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The ASUS ROG Ally might be the new most powerful handheld gaming PC
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The ASUS ROG Ally might be the new most powerful handheld gaming PC

Introduction

The video introduces the ASUS ROG Ally, a handheld gaming device that promises to deliver up to two times better performance than the Steam Deck.

Display and Processor

This section discusses the display and processor of the ASUS ROG Ally.

  • The device features a 7-inch 1080p display that runs at 120Hz with a brightness of 500 nits.
  • It is powered by a new Ryzen Z1 processor from AMD designed specifically for mobile handheld PCs like the ROG Ally.
  • When set to 15 watts of power, it delivers about 50% better performance than the Steam Deck. When pumped up to about 30 to 35 watts of power, it claims double the performance.

Battery Life and Operating System

This section discusses battery life and operating system compatibility.

  • The device has a 40 watt-hour battery, which is similar to what you get in the Steam Deck.
  • Running Windows gives it an advantage over Steam OS because there are no compatibility issues.

Design

This section discusses the design of the ASUS ROG Ally.

  • Dual analog sticks on both sides with a d-pad and face buttons.
  • Two shoulder buttons on each side with paddles in back.
  • Two stereo speakers on front with shortcut buttons for menu, system settings, Armory Crate app (ASUS's version of their own launcher), and command center (easy access to all hardware settings).
  • Power button with built-in fingerprint sensor for single sign-on.
  • Volume rocker, micro SD card reader, standard headset jack, USB-C port with support for ASUS's XG mobile dock.

Control Modes

This section discusses the control modes of the ASUS ROG Ally.

  • You can easily switch between desktop Auto or dedicated Gamepad mode, which is really nice for compatibility because especially on certain older games say they don't detect dedicated keyboard they might not boot up or run properly.
  • Most of the time you're probably gonna just want to leave it in Auto.

Conclusion

The video concludes by summarizing the key features and advantages of the ASUS ROG Ally.

  • The device promises to deliver up to two times better performance than the Steam Deck.
  • It has a 7-inch 1080p display that runs at 120Hz with a brightness of 500 nits.
  • It is powered by a new Ryzen Z1 processor from AMD designed specifically for mobile handheld PCs like the ROG Ally.
  • Running Windows gives it an advantage over Steam OS because there are no compatibility issues.
  • The design includes dual analog sticks, d-pad, face buttons, shoulder buttons, paddles in back, stereo speakers, shortcut buttons for menu and system settings, Armory Crate app (ASUS's version of their own launcher), command center (easy access to all hardware settings), power button with built-in fingerprint sensor for single sign-on, volume rocker, micro SD card reader, standard headset jack, USB-C port with support for ASUS's XG mobile dock.

Asus ROG XG Mobile Dock

In this section, the speaker talks about the Asus ROG XG Mobile Dock and its performance capabilities.

Performance Capabilities

  • The Asus ROG XG Mobile Dock comes with up to an RTX 4090 mobile graphics card and a Ryzen Z1 chip, making it a powerful system for its size.
  • However, the dock starts at $1000 and can go up to over $2000 if you want a higher-end GPU.

Gaming on the Asus ROG XG Mobile Dock

In this section, the speaker demonstrates gaming on the Asus ROG XG Mobile Dock.

Game Support

  • The dock runs on Windows 11, which supports various game stores such as Steam, Xbox Game Pass, Epic Games Store, and EA Play.

Gaming Experience

  • The colors are more saturated compared to other devices like the Steam Deck.
  • The gameplay feels smooth even without running it at turbo mode.
  • There is haptic feedback built-in for extra immersion during gameplay.
  • Fan noise is controlled well by Asus; in silent mode, it's hard to hear any noise from the device.

Design and Control Scheme of the Asus ROG XG Mobile Dock

In this section, the speaker talks about the design and control scheme of the Asus ROG XG Mobile Dock.

Joysticks and D-pad

  • The analog control sticks feel great but are not Hall effects joysticks like those found in Ionia II.
  • The d-pad has a circle-shaped pad that may not be ideal for fighting games.

Comfortability

  • The Ally has angled contours that make it comfortable to hold, but it lacks a pronounced grip on the back.
  • It is designed to tilt back naturally when placed on a table and does not stick out in an annoying or cumbersome way.

Wi-Fi 6E Support

In this section, the speaker talks about Wi-Fi 6E support on the Asus ROG XG Mobile Dock.

Wi-Fi 6E

  • The Ally includes Wi-Fi 6E, which is essential for game streaming services like Xbox Game Pass Ultimate that require fast Wi-Fi.

Overall, the Asus ROG XG Mobile Dock is a powerful device with impressive performance capabilities and good gaming experience. However, it comes at a high price point and may not be suitable for everyone due to its design and control scheme.

Asus ROG X13: A New Challenger to the Steam Deck?

In this section, the speaker discusses the features of the Asus ROG X13 and compares it to the Steam Deck.

Features of Asus ROG X13

  • The Asus ROG X13 is a significantly lighter machine than the Steam Deck, making it easier to carry around.
  • The lack of pronounced grips on the Asus ROG X13 allows it to fit in more places than the Steam Deck.
  • The new Z1 chip from AMD in the Asus ROG X13 promises significantly improved performance compared to the Steam Deck.
  • The fans on the Asus ROG X13 are less noisy than those on the Steam Deck.

Concerns about Asus ROG X13

  • The 1080p native screen, 120Hz refresh rate, and battery size similar to that of the Steam Deck could result in high power consumption.
  • The price of the Asus ROG X13 has not been revealed yet. Its success will depend on its affordability.

Excitement for Handheld Gaming PCs

  • After last year's release of Steam Deck, there has been an influx of handheld gaming PC devices. It will be interesting to see how they stack up against each other.

Fun Trivia about Asus

  • As an entire company, Asus was founded on April 1st. This is why they released their product as an April Fool's Day joke.

Conclusion

In this section, there is no new information provided.

Video description

After being teased on April 1st, we finally got a chance to go hands-on with ASUS’ upcoming ROG Ally handheld gaming PC, and right off the bat there’s a lot to like. Not only is it based on AMD’s new Ryzen Z1 APU, it also has a 7-inch 1080p screen with a 120Hz refresh rate. For people who want even more performance, ASUS also included an XG Mobile port which lets you connect the Ally to one of the company’s external GPUs. And with a design that’s significantly thinner and lighter than basically all of its rivals, the ROG Ally is poised to be the perfect portable for anyone looking for a premium alternative to the Steam Deck. However, the ROG Ally’s success will depend greatly on its price, which is something we’re not going to find out until its official launch on May 11th. Read more: https://www.engadget.com/asus-rog-ally-hands-on-possibly-the-most-powerful-handheld-gaming-pc-yet-140054506.html Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/c/Engadget Like us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/engadget Follow us on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/engadget Follow us on Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/engadget Follow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@engadget The Engadget Podcast: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-engadget-podcast/id1142790530?mt=2 More about Engadget Audio: https://www.engadget.com/podcasts/ Read more: http://www.engadget.com

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