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However, like a magpie, I couldn’t resist the new shiny thing.
Despite that, do I recommend the ASUS ROG Ally?
After all, it’s not exactly cheap.
On the Steam Deck, I was at the mercy of independent third-party tools.
They were all very good, of course, but you never know how long they’ll remain supported.
A big company like ASUS should be able to provide a better experience, right?
Well … about that.
Configuring the ASUS ROG Ally is about as complex as configuring a full gaming PC.
They do work generally, but they ain’t pretty.
There’s a great resource over on reddit at/r/ROGAlly, as well as aDiscord server.
Managing battery life
Another thing about the ASUS ROG Ally is having to learnhow to manage battery life.
As such, you may find yourself micromanaging the machine a little more than you’d have otherwise hoped.
These can vastly improve your battery life if you know what you’re doing.
By default, there’s a 10w “Silent” profile.
you might save a lot of battery power using this profile as necessary.
you might also boost this further by setting up your own manual mode via Armory Crate.
I’ve seen my ROG Ally hit 40w in this mode with a compatible charger.
It’s hidden away, though, much like most of Windows' nuanced battery management features.
Dock off
Anyone had this issue running an ASUS ROG Ally to a 4K TV via a dock?
Tried diff cables (works fine with XSX or my laptop).
NVIDIA offers some software that forces external displays connected to it to adopt a specific active display signal.
However, AMD does not.
The disparity results in choppiness in games on docks that don’t allow for manual EDID configurations.
The Steam Deck also enjoys generally better support for accessories, owing to its more accessible price point.
It would be nice if ASUS created an ecosystem of certified products.
Sadly, ASUS placed the SD card slot reader right on top of an external heat vent.
Even thebest ASUS ROG Ally microSD cardshave been succumbing to the heat.
I haven’t yet encountered this issue at my end, but dozens of other users have.
The Steam Deck SD card slot is on the underside of the gear, far from the heat sources.
There are a few other minor design flaws that are irritating.
If you’re not a fan of the white colorway, you’re pretty much stuck with it.
The back buttons on the reverse of the gear are also too large and far too sensitive.
It’s way too easy to accidentally press them, they’re also positioned incredibly uncomfortably.
I also really miss the touch cursor pads on the Steam Deck.
I’m fairly comfortable working with Windows and all of its foibles as well.
But best of all is the ROG Ally’s raw power.
This thing is a monster.
Its lighter weight and sleeker profile make it easier to travel with.
But yes, there are a lot of caveats for its price point.
But I wouldn’t recommend the ASUS ROG Ally without first explaining its downsides.
Navigating Windows using an Xbox controller is an absolute nightmare.
Herein lies the Steam Deck’s main advantage, ultimately.
Just don’t go in blind.
