The ASUS ROG Ally It’s down to $500 at Best Buy, a $150 discount and an all-time low for a configuration with AMD’s Z1 Extreme chip. This deal comes with a serious caveat: ASUS recently released ROG Ally Xan upgraded model with better battery life, more RAM and storage, improved ergonomics, an additional USB-C port, and slightly improved performance. Also, overheating problems should be avoided which hinders microSD slot of the first model. If you can afford it, buy it instead.
The X costs $300 more. If you can’t afford that but still want a Windows gaming handheld, the original has the same chip and a 7-inch 120Hz display, so it can still run a lot of graphics-intensive games on the go. Since it’s a Windows device, it can play titles from almost any game client, whether it’s Steam, the Xbox app, or the Epic Games Store.
We are still thinking Steam Deck OLED is the best choice for most people looking for a portable gaming PC because its software is easier to pick up and use. Windows may be more flexible, but it can be difficult to navigate without a mouse, forcing you to fiddle with settings more often to keep your games running optimally. Valve’s handheld is way cheaper than the Ally X, but offers a more vibrant screen and fairly close performance.
All told, the Ally is lighter and slightly more powerful, plus it has a display variable refresh rate to keep games consistently smooth. If you can live with the short battery life and Windows quirks – and really want a handheld that can play big-budget games from stores other than Steam – this price is an easier sell. Look our view from last year for more details.
