Asus has officially announced its entry into the handheld gaming market with the ROG Ally, a device that will compete directly with Valve’s Steam Deck. The announcement was initially met with some skepticism, as it was made on April Fools’ Day, but the company has since confirmed that the device is real and aims to be a serious competitor.
The Asus ROG Ally boasts a number of impressive features that could give it an edge over the Steam Deck. For one, it is said to have twice the performance of Valve’s handheld, thanks to an AMD Zen 4-based APU with RDNA3 graphics. This would put it a generation ahead of the Steam Deck in terms of processing power.
In addition to its powerful hardware, the ROG Ally also boasts a 7-inch display with 1080p resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. While the aspect ratio is 16:9, which is narrower than the Steam Deck’s 16:10, it is still a common aspect ratio for gaming. The screen is also brighter than that of the Steam Deck.
Content creators, such as Dave2D, have already had the chance to go hands-on with the device. According to early impressions, the ROG Ally can run games at higher graphics settings and with a smoother frame rate than the Steam Deck. It is also significantly quieter, with noise levels at just 20dB compared to the Steam Deck’s 37dB.
One potential advantage of the ROG Ally is the ROG Xg Mobile connector, which allows users to connect an external GPU to the device for even more performance. However, pricing has not yet been revealed, and that could be a deciding factor for many consumers. The low price of the Steam Deck is a major selling point, and Asus will need to offer competitive pricing to attract buyers.
Overall, the Asus ROG Ally looks like a promising competitor to the Steam Deck. With its powerful hardware and impressive features, it could give Valve’s handheld a run for its money. However, the device is still in the pre-production phase, and actual hardware specs have yet to be revealed. It remains to be seen whether the ROG Ally will live up to its promises and emerge as a true contender in the handheld gaming market.
Thank you for reading. We hope you enjoyed the article and found it informative. Please consider sharing it and stay in this space for more updates. Stay safe and we hope to see you around.