ASUS ROG Ally Gaming Handheld Launched With Ryzen Z1 Extreme Chip; Steam Deck, Nintendo Switch Competitor?

With gaming handheld devices becoming more popular, ASUS ROG has launched its ROG Ally handheld gaming device. The ROG Ally packs a powerful AMD’s 4nm Ryzen Z1 Extreme chipset—based on the Zen 4 architecture—coupled with an RDNA3-based GPU with 4GB VRAM and 16GB DDR5 RAM. This makes the ROG Ally ideal for playing AAA games on the go, at decent in-game settings. 

This marks ASUS’ first foray into the world of portable handheld gaming devices—aiming to compete with the likes of the Nintendo Switch and Valve Steam Deck. In fact, many are touting it to be the first true competitor to the Steam Deck. Moreover, users can further expand its power by using ASUS’ XG external GPUs.

ASUS ROG Ally: Specifications and Features

As a handheld gaming device, the ASUS ROG Ally features a 7-inch IPS panel with a 1080p resolution and 120Hz refresh rate. The device offers AMD FreeSync and Gorilla Glass Victus protection for the display glass.

It comes in two configurations, with the higher-end model featuring an AMD 4nm Ryzen Z1 Extreme chipset, 8 cores, and 16 threads, with a boost clock speed up to 5.1GHz, and the base model featuring the AMD Ryzen Z1 chipset. Both models come with a RDNA3-based GPU with 4GB VRAM, 16GB LPDDR5 RAM, and a 512GB PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 SSD.

Running on Windows 11, the ROG Ally offers three months of free Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and is compatible with third-party game clients such as Steam and Epic Games. Being a ROG device, the Ally comes with ROG laptop staples, including the Armory Crate SE app. For ports, it has a 3.5mm headphone jack, USB 3.2 Gen2 Type C port, UHS-II, and a microSD card reader. The device is powered by a 40WHr battery with 65W fast charging support.

ASUS ROG Ally: Price and Availability

For now, ASUS is only going to sell the higher-end model that costs $700, but the base model, which is $600, will be available in Q3 2023. 

ASUS India’s Lead Technical product manager, Hardik, on Twitter has confirmed that the ROG Ally will be launching in India in the “coming months." However,  the price and exact release date for the Indian market are still up in the air.

It should be noted that Valve’s Steam Deck—its closest competitor, has not been officially launched in India but is being imported through gray channels.