Taiwanese electronics company ASUS has just launched its very first Windows handheld gaming console, the high-powered ROG Ally. And the design inspiration is obvious. It looks like a Nintendo Switch knock-off, which is great given this is basically a powerful handheld console for non-Nintendo games.
The major appeal of the Nintendo Switch is that you can play your games during transit without having to contend with a tiny screen like with old-school handhelds like the Gameboy and Nintendo 3DS. The ASUS ROG Ally plays nicely into the need for a non-Nintendo handheld that is relatively brand-agnostic. And it’s clear this powerful new device is aiming to be a jack-of-all-trades console, as opposed to the other existing PC handheld, that being Valve’s Steam Deck.
The Steam Deck was released in February last year and, upon launch, was called the “Switch killer.” Considering Nintendo just released The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Fallen Kingdom, I’d say the Japanese company is far from worried about any low sales over the next year at least. Meanwhile, the Steam Deck has more or less been a middling release with only a mild response outside of hardcore gaming circles.
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The ASUS ROG Ally looks to make more of an impact with support for various launchers as well as games that were made for the PC or Xbox. This is backed by sheer power. The device’s display is rated for 1080p gaming driven by AMD’s super high-functioning Ryzen Z1 processor for better speed and graphics as well as a 120 Hz refresh rate.
If you’re grabbing a Nintendo Switch OLED you can expect 64GB onboard storage, expandable only if you buy a microSD card. The AUS ROG Ally also has a microSD card slot but it already comes with a sizable 512GB of storage with advanced WiFI GE.
Support for games is as broad as you’d expect from a PC handheld. Out of the box, the ASUS ROG Ally runs Windows 11 and supports titles from the likes of Steam, Epic, Xbox Game Pass, EA Play, Ubisoft Connect and others. Anyone who buys the new handheld also gets three complimentary Xbox Game Pass.
The ASUS Ally comes in two models. First, you’ve got the 512 GB Z1 extreme version, which is launching in Australia on June 13 for an RRP of $1,299. Then you’ve got the slightly more affordable 256 GB version, which will launch locally sometime later this year with an RRP of $1,099.
