Asus reveals a handheld PC game console that competes with Steam Deck: Better screen, more powerful configuration, but 2 minus points can still exist

Tram Ho

Once revealed for the first time with a video posted on April Fool’s Day and considered a ‘joke’ by many gamers, Asus ROG Ally – Asus’ first handheld PC gaming model turned out to be a The actual product is under development and about to be released.

Accordingly, this technology company has recently officially confirmed the upcoming Asus ROG Ally, promising to show that this model can be a formidable competitor to Valve’s Steam Deck.

According to Asus, ROG Ally runs Windows 11, integrates a custom Ryzen APU from AMD, similar to the Aerith chip (also from AMD) inside the Steam Deck. The difference is that, due to launch after the Steam Deck, ROG Ally is of course equipped with AMD’s fastest APU today, according to Asus.

Asus hé lộ máy chơi game PC cầm tay cạnh tranh với Steam Deck, vượt trội hơn hẳn ở màn hình, hiệu năng và kích thước - Ảnh 1.

The processing speed and graphics power of ROG will be stronger than the Steam Deck. Photo: Internet

While Valve’s Steam Deck is the most successful attempt at making PC gaming a truly mobile experience, there are plenty of other competitors on the market. These include handheld PC gaming devices like the Ayaneo 2, or other Nintendo Switch-like designs from GPD and OneXPlayer.

However, what these models have in common is that they all use the AMD 6800U chip set, instead of using a custom APU. This is understandable, when the relationship and order numbers of some manufacturers are not large enough for AMD to ‘look into’. Therefore, the balance of processing power and efficiency (in terms of performance / power consumption) is something that the above handheld gaming devices cannot do like the Steam Deck.

With the Asus ROG Ally, using a custom APU from AMD is a good move for this device to be able to compete with the Steam Deck. Of course, this is just one of the many plus points of ROG Ally, when this model still has many other advantages that can be mentioned.

Asus hé lộ máy chơi game PC cầm tay cạnh tranh với Steam Deck, vượt trội hơn hẳn ở màn hình, hiệu năng và kích thước - Ảnh 2.

ROG Ally currently does not have a specific price and release date. Photo: Internet

For example, the prototype of ROG Ally operates much more quietly than the Steam Deck when playing graphics-heavy games. Specifically, the measured noise level of ROG Ally is only about 20dB, compared to 37dB of Steam Deck when running at full load, thanks to the dual cooling fan system that sucks air in from the back and exits at the top. ROG Ally is also said to be quite ‘easygoing’ with users who like to play around, when the SSD and joystick of the machine seem to be easily replaceable, according to Dave2D.

In terms of design language and key layout, ROG Ally has many similarities with the Switch. For example, the left / right analog joystick cluster of ROG Ally is arranged asymmetrically, instead of parallelly placed like in the Steam Deck. Accordingly, the left analog stick is above and the Dpad cluster is below, while the right analog stick is below the 4-button ABXY cluster.

Similarly, trigger buttons like the RB-RT/LB-LT are on top, along with extra buttons around the machine to enter the menu/settings.

In terms of dimensions, the Asus ROG Ally is smaller, lighter, and thinner than Valve’s console — 608g / 280mm x 113mm x 39mm for the Ally versus 669g / 298mm x 117mm x 50.5mm for the Steam Deck. This can provide a better grip experience than the Steam Deck, when Valve’s console model is considered to be quite large and heavy compared to many other handheld game consoles.

Asus hé lộ máy chơi game PC cầm tay cạnh tranh với Steam Deck, vượt trội hơn hẳn ở màn hình, hiệu năng và kích thước - Ảnh 3.

ROG Ally next to the Steam Deck: Asus’ device is thinner, smaller, and lighter, with a screen with significantly better resolution and refresh rate. Photo: Dave2D

ROG Ally has a 16:9, 7-inch display with 1920 x 1080 resolution, 500 nit brightness and 120 HZ refresh rate. This is a remarkable upgrade over the Steam Deck, which features a 7-inch 16:10 display at 1280 x 800, 400 nits brightness and 60Hz refresh rate.

A good point is that ROG Ally is even equipped with a port to connect to Asus’ external eGPU dock, ROG XG Mobile, which helps to further improve the graphics processing performance of the machine when connected to each other, and at the same time. allows users to stream games to TV.

Of course, a higher resolution screen, higher refresh rate, more powerful processor than the Steam Deck sounds good, but it can also come with a ‘cost’ in terms of battery consumption. In this regard, ROG Ally’s use of Windows 11 also brings many question marks compared to SteamOS on the Steam Deck in terms of efficiency and optimization, when Linux-based operating systems often have much better gaming performance compared to Steam Deck systems. Microsoft executive.

At the present time, Asus has not yet announced the battery inside the ROG Ally, in addition to the fact that this device uses a 65W fast clean unit, charged via a USB-C port.

Regarding the launch date and price, Asus has not yet announced any more information besides providing information so that users can ‘order bricks’ in advance.

However, according to the speculation of many technology news sites, it is very unlikely that ROG Ally will be sold near the price of the Steam Deck.

Currently, Valve’s devices are sold from 399 USD to 649 USD (depending on version). It should be noted that this price is ‘supported by game sales on Steam, which allows Valve to sell at a loss for its devices and recoup money from software sales – similar to Sony’s model and Microsoft with PlayStation and Xbox.

With ROG Ally, this device is likely to be sold at a minimum price of $1000 – similar to many other handheld PC gaming models (such as AyaNeo 2, GPD Win 4), which also have a higher selling price compared to other handheld PC gaming consoles. with Steam Decks. This is understandable, when higher configuration also means higher production costs, not to mention a license fee to use Windows 11 Asus may have to pay to Microsoft. Of course, at this price, of course, many users will have to consider before spending their money.

Synthetic

Share the news now

Source : Genk