Last night, ASUS confirmed that it’s planning to launch a new version of its popular ROG Ally handheld PC – but rather than revealing it outright, their event was more to declare the actual full specs reveal won’t happen until next month. As The Verge reports – rather than a full on new machine the ASUS Rog Ally X will more be a revision to the existing model. Still, it’s enough that that existing model is now getting a price cut – so if you can’t wait for a street date for the X, the first version just got a whole lot more appealing.
ASUS ROG Ally 7″ 120Hz FHD 1080p Gaming Handheld
So if you’re wanting to take advantage and you just don’t want to wait for the new model later this year, or you’ve been waiting for a discount before taking the plunge, now might be a perfect time. Best Buy are offering $100 off the ASUS ROG Ally with AMD Ryzen Z1 Processor, bringing the price down to $399.99.
Let’s break down this Steam Deck rival, and exactly what you’re getting for your money – but if a ROG Ally doesn’t appeal, check out our picks of the best gaming laptops of 2024 so far.
Why you should consider this ASUS ROG Ally gaming handheld deal
- AMD Ryzen Z1 CPU & RDNA 3 graphics: A high performance CPU & GPU combo, built on the Zen 4 architecture and supporting features like FidelityFX Super Resolution to boost framerates.
- Play your existing library on the go: Take your favorite PC games with you, as it comes with Windows 11 out of the box and support Steam, Epic, GOG and more.
- ROG Intelligent Cooling: No matter how hectic the action gets, the ROG Ally remains comfortable in your hands while keeping the system running optimally with its bespoke pipe cooling system.
- Crystal clear touch display: With a refresh rate of 120Hz, supporting Full HD with a wide color gamut of sRGB 100%, plus it’s a touch panel – your games will look fantastic.
- 3 Months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate included: Not only will you have access to your existing library, but get a whole truck load of additional games to play.
What we think of this ASUS ROG Ally gaming handheld deal
You’re getting a fantastically powerful handheld gaming machine for your money here with 512GB of storage for almost $100 less than the same price Steam Deck. And while the upgraded ROG Ally X may be on the way, it seems like it’ll be more of an incremental upgrade than necessarily a must-have new machine, so if you can’t wait or you’re on a slightly tighter budget than you think the upgraded version will likely ring in at – then this is the perfect alternative.
Alternatively, consider some of these gaming laptop deals:
Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 Laptop (2022)
ASUS ROG Strix G16 (2023) (165Hz FHD, RTX 4060)
Eluktronics Prometheus XVI G2 RTX 4080 Gaming Laptop & External liquid cooling
Dell G15 5530 Gaming Laptop
ASUS ROG Strix G15 (2022) Gaming Laptop
ASUS TUF Dash 15 (2022) Gaming Laptop
ASUS ROG Strix G16 (2023) Gaming Laptop, GeForce RTX 4070