New Delhi, July 16 (IANS): To compete with the Nintendo Switch that revolutionized handheld gaming with its groundbreaking portable hybrid design and extensive game library, Asus has now stepped into the portable gaming PC market after a year with its first portable handheld gaming device “ROG Ally”.
The new Windows 11-powered ROG Ally has now been officially launched in India, so you can continue your gaming experience while you’re on a long trip, traveling or chilling in the backyard.
We’ve been using the 16GB+512GB variant of the ROG Ally for a week, and here’s what we think of the latest device.
In terms of design and display, the Asus ROG Ally’s all-white design looks as good as it sounds, and its port selection — microSD slot, headphone jack, ROG XG Mobile Interface and USB-C with DisplayPort 1.4 — is adequate. For gaming at home and on the go.
The device has a 7-inch 1080p touchscreen panel that offers a 120Hz refresh rate for ultra-smooth gaming.
However, the main advantage of this portable PC is Windows 11.
Unlike Steam Deck, which runs on a separate operating system and requires settings to install Microsoft’s OS, ROG Ally comes preloaded with Windows 11, allowing you to effortlessly use their preferred launchers like Epic Store, EA Play, and Xbox. Game Pass etc.
This handheld device has exceptional image quality for gaming, watching video content and web browsing. Windows 11 is easy to navigate on a small 7-inch display.
Weighing around 608 grams, the gaming console is lightweight and comfortable to use even during extended gaming sessions.
Powered by the new AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme chip and Zen 4 CPU at 4-nanometer with 8 cores and 16 threads clocked at up to 5.1 GHz, ROG Ally delivers seamless performance.
Demanding games like Dirt 5, Forza Horizon 5 and Death Stranding looked sharp and ran smoothly on the Alai, although it’s worth noting that the device can’t match the graphics and achieve frame rates on par with a high-end gaming PC. .
Modern big AAA games like Diablo 4, Street Fighter 6, etc. ran smoothly at 720p resolution at low to medium graphics settings. Both online and offline, these games performed well at a consistent 60 frames per second, which is the ideal minimum for smooth and extra-responsive gameplay.
We were particularly impressed by the system’s dual fans, which effectively kept the device’s temperature at a comfortable level and ensured near-silent operation, even during intense gaming sessions.
However, when playing fast action games, the buttons occasionally get stuck at the wrong time.
The speakers, meanwhile, are impressive, making headphones almost unnecessary unless you’re in a particularly noisy environment like a plane or train. The dual front-firing Smart Amp speakers boast Dolby Atmos technology, resulting in rich audio quality and loud volume.
For online gamers who like to communicate in mind, Ally includes two-way AI noise cancellation for incoming and outgoing audio.
When it comes to battery life, we observed the ROG Ally to last around two to three hours on a single charge while still delivering excellent performance while running high-end games. This type of battery performance is comparable to gaming laptops, which are traditionally limited in battery life. It defeats the purpose of a portable gaming machine when the battery life is drastically reduced.
Priced at Rs 69,990, the ROG Ally is now available for purchase from online and offline stores.
Conclusion: Asus ROG Ally is a powerful and portable gaming device that is a good alternative to traditional PC gaming. With Windows 11 pre-installed, the device becomes more than just a gaming PC handheld, but a functional tablet as well.
While the ROG Ally struggles with 1080p graphics in graphically intensive games and the controls could be improved, it’s a solid piece of hardware that can serve as a great travel companion if you don’t want to carry a bulky gaming laptop.