The SteamDeck was a watershed moment in popularising PC gaming handhelds, but it’s always a bummer when innovative products like this aren’t officially released in Malaysia.
The launch of the Asus Republic of Gamers (ROG) Ally may be precisely what the local gaming community needs to fill the void, but first let’s take a look at just how the handheld stacks up.
The Ally is noticeably heavier than my original Nintendo Switch (608g vs 398g), which was the first thing I noticed when I picked it up. For reference, the new Switch OLED model is around 421g and the SteamDeck is even heavier at 669g.
Though, after about a day of use, the weight started to feel fine.
A big plus the Ally has over the SteamDeck is that it runs a standard version of Windows 11 Home rather than a fork of Arch Linux like SteamOS.
This makes it a more familiar desktop environment that offers better compatibility for video games, which is a big deal for a gaming machine.
For example, a non-Steam launcher like the Xbox app or EA Origin does not work natively on the SteamDeck, requiring the user to jump through hoops to get it functioning, but this is a non-issue for the Ally.
In terms of ergonomics, the protruding grips on the back make it easier to grip than a Switch despite the larger size, though those with smaller hands may struggle a little to press the bumpers and triggers.
A side note on my resting grip: I tend to leave my index fingers on the triggers, which can result in them getting quite hot when I reach too far since the triggers are right next to the heat exhausts.
Portable powerhouse
While the global release came in two configurations – an AMD Ryzen Z1 or the Z1 Extreme processor – Malaysia only got one version, thankfully the more powerful Z1 Extreme chip.
I mostly played Elden Ring and Hogwarts Legacy, two major open-world titles from the start of 2022 and 2023, respectively, that had a use for that extra power.
Both games ran at the Ally’s native 1080p resolution, with Elden Ring set to high and getting between 30fps (frames per second) and 55fps. This was on the 30-watt Turbo performance setting when charging and 25-watt when on battery.
In this mode, the Accelerated Processing Unit (APU) temperature maxed out at 95°C for both games.
There is some minor coil whine – a high-pitched sound when it is under heavy load – in this mode, but nothing too egregious, especially if you’re playing with a pair of earphones.
Hogwarts Legacy, on the other hand, struggled with the same resolution at mostly low settings, achieving about the same frame rates as Elden Ring but with a lot more dips that made for a stuttery experience.
It did, however, manage to run relatively steady with the AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution 2.0 upscaling enabled; however, for me, the performance mode was the sweet spot, despite the occasional frame drops.
Also, those frame rates aren’t even close to the display’s 120Hz refresh rate and this is where lowering the resolution to 720p comes into play.
The Ally will run pretty much any game thrown at it at this resolution – it’s just a matter of tinkering with the settings to find your preferred balance between frame rate, graphical fidelity, and heat output.
Also, lowering the resolution to 720p and fiddling about with graphics settings should easily raise the frame rates beyond 60fps, depending on the title.
Though this would probably be unnecessary if you’re only playing esports titles, which are generally less demanding.
Speaking of the display, colours were vibrant on the IPS panel and the viewing angles were good without any noticeable ghosting, with the support for Dolby Vision high dynamic range (HDR) being a nice bonus.
Sadly, battery life was not amazing, lasting about two hours of playtime with Elden Ring, so make sure to have a charger on standby or bring a high-capacity power bank if you’re planning to play demanding new releases on the Ally.
The Ally only comes with a 512GB solid-state drive, but I would advise against expanding the storage, as there are reports that the exhaust vents are so hot that they are cooking the microSD card. In a Discord post, Asus said it’s investigating the matter.
An apt ally
Considering the limited battery life, it’s worth considering the Ally as a handheld for less demanding titles or even a portable emulator.
I spent quite a bit of time playing the 2019 remaster of Ni No Kuni: Wrath Of The White Witch, an older Japanese role-playing game that was less taxing on the battery and ran well on the device.
On the emulator front, it had no trouble upscaling PS1 games (don’t worry, Sony, I own a legit copy of Front Mission 3 and it was ripped expressly for emulation) and should be perfectly capable of handling other consoles as well – just make sure to obtain your ROMs legally.
To do anything aside from gaming, ROG’s charging dock is recommended since it has USB ports for connecting wired peripherals like a mouse, a display passthrough for hooking up to a TV and power.
Alternatively, you can get a powered USB-C dock, though you will need a separate charging brick for it.
All in all, the ROG Ally is a versatile and powerful compact handheld, though it trades off battery life in exchange for sheer graphical grunt and can be a little unwieldy.
The Ally is currently available for RM3,299 in Malaysia, with the option to add on a charging dock for RM299.
ROG Ally
(Asus Republic of Gamers)
Windows 11 gaming handheld
DISPLAY: 7in FHD (1,920 x 1,080 pixels)
CONNECTIVITY: USB Type-C, Bluetooth 5.2, WiFi 6E
PROCESSOR: AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme
MEMORY: 16GB RAM; 512GB storage
PRICE: RM3,299
RATING: 4 out of 5 stars
PROS: Powerful enough for most titles; runs Windows 11; charges and outputs video via USB-C; extra paddles.
CONS: Short battery life; minor coil whine; heat output possibly damaging microSD cards.
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