ASUS has today formally revealed all about their handheld gaming PC, the ROG Ally and it's releasing in June with a pretty competitive price. It runs Windows 11, so for the GamingOnLinux followers, it may not exactly be what you're after. However, with handheld PC gaming rising, especially with the Linux powered Steam Deck, it's good to keep an eye on the competition right?
Today they revealed the pricing after many leaks:
- AMD Ryzen Z1 model: $599 - launching in Q3.
- AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme model: $699 - launching June 13th.
Picture source - ASUS YouTube
Goes without saying really but I will anyway: I will be sticking to the Steam Deck and desktop Linux. Just because something new comes along, doesn't mean I'm going to instantly jump towards it. Not everyone has money to burn every time something a bit more powerful comes along.
IGN already have a review of it up and it sounds overall like a good device, with battery life also not long when playing bigger games like the Steam Deck. They do make a point that the initial experience with Windows 11 and ASUS Armoury Crate being a nuisance.
It will definitely be interesting to watch how this will affect the Steam Deck though. Competition is absolutely good! It benefits everyone and it pushes all sides to do better. Plus, the more companies that show there's a demand for handheld gaming like this, the better the future will be for it, including a potential Steam Deck 2.
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Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
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Quoting: Liam DaweWho is going to trust them when the Ally breaks?
Not me; I've had too many bad experiences with ASUS hardware and blacklisted them years ago. That's the main reason I have 0 interest in getting an Ally, even if it is 'better' and was able to load SteamOS or something.
The hackability/repairability of the Deck is one of the selling points for me, though I realize that is a bit niche. For example, I somehow managed to clumsily damage one of the speakers last time I was messing around in it and I already have a new pair on the way I can throw in. I can almost build an entire deck with the official parts available and it's not too hard to pull apart, so time and money for those aside I have no real worry about something other than the motherboard failing and taking the whole thing out.
Last edited by Raaben on 12 May 2023 at 1:54 pm UTC
2 Likes, Who?
slaapliedje May 12, 2023
Quoting: EikeThat's the one.Quoting: slaapliedjeQuoting: TheRiddickStill cheaper to get a Steam Deck $399usd and upgrade SSD for $50-70 since NVME/SSD suitable are getting a lot cheaper now, its not so much of a expense.Linux is definitely more developer friendly. And I wouldn't say it's less or more user Friendly, all depends on the user!
Sure you miss the etched glass but honestly I don't think its worth it given basic LCD.
Quoting: EikeAs usual... Linux is just more user friendly! :D
No it's not, but that is not the issue. Linux can be much more customized and optimized for a handheld and doesn't have MS services and DRM baked in.
Valve technically own their spin of Linux via SteamOS and no other company can come along and go, hey lets insert some analytics here and a edge advertisement here, and weather app over there... lol
But as you point out, you can customize and optimize it in a way you can't with Windows. If you watch LTT's latest review on the Ally you can tell a lot of the ways the Deck beats the Ally is definitely because it's optimized for that lower resolution and hardware of the Steam Deck, as like for like in resolution / settings, the Deck performs better.
Which video, this one?
https://youtube.com/watch?v=qLVgr29NMA0
1 Likes, Who?
Quoting: MohandevirIn my case, battery autonomy is make or break. If all this raw power is wasted because you need to cap everything to gain minutes of playtime... What are you getting? A little more powerful Steam Deck with less input options, unreadable 3rd party apps, crapy os interactions and still worse battery autonomy (the Steam Deck's autonomy is already to the limit)?It occurs to me that this bad feature of the Ally would compound with a bad feature of the OS they're using--with little battery time it seems to me you'd really want to be able to easily suspend a game and stop using battery, but someone was saying with Windows it won't do that.
3 Likes, Who?
Quoting: MohandevirJust speaking about the value of the Ally... From what I read from different sources, I'm totally unconvinced... Like most of the PCGamers, I already have a more powerful PC... That's why I use my Steam Deck in handheld mode 95% of the time. The other 5% is for couch coop gaming and these games are not usually resource huggers. In my case, battery autonomy is make or break. If all this raw power is wasted because you need to cap everything to gain minutes of playtime... What are you getting? A little more powerful Steam Deck with less input options, unreadable 3rd party apps, crapy os interactions and still worse battery autonomy (the Steam Deck's autonomy is already to the limit)?
If it's a handheld as long as your power cord (who first said that? 😉), It kinds of defeat the purpose and makes it feel like a big marketing smokescreen, to me.
If so, I'll wait for the Steam Deck 2, in this case.
It's totally a big marketing smokescreen. Asus and Microsoft have a ton of money, and they partnered together to release what is unquestionably a monster in terms of performance. They know it'll look good on all the bar graphs and that enthusiasts with money to burn will run out and buy it just to say they have the fastest handheld. A year from now, Asus will have moved on, and the promise of a Microsoft Windows that's handheld friendly will have taken a back seat to whatever new Xbox announcement pops up. Neither is committed to this the way Valve is.
5 Likes, Who?
Mohandevir May 12, 2023
Quoting: Purple Library GuyQuoting: MohandevirIn my case, battery autonomy is make or break. If all this raw power is wasted because you need to cap everything to gain minutes of playtime... What are you getting? A little more powerful Steam Deck with less input options, unreadable 3rd party apps, crapy os interactions and still worse battery autonomy (the Steam Deck's autonomy is already to the limit)?It occurs to me that this bad feature of the Ally would compound with a bad feature of the OS they're using--with little battery time it seems to me you'd really want to be able to easily suspend a game and stop using battery, but someone was saying with Windows it won't do that.
Have you looked at the comments section of the video posted by @Slaapliedje?
Quoting: Slaapliedjehttps://youtube.com/watch?v=qLVgr29NMA0
4k thumbs up for the comment about the missing suspend/resume. By far the most liked comment. Didn't think it was such a big deal.
I must admit that without it...
*Low battery warning*
"-Oh! I must find the next save spot real fast..."
*System shutdown!*
"God... CENSORED!!! CENSORED handheld!"
Edit: Sorry, there is a comment with more thumbsup, but it's about the video editing.
Last edited by Mohandevir on 12 May 2023 at 4:53 pm UTC
3 Likes, Who?
Quoting: MohandevirI was surprised how many comments I saw saying the Deck's Linux interface made it better than the Ally's Windows. Note that I'm not surprised about that being true, I'm surprised that quite a few people seem to be saying it.Quoting: Purple Library GuyQuoting: MohandevirIn my case, battery autonomy is make or break. If all this raw power is wasted because you need to cap everything to gain minutes of playtime... What are you getting? A little more powerful Steam Deck with less input options, unreadable 3rd party apps, crapy os interactions and still worse battery autonomy (the Steam Deck's autonomy is already to the limit)?It occurs to me that this bad feature of the Ally would compound with a bad feature of the OS they're using--with little battery time it seems to me you'd really want to be able to easily suspend a game and stop using battery, but someone was saying with Windows it won't do that.
Have you looked at the comments section of the video posted by @Slaapliedje?
Quoting: Slaapliedjehttps://youtube.com/watch?v=qLVgr29NMA0
4k thumbs up for the comment about the missing suspend/resume. By far the most liked comment. Didn't think it was such a big deal.
I must admit that without it...
*Low battery warning*
"-Oh! I must find the next save spot real fast..."
*System shutdown!*
"God... CENSORED!!! CENSORED handheld!"
Edit: Sorry, there is a comment with more thumbsup, but it's about the video editing.
4 Likes, Who?
Quoting: MohandevirJust speaking about the value of the Ally... From what I read from different sources, I'm totally unconvinced... Like most of the PCGamers, I already have a more powerful PC... That's why I use my Steam Deck in handheld mode 95% of the time. The other 5% is for couch coop gaming and these games are not usually resource huggers. In my case, battery autonomy is make or break. If all this raw power is wasted because you need to cap everything to gain minutes of playtime... What are you getting? A little more powerful Steam Deck with less input options, unreadable 3rd party apps, crapy os interactions and still worse battery autonomy (the Steam Deck's autonomy is already to the limit)?
If it's a handheld as long as your power cord (who first said that? 😉), It kinds of defeat the purpose and makes it feel like a big marketing smokescreen, to me.
If so, I'll wait for the Steam Deck 2, in this case.
I feel guilty
https://www.gamingonlinux.com/2023/04/asus-rog-ally-gaming-handheld/comment_id=241720
4 Likes, Who?
Quoting: melkemindQuoting: MohandevirJust speaking about the value of the Ally... From what I read from different sources, I'm totally unconvinced... Like most of the PCGamers, I already have a more powerful PC... That's why I use my Steam Deck in handheld mode 95% of the time. The other 5% is for couch coop gaming and these games are not usually resource huggers. In my case, battery autonomy is make or break. If all this raw power is wasted because you need to cap everything to gain minutes of playtime... What are you getting? A little more powerful Steam Deck with less input options, unreadable 3rd party apps, crapy os interactions and still worse battery autonomy (the Steam Deck's autonomy is already to the limit)?
If it's a handheld as long as your power cord (who first said that? 😉), It kinds of defeat the purpose and makes it feel like a big marketing smokescreen, to me.
If so, I'll wait for the Steam Deck 2, in this case.
It's totally a big marketing smokescreen. Asus and Microsoft have a ton of money, and they partnered together to release what is unquestionably a monster in terms of performance. They know it'll look good on all the bar graphs and that enthusiasts with money to burn will run out and buy it just to say they have the fastest handheld. A year from now, Asus will have moved on, and the promise of a Microsoft Windows that's handheld friendly will have taken a back seat to whatever new Xbox announcement pops up. Neither is committed to this the way Valve is.
Essentially this.
Microsoft history is littered with such one shot projects, either with aim to test waters, or try to nab competition just because they can.
I wanted to throw my two cents in though - official SteamOS compatible label still would be welcome and wouldn't cost vendors that much. It could be modified approach to Steam Machine program.
Still not sure I need Steam Deck 2, but I understand people wanting more powerful device.
1 Likes, Who?
Quoting: MohandevirIf so, I'll wait for the Steam Deck 2, in this case.
smokescreen or not that might kill the momentum that the deck have.
microsoft is famous for doing (among other stuff) vaporwares, promisse something, never deliver, but manage to kill the interest on the competition product, kinect was an good example, i was one of the ones fooled by the milo demo and one who thought "purchasing 4 wii motes to play with 4 persons is worse than purchasing one single kinect to play with a lot of people) not to mention xbox360 had better graphics than the wii.
luckly for me i was too poor to purchase any, otherwise i would regreat.
1 Likes, Who?
Quoting: melkemindNeither is committed to this the way Valve is.they did this with netbooks and where an sucess.
part of me want then to fail, the other part want everyone else to leave the market+they fail, to show consumers that they were never serious about it, then, when valve launch steam deck 2,
another option would be, they sell a lot but most people simply install steamOS on it, but im not sure what shienigans they will try with drivers.
Last edited by elmapul on 13 May 2023 at 12:11 pm UTC
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