Update: ASUS will unveil the official specifications, features, details, release date, and price of the ROG ALLY today at 10am ET. Follow along with the stream below.
The new ASUS ROG Ally handheld gaming PC is set for its official launch today, with pre-orders expected to go live any time now. Some have already suggested it might end up being the best handheld PC gaming machine yet. Up until now, the Steam Deck has dominated the portable PC gaming space, at least in any official capacity, but it appears Valve’s on-the-go gaming rig might have some serious competition on the way with the new ASUS handheld gaming PC set to potentially go up for pre-order today (Update: likely after or during the launch stream below if it happens at all). Stock is likely to be limited by all accounts, so if you’re interested, you’ll want to lock one in as soon as possible. Head below for more details.
ASUS ROG Ally handheld gaming PC pre-orders
ASUS has dished out details on everything but the release date and price at this point. We will presumably see the official MSRPs at any time now, but all we know for sure is that it will be “under $1,000.” Leakers and unconfirmed reports suggest the Windows 11-equipped machine will be available in two configurations – a Z1 CPU at $599 or a Z1 Extreme CPU at $699, but nothing has been made official just yet. That’s a whole lot more than the entry-level SteamDeck that fetches $399, but by just about all accounts, the ASUS ROG Ally is a more powerful handheld gaming PC. By comparison, the upgraded Steam Deck with 512GB does go for $649, after all.
Will the ASUS ROG Ally be the best handheld gaming PC yet? We can’t know for sure, but it is primed to be in the running. It looks like Valve could indeed have some competition on its hands here, provided ASUS can deliver the goods.
At this point, ASUS ROG Ally handheld gaming PC pre-orders appear to be exclusive to Best Buy (or at least they were before today), so it appears as though your best bet is to check back on this landing page – throw your email in there for good measure – throughout the day and stay locked to our Twitter feed for more details in case the pre-sale event kicks off today.
- ASUS ROG Ally handheld gaming PC pre-order here
- Ships with a 3-month Xbox Game Pass Ultimate
Update: ROG ALLY – New Windows Gaming Handheld Launch Event | ROG:
The wait is over! It is time to answer all your questions about the ROG ALLY, ROG’s first gaming handheld. Join us live on May 11, 10AM ET, as we unveil the specifications, features, details, release date and price of the ROG ALLY.
Updating…
- It took 5-years to complete the development process
- Plays “All AAA games” in 1080p
- Runs anything Windows can, Steam included
- Also plays mobile games, retro titles, more
- Best power efficiency available in a handheld today
- Up to 8.6 TFlops on high-end model
- 50 to 60FPS
- Single cable offers charging and connecting a display + connectivity for mouse and keyboards, external GPUs, and more
- 2-hr. battery life in performance mode
- Xbox-style asymmetrical controls
- Fast dome face buttons
- Back buttons
- Each button is designed to handle more than 10,000,000 presses
- Textured surface via engraved lines on the palm, and back
- 500 nits brightness
- Gorilla Glass Victus display
- Dual front facing speakers
Complete details right here
While you can get a complete breakdown of what to expect from the machine in our feature piece right here, you’ll also find a quick rundown of the main points below:
- 7-inch touch display
- 1080p, 120Hz with FreeSync
- Windows 11
- AMD Ryzen Z1 Series CPU or Ryzen Z1 Extreme
- RDNA 3 Graphics
- 512GB PCI Express 4.0 SSD
- 16GB RAM
- MicroSD slot
- Wi-Fi 6E
- Haptic feedback
- Unlock fingerprint sensor
The new ASUS ROG Ally is a handheld gaming PC that runs Windows 11 and will work great with your Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription. Features include a 7-inch touch display (1080p, 120Hz with FreeSync), AMD Ryzen Z1 Series CPU or Ryzen Z1 Extreme, RDNA 3 Graphics, 16GB RAM (expandable), and more.
We aren’t sure just yet, but it will be under $1,000, for sure. Some suggest it will start at $599.
At this point, it looks as though Best Buy will have exclusive rights, but it’s hard to say definitively.
Well, these questions are always subjective, and Valve’s Steam Deck has sort of had a lockdown on the market in many ways. But the ASUS ROG Ally might very well give it a run for its money if its performance holds up with gamers.
FTC: 9to5Toys is reader supported, we may earn income on affiliate links