Faisal Ghaffar 
Handheld consoles have been around for a few decades now, but a new era has now begun in which home gaming consoles have now been transformed into portable devices. A few years ago, only the Nintendo Switch was a realistic option in this category, but now there are some good options from Onex, Logitech, and Valve.
However, ASUS wants to kick things up a notch with the Asus ROG Ally, as the new device runs a complete version of Windows 11, which means you can play the same range of games that you would on a PC.
Design and build
The design of the Asus ROG Ally really does make a statement, as the device is imposing and bulky and boasts a distinctive gaming aesthetic. But, it is still slick enough to have good appeal. It weighs 608g, which makes it relatively lightweight and is about 21.2mm thick, meaning that you can easily take it with you anywhere.
While not everyone may like the white finish, but it gives the ROG Ally a modern and sleek touch that makes it feel premium. The design may be generic, but there are some ROG-specific touches you will find. Both joysticks have RGB lighting and there is a large logo on the rear. The joysticks are positioned where you keep your thumbs, so they are comfortable to use.
The top-right corner has the ABXY buttons, similar to the Xbox, and the opposite side has a diagonal pad. They are both responsive, which makes it easy to press them. The top has bumpers and triggers and they are also good, but some additional physical buttons have also been incorporated by Asus. There are two on the back of the Ally named ‘Marco 1’ and ‘Macro 2’. There are also shortcuts on the front for Menu, Armoury Crate, Command Center, and View.
The power button is on top and works as a fingerprint sensor and it is reliable and fast. There are volume control buttons next to it and ports, including a USB-C charging port, a 3.5mm audio jack, a microSD card slot, and a dedicated connector for Asus’ external GPU system.
Screen and speakers
The 7-inch, 1920×1080 (Full HD) IPS touchscreen that comes with Gorilla Glass Victus for protection is one of the key strengths of the ROG Ally. It has a 16:9 aspect ratio and a 120Hz refresh rate, which makes the display downright spectacular. The display is premium and there is no lag during playing. The bezels are a tad thicker, but there are also dual stereo speakers on the front and back that deliver excellent audio. They deliver great sound, but you can connect headphones for the best experience.
Specs
The Ryzen Z1 series power the ROG Ally, which has been designed for handheld consoles, along with 16GB of DDR5 RAM and AMD Radeon Graphics. They deliver excellent performance, not different from what cheap gaming laptops provide. While it may not be the same as a full PC gaming rig, it does a pretty decent job.
The Verdict
While Asus has certainly taken handheld consoles to the next level with the ROG Ally, it has a poor battery life, as it needs to be charged after 2 hours. Then you add the $700 price tag and this can also add to it, but it is undoubtedly one of the best handheld gaming consoles available today.
