ASUS Details ROG Ally Specs - $699 Gaming Handheld With AMD Z1 Extreme

[Sashinoto]

Not saying linux or windows is better but I really like that I can simply press the power button on my SteamDeck any time and may even let it sleep for weeks without worrying about losing any progress because the OS did a forced reboot because of some OS update. Also the whole A/B-partition setup on the SteamDeck is a blessing. Not sure how easy it would be to fix a broken windows on the Ally without a keyboard/mouse and some dongles.

Honestly the Ally seems to me more like a laptop merged with a controller than a mobile console. Which is fine, but I like my SteamDeck mainly because it feels like a mobile console. Hence why I'm sort of confused why the SteamDeck and the Ally are compared to another. In my eyes they scratch a different itch like a normal laptop and a chromebook.

[r1348]

Yeah, don't buy it and get a 100% refund automatically.

Linux will run on it just fine but who cares, let's hate it because ASUS doesn't want to waste a ton of money supporting a hobby OS where nothing is ever stable.

The hobby OS that literally runs the internet, and that Microsoft itself uses as host OS on Azure.

[EvilHowl]

One clear advantage the Steam Deck has over the ROG Ally is that its memory is connected via a 256-bit bus, whereas the ASUS one only sports a 128-bit interface, according to Digital Foundry.

Anyhow, hopefully Valve manages to release the rather big SteamOS 3.5 update before the Ally launches, since that alone should already bring a noticeable performance improvement, thanks to the Linux 6.1 LTS kernel instead of the 5.13 one the Deck is still rocking.

Maybe I should consider writing an article with some of my tweaks on top...

The Steam Deck has quad-channel 32-bit LPDDR5 memory. 32 * 4 = 128 bits. Where did you get that number from?

[citral]

• Twice as fast as SteamDeck in pretty much everything
• Runs Windows 11 by default, i.e. no problems with emulation/translation, DRM, anticheats and everything and you can run Windows software as well
• A much better screen - 1080p 120Hz
• Supports an external GPU

Note: don't buy the Z1 version, buy the Z1 extreme instead - the difference in performance is staggering, the price difference is just $100.

Here's a ton of reviews + Ars Technica's one.

- No we already know It's very likely SLOWER below 15W, and a lot at that-
- Linux runs every possible emulator apart from xenia, which nobody cares about because there are like 3 exclusives, anticheat is a non-issue since you'll never, ever be really competitive on a handle when it comes to online fps, go play something else
- The screen is better for colours and contrast but 1080p on 7" is just a waste of resources and 40 fps is all you need tbh, don't be like those people who pretend to hear the difference between flac and mp3 320 while commuting in a car
- Support *proprietary* extremely expensive external gpus, in 5 years there won't be any support for it
- Your z1 extreme is only about 30% faster than the z1 while having 3 times the CUs, which screams that it's completely RAM bottlenecked.

This is one of those gadgets nobody will talk about anymore in 1/2 years once zen 5 comes out, and valve is well inspired to let it sit for now, the improvements are incremental (above 15W which destroys battery), not generational.

[discordian]

Get me that in a SFF case, keep the soldered lpddr5 for a nice classics/emu console.

[tildearrow]

Dang it ASUS!
If this device becomes more popular than the Deck, Linux will die in consumer desktop space...

This could be a good thing or not, depending on how you see it...

[fong38]

Dang it ASUS!
If this device becomes more popular than the Deck, Linux will die in consumer desktop space...

This could be a good thing or not, depending on how you see it...

Unfortunate but I always welcome competition

[ridge]

Well, this one is launching in Norway, the Steam Deck isn't (no Valve hardware has ever made it here). Easy choice for anyone here in the market for a handheld PC. Valve's missing out.

[Linuxxx]

The Steam Deck has quad-channel 32-bit LPDDR5 memory. 32 * 4 = 128 bits. Where did you get that number from?

You're right, just checked myself.

Like I said, during a recent Digital Foundry podcast this was mentioned, so naturally I had assumed they would know what they are talking about...

[pinguinpc]

For those who dare