ROG Ally review: Asus' handheld gaming device is good, but not perfect

Powered by AMD Ryzen Z1 processor with integrated Radeon graphics and 16GB DDR5 RAM, the ROG Ally is based on Microsoft Window 11 platform and that makes it a one-of-its-kind handheld gaming device

Taiwanese consumer technology company Asus recently forayed into the handheld gaming market with the debut of ROG Ally. Powered by AMD Ryzen Z1 processor with integrated Radeon graphics and 16GB DDR5 RAM, the ROG Ally is based on Microsoft Windows 11 platform and that makes it a one-of-its-kind handheld gaming device. Let us get in to the details to know if it is a worthy one:

Design

The Asus Rog Ally has a sturdy plastic body, featuring a center-aligned 7-inch fullHD LCD display on the front. On the right side of the display, there are action buttons (A,B,X,Y) together with a joystick that has circular RGB lights for visual treat. Besides, Asus has put a dedicated Command Centre and Armoury Crate button for quick access since these tools cover the majority of game-related services. On the left side of the display, there is another joystick with a circular RGB and a direction pad.

 

Like other gaming controllers, the Asus ROG Ally has a pair of buttons on the bumper and triggers – one on each side. In addition, there are two customisable buttons available on each side on the backside of the device. Rounding up the package are volume rocker keys and a power button, which doubles up as a fingerprint sensor.

Coming to the ports, there is a headphone/microphone combo jack, ROG XG Mobile interface slot, MicroSD slot, and a USB Type-C connector. To keep thermals in check, Asus has incorporated a total of four air vents – two intakes vents at the backside and two exhaust vents on top side.

Display

The 7-inch fullHD display on the Asus Rog Ally supports 120Hz refresh rate. The display is of optimal size, but of limited brightness and that hampers sunlight legibility. Since it is a glossy display , it attracts fingerprints and dust easily that further dulls down the display brightness. As for the touch sensitivity, the small size of the display makes it difficult to tap precisely on icons.

Software

The Asus ROG Ally is based on the Microsoft Windows 11 Home Edition. Windows UI is not designed for anything but PCs and laptops, and may be tablets too. Therefore, it may pose a challenge if you plan to use it beyond gaming purposes. On the positive side, pair the device with accessories such as keyboard, mouse, and display, and you will get a working portable PC in your hands. Coming back to the gaming utility of the device, one must give it to Asus to have thought through the use cases of a Windows 11-powered handheld gaming device. With a dedicated Command Centre and Armoury crate, it is easy to find relevant games and get into game specific settings without struggling with touch navigation.

For the uninitiated, the Armoury Crate software allows users to set their game profiles and access Steam, Xbox store and other online game stores from its interface. The Command Centre, on the other hand, lets you choose from preset performance modes, switch between gamepad and desktop modes, enable FPS limiter, and more. It also features a real-time in-game monitor, which displays data such as CPU and GPU usage percentage, device temperature and FPS.

Performance

The ROG Ally is capable of running select games at 1080p resolution with high graphics settings enabled. There is an ultra mode to boost the performance, but it works best when the device is connected to power. Otherwise, it results in occasional drops in frame rates.

Popular gaming titles such as The Witcher 3, GTA 5, Apex Legends, Destiny 2, and F1-2022 perform well on medium and high graphics settings. However, Need For Speed Heat struggles to maintain a consistent frame rate above 60FPS without the FPS limiter enabled.

After extended gaming sessions, the display becomes warm to a point where it becomes uncomfortable to touch. However, the body and buttons remain at normal temperature – thanks to efficient fan placement, with an outflow vent at the top and intake above the macro buttons. CPU temperatures occasionally reach 96-degrees Celsius, but stay below 98-degrees in turbo mode (25W) and below 80 degrees in performance mode (15W) – minimising the risk of throttling.

Battery

The ASUS ROG Ally has a limited on-battery time of about 40 minutes on continuous gaming, which impacts portability. On basic tasks like browsing and downloading, the on-battery stretches to approximately three hours. Switching to balanced mode improves the on-battery slightly, but hampers the gaming performance.

On the charging side, the ROG Ally comes with a 65W charger that takes about an hour to charge the battery full.

Verdict

At Rs 69,990, the Asus ROG Ally is a novel handheld gaming device based on Windows 11 operating system. It is a good first-generation gaming device from Asus, but not the best. The fact that it needs constant charging and performs best when on power hampers its portability factor. In its current form, however, it makes a good secondary device for gaming on the go.