Is the ROG Ally really THAT good?

[@ggbalze06]

Iv been using gaming pcs/laptops for about 20 years now, and the ally has been by far the most easy going of them all

[@yochrisnelson]

That handheld gaming pie looks mighty tasty 😳

[@eve__________]

10/10 review. I got my ally day 1 and I’m super happy with my purchase. I got into it however looking for a windows based handheld. I can actually use this device for my work anywhere I have cellular which is a kinda funny and I like it. Its definitely a lot of setup in the beginning (I set it up then a few days later installed a 2tb drive and had to set it up again 😂) but once you get that done it’s a great little machine. Sometimes I’d rather just game on my ally than on my 10900k and 3080ti system which I was most surprised about.

[@RyanSquires18]

I bought one today because I work nights 6pm to 6am 2 weeks a month and will be able to plug it in and hook up mouse and keyboard while at work when things are slow. I think it will be perfect for WoW and total war games.

[@HiFiMonki]

Halfway through the year halfway to 50k subs. I still stand by what I said a few months ago. You’ll be at over 50k easily by January. Your content is so fresh. Like a freshly squeezed can of A&W root beer.

[@TechDweeb]

Thanks for saying so buddy. If it happens I'll squeeze a rootbeer just for you!

[@Jaschu-xs9mb]

​@@TechDweebDid you keep your promise? 😅

[@elhamzawishy]

why does every reviewer comment on the clunkiness of the touch screen with windows? use the joystick and buttons to use the mouse! this is getting ridiculous

[@celestial_froggy]

9:09 Dooming Turtle? Never heard of that one but it looks amazing!

[@SonicDestiny]

no...? especialy not for that inflated double of price. It actually cost $870 not $700. It is nowhere near afforadable lol

[@amit_patel654]

That's insane lol. My Steam Deck with 1.5 Tb cost a total of $550. Ain't no way I'm paying $870 for a handheld 😂

[@jeffreyali1456]

Steam deck’s highest price for 512 Gb is like $50 less than the Ally

[@smidlee7747]

@@jeffreyali1456 If you took the time to read you would know SonicDestiny is not in the US. Since SSD are cheaper it worth $200 to put a 512 Gb SSD in the Deck yourself. People figured this out over a year ago.

[@vic8230]

​​​@@jeffreyali1456 Also comparing the $50 price difference of the 512GB Deck to the Ally isn't really a fair comparison as most people either get the 256GB, get a 512GB SD card for $50 and/or replace the internal drive with a 512GB ssd for $50. Basically what most people do now is exactly that...but with the $400 64GB deck. Upgrade the internal storage to a 512gb drive, $50. Get a 512gb SD card, now you have spent around 500 total to have over 1TB of storage. Which $200 is still quite a large savings...its actually about $250 in savings to be honest - since in most states you have to pay state tax. And the tax for the ally at best buy is like $50, bringing your total to $750. Edit: spelling

[@robertyoung406]

I actually returned it an hour ago. I just didn't like the battery (and I didn't feel like carrying a battery pack) and heard there were SD card problems with the device.

[@nugzmedallion8929]

One small correction: the triggers ARE hall effect triggers, but the sticks are not. There's already a replacement hall effect stick thats in the wild which is compatible with the Ally, and when I watched a video of someone who installed it, they noted that they had to turn up the deadzone on the left stick to 20% because the magnets in the new hall effect sticks were getting affected by the left trigger every time he'd press it until he increased the deadzone.

[@NickFje]

It is the onexplayer hall effect sticks that are compatible. I have already ordered a pair for my Rog Ally. I think he stated that it was only a slight interference at 5% deadzone and no interference that affects movement in game at 10%. He set the deadzone to 20% anyway.

[@Chomoh8er]

Great review! There’s Three things turning me off the ally though: - no trackpads (they are a godsend on the steam deck) - windows sucks - Asus is incredibly untrustworthy and will likely ditch this console in a few months. I think ill stick with the steam deck for now!

[@korn2040]

Im actually returning my ally tomorrow and sticking with the steam deck it's just not the upgrade I thought it would be

[@Aroundtheworld-ew6rx]

Steam deck can't compete with the Ally. The Rog is a beast that I use all the time. The only issue is the battery.

[@korn2040]

@@Aroundtheworld-ew6rx lol what someone's a fanboy i own both and am literally returning the ROG ally because it just isn't the big upgrade I thought it would be

[@raoulrambali2938]

I really mis the analog sticks from steamdeck anything else is superb on ally

[@jabbajawz]

Honestly, I was rooting for the Ally, but the the "controller" is my biggest let down. I don't have one but considered selling my deck to get one. But the following are a deal breaker for me: -Low resistance for the joysticks... I noticed how accurate the Steam Deck joysticks are when using the PS5 controller. They are actually a bit more accurate than the PS5 sticks. -DPad... I play Fighting games and the Steam Deck has one of the best DPads for this. Not as good as PS5 though. The Ally's DPad doesn't seem that it would be as good. ABXY Buttons... I keep seeing reports of these sticking. That's a deal breaker for sure. Extra back buttons... I don't need 4 and only use one or two on SD. They are just a bit to accessible. I would absolutely accidentally press these in game. I actually like it that the SD's back buttons are harder to press. Better speakers, Better performance, and better screen are not enough for me to make up for the above.

[@nenecitosart1405]

As someone who does not mind playing doom on switch at 30 fps. I could easily make the transistion to valves steam deck. I could care less if the rog ally is much more powerful. Most AAA modern games run on the steam deck and they run just fine, it has a better battery life, steam os works better than Windows, easier to dock and play on t.v cheaper and more affordable models. And finally what sealed the deal for me was hall effect ie magnetic joysticks on the steam deck.

[@brickfilmgamerpro8644]

Great review. Your videos are really high quality and I'm surprised that you don't have a lot more subscribers. Keep up the good work!

[@brasso4984]

I use my Ally for my AAA titles and chilling device, if I don’t want go on my PC. I use the Steam Deck for indie games as the watts on it are great for it over the Ally. I’m sure Asus will fix the issue and the Armoury crate a buggy mess at the moment after some major updates. Both are great devices so it depends on the gamer if they want raw performance or a device that can run games at better watts with smaller less demanding games.

[@TechDweeb]

Well said

[@maxiynacho]

Hmm I'll stick with my steam deck for now. I mostly play at 8-9 watts for the great battery life, and the steam deck can actually handle a lot of modern games at that wattage (granted, it'll be at 30fps and low grapchics, but I don't really care). I can't even think about a portable console with just 1 hour of battery life!

[@nahti181]

Have you noticed any issues with your unit as of releasing this review? I ask cause I’m very much contemplating it but wondering if it’s worth the wait to see what churns out of it all.

[@TechDweeb]

My main concern so far is the stories about the unit destroying microsd cards because it gets so hot there, my screen getting super hot, and also I've found that the thumbsticks have VERY big deadzones that makes them hard to be accruate with. It's a GREAT device for the price, but it's not without problems, and a few things that I'm concerned will become bigger issues down the road, so it's a bit of a gamble IMO.

[@nahti181]

@@TechDweeb I understand ASUS themselves have said to adjust the fan curves until they release a patch also I am doing my own research and see that turbo mode makes it extra hot so I say avoid that

[@RainTheUpriser]

You probably didn’t know this but just to let you know IFixit just found compatible Hall effect joystick for the Ally and paired with the incredible repair ability of this device it’s super easy to replace the originals you only need to unplug a few ribbon cables and your good to go no soldering required!

[@TechDweeb]

Good to know!

[@real_TG]

​@@TechDweeb Hall effect joysticks have been modded already into the device. The problem is that there are hall effect triggers and therefore there is interference between the two. I don't know why ASUS chose to go with hall effect triggers versus hall effect joysticks but there you have it.

[@daloia_music]

Anyone know the game at 11:47 top down shooter?

[@TechDweeb]

Enter the Gungeon

[@daloia_music]

@TechDweeb thanks, I actually have that game on my switch, didn't get very far though, gotta get back to that one some day

[@EccentricMeat]

Just a heads up to the "screen gets hot" issue: I've only experienced that when playing on Turbo mode (30W) with the device plugged in, and the issue is that the device actually can get pushed to 40W or higher in this configuration, leading to the extreme heating issue. In my experience, it seems that having the device plugged in pushes the wattage significantly higher than whichever power mode you are using, as the 30W mode was outputting 40W+, and the 15W mode was consistently running at 25W+. This seems like a firmware issue, as the power modes are supposed to cap the processor at the given wattages, not allow them to push 10W+ higher than that cap. I have experienced 0 issues with any of the power modes when the device is not plugged in to the wall, and the wattage cap has always been adhered to in my (limited) testing. So something funky is going on with the power modes not capping the processor when the Ally is plugged in.

[@ChampagneOppa]

My screen never gets hot, maybe it's time to open an rma

[@EccentricMeat]

@@ChampagneOppa my screen gets hot when the Ally is pushing 40W while plugged in. Which is expected at that wattage. The key is to just avoid any situation where the processor is being pushed that hard as the cooling is certainly not set up to offset that amount of heat.

[@CorgisWorld]

AYANEO 2s vs ROG ALLY?

[@TechDweeb]

Good question! I hope I can get my hands on a 2s to test :)

[@masszero3521]

Rog ally is the best! Ayaneo is more like nintendo design, sucks so bad!

[@DarthCuda]

3:30 the trigger are hall effect and that is why the sticks are not. ASUS Covered that in a live stream before release.

[@lucasn0tch]

11:02 If you're on an airplane or train, you must really hope that you have an available AC outlet nearby and a AC charger near you. I was flying home from Japan to New York, and the passenger sitting on the left side aisle seat had a Steam Deck. He had to charge it mid-flight due to the length of a transpacific flight from Japan to the East Coast.

[@menmabmx1995]

just buy power bank

[@lucasn0tch]

​@@menmabmx1995It has to be under 100Wh to take on an airplane.

[@roqeyt3566]

I'm glad this thing exists It silenced the "give us a more powerful windows steam deck" crowd overnight, by giving them what they wanted I think the 700$ entry price point is several leages off the 400$ price point of the deck, but it isn't prohibitive. Overall, it does things just right for a specific crowd, and I'm glad that they got what they wanted!

[@chilly6470]

You have to remember, the base SD only comes with 64gb and a weaker chip and screen. It's actually very competitively priced with SD.

[@roqeyt3566]

@@chilly6470 i did factor that in, however there's several things to consider here as well: An SD card gives pretty much the same irl performance as the SSD, meaning for 25€ you get 512gb of extra storage The screen and chip may be weaker, but only if you're trying to speedrun the battery from 100% to 0% in an hour or less The deck's screen and chip are incredibly efficient, actually allowing 3h+ of gameplay, something the ally really doesn't do. Different target groups, to me a 3-6 hour deck session beats a 45 minute to 2.5 hour ally session. Things might be different for you :)

[@jumbomrmeaner3016]

I remember requesting this video a month or so back. Thank you!

[@nolimit6241]

If the ally does not have wifi on , does it still force you to update ?

[@TechDweeb]

Not sure but I bet it wouldn't.

[@Bangbangboom51]

Really wanting this ROG ally but I got a family and a son who wants a nintendo switch… ended up buying two 64gb steamdeck for $720.00 and got a pair of 256gb card for $60.00. Both Dad and son are happy.😊

[@TechDweeb]

Good choice, I approve 😎

[@timothydavis3831]

Thanks for nonbiased review. You're opinion will definitely play on my decision if I decide to get this or a steam deck as I'm in the market for a portable pc gaming option.

[@alexmcdaniel116]

if you want top AAA game performance, get the ally. if you want to go places, and you have dad-duties where you want to be able to just hit the power button, suspend the system while playing the game and then come back and resume instantly, get the deck. my biggest gripe with the ally is that i have to quit the game and power off as the sleep mode just doesnt work usually. i only play the ally when the kids are sleeping/busy/gone

[@korn2040]

​@@alexmcdaniel116I play aaa games on my steam deck as well.

[@jeffreyali1456]

@@alexmcdaniel116you can go places with the Ally as well. Though the deck will last longer for now

[@darkdagon6]

​@@jeffreyali1456for ever

[@lucasn0tch]

Are you gonna do a review of its successor, the ROG Ally X?

[@TechDweeb]

Already done!

[@alexscotwilson]

Do you recommend this to play rpsc3. I been playing on steam deck with mixed results.

[@TechDweeb]

Definitely a lot better than the deck at high end emulation.

[@alexscotwilson]

@@TechDweeb cool thanks.

[@CyberClu]

Excellent review. Love the intro. Reminds me of "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times..."

[@aldisasmito]

Did ally have sleep features?

[@TechDweeb]

Yup. It can sleep, just like a laptop.

[@aldisasmito]

@@TechDweeb but can it suspend games like SD? My games crashes when i try to sleep my laptop

[@SNKev411]

From what I see about your review is that the Ally could be a great product in the future it definitely has potential but for now it has its flaws. so what’s the best alternative right now is it the Steamdeck?

[@TechDweeb]

I think at the $700 price, the ally beats out most of the $700-$1200 offerings. However the cheaper steam deck will give you a pretty darn good experience, so I'd go for that on a budget. Also the Deck beats out the Ally at low wattages, so battery life is important then the deck is the better choice. But if pure performance is what you want most, and are looking to spend around $700, I'd go for the Ally. Lots of good choices out there though, it's not a one-size-fits-all scenario!

[@SNKev411]

It’s awesome how handheld gaming is evolving I like that I hope we get newer products like this with better specs that are optimized for windows, or even Linux

[@tamharjeetsinghwalia181]

What game was he playing at 11:50 ?

[@TechDweeb]

Enter the Gungeon

[@ebaylover24]

ive had two ally's already returned both , im not saying anyone should its a lovely device tbh however the first one , right joy stick wasnt working at all and i did everything possibly to fix this issue , second one type c charging port was buggy as heck wouldnt charge then would (with the actualy charger and even better ones) literally returned 30 minutes ago prior to this comment lol , one thing i would say if youre in the market just beware and consider both pros and cons truly .

[@jaketorrey4220]

I have not gamed on PC since PlayStation 1. I love my Ally. Yes I agree the setup was a lost day, but ever since then I have just downloaded the games I wanted to play and started playing them with absolutely no issues off of an SD Card. I downloaded FIFA 23, Gears 5 and Death Stranding and have been playing with no issues. Great review but I think you over emphasized the Windows challenges. If a mid 50’s pc gaming noob like me can install and play games then I think most people can.

[@walled_city_98]

What's the song in the background? It's so beautiful

[@Akideoni]

Ermm does that made it handheld updating device?

[@TechDweeb]

Definitely.

[@TheRealist1.]

You only get 30fps@1080 on Tomb Raider?

[@TechDweeb]

At medium settings, yeah. 47 avg fps at 720p thought. Much higher fps if you go with low settings and use FSR.

[@TheRealist1.]

@@TechDweeb 55 benchmark avg with 1080/FSR/low on cyberpunk. Tempted to go for 30 though. Which Tomb Raider? I played the first 2 and got 60/high

[@dungeonsofkards]

Install Steam OS on this will be a BEAST

[@jackdoobie]

It's always good to have another set of fingerprints on your handheld, cuz you never know.

[@TechDweeb]

I left more than my fingerprints on it ;)

[@jeffreyali1456]

It pretty much depends on the settings, what game you play, and many other factors. Rog Ally and the steam deck both have pros and cons so it’s up to you. I love both of them tbh.

[@TechDweeb]

Same. In the ideal world we would all have both these things and be able to choose whichever is more appropriate for what we want to play at the time.

[@erraddict]

THANK YOU SO MUCH for not using the word "aesthetic" and enunciating your "T's"

[@smidlee7747]

Asus was smart for putting loud speakers in their R.O.G Ally. ROG stands for Really Old Gamers.

[@TechDweeb]

👴

[@smidlee7747]

I'm one of them as when I was youth we had a C-64 that displayed only 16 colors.

[@918DEATH]

Your Editing on point 😂

[@jiggle_counter]

I'd love to know how long the battery lasts in terms of charge cycles, as gradually a brand new 1 hour of battery life on full charge becomes 55 minutes on full charge, then 50 minutes on full charge, then 45 minutes on full charge, and so on

[@TechDweeb]

Very good point.

[@zemopo6702]

You might not respond to this comment but with that said, did you ever have any input lag in triple A and smaller games?

[@TechDweeb]

You get your response! Although it's a boring one. I did notice a tiny bit of input lag that wasn't there when I had it connected with a mouse and keyboard. However it was a VERY small amount of leg, it didn't keep me from enjoying it at all.

[@zainmushtaq4347]

The screen is _amazing_ I bet, but the battery indicator seems to be a seconds countdown :/

[@TechDweeb]

It's the biggest downside of the device, IMO

[@zainmushtaq4347]

@@TechDweeb which is why I've been watching comparison videos non-stop since its release to see if the $200-300 jump is worth the gains you get minus the battery life losses. Been pretty hard since some games _do_ show more FPS on same watts + settings, while others are the same or only slightly better, but the batter life in almost all cases is equal to or worse. But it's hard to know if it's the limitations of the hardware or the immature software 😅 Btw, great job on the video, was enjoyable to watch and you made sure to include all relevant factors 👏

[@oneway23]

Great review, Dweeb! Truth be told, I have the Ally set to open the Armory Crate software, Steam, EA, & Epic at launch, and, I don't even need to see Windows. I boot the device, log-in to Windows, tap on the game in Armory, and, I'm off and gaming. Sure, the set-up process without a mouse & keyboard is incredibly frustrating, but, if you have a cheap, small, Anker USB-C dock, spend an hour or two setting it up, and, you'll be set. Not so bad!

[@mg_in_minutes]

Hi there, I set my phone up with emulators such as dolphin. However, when the emulator starts the game screen flips the wrong wrong (it's wrong because I have a gamesir x2 controller). Any thoughts? I've not been able to find anything about it online.

[@CJTheTokay]

I feel like if you lower the refresh rate to 60hz put the resolution to 720p and put the tdp to silent mode you should get plenty of battery life is that not how it works 🤔

[@TechDweeb]

Yeah, but there aren't very many graphically impressive games that will run at 10 watts. For example shadow of the tomb Raider even on the lowest possible settings at 720P was only getting like 15 FPS.

[@CJTheTokay]

@@TechDweeb Well yea but if you played games like stardew valley and terraria that would be fine

[@cranmoot3811]

Today TD rocks the industry by creating the world's first... handheld gaming Apple pie.... this, it's revolutionary

[@TechDweeb]

$699 a slice

[@brytonrobinson]

Actually laughed out loud when you mentioned the RGB FPS boost. 10/10

[@cyclonmaster]

nice review...fun to watch. keep up.

[@retrocorner]

@techdweeb - Since you have the Steamdeck and the Aya Neo Air. Would you replace either of these handhelds with the ROG Ally?

[@TechDweeb]

The Air is still my favorite, but that's because I love the size and shape of it. It's my little indie game buddy!

[@brainscott]

I have both the Deck & ROG and I love the smaller form factor and great support for XBox Game pass + other game launchers. definitely a plus in my book. If you own a Deck tho, probably not a great buy for the Ally, unless you want GamePass from XBox.

[@devilzavacado8430]

You should do a follow up with chimera os.

[@BandoidView]

I can't wait to see how Anbernic does with the 701. I'm not expecting miracles but they sometimes really nail it.

[@TechDweeb]

Lots of potential!

[@Rayanaminge]

I’m enjoying mine for the most part. I know that the Steam deck had a lot of difficulties as well early on, but I’m getting weird issues with mine. Just the other day it’s not outputting to an external display, for what ever reason. I’m going to try re-installing the video drivers, hopefully that does it. I’ve also noticed that the SD card gets HOT, like can’t touch it hot, worried that it’ll damage the card. I love a lot of the features of it. That screen and the refresh is legit. The weight is nice. The audio is absolutely stunning. I really wish that the system had better ergonomics, I don’t feel. As comfortable when holding it for long periods as I go the Ally. While I like the openness of the Ally, using Windows, the ease of use is surprisingly less than the Deck because of Windows. I really wish that this had some trackpad like the deck. Navigating with the joy sticks is a pain. I think that the 15w and 25w options are good. Been playing through the Yakuza games on here, and it’s beautiful on this . The 35w is overkill, but I can push the settings a lot and not worry. Overall, I think I agree with most of your review. I’m an IT professional and am used to the headaches that Windows has. Not giving them any points on ther, just I know how to troubleshoot and have a little more patience with that. I wish that Armory Crate didn’t freeze up all the dang time. But thank you for your review. It’s got your humor I like, but you took this review seriously, which I appreciate. I’d have liked to see you show off the 35w configuration, because you can get crazy performance.

[@TechDweeb]

That's a good point. This device could be a whole different experience after a few months of updates.

[@Rayanaminge]

@lisov4575 yes and no. It's still a lot more user friendly than Windows but not as much as a Switch or other console.

[@Rayanaminge]

@lisov4575 that's not really relevant to what's being discussed... I don't find issues installing flat packs or from the discovery store, it's pretty easy. If I'm trying to install a windows executable, then yes it's harder. But again, using it for Steam only, it's a very painless process.

[@anthonym6119]

I have the ally but I didn’t want to add a lot of roms but I did get that 2gb cassette looking device that you reviewed about 3 months ago,I figured I could use that.

[@TechDweeb]

Should work great!

[@Krystalmyth]

Wish it didn't opt for the Xbox analog layout. I prefer the D-Pad to the left of the analog stick so you can access it with an index finger like on a Playstation controller or the Steam Deck (to switch weapons and the like without lifting your thumb off the stick). Those massive deadzones too are there to delay stick drift complaints at the steep cost of analog precision.

[@david_lauw]

That intro was very accurate

[@ChampagneOppa]

The beginning of the video is probably 80% over dramatic. You do have updates initially. But smooth as butter after.

[@BabyBoshi]

The only issue I’m having is my LB button doesn’t work everything runs fine I did all the updates thinking maybe that would fix it but the LB button just doesn’t work I changed the controls so my back M1 button works as LB but it’s pretty lame for that price mine would come defective probably gonna return it

[@sgt.reload7002]

Where’s the camera

[@nrgamingtech2797]

Windows is single handedly holding back all handhelds trying to compete with the Steam Deck

[@TechDweeb]

Agreed

[@MergedElement]

The intro was hilarious.

[@newyorktechworld6492]

What's your take on anti consumer always online drm?

[@lucasn0tch]

It's WEF ideology at this point. You own nothing and you will be happy.

[@marumisu9560]

I wonder when Windows Handheld Mode is coming. Also, I feel like the power is basically there, so I just want newer handhelds to improve battery life and fan noise.

[@TechDweeb]

I hope handheld mode happens 🤞

[@Jaroartx]

Exactly a U.I like windows 8 would be more clean and intuitive

[@marumisu9560]

@@Jaroartx I honestly hate Microsoft for dropping out of the phone race. I was planning on buying a windows phone. It would have been cool to see what they could have done with those windows 8 tiles. Also, it would be nice if windows were just able to be ultra efficient just like android with emulation and general gaming.

[@Jaroartx]

@@marumisu9560 yeah i work mostly in design Blender is cool and all but lacks some subtle tools if not for that i would have ditched Windows a long time. linux for tinkering is fun but not at work sadly

[@hendrixc6988]

I spent $700 on pizza lunchables instead. Great video tho :)

[@Venom-NYC]

Great review! I'm planning to purchase a Handheld gaming PC this year and was on the fence about the Steam Deck vs ROG Ally. I think I might wait a little longer. The review was great and definitely gave me more insight on the Ally. Personally I'm looking for a good balance on performance vs battery life. Maybe I'll wait for the rest of the year and see if anything else pops up in the marketplace to compete with the Steam Deck and the Ally.

[@hk6926]

i have the deck but also getting my ally next week . i feel ally is a mess right now . I will say get a deck.

[@robertyoung406]

​@@hk6926would u say it's a good idea to get the steam deck mid 2023? Or is it better to wait for more products to enter the market?

[@hk6926]

@@robertyoung406 Well i bought a bit used 512 SD for 400 , incase i want to sell it . Check after market .

[@Futura2500]

i own both, and tbh right now if i was to chose 1 out of these 2, Id get the Ally, the steamdeck as much as i enjoyed it it is frustrating with launchers like the EA app, constant messing about with proton versions and the anti cheat nightmare. I think i just enjoy the fact the Ally just works on those things.

[@lucasn0tch]

​@@robertyoung406You have until July 13th to get one on sale.

[@chitan1362]

I would maybe consider this if someone in the future creates a Linux distro tailored to this device.

[@bayfinest1938]

Buy a steam deck lol

[@chitan1362]

@@bayfinest1938 I did just that and I love it.

[@DeckTested]

This shoulda shipped with SteamOS with optional Windows drivers, $50 less due to license saving, woulda been an absolute no brainer.

[@lou5368]

"smart efficient cooling solution" sounds like a a subliminal message for sex

[@TechDweeb]

😏

[@deviluv85]

So you are saying every pc gamers should throw their pc out of the windows?

[@TechDweeb]

Definitely

[@truegamingchannel4352]

I finally got mine love it!!

[@davidlhsl]

Your intro was hilarious.

[@TurgutDerbeder]

The biggest risk of theese handhelds are stick drift in my opinion. It s like a little sleeping monster in your console and you even don't know when it will be awake.

[@TechDweeb]

I agree, that is definitely a risk with this one. Time will tell I suppose.

[@Xenthera]

I feel like if you use windows on your desktop the rog ally isn’t bad. No it’s not as tailored as the steam deck but in return you can play 100% of any of your game libraries and in my mind it’s a good trade off.

[@TechDweeb]

I use Windows all day everyday on my desktop, and I HATE windows on handhelds. There are some things that are easy with a mouse and keyboard but obnoxious with a joystick or touch. And when I pick up a handheld I don't want to fuss about with permissions and updates and installers or any of that, I just want to play games. However I'm coming from the perspective of someone who plays with lots of handhelds that are all gaming focused, and I love consoles like the switch and even the steam deck is basically a console, I think with a dedicated gaming handheld anything that gets in the way of actually gaming feels a lot more amplified than on a computer. IMO

[@Xenthera]

@@TechDweeb yeah that’s fair. I can definitely agree this would objectively be a worse experience especially if you’re new to gaming/handhelds compared to a steam deck or switch.

[@jeffreyali1456]

@@TechDweebsteamOS at launch and sometimes even now had similar issues with games and when pirating games and transferring save data becomes a nightmare, it’s a blow tbh. Both have their pros and cons

[@sorehary9851]

Superb intro😂

[@Madblaster6]

Maybe it’s because I’ve been using windows since 95 but I have no issues. I do like that my GPD win 4 has a dedicated keyboard and mouse. However, with the Ally, I set my secondary face buttons to: Alt + enter F5 Alt + F4 And minimize Having these shortcuts and using the dedicated keyboard shortcut, it’s a nice quality of life change.

[@TechDweeb]

Good tips!

[@Aroundtheworld-ew6rx]

Everything runs in armory crate. I use it to move around. The keyboard would be nice for browsing the web.

[@Madblaster6]

@@Aroundtheworld-ew6rx Try a back button (m) and press up on the d-pad. Unless you mean a physical one, then yeah, I agree.

[@TheRealist1.]

Triggers are Hall

[@TechDweeb]

Doh! I must have misread something when I was taking notes. I'll add a correction to the description.

[@TheRealist1.]

@@TechDweeb might be why they didn't go with Hall sticks, but I'd rather Hall sticks instead of triggers.

[@franciscamrivera471]

Besides the battery everything else is great, haven't had a single issue with mine in these last few weeks.

[@Cygnus-Phi]

So just get a Steam Deck and avoid most of the issues, but also miss out on performance.

[@Futura2500]

i like that it uses windows myself

[@TenshiJuuSan]

I have no problem with the existence of the ROG Ally. I am glad it is avalible. It is a good price for the hardware in it. That being said, I am sticking with my Steam Deck for 2 overarching reasons. 1. It does not and currently cannot run SteamOS. I am done with windows. It is essentially a set of malware components disguised as an OS. If there was a general ISO of SteamOS and I didn't need Windows professionally, I would have it on any machine in my home. $700 for a device that is haunted by the windows array of ghosts and poltergeists is a bit much of an ask for me to consider it. 2. The lack of dual buttons on the back and no trackpads is a HUGE downgrade IMO. The physical HID profile is lacking. I am a massive fan of the steam controller. The addition of the second set of buttons on the back and the second joystick had me sqweeing with pleasure! The battery life is a "thing" but the Ally is a more intense performing set of hardware. It really cannot be played for any length of time without being plugged in. More or less, the Ally battery is somewhat akin to a CMOS battery on a motherboard. The Steam Deck is a little better than that. The ROG Ally is an awesome addition to the market, but it isn't as capable as the Steam Deck in the ways I would have expected from a competing machine.

[@jeffreyali1456]

The 4 buttons and the track pads are great, but I can also say that I am done with Linux and its issues.

[@TenshiJuuSan]

@@jeffreyali1456 I feel the exact same way about Windows.

[@jeffreyali1456]

@@TenshiJuuSan different strokes for different folks I guess

[@TenshiJuuSan]

@@jeffreyali1456 Absolutely!

[@vikram5491]

Yes. It is that good. As long as you've used a windows PC before, it doesn't get much better.

[@actioncooltv6837]

using it for a week, mainly playing diablo 4. i never had any of these issues yet...

[@uclapac10]

I returned my Asus Rog Ally because of all the KZbin videos ripping it to shreds.

[@cybercookie72]

Love the intro

[@MyChannel-vm6dw]

Valve has proven it will support and refine the Steam Deck. It's updated with improvements almost weekly. Asus, on the other hand is notorious for pumping and dumping products. Asus will release something and instead of refining existing hardware, they every year just make a new model and support for the older models is relegated to ugly step kid status. Neglected and forced to live under the stairs.

[@TechDweeb]

Totally. Time will tell, but if some major issue arises with these things, who the heck knows if they'll actually bother supporting it when it'll cost them $. I'm anticipating joystick drift issues, I can tell the joysticks aren't great so that seems like a very likely point of failure.

[@jeffreyali1456]

Yeah, Asus mentioned that it will support and refine the Ally as well so it sure as hell ain’t gonna be neglected

[@darkdagon6]

​@@jeffreyali1456and u believe it 😂😂

[@jeffreyali1456]

@@darkdagon6 they’re already making more and more updates to increase performance and battery life and working on fixing some issues. Plus the rog Ally community are making good accessories and tools. But keep being in denial anyways lol.

[@Sadtiric]

I still can't say enough good about the Deck over Windows handhelds. 😅 Even just regular windows has so many quirky limitations compared to Steam OS. I'm glad I've got my 2 Decks instead of a Deck and something else in that price-bracket. We'll see what the future brings! 💚

[@smidlee7747]

I rather play triple A titles on my gaming desktop connected to my 65"tv. I normal play older titles that I bought on steam but never got around playing on a handheld.. The Ally runs games at 1080p about the same performance at 15 TPD as the Deck at 800p. It's kind like the Xbox series X vs Xbox series S. If you are into multiplayer on the go more than single player then Ally is clearly the winner. But I'm mostly play single player especially on a handheld so the Deck is more ideal. Even Steamos can be a pain as lately I was playing Alien Isolation. There was a Steamos update and my game wouldn't load up. I have experience this one time before with another game so I change Steamos to the beta version the game load back up. Then I change back to the stable version and Alien Isolation still load up . Someone explain that to me.

[@mickomag2768]

hard to consider this consdiering the steam deck is better value

[@bellytelevision]

You're the best Tech Dweeb!

[@Goalier95]

After 1 week of owning the Ally: Steam Deck is still better in my opinion. Returned my Ally to Best Buy this past weekend before the 14 day return policy was up after I got fed up with the Ally's crashes, freezes and the final straw was the MicroSD card not reading anymore. Asus, you released a half-baked software-riddled buggy mess. Yeah Steam Deck also had software issues at launch but when I finally got my SD after months of waiting, I had no problems gaming right away. I'm no Windows PC gaming newb and have had no issues with my 2022 ROG M16 but this Armoury Crate shyte with buttons not responding after just a little bit of gaming, Bios update crap and just overall an unpleasant user experience was too much of a headache. I'll miss the wonderful 1080p 120Hz VRR screen, the 3D Atmos Speakers and how quiet and cool the hardware ran. Asus should've not rushed this out to market and did what Valve accomplished by spending more time with the software before release. What I really missed is the instant on/resume feature from the Steam Deck, forget about picking up where you left off when you game with the Ally, Windows BS will eventually frustrate even seasoned gamers. At least the Ally boots up very quickly but my system crashed on a daily basis which defeated the pick up and go functionality so that sucked. Going back to my Steam Deck was like putting on comfy jeans and just enjoying the gaming experience and with the latest SteamOS update, my Steam Library with AAA games has been nothing but a joy. Sure it's a lower res display and a bit muted, but I'd rather just play and have fun than be annoyed and have to restart and hope it won't crash or fry my SD card. Valve may not have GamePass but I'm willing to overlook it since it's just a more reliable product both in hardware and especially software. Good luck to those that will keep their Ally and that Asus will eventually iron out all the kinks, but for now it's not ready for prime time.

[@jeffreyali1456]

Didn’t crash for me after the updates, you can resume the game, but it won’t be as quick, not yet at least. Had no issues with the buttons or drift at all and the micro sd card is still perfectly fine. Unfortunately I had to deal with Linux’s bs. I still have both and I love them but I’m seeing myself using the Ally more than the deck

[@Goalier95]

@@jeffreyali1456 I'm glad your unit has no issues and I was really excited for the Ally. I have not done anything crazy like install any obscure apps or removed any system critical programs. After the second update to Bios and A.Crate, that's when all the problems started happening. I'm just glad I didn't sell my Steam Deck just yet. The Ally is a great hardware from Asus but all those issues just got me frustrated.

[@frozengamer3030]

It seems like a great device but if you get stick drift you will need to send the whole device for repair. Detachable controllers wouldn’t be so much better honestly

[@TechDweeb]

Very true

[@N54htmare]

Short answer: yes

[@Kite166]

I feel like people are being too hard on the ally, especially steam deck fanboys. The device has barely been out and people keep dogging it out, even though it outperforms the steam deck. I hate that groupthink mentality

[@majinshinsa]

I've had the OnexPlayer for a year now and I love gaming on it. I like how GOG just works, Minecraft just works and so on. However I have found that I really like how easy the Steam Deck makes emulation with EmuDeck (I found Retrobat to be lacking but that's most likely user error for my Windows machine) so I might just use the two machines for different things.

[@fat3lwound]

“Minecraft” just works. 🤣🤣🤣

[@vic8230]

You could play Minecraft on a banana haha

[@majinshinsa]

@@vic8230 Yeah but Dungeons and Legends are a little more demanding. It's more that it's through Windows directly so I'm always up to date instead of a release or two behind like the deck

[@BlatantThrowAway]

Gimme 120hz steam deck