I HATE being lied to… but I love the ROG Ally
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Thanks to dbrand for sponsoring today’s video! Head to shortlinus.com for all your ROG Ally screen protector and skin needs. Asus was a bit misleading with their marketing during the preview cycle, but we've now had time to properly test the ROG Ally Z1 Extreme and it's still a very impressive handheld. We were already excited, but when they FINALLY confirmed the final price we almost couldn't believe it. Time to sell your Steam Deck? Maybe... Discuss on the forum: linustechtips.com Buy an ASUS ROG Ally here: lmg.gg Buy a Steam Deck: geni.us Buy Gulikit Electromagnetic Module Joysticks for the Steam Deck: geni.us Purchases made through some store links may provide some compensation to Linus Media Group. Read up on the Windows Handheld rumor: notebookcheck.net ► GET MERCH: lttstore.com ► LTX 2023 TICKETS AVAILABLE NOW: lmg.gg ► GET EXCLUSIVE CONTENT ON FLOATPLANE: lmg.gg ► SPONSORS, AFFILIATES, AND PARTNERS: lmg.gg ► EQUIPMENT WE USE TO FILM LTT: lmg.gg ► OUR WAN PODCAST GEAR: lmg.gg FOLLOW US --------------------------------------------------- Twitter: twitter.com Facebook: @LinusTech Instagram: @linustech TikTok: @linustech Twitch: twitch.tv MUSIC CREDIT --------------------------------------------------- Intro: Laszlo - Supernova Video Link: youtube.com iTunes Download Link: itunes.apple.com Artist Link: soundcloud.com Outro: Approaching Nirvana - Sugar High Video Link: youtube.com Listen on Spotify: spoti.fi Artist Link: youtube.com Intro animation by MBarek Abdelwassaa @mbarek_abdel Monitor And Keyboard by vadimmihalkevich / CC BY 4.0 geni.us Mechanical RGB Keyboard by BigBrotherECE / CC BY 4.0 geni.us Mouse Gamer free Model By Oscar Creativo / CC BY 4.0 geni.us CHAPTERS --------------------------------------------------- 0:00 Intro 2:00 15W Performance 2:55 25W Performance 3:55 Battery 4:30 Display 7:30 Cooling 8:25 Noise 9:25 Software 11:58 Ally Advantages 13:20 Physical Aspects 14:50 Conclusion 17:43 Outro
The video opens with a bold comparison between the ROG Ally and the Steam Deck, highlighting an aggressive price point of $700 and promising performance that could tempt Steam Deck owners to switch. The host immediately brings up ASUS's marketing during the preview cycle, labeling some claims as misleading and setting the stage for a thorough re-evaluation after hands-on testing. He promises a long, detailed analysis that covers performance across multiple power profiles, display quality, cooling, noise, software, and practical everyday usability. Early benchmarks show the Ally at 10 watts underperforms relative to the Steam Deck on several titles, with Forza Horizon 5, Metro Exodus, and Returnal delivering noticeably lower frame rates and 1% lows. The narrative then pivots to the 15-watt and 25-watt tests, where the Ally begins to catch up, delivering improved frame rates while the Deck remains efficient at lower power draws. The presenter emphasizes that the 15-watt results are not a dramatic leap to 50% faster performance as initially claimed, but still represent a meaningful, real-world advantage in certain games and scenarios. In conclusion of this first section, the video frames the Ally as a strong competitor whose true value depends on the user’s power and performance priorities rather than a single headline figure.
Topics · handheld gaming · consumer tech · gaming hardware · comparison review · pc gaming
Questions answered
- What is the stated price and how does it compare to the Steam Deck?
- The video states the ROG Ally is priced at $700 and claims it can outperform the Steam Deck at higher power levels, though actual performance varies by power profile.
- How does the Ally perform at 10 watts compared to the Steam Deck?
- At 10 watts, the Steam Deck generally outperforms the Ally across tested titles, showing higher average FPS and 1% lows.
- What are the main advantages of the Ally beyond raw performance?
- Key advantages include higher display resolution and refresh rate, faster charging via a 65-watt charger, flexible software and game launcher support, and the ability to run desktop-like apps and external GPUs through XG Mobile.
- What are the notable software drawbacks mentioned?
- The Armoury Crate SE software is criticized for being clunky, with quirks in game library handling, non-intuitive content menu placement, and some UI annoyances that could improve over time.