The PC handheld market has been flourishing for the past year and a half or so. While Valve may have been the pioneer for this form factor with the Steam Deck, ASUS was quick to answer back with its ROG Ally. It followed that up with the ROG Ally X, and both devices have proven to be a popular choice for gamers seeking the freedom of PC gaming on the go. However, one thing ASUS is yet to implement – unlike some of its rivals – is an OLED display for the Ally.

Well, we’ve been in contact with the team at ASUS ROG, questioning them on what’s next for the handheld as well as getting a better understanding of its design process. When asked about the topic of an OLED model, we were happy to hear that it has already been “considering the possibility” of incorporating such a display.

ASUS ROG Ally OLED has already been considered

In a recent Q&A session we had with the team at ASUS ROG, we posed the question: Has ASUS considered an OLED model for the ROG Ally? Well, it seems they have taken note of the trend on handhelds like the Steam Deck OLED, Zotac Zone, and even the prototype for the Legion Go 2. Here’s what they had to say:

“The development of the ROG Ally aims to exceed the expectations of all gamers. Naturally, we've considered the possibility of incorporating either an ROG Nebula Display or OLED into the ROG Ally lineup, as we do with most ROG notebooks. As the ROG Ally is a newly introduced member to the ROG family, we have been primarily focusing on addressing community desires such as the betterment of battery life and ergonomics. That said, an ROG Nebula Display is certainly a potential feature for future ROG Ally models.”

ASUS ROG

So, while OLED has already been considered, the designers over at ASUS ROG were first focused on tackling issues such as “the betterment of battery life and ergonomics”. Battery life in particular has proven to be an important issue, with fans praising the ROG Ally X for doubling the battery size from 40WHr to 80WHr compared to the original model. In fact, to this day, we see owners continuing to upgrade the battery with a hardware mod on their original ROG Ally.

As for implementing OLED technology, ASUS seems keen to do this with its very own ROG Nebula Display which features in existing ROG gaming laptops. The ROG Nebula Display is described as a “leading OLED panel” that offers “the ultra-fast response times and incredible contrast ratios that are only possible with OLED technology”. It also boasts Nvidia G-Sync support, which would act as a natural progression of VRR technology supported by current ROG Ally models – an important aspect of the display that most competitors don’t offer.

While this doesn’t confirm a ROG Ally OLED is currently in development or even planned, it could be the next direction ASUS takes the handheld in. With issues such as battery life, RAM, and ergonomics already addressed by the Ally X, we hope to see the panel type upgraded next.

Many people see OLED as the gold standard for gaming thanks to crisp colors, deep blacks, unrivaled contrast, and incredible responsiveness; ROG Nebula Display boasts “3ms or less” response time. On top of that, OLED panels are more energy efficient than LCD – which is another potential boost for battery life.

About the Author

Jack Goodall

At PC Guide, Jack is mostly responsible for reporting on hardware deals. He also specializes in monitors, TVs, and headsets and can be found putting his findings together in a review or best-of guide.