Asus ROG Ally gunning for Steam Deck in portable gaming war

April first, the day of fools in April, is definitely never the time to make any major announcements.

With so many pieces of fake news being posted throughout April Fools, no one (rightfully) believes anything that gets posted.

So, of course Asus decided to announce their new Steam Deck competitor, the ROG Ally, with very minimal information. The good news here is that it is real, people have touched it, and it’s fire.

With the advent of the Nintendo Switch, the PC market has been on a constant hunt for ways to play their favorite games portably. The Steam Deck, which recently turned one, has been the best option thus far.

However, that meant that it was only a matter of time before the competition came in, hot on its heels. There’s been a few already. But, the Asus ROG Ally seems to be a great option that’s incoming soon.

Not long after the April Fools confusion was sorted, Dave2D dropped in with a hand-on video. He confirmed multiple bits of information, such as a global launch for the system.

With the near lack of any details about it from the announcement, he also got into a little more on specs that he’s confirmed by having one in front of him.

The Asus ROG Ally is an ally that I want on my team

As with all technology ever, the larger, clunkier products will be usurped by much smaller, streamlined versions. It’s smaller, thinner, lighter, quieter, and all-around better in terms of specs.

According to Dave2D, the decibels (or sound of the fans) on the Steam Deck are 37dB, where the ROG Ally is at 20 dB. Dave2D said he thought something was wrong with it because it was so quiet while playing a demanding game.

In a real world setting, normal earplugs generally are rated for 32 dB, meaning that you’d still hear the Steam Deck with them in, while the ROG Ally would be muted entirely.

The fan isn’t the only thing that the ROG Ally has better. This thing is lean, dropping from the Steam Deck‘s 669g to a lightweight 608g.

While still double a Nintendo Switch in terms of weight, this thing is a full PC that doesn’t require you to set up shop just to play.

The 280mm x 113mm x 39mm size also clocks in much thinner and smaller than Valve’s offering.

Comparing the Steam Deck to this is like the Your Crush / Her Boyfriend memes

The screen is nicer too. The Steam Deck rocks a 7″ screen. But, it runs at a 16:10 display, making it 1280 x 800.

Asus is bringing the standards into play with the ROG Ally. It’s also 7″, but it hits full 1080p at a 16:9 resolution. Steam Deck brings 60hz, with Asus dropping 120hz.

There appears to be a fingerprint scanner on the system, as well. It could be for securing the machine, like a phone, or potentially for switching apps and profiles.

Linus Tech Tips had another hands-on demonstration. In addition to the details mentioned, he brought up that the SSD and joysticks seem to have some accessibility to be repaired or replaced.

The system has dual joysticks, a d-pad, four standardized buttons, top bumpers, and two back bumpers. It seemingly comes in white, so don’t eat any Cheetos or oily foods before you game.

The system runs Windows 11, which has left a big question mark in terms of how it runs and how good the battery lasts. Asus is keeping those details locked up for now, as well as the pricing for the system.

Asus is keeping mum on any official details just yet. But, those interested can sign up on Best Buy’s website to know when it’ll go live for pre-orders.

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