ROG Ally review: An impressive first-gen gaming console from Asus

Without Valve’s Steam Deck or Nintendo’s Switch being officially available in India, the portable gaming console crown automatically goes to Asus’ ROG Ally, launched just a few weeks ago. Asus, known for creating a massive brand in the Republic of Gamers (primarily focused on laptops and desktops), has released a portable gaming console that runs on the Windows platform. I’ve been using the device to race through the streets of Mexico (Yes, Forza for the win!) for about two weeks and I think it’s a solid product.

The ROG Ally, as I’ll start my review, is made of plastic. Two pieces, for the front and back, of hard plastic shell Despite this, it is well-built and feels premium. It’s fairly portably at 608 grams, and just like the Steam Deck, you only feel the weight after multiple hours of gaming. There is a 7-inch FHD (1920x1080) display with a 16:9 aspect ratio and a 120Hz refresh rate. Add to this the Gorilla Glass Victus coating, support for AMD FreeSync Premium, 100% sRGB colour gamut and 500 nits of peak brightness, and you’ve got a winner on your hands.

From the moment you pick up the ROG Ally, you realise that the company has taken the time and effort to think through the product and not rush its release. It’s meticulously crafted and there isn’t one thing I’d complain about from the hardware side (maybe just about the battery).

The power button doubles up as a fingerprint sensor, which works pretty well. You get a volume rocker, a 3.5mm headphone jack, a USB Type-C port, a Gen 2 Display port and a microSD card reader. They all reside at the top of the console.

The only real downside is that the device doesn’t come with a built-in kickstand. I know it is a gaming device and needs to be held while playing, but if you ever wanted to consume media on the ROG Ally, then you’d need to prop it up yourself.

Where the ROG Ally excels

Let’s put it all in a nutshell for you. The ROG Ally shines most when the hardware and software are in sync. There is a special edition of the Armoury Crate software that collates all your games in the “Game Libary” for easy access. There’s also “Settings” and “Content” in the app. It can launch by default on booting the device, which is nice and handy.

But yes, I digress. The ROG Ally works best when hardware and software come together to make you forget about your surroundings for a couple of hours. When I can launch a game, and race through the streets of Mexico, without any lag, or any anxiety over the console dying before I reach the finish line. And that’s the best compliment one can give the ROG Ally.

The display is a standout, as it handily beats the Steam Deck. The Nintendo Switch OLED may have the edge in the display category, but then again, most of your games won’t work on it and it isn’t officially available in India.

The ROG Ally’s trick up its sleeve is that it is powered by Windows 11. This means, that once you get past the frustrations of setting up Windows (without a mouse and a keyboard), on a 7-inch display, you can use it to just about do anything you’d like.

Software can be a hindrance

The reason people praise the Steam Deck is because it is seamless at what it does. The ROG Ally’s best friend in Windows 11 also proves to be its Achilles heel. There were times when games just straight up failed to load. Then, at times, the on-screen keyboard took several attempts to show up. I also had to manually resize windows to fit the borders of the device. Some of the Command Centre toggles wouldn’t work. There were several other minor instances where the software proved to be buggy. I even tried to do a fresh install of Windows 11 (and re-downloaded all my games) to see if things were better on the software front. But nada. It wasn’t.

In fact, uninstalling the Armoury Crate app seemed to be the solution from time to time. Maybe a software update from Asus can fix most of these bugs. As I see it, the ROG Ally’s software is a work in progress. A great work in progress.

Battery life isn’t so sweet

When someone mentions portable, the first thing that comes to mind is, “How long will it last before I have to plug it in?” Users of the Apple Watch have long complained about battery life. Several smartphone users hate the fact that they have to plug in their devices so quickly. The ROG Ally comes with a 40Wh battery, split into two cells. Does ROG Ally have what it takes to last a flight from Delhi to Bombay?

Sadly, the ROG Ally is plagued with the same problems as the Steam Deck and Nintendo Switch. The ROG Ally can go from 100% to 10% in just under two hours of intense gaming. That’s it. There’s nothing to complain about, seeing as there is no competition (officially), and even if you do buy a competitor’s device, you’ll get the same sad battery life.

Verdict

Let’s put it as simply as possible. When the ROG Ally is in its element - the excellent performance from the Ryzen Z1 Extreme, the fantastic 120Hz VRR display, quiet cooling, great controls and more - and it beats the pants off of the other devices.

That isn’t to say that the ROG Ally is perfect. Far from it. The software and battery life are what let the gaming console down in the long run.

For a first-gen console, the ROG Ally is an excellent product. In fact, I personally know of around 5 people who have purchased this device and are loving it.

If you are no longer tied to your gaming PC or Xbox/Playstation devices, then the ROG Ally is what you should be getting. It’s the best portable gaming console available in India. It’ll cost you a good Rs 69,900.