Asus ROG has announced a new handheld gaming PC, the Ally, and early indications suggest that it could compete with the Steam Deck, if it's powerful and cheap enough.
It seemed like an April Fool's prank at first, but the Asus ROG Ally is in fact very real, a handheld gaming PC similar to that of the Steam Deck. Although we don't have too much information about the device just yet, we can compare it to other handheld gaming options currently on the market.
On April 1, 2023, which is of course the perfect day to announce your brand-new product (Ally otherwise known as 'A Lie'), a trailer for the handheld gaming console dropped on the official Asus ROG YouTube. A link to more information about pre-orders at Best Buy was included in the description.
Due to all of the confusion following the announcement, Asus ROG took to Twitter to clarify that this is in fact not an April Fool's joke and the device will be hitting stores soon. The Asus ROG Ally specifications haven't been confirmed yet, however, based on a hands-on from Linus Tech Tips with a prototype of the device, Asus claims that it could boast double the power and resolution of a Steam Deck. We also know the device will run on Windows 11.
In terms of display, we're looking at a 7-inch screen, with up to 120hz refresh rate and a 1080p HD resolution. This resolution comes in higher than the 1200 x 800 display on the Steam Deck which is equivalent to 720p.
What will the Asus ROG Ally price be?
We currently have no confirmation of the Asus ROG Ally price, however, we can definitely speculate. Based on the specifications which have been revealed to us through hands-on videos, we can expect that this device will likely come in at a slightly higher cost than alternatives.
The Valve Steam Deck sets you back £459 / $529 / AU$790 (rough conversion for AUS) for the 256GB storage edition, whereas the Logitech G Cloud handheld comes in at £349.99 / $349.99 / AU$550. Both of these devices have specifications which supposedly aren't on the same level as the new Asus ROG Ally, so it's likely to come in at a higher price point, potentially around the £700 / $700 / AU$1200 (rough conversion for AUS) mark for the base model and potentially higher depending on storage options.
It's likely that the device will have different storage options on release, meaning there will be multiple price points, however, whether the cheapest option will be considered a budget option is still up for debate. If you're hoping to get your hands on the new Asus ROG Ally then be ready to fork out the cash.
