to use all my XBOX games on it without any issues. I also tried some games from Windows store (imported using a microSD) and they worked fine. Even under high windows load, the cooling fans are not that noisy and delivering adequate cooling to the AMD processor without significant throttling of speed. The 7-inch screen is colorful and very vivid with high refresh rate making your gaming experience very nice. Playing games and using the Ally is possible in both low and high light conditions. The screen visibility is good no matter what time of the day/night. Asus Armory Crate would allow you to share the games between your gaming computer and this console. According to Asus, it should work without issues. Customizing controls and personalizing the Ally is a very good option to have. To make it stand out as YOURS. With that also, Asus Rog Ally could be shared by creating different profiles (windows logins) on the console. You can safely share it with your family members and friends. I really can't wait to have my replacement Asus Rog Ally. I have ordered the XG Mobile and it is coming next week. It should allow me to connect the Ally to the internet through the Ethernet. It would be more stable. I believe this Rog Ally is must have for any computer gamer. You should really not skip it.

Pros Great 120Hz screen with V-Sync Great speakers SD card slot Upgradable NVME SSD Quiet Decent battery life for the form factor Charges via USB-C Works with external GPU for more horsepower Supports multiple game platforms Windows OS allows Xbox emulators Can be used as your regular pc Heat stays away from your hands Thumbsticks support Aura Sync Buttons haven’t stuck like early Extreme units did Controls feel good quality Asus is creating game guides to help find the best settings per game Cons Performance much lower than Extreme version NVME Size limits upgrades RAM or Wi-Fi not upgradable Buttons placement makes reaching some a bit awkward SD-Card slot reliability questionable Buttons get blocked from working in certain games, including volume Flashes thumb sticks when asleep while plugged in The Asus Ally is a surprisingly light portable PC. You can call it a portable gaming console, but it can do more than that with Windows installed. The advantage of this is also that Xbox emulators work on it or it can be your primary PC. The palm rests have a slightly textured grip on the back but only a small amount on the front where your thumbs would rest. The bottom has no ports or switches to be a problem if you game with it in your lap. All ports and plugs are on the top of the unit with the SD-Card slot sandwiched under the left heatsink. This explains why some have reported SD-Card failure in early units. Reports have said Asus issued a firmware update to adjust the fan curve at the expense of noise to improve reliability. The power button has an integrated fingerprint reader that caches your fingerprint so that on startup it passes it to Windows Hello. This means if your finger is registered correctly the system will start up and be fully logged in with one button press instead of two. The speakers are forward firing directly at the user and placed inboard where it would be highly unlikely your hands would every block them. Setup Setup is the standard Windows setup but slightly clumsier due to the poor touch and tablet support of Windows. When you have a box to type in you can tap it and sometimes the onscreen keyboard comes up and sometimes Windows does nothing. If the text box is on the bottom half of the screen, Windows overlays the keyboard on top of it where you can’t see what you are typing. Asus has some tools in Armory crate to help this as well as some shortcut buttons to smooth things out a bit but there is no getting around deficiencies in Windows with this layout. Rumor is Microsoft is working on a gamepad interface which would be nice to see in a future update. Once set up Armory Crate launches full screen and looks different than what you see on laptops. It is redesigned specifically to accommodate the Ally and scans looking for game stores as wells as installed games making them easier to find and launch via the gamepad controls. You can configure system wide gamepad profiles or set game specific profiles via Armory Crate. This way games for Xbox, Epic, and Steam see an Xbox type controller but emulator games via something like retroarc or desktop games can see keyboard and mouse inputs. Usage and Performance When starting up you will find the one step nice but in need of refinement. It is nice that you don’t have to log in or press more than one, but the button is flush with the case making it hard to feel out. Unlike handheld games the power button the Ally feels soft and indistinct. It would be nice if Asus had the button slightly raised and with a distinct click so you would know you pressed it correctly. The other control buttons have a familiar clicky feeling like a good quality game controller giving good feedback with the exception being the thumb sticks. While they feel good, the thumb sticks have a slightly rough texture as you roll them around. It’s possible this is due to the type of plastic used to create the light rings at the base that are controlled via Asus Aura Sync. The overall feel in the hands is nice but at times the paddle buttons on the back feel a bit awkward to reach in the normal grip. The screen is probably one of the best aspects of the Ally. While it isn’t an OLED with inky blacks it gets very bright, and the colors are very accurate. Combine that with the speakers and the gaming experience feels more immersive. Of course, the speakers aren’t going to have amazing range for their size but the fact that they point directly at you means surround sound affects are more engaging. If you keep your head in between the left and right speakers the surround sound effects work surprisingly well with some sounds seemingly coming from the sides. They also get loud enough to be heard even when the cooling fans are running on high. Depending on your priorities the main letdown is going to be the downgrade from the Z1 Extreme Processor to the Z1. For triple A titles you are going to notice the performance drop. Test have shown anywhere from a 15% lower performance to sometimes half the performance. The one place the Z1 processor may occasionally have a slight edge is games that favor the processor more and don’t require many cores. In some rare cases it seems the Z1 with less cores can run those cores at a slightly higher clock speed with less power. Overall, the Z1 Extreme wins by a large margin. That said, if your main interest is older titles, emulation, or you don’t mind lowering settings the Z1 can still be fun. For instance, Tomb Raider GOTY set to Ultra turned in an average of 24.1FPS with the Ally on 30-watt turbo mode. Change the settings to Normal and you get an average of 65.8 FPS and a far more playable game. Borderlands 3 returned a low but playable 30FPS set to medium quality with the Ally set to Turbo while plugged in for the full 30 watts. Performance seems to be the sweet spot for battery performance but at this setting Borderlands turns a barely playable 25FPS at medium quality showing how the Z1 processor struggles to keep up. It’s possible with more tweaks and using dynamic resolution scaling this could be improved but it is unlikely to make a dramatic difference. An unfortunate downside of this is that great 120Hz screen is unlikely to be used to the fullest. If there is any chance this will happen it looks like Asus is going to do the work to find out. They have created Ultimate Guide to the ROG Ally where Asus is creating guides of how to configure specific games to get the best performance vs quality for both the Z1 Extreme and Z1 editions. They are even including FPS targets to help you verify if things are working as expected. If you are ok with the decreased performance, gaming on the Ally is distinctly different and fun. It’s hard to describe but the experience of how playing games just feels more satisfying than the same games on a console or PC. Even games such as Minecraft that usually feel more comfortable with a keyboard and mouse just felt better when you could play anywhere you wanted. While Asus can adjust the fan curve to help protect the SD-Card slot, it seems like your best bet is going to be to buy a more durable card. With the slot sandwiched behind the heatsink the slot easily reached 119 degrees without being used while on the latest firmware. The upside is Asus did a great job of keeping the heat away from the hand grips. Even during extended gameplay, the hand grips never seemed to get very warm or even close to uncomfortable. While the fans were audible at times they were never distracting, and the heat was always pushed up and away. It does seem like they were able to address the concerns of buttons sticking on earlier units. During several days of use none of the buttons stuck or gave the indication they are binding. Actuation was smooth and very similar to a good quality console controller with good response times and consistent activation even with faster paced games. You can press them fast enough to where they can miss but it is unlikely you experience that in normal gameplay. There was one odd behavior though in Doom where the right thumb stick would cause the weapon to fire if you flicked the joystick quickly to left. There wasn’t anything mapped to fire on the right joystick and this is the only game where this occurred but it is worth noting. At first it was thought to be accidentally trigger by the shoulder buttons because in rapid movements it is challenging not to bump them but with further testing this occurred when the only thing moved was the right thumbstick. Final Thoughts There is so much more that could be said about the Asus Ally Z1. It isn’t as polished as a dedicated gaming handheld but offers far more versatility in a nice package. It certainly feels like Asus has put together a winning combination that is likely to become very popular in future generations. If you don’t want to wait, the main question would be can you afford the Z1 Extreme edition of the Ally. If you can, get that one. If you can’t or just prefer to save some money because you play older titles or don’t mind dropping the quality, this Ally with the standard Z1 processor could be a a good fit for you.

This item is a jack of "most" trades. First let's talk about the gaming. It is great. Under normal circumstances there is no lag, no suffering and it looks great (full hd display at 120 hz) is truly a very good display. 512gb of memory is adequate. Surprisingly I have burned through 3/4 of that memory already and I don't have a ton of games. Understand that AAA games are 20-50 GB in size!!! It is a comfortable device in my fairly large hands (I like bigger devices) but it is not bad. The only drawback is the battery life. Gaming you get 1-1.5 hours of play time. Doing other things (web, movies, YouTube, tictok, you get more battery but this is not an all day device. The price (399 on sale for the standard graphics processor and 512 GB) is a great price for such a powerful device. 599 for the upgraded graphics processor is a bit steep for me). Compared to the steam deck, I like the windows based system because of the ability to use windows and play games and do almost anything you want on this single device. Steam deck is a playing game beast, with not as good a screen, but good enough. It is also easier to use as it is a dedicated gaming device, and the rog is a multi-function device that if pushed can do a lot more than just game. Id recommend this device for the more adventurous types. If you willing to put in a little extra time customizing the handheld you will be rewarded with an excellent device with tons of power, a great screen and lots of fun to play on. Just wish it had a bigger battery!!

As someone who has become too busy to be able to find time to sit down and play games on my desktop this has helped tremendously. I no longer feel like I can't game due to time constraints. I can just pop this bad boy out and game in short bursts. I can play most modern titles aside from some poorly optimized ones. I never thought I would be able to play Horizon Zero Dawn or The Last Of Us on the go at 60+ fps. Now it is not a miracle piece of hardware or a powerhouse but for what it is, it's amazing. My only gripes are that you need to do some tinkering to get it to the level of performance I have managed to squeeze out of it but it is worth the trouble. Also, the battery life isn't the best, but since I only play in short bursts it's tolerable. My only other gripe is the small storage capacity. I did shell out some money to upgrade to a 2TB drive and it has made such a huge difference. Good thing the X will have a base 1TB drive and be much easier, and cheaper, to upgrade due to the 2280 slot instead of the 2230 in this one.

The ROG Ally (Standard edition) is a great device once fully updated. I did run into a very major issue out of the box where the Ally black-screened after login and had to factory reset the device and start all over again. This was circumvented by downloading ALL necessary updates from Armory Crate and Windows Update. Had I been more diligent with updates and not jumped right into gaming, I would have saved myself about 4 hours troubleshooting my problems. The irony of the situation was once I realized that maybe I needed all updates from Armory Crate, I was met with a short video explaining that updates were necessary to have a more desirable experience with this device. All that being said, I love this device for what it's worth. My use is as a second handheld computer that can play the same games as I do on my desktop. In regards to performance; if you intend to play games like Farcry 3, Doom 2016, the standard Ally will perform wonderfully. If you desire to play more demanding games like Ghost Recon Wildlands, you may want to upgrade to the Extreme version for a more pleasant experience. Otherwise, Ghost Recon is the most demanding game one can expect to run on this awesome little device.

I bought tbis about a month and a half ago and I absolutely love it. Im not a savy person when i comes to the specs of computers but this is super easy to use. I didnt even want to attempt to use the SD slot so replacing the SSD was super simple after a quick youtube video. Overall performance is great playing, xbox, steam, or using as a computer is a breeze. The only drawback like most reviews is battery life. Depending on what performance level you chose you can get about 30-45 minutes of play ok high power running steam or xbox cloud gaming. With longer play times on lower performance modes with the sacrifice of graphics and performance. This can all be fixed with an external portable charger. Overall I would 100% recommend this product.

this rog Ally with the base Z1 processor is good, playing spider man 2018 the avg FPS is 30 but you will see some frames drops when going thou new York. and with batman Arkham Knight with everything on low it avg on 25 FPS sometime 30fps. so if you are looking for a cheep and good handheld Z1 is good for you but if you want something that gives you more FPS and you don't have a budget go for the Z1 Extreme Processor. but if you are only playing steam games and you have the money try and get the streemdeck for only stream games. but the rog lets you play xbox and EA games out of steam

Definitely a great upgrade from the steam deck! Having the ability to play “almost” any game in my multiple libraries (Xbox, gog, steam, etc), with (oddly) only 2 games so far crashing upon launch (fallout 3 & New Vegas in particular). It still is the best value Handheld in it’s price point! Hands down! For those who don’t want to pay above $600 plus for a PC, this is a must have for PC gamers. Capable of playing Starfield (albeit lower gfx). I can play it just as good on this machine as I can on my 4 year old $3000, laptop (RTX 2070 TI/ I7). Allocation is the key for this one 6GB memory (should be fine) for most games (including “Starfield” as stated above) & another 2 in reserve (8GB /16GB) should handle the bulk of everything else.. The only problems I’ve come across so far, is “512GB internal storage” & the “SD card reader melt down”. Which is well documented All an all, a great deal for those on a budget, & have the know how around Windows 11, along with (if needed) SSD replacements.. *TIPS* going forward If anyone has any problems with the SSD replacements Remember that windows 10&11 are much easier to install than before.. Just look up “”Windows 11 ISO download”” for redownloading windows to a “thumb drive USB”.. Connect your Email to a Microsoft account BEFORE HAND (if you can), as it will make reinstalling windows waaay easier & faster! Once Windows 11 is installed, on the ally head over to the “”ASUS Ally driver”” page & install the drivers listed for your “model number” Hopefully this helps people who get a bum unit (like I did)..

The ASUS ROG Ally Z1 model is a compelling entry in the handheld gaming market, striking a balance between performance and affordability. Powered by the AMD Ryzen Z1 processor, this version of the ROG Ally delivers solid performance for most gaming scenarios, making it a great choice for gamers who want a portable device without compromising too much on power. The 7-inch Full HD display, coupled with a 120Hz refresh rate, ensures that games look vibrant and run smoothly, offering an immersive gaming experience. The design of the ROG Ally Z1 is both sleek and functional, with a comfortable grip that makes long gaming sessions enjoyable. However, it's worth noting that the battery life, while decent, can still be a limiting factor during extended gameplay, especially when playing more demanding titles. Accompanying the device is the ASUS ROG Ally Soft Case Bag, a practical accessory designed to protect and transport the Z1 model. The soft case bag is made from durable materials that provide adequate protection against everyday wear and tear while remaining lightweight and easy to carry. Inside, the case is lined with a soft, cushioned material that safeguards the device from scratches and minor impacts. Additionally, the case includes compartments for essential accessories like chargers or earbuds, adding to its convenience. While the soft case bag doesn’t offer the same level of protection as a hard shell case, it strikes a good balance between portability and protection, making it an ideal companion for gamers on the go. Together, the ASUS ROG Ally Z1 and its soft case bag form a well-rounded package that caters to gamers looking for both performance and practicality in their handheld gaming experience.

This is the BEST device I've ever purchased. I use it more then my phone!!! The battery life isn't the best but it's made to stay in charge while being used. I know the price might seem expensive but given what it does it's WELL worth every single penny!! I play Xbox game pass, Sims 4 (modded), steam etc. I am even able to brose the Internet. Anything your PC does this does.

Its a wonderful machine, I love it while my wife watches her shows on TV i play GTA5 ,its adequate and works fine on the go ,get a portable power bank you guys, other than that its perfect for now...

ASUS's ROG Ally is a great handheld portable gaming system. It runs windows which allows me to connect to EA, Steam, and Xbox. I can download my games that I've previously purchased through those services and play them. The initial setup of the Ally was simple and straight forward just as it is with an ASUS laptop. If you are familiar with ASUS laptops, then you'll know of ASUS Armory Create. The Ally is no different in that it uses Armory Create to help you monitor the Ally, launch games through Game Library, setup button assignments, Set sensitivity of buttons, etc. Aura Sync is also a part of the Ally for RGB lighting effects. The Ally is fast and responsive. ASUS went with a fast processor for it (the AMD Ryzen Z1) and enough RAM (16GB) to play just about any game. The GPU is also good. ASUS chose the AMD Ryzen Z1 for the GPU. I haven't had any issues playing first person shooters on it. So far, I haven't had any lag in frame rates. The Screen, with it's full HD resolution, is incredibly sharp for a screen of this size. It is also a touch screen. The display is sharp enough that I never had any problems reading anything on the screen. It's bright, so you shouldn't have any issues when playing. Two speakers in the Ally are in the front facing you. They generate clear audio and it supports Dolby Atmos which helps provide that clear audio. The Ally has support for Haptic feedback. If you use games that support that feature, the Ally should work with it. Also, ASUS added in a gyro for games that support motion. So if you are into those types of games ASUS has you covered there. Regarding the controls, you have similar controls as a typical console game controller. It's easy to use the joysticks, directional button, the A/B/X/Y buttons, the trigger buttons, and the bumper buttons. The layout fits well in your hands. The curvature of the back fits well in my had and allows my fingers to comfortably rest around that part. That part is also textured so you fingers don't slip. The top of the Ally has the power button, volume up/down buttons, a USB-C port, micro-SD card slow, 3.5mm headphone jack, and the XG Mobile connector port. You can add in the XG Mobile which provides a Geforce RTX 4090 GPU and several USB-A ports, a USB-C port, an HDMI port, DisplayPort, SD card reader, and a 2.5Gb ethernet port to name a few. The XG Mobile basically gives your Ally expanded capabilities. With it, you can use the Ally as an up-to-date gaming desktop. ASUS also supports their Gaming Charger Dock which provides an HDMI 2.0 port, USB-A port, and a USB-C charge port. ASUS has thought ahead with the expandability of the Ally, so you can get more out of it when you choose to expand it. The Ally isn't heavy, however, I found myself resting it on my lap while gaming. Even though it is generally lightweight for something of this size, the weight got noticeable to my after period of time, so resting it on my lap while playing seemed to be better for me. Doing that didn't interfere in any way with me using it. I have had an issue with the Wifi 6E adapter. This seems to be a driver issue. I removed the adapter from device manager and scanned for hardware changes. This detected the adapter and installed the driver again. I believe this was due to a windows 11 update, but hopefully that won't happen again. With the CPU and GPU heating up during gaming, I did notice it get warm while playing, but the internal fans to move a lot of air to help keep the temperature reasonable. If you are looking for a handheld gaming system, then consider the ASUS ROG Ally. It is well constructed and the controls are laid out like an Xbox controller. It also is a Windows 11 PC, so you can do what you do on a laptop on this. Add in the Gaming Charger Dock or the XG Mobile and you will be able to connect it to laptop/desktop peripherals and you have a great PC plus mobile gaming system. Overall, I really like the Ally and I like that I can get my Microsoft, EA, and Steam games on it. I think ASUS has packed a lot in a small form factor and I like what they have done with the Ally. If you are looking for a handheld gaming system, then consider the ASUS ROG Ally.