Asus ROG Ally

If you like to tinker with settings and want higher framerates and a sharper display, the Ally might be the machine for you. It’s also the more portable of the two, and ASUS’ XG Mobile dock lets you plug it into a monitor and other accessories so you can use it as a desktop when you want. But with prices for those starting north of $1,000, it’ll cost you.

The ASUS ROG Ally gaming PC handheld brings premium features to a market awash in me-too gadgets and compromises. It offers high performance in a small form factor at a competitive price.

Despite a few hiccups, the ROG Ally offers one of most complete gaming experience you’ll find on any handheld console. But are you willing to pay its premium price tag and suffer its flaws?

The ROG Ally delivers impressive gaming performance but navigation could be more intuitive and battery life is a limiting factor.

I’d like to say that the Ally is worth the pain. And if you have to play games that aren’t on Steam, then it might be, simply because it’s your only option. But the Ally feels half-baked, even compared to the Steam Deck when it came out. Perhaps future software updates can remove some of the Ally’s jank, but you can’t patch out Windows.

The Asus ROG Ally truly feels like the portable Xbox Game Pass machine that many fans have been clamoring for. While a frustrating user experience, poor battery life, and a lack of Steam Deck-style touchpads do hold it back a bit, it’s undeniable how much fun this handheld is to use when it really gets ticking. With a beautiful 1080p screen that’s marvelously bright and perfect for playing on the go in any condition, alongside its powerful set of specs and a fierce price tag, the ROG Ally might actually be the Steam Deck competitor we’ve been anticipating.

I fundamentally believe a portable gaming PC isn’t truly portable if the battery life and user interface aren’t built for the road. I also believe most people interested in this machine would be better off spending $300 more for our favorite gaming laptop (by Asus, no less). If you really want a portable, maybe save a couple hundred bucks by buying a $400 Steam Deck and adding your own small SSD.

The Asus ROG Ally isn't as ergonomically friendly as the Steam Deck and has far more software hiccups, but it offers a beautiful screen on the go and can play almost any game at the right settings, without emulation.