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[Mr Hyde]

Watched the stream where two guys from Asus answer questions about the Ally from their viewers. The main takeaway for me was that Asus had deployed updates to improve performance at lower wattages, improving battery life. One of Asus main priorities was the battery life and they promised lots more of updates and tweaking regarding this. So that sounds promising.

 

[FingerBang]

This is the a generic review of the device and The Phawx think it's the best Windows Gaming Handheld.

His points are:

- The analog sticks are fantastic
- Solid d-pad (B+), good buttons and triggers, though the latter seem to have issues
- Quality of life features (battery saving features, fingerprint scan when turning on)
- 3 months of game pass
- The display:

• Landscape means biggest compatibility
• VRR (48 - 120)
• 120 hz, not because of the framerate but because low framerate compensation kicks in and you can have smooth gameplay as long as it's over 30hz

- Low noise and cool at touch even at the highest TDP
- Performance wise not mindblowing, especially at the lower TDP
- Software a bit buggy but expected to improve

 

[Mr Hyde]

Purchased some more accessories for my ROG Ally experience. It's the final batch before the main event comes barging through my door on the 13th of June.

On the top left is a laptop stand. It's actually for the XG Mobile that I'm gonna connect the ROG Ally when playing docked. Russ from Retro game Corps said the XG Mobile blows out a lot of hot air and since the cable that connects the two devices are so short I don't want the XG Mobile to blow hot air right on the ROG Ally. The kickstand was also pretty flimsy so a laptop stand will hold it more firmly. It's also foldable, which makes my hybrid setup completely portable.

On the right is a 1tb micro SD card. Got in on sale, it was marked down 70 bucks, so I figured I bite. The XG Mobile has a micro sd slot too so I'm gonna buy another card when I have some more money. I'm also thinking about expanding the SSD too in the future. Since PC is all digital I want a lot of space for all the games.

And the last accessory is a mini keyboard from Logitech. It has an integrated mouse too. This is for navigating the UI when docked. It will be easier with a keyboard if I have to install stuff or write something when I browse the internet. It will also be easier to play games that require mouse and keyboard, such as point and click, strategy games etc. I don't play those games often but when I do... it's a bloody good time!

 

[Mr Hyde]

Asus has updated the Armory Crate and it's working peachy. Phawx has a new video on it which he goes more in depth.
Asus has also updated the ROG Ally to perform better in low wattages to preserve battery time, which is nice. This device is really coming together now. Very excited for launch day.

 

[Gamezone]

Another video from the same guy testing AutoTDP, which isn't officially supported to Asus. The problem with these preset TDP profiles, is that they in most cases are using way too much power, and the battery doesn't last long because of that. Take a look at set TDP VS AutoTDP in this clip:

 

[Mr Hyde]

Dave2D has put out a new video talking about early reviews on the ROG Ally. Asus fucked up, sending out review units who weren't fully optimized, making benchmarks useless. He shows the new performance now that Asus has updated drivers and other stuff. Very good video. He also voices concern about long term support from Asus, which probably is my biggest concern as well. I want the ROG Ally to be a device I use for many many years and it would suck if Asus abandoned it just so they can sell something new instead. Good on Dave for calling it out. He's a big influencer so maybe Asus is paying attention to what he's saying.

 

[DenchDeckard]

Dave2D has put out a new video talking about early reviews on the ROG Ally. Asus fucked up, sending out review units who weren't fully optimized, making benchmarks useless. He shows the new performance now that Asus has updated drivers and other stuff. Very good video. He also voices concern about long term support from Asus, which probably is my biggest concern as well. I want the ROG Ally to be a device I use for many many years and it would suck if Asus abandoned it just so they can sell something new instead. Good on Dave for calling it out. He's a big influencer so maybe Asus is paying attention to what he's saying.

Yeah, it's my only concern now. I love my steam deck but Ive just sold it for £550 to fund my Rog Ally purchase.

I will get a new steam deck in a few years but I really hope Asus support what is obviously a great device. It's annoying that I will have to be more manually tuning games such as SF6 but I'll take that to have the easy flexibility of running game pass etc.

 

[Davevil]

He also voices concern about long term support from Asus, which probably is my biggest concern as well.

like all technological things you can't be afraid of the fact that HW could be abandoned ... it's in the game of the parts and in the race to have a replacement when conditions allow ... otherwise we will never buy anything

 

[Mr Hyde]

like all technological things you can't be afraid of the fact that HW could be abandoned ... it's in the game of the parts and in the race to have a replacement when conditions allow ... otherwise we will never buy anything

Of course devices get abandoned in favor of something new, but hopefully not in 2 years time. I want solid support for at least 5 to 7 years. Hell, I've still got a PS3 which is 12 years old and Sony still releases firmware updates. That's the kinda support I'm talking about.

 

[fran.fernandez]

Here in Japan they are selling it with 30 day no ask return if u r not happy with it … may get one

 

[custardbun01]

So I ultimately went with the ROG Ally and their XG Mobile egpu, AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT. ETA prime does a very good video on it which pretty much sold me on it. It seems like the perfect hybrid setup that I can think of, mimicking the console experience but being as versatile as a PC.



With this setup I can do 1440p 60 fps across the board on my tv and when I take the Ally with me I can turn it down to 720p/40. I'm so excited to get my hands on this now. If it's as good as it sounds, I can see myself having the Ally as my main gaming device. An all in one setup is something I very much desire.

This looks like a good compromise solution for me too. Don’t have a gaming pc and I want a couch and sometimes mobile solution too.

 

[Ozriel]

Here in Japan they are selling it with 30 day no ask return if u r not happy with it … may get one

This is really the key difference Asus brings. It took ages for SteamDeck to come to Japan, and I’m not sure if it’s come to NZ yet.

Meanwhile Asus has the pipeline for a global release and will be sold in stores.

 

[Hayabusa83]

I am assuming Steam Deck won't work as smoothly on this device? I am pretty content with linking my Xbox profile as I have a lot of transferrable games, but ideally I'd like to use Steam as well.

I also don't mind tinkering with this device. Looks like a really nice build.

 

[Ozriel]

I am assuming Steam Deck won't work as smoothly on this device? I am pretty content with linking my Xbox profile as I have a lot of transferrable games, but ideally I'd like to use Steam as well.

I also don't mind tinkering with this device. Looks like a really nice build.

Steam will work seamlessly.

 

[GHG]

Steam will work seamlessly.

It will run as it does on any windows PC.

So no, compared to what the steam experience is on the deck it won't be "seemless" in the slightest.

 

[Ozriel]

It will run as it does on any windows PC.

So no, compared to what the steam experience is on the deck it won't be "seemless" in the slightest.

You'll power on the hardware, be able to enter Big Picture Mode and then play any game in your library. Or use

Pretty seamless, just like on any Windows PC.

 

[GHG]

You'll power on the hardware, be able to enter Big Picture Mode and then play any game in your library. Or use

Pretty seamless, just like on any Windows PC.

The steam deck OS has functionality well beyond what BPM allows, it's an evolution of BPM in the windows version of steam. This is especially true for game/controller setups. Things get taken a step further with all of the community support that the deck has. Having used the Steam deck I find it impossible to call windows BPM "seemless" in comparison, and for any battery/screen/fps/overlay related stuff you will need to deal with an additional piece of software on the ally.

If someone wants a more console-like experience then it's hard to beat the deck in it's default configuration. But if someone is used to the windows environment and prefers that then the Ally is likely to be better due to the extra grunt available.

 

[Gone]

Does anyone knows how to buy this from Bestbuy if you're not in the US?
I put the billing address as the one Bestbuy say on their site for cards and purchasing from outside the us and they refuse the card every single time.

Also, why the fuck would I need to put a new password every time I log in again on my phone.

 

[Ozriel]

The steam deck OS has functionality well beyond what BPM allows, it's an evolution of BPM in the windows version of steam. This is especially true for game/controller setups. Things get taken a step further with all of the community support that the deck has. Having used the Steam deck I find it impossible to call windows BPM "seemless" in comparison, and for any battery/screen/fps/overlay related stuff you will need to deal with an additional piece of software on the ally.

If someone wants a more console-like experience then it's hard to beat the deck in it's default configuration. But if someone is used to the windows environment and prefers that then the Ally is likely to be better due to the extra grunt available.

I know how SteamOS looks and works. I’ve got a Steamdeck myself.

I’m not sure why you’re doing this versus shit. Two things can be true at the same time: the fact that the Steamdeck can have a better Steam experience than the ROG Ally doesn’t mean the Steam experience on the Ally doesn’t work really well.

Context matters. The guy is essentially asking if he can run Steam on Ally vs Windows store. I’ve responded appropriately.

 

[GHG]

I know how SteamOS looks and works. I’ve got a Steamdeck myself.

I’m not sure why you’re doing this versus shit. Two things can be true at the same time: the fact that the Steamdeck can have a better Steam experience than the ROG Ally doesn’t mean the Steam experience on the Ally doesn’t work really well.

Context matters. The guy is essentially asking if he can run Steam on Ally vs Windows store. I’ve responded appropriately.

He specifically asked how the Steam Deck OS will perform on this device. In that context you are not responding appropriately.

He will get the windows steam experience, not the steam deck steam experience. If you actually had a steam deck then you would know they are two different things entirely.

Funny what a couple of months of bundled gamepass and an endorsement from Xbox does to some of you. Incredible really.

 

[bender]

Funny what a couple of months of bundled gamepass and an endorsement from Xbox does to some of you. Incredible really.

 

[Ozriel]

He specifically asked how the Steam Deck OS will perform on this device. In that context you are not responding appropriately.

He will get the windows steam experience, not the steam deck steam experience. If you actually had a steam deck then you would know they are two different things entirely.

Here’s what he said

I am assuming Steam Deck won't work as smoothly on this device? I am pretty content with linking my Xbox profile as I have a lot of transferrable games, but ideally I'd like to use Steam as well.

I also don't mind tinkering with this device. Looks like a really nice build.

“I’m pretty content with linking my Xbox profile, but ideally I’d like to use Steam as well”

What part of that talks about installing SteamOS on the Ally?

Funny what a couple of months of bundled gamepass and an endorsement from Xbox does to some of you. Incredible really.

And here I am, just wanting to play my FIFA 23 seamlessly on Steam on the go. Something that doesn’t work on my Deck’s SteamOS, and requires dual booting Windows 10 only (doesn’t work with Win 11) to work on the Deck.
Funny what an endorsement from Xbox has done to you, to make you jump at shadows .

 

[Superbean]

Here’s what he said



“I’m pretty content with linking my Xbox profile, but ideally I’d like to use Steam as well”

What part of that talks about installing SteamOS on the Ally?




And here I am, just wanting to play my FIFA 23 seamlessly on Steam on the go. Something that doesn’t work on my Deck’s SteamOS, and requires dual booting Windows 10 only (doesn’t work with Win 11) to work on the Deck.
Funny what an endorsement from Xbox has done to you, to make you jump at shadows .

Isn't it weird how people boot lick steam os?
Third party apps required for improved functionality oh gosh whatever will we do thank gosh we definitely absolutely have never had to do that for the steam deck like at all, right?

 

[GHG]

Here’s what he said



“I’m pretty content with linking my Xbox profile, but ideally I’d like to use Steam as well”

What part of that talks about installing SteamOS on the Ally?




And here I am, just wanting to play my FIFA 23 seamlessly on Steam on the go. Something that doesn’t work on my Deck’s SteamOS, and requires dual booting Windows 10 only (doesn’t work with Win 11) to work on the Deck.
Funny what an endorsement from Xbox has done to you, to make you jump at shadows .

So you're ignoring his very first sentence? He asked specifically how it will run steam deck - it won't. It will run the windows client, not the client that's on the deck. Like I said, that's a very different thing (even from a boot and initial setup perspective) and you'd know it if you actually had experience with the deck vs how BPM is handled on windows.

At least with the steam deck dual booting windows is an option for those who need it, it's going to be funny witnessing people being all over steamOS when valve get round to making the distro that's on the deck public. Like I said, the ally is the right choice for someone who has a preference for needing a windows handheld, if you want a more streamlined end to end experience though, it won't be that.

With the way you're behaving anyone would think this is the first windows based handheld PC to ever exist. It's not, they've been around for years and there's a reason none of them have come anywhere near finding the level of success the steam deck has - it's all down to the user experience. Not everybody wants to tolerate windows on a dedicated gaming handheld.

But I'm glad the relevant endorsements and promotions have got you interested, maybe one day we will see you contributing in the steam deck OT, but I wouldn't count on that.

Isn't it weird how people boot lick steam os?
Third party apps required for improved functionality oh gosh whatever will we do thank gosh we definitely absolutely have never had to do that for the steam deck like at all, right?

On windows you need 3rd party apps literally for basic/core gaming functionality. But let's not talk about that.

 

[ToTTenTranz]

Apparently some people outside the US and EU are getting their ROG Ally early and already got theirs.

These people also got an e-mail from their retailers saying there's an important firmware and driver update coming up on launch day June 13 that provides important performance and stability updates, so they ask people to be patient until that day.
It looks like Asus' software team is working hard on that release day patch.

On windows you need 3rd party apps literally for basic/core gaming functionality. But let's not talk about that.

Not sure what you mean by 3rd party. On the Ally you can just fresh install a standard Windows 10/11 copy and run any game you want from there. Armory Crate isn't mandatory on ROG Ally.

 

[GHG]

Not sure what you mean by 3rd party. On the Ally you can just fresh install a standard Windows 10/11 copy and run any game you want from there. Armory Crate isn't mandatory on ROG Ally.

With a fresh windows install you will need to sort out drivers.

Steam (or any other 3rd party gaming client/launcher) doesn't come with a fresh install of windows, nor will anything that you need to deal with power management or gaming key mapping on the handheld.

This is what a fresh windows install looks like on the device:



Microsoft have Xbox, so you would think they could have found a way to streamline the windows experience for those who only want to game on their PC's by now but they simply don't care to.

 

[KloetenQuetsche]

Is the battery replaceable?

 

[ToTTenTranz]

With a fresh windows install you will need to sort out drivers.

Which will be available on Asus' support page for the handheld the day it launches, like it is for all other windows ROG PCs and laptops.
Eventually the SoC and iGPU drivers will be made available directly from AMD's website, like they have already for all SoCs previous to Phoenix including Dragon Range.

And I wouldn't put drivers under the "3rd party apps" monikers. They're either provided by AMD or Asus themselves, so it's as 1st party as it can get.

Steam (or any other 3rd party gaming client/launcher) doesn't come with a fresh install of windows, nor will anything that you need to deal with power management or gaming key mapping on the handheld.

Windows deals with power management just fine on all AMD APUs and the Ally won't be any different. Armory Crate only delivers additional granularity.

Microsoft have Xbox, so you would think they could have found a way to streamline the windows experience for those who only want to game on their PC's by now but they simply don't care to.

PC handhelds were only made popular by the Steam Deck that came out barely a year ago. Microsoft already stated they're working on windows features specifically tailored for gaming handhelds. These things take time.

 

[DenchDeckard]

Sold my Steam Deck today...I love the thing but I cant have two of these types of devices. I got my ROG Ally for cheap so worst case I wont lose anything on it.

I just want a great windows device that will let me run all these storefronts easily. Hopefully that is the Ally.

 

[mckmas8808]

It is running Horizon Zero Dawn at 1080p at sub 30fps. I expected better performance than PS4.

Perfect post. While it's interesting tech, it's not for me for this very reason.

 

[GHG]

Which will be available on Asus' support page for the handheld the day it launches, like it is for all other windows ROG PCs and laptops.
Eventually the SoC and iGPU drivers will be made available directly from AMD's website, like they have already for all SoCs previous to Phoenix including Dragon Range.

And I wouldn't put drivers under the "3rd party apps" monikers. They're either provided by AMD or Asus themselves, so it's as 1st party as it can get.

And that's what I mean, if you do a fresh install of SteamOS on the deck there is nothing you need to do like this. It's simply, select your language, log into your account and you're good to go.

Windows deals with power management just fine on all AMD APUs and the Ally won't be any different. Armory Crate only delivers additional granularity.

And that granularity is important for a handheld where you will need more autonomy in deciding how much battery drain you have in any given circumstance. You should also be able to have that functionality to access it and tweak it on the fly, even while in-game so that you can get a real time impression of the changes you're making. You will see what I mean if/when you get this device. Try just using just windows' power management settings for gaming and see how you get on.

PC handhelds were only made popular by the Steam Deck that came out barely a year ago. Microsoft already stated they're working on windows features specifically tailored for gaming handhelds. These things take time.

BPM has existed forever now. People have been asking for the possibility of a similar experience from native windows since gamepass hit PC. Considering their resources and the fact that they own the OS, it's taking too much time and I wouldn't bank on it ever coming to fruition. We are not talking about something that would only be useful for a PC handheld here, in the same way that BPM has been a staple for anyone that has run a gaming HTPC in the last decade, it's core functionality that has a range of applications but is particularly geared towards those who wish to control their device using a controller and only a controller.

Just watch through this video since it summarises the points I've been making regarding the whole user experience side of things pretty well:

 

[Ozriel]

So you're ignoring his very first sentence? He asked specifically how it will run steam deck - it won't. It will run the windows client, not the client that's on the deck. Like I said, that's a very different thing (even from a boot and initial setup perspective) and you'd know it if you actually had experience with the deck vs how BPM is handled on windows.

‘Steam Deck’ is not software. You presume he means SteamOS. From his subsequent statements, I inferred he meant Steam.

Based on that inference, I responded that yes, Steam will work well on the Ally.

But I'm glad the relevant endorsements and promotions have got you interested, maybe one day we will see you contributing in the steam deck OT, but I wouldn't count on that.

You mean this GAF Deck OT?

Gatekeeping hardware you purchased 7 months after i did. Fucking lol.

 

[DenchDeckard]

‘Steam Deck’ is not software. You presume he means SteamOS. From his subsequent statements, I inferred he meant Steam.

Based on that inference, I responded that yes, Steam will work well on the Ally.



You mean this GAF Deck OT?

Gatekeeping hardware you purchased 7 months after i did. Fucking lol.

Are you getting an Ally, mate? Thinking of keeping both the SteamDeck and the Ally?

I love the steamdeck and I'm happy they got my money to support further development on the platform for the future. That's why I wanted to grab the Ally as I want to support these platforms.

 

[GHG]

‘Steam Deck’ is not software. You presume he means SteamOS. From his subsequent statements, I inferred he meant Steam.

Based on that inference, I responded that yes, Steam will work well on the Ally.

It's quite simple, he said "will it run steam deck", to which the answer is that it won't. It will run the windows version of steam. Whether or not that will be good enough compared to the steam experience available on the deck will depend on what he's looking to get out of the device.

You mean this GAF Deck OT?

Gatekeeping hardware you purchased 7 months after i did. Fucking lol.

Wow, the whole 4 posts. And it's not Gatekeeping either - you've supposedly had the device for 7 months longer than I have but yet you say things that would suggest you don't even have hands on experience with the device, particularly not in terms of the SteamOS side of things. Shame really.

Hopefully the poster who originally asked the question will now have the necessary points of reference with which to make an informed decision.

 

[Ozriel]

Are you getting an Ally, mate? Thinking of keeping both the SteamDeck and the Ally?

I love the steamdeck and I'm happy they got my money to support further development on the platform for the future. That's why I wanted to grab the Ally as I want to support these platforms.

Tempted, though I won’t sell the Deck even if I get the Ally. Been through a lot with the deck, from waiting 7 months after preorder to upgrading the SSD twice and tons of great moments playing games like Hades.

The Ally reviews scared me off from a preorder, but the recent talk about software updates is very encouraging.

Very very encouraging developments on these platforms. I think we’ll see more competition in this space and most likely a Deck 2 by 2025.

 

[Ozriel]

Wow, the whole 4 posts. And it's not Gatekeeping either - you've supposedly had the device for 7 months longer than I have but yet you say things that would suggest you don't even have hands on experience with the device, particularly not in terms of the SteamOS side of things. Shame really.

Hopefully the poster who originally asked the question will now have the necessary points of reference with which to make an informed decision.

5 posts in that screenshot alone. Counting isn’t that hard. More in my history.

Saying ‘Steam should run seamlessly on the Ally’ isn’t the same thing as ‘Steam will run as good on the Ally as it does on Steamdeck SteamOS’. You’re the one pursuing an imaginary argument.

 

[DenchDeckard]

Tempted, though I won’t sell the Deck even if I get the Ally. Been through a lot with the deck, from waiting 7 months after preorder to upgrading the SSD twice and tons of great moments playing games like Hades.

The Ally reviews scared me off from a preorder, but the recent talk about software updates is very encouraging.

Very very encouraging developments on these platforms. I think we’ll see more competition in this space and most likely a Deck 2 by 2025.

Yeah, I love the Deck...hopefully I don't regret selling it lol

 

[Ozriel]

Yeah, I love the Deck...hopefully I don't regret selling it lol

You probably won’t. It all boils down to playing games on the go, and if you’re happy with the battery life, you can’t go wrong with the Ally from what I’ve seen.

The added power should make a difference. I tried playing Horizon Zero Dawn on my Deck in SteamOS and the fans went crazy + steep framerate drops. I know some folks in the subreddit have settings they’ve tinkered with to make it run stable around 30fps, but it’s hard to devote as much time to tinker these days.

Looking forward to seeing emulation results too, especially Switch emulation

 

[Sleepwalker]

I would just like to point out that MS is not officially working on windows for handheld PCs in any capacity. What we saw was made by a few employees during a hackathon and it was just a prototype, many if not most hackathon projects never end up shipping.

If it does ship, my money is on it being a few years away.

 

[Trogdor1123]

Do these chips have a unique socket, or do they even really have one at all? These seem ideal for mini pcs

 

[ToTTenTranz]

And that's what I mean, if you do a fresh install of SteamOS on the deck there is nothing you need to do like this.

And if you do a fresh install of Asus' customized Windows image for the ROG Ally you don't need to do anything like that either. There's a cloud-based image restore system from the BIOS. All you need is internet access and it'll download a fresh install with all the latest drivers.



It's actually a lot easier to do a fresh install on the ROG Ally than it is on the Deck, where you have to flash an USB pen.

But should you prefer otherwise, you can also get a clean windows installation of your liking.

And that granularity is important for a handheld where you will need more autonomy in deciding how much battery drain you have in any given circumstance.

Then just use Asus' custom windows image with Armory Crate pre-installed.
I really don't get what point you're trying to make here. I know it's important because I use that funcionality on my Deck, and Asus knows it's important because Armory Crate comes pre-installed.
Some people may prefer to use Ryzen Master, CPU Tweaker for CPU, Afterburner for GPU, whatever. And they have that option.

Just watch through this video since it summarises the points I've been making regarding the whole user experience side of things pretty well:

Those aren't user experiences, they're pre-release reviewer experiences. Big difference, which is the message sent by that video.

Also, if you think the Steam Deck is some sort of ideal benchmark for release-day state... I take it you didn't have a Deck during the first half of 2022.
In those few months I had loads of problems with the WiFi connection going down, keyboard not popping up when it was supposed to, way too many games not even launching, sudden reboots and terrible performance while browsing the store, just to name a few.
Let's hope the ROG Ally does a whole lot better in this department.

 

[Ozriel]

Those aren't user experiences, they're pre-release reviewer experiences. Big difference, which is the message sent by that video.

Also, if you think the Steam Deck is some sort of ideal benchmark for release-day state... I take it you didn't have a Deck during the first half of 2022.
In those few months I had loads of problems with the WiFi connection going down, keyboard not popping up when it was supposed to, way too many games not even launching, sudden reboots and terrible performance while browsing the store, just to name a few.
Let's hope the ROG Ally does a whole lot better in this department.

The Verge’s review of the launch version Deck/SteamOS paints a clear picture of buggy software.

Steam Deck review: it’s not ready

The Steam Deck is a joy, the Steam Deck is a mess.

www.theverge.com

I got my Deck June 2022. It Ruined a 256gb MicroSD card with the formatting bug and I thought it ruined yet another 256gb card until I had to put it into a card reader on my desktop, wipe it and then booted into SteamOS desktop mode to do the formatting.

Valve fixed that bug eventually, but it was a common complaint on the deck subreddit.

it’s stable as hell now, though.

 

[Dream-Knife]

Of course devices get abandoned in favor of something new, but hopefully not in 2 years time. I want solid support for at least 5 to 7 years. Hell, I've still got a PS3 which is 12 years old and Sony still releases firmware updates. That's the kinda support I'm talking about.

You're probably not going to get that support. 2-3 years max.

These aren't consoles.

 

[Mr Hyde]

You're probably not going to get that support. 2-3 years max.

These aren't consoles.

It's a handheld gaming device. The main focus is playing games. Which means they should treat them like consoles and deliver fixes and updates for at least 5 years. The Ally is very expensive so I expect a similar longevity as consoles. I'm not gonna replace it in 2-3 years time.

 

[Hayabusa83]

Sorry guys, I did mean Steam not Steam Deck! Got them confused there. I appreciate your responses.

 

[GHG]

And if you do a fresh install of Asus' customized Windows image for the ROG Ally you don't need to do anything like that either. There's a cloud-based image restore system from the BIOS. All you need is internet access and it'll download a fresh install with all the latest drivers.

That's a very nice solution and brings things one step closer to being seemless if someone wants to start fresh for whatever reason.

Then just use Asus' custom windows image with Armory Crate pre-installed.
I really don't get what point you're trying to make here. I know it's important because I use that funcionality on my Deck, and Asus knows it's important because Armory Crate comes pre-installed.
Some people may prefer to use Ryzen Master, CPU Tweaker for CPU, Afterburner for GPU, whatever. And they have that option.

Armoury crate is an additional bit of software, the functionality it has is not built into the OS. That's the point. It makes a difference.

Those aren't user experiences, they're pre-release reviewer experiences. Big difference, which is the message sent by that video.

Strongly suggest you watch the video in it's entirety, he spends the whole of the second half talking about what the device is like to actually use for it's purpose vs the steam deck and how windows impacts that experience. Timestamped:

Also, if you think the Steam Deck is some sort of ideal benchmark for release-day state... I take it you didn't have a Deck during the first half of 2022.
In those few months I had loads of problems with the WiFi connection going down, keyboard not popping up when it was supposed to, way too many games not even launching, sudden reboots and terrible performance while browsing the store, just to name a few.
Let's hope the ROG Ally does a whole lot better in this department.

Unfortunately we are comparing the ROG Ally to current day Steam Deck, not to release day steam deck. That's what they are currently up against. When someone is spending similar amounts of money then you expect the product to reach the benchmark set by other similarly priced devices, it's not a charity.

Sorry guys, I did mean Steam not Steam Deck! Got them confused there. I appreciate your responses.

Hopefully you've found some helpful nuggets amidst the back and forth. I'll summarise:

- If you are comfortable with the Windows environment, don't mind tinkering where necessary and want to be able to access gamepass, other launchers etc out of the box then go with the Ally or AyaNeo 2.

- If you'd prefer a more streamlined, "console-like" experience on your handheld and you mostly purchase your PC games via Steam then there's nothing else on the market like the deck.

 

[IFireflyl]

GHG , I think you're getting more defensive/argumentative than is necessary. I agree with O Ozriel 's interpretation of the post you both cited. It doesn't seem like the post was talking about SteamOS, but rather that the poster was making sure that Steam would run well on the ASUS ROG ALLY.

ToTTenTranz has a point with the Steam Deck having plenty of issues at launch. You might be comparing this to a current Steam Deck, but that's not a fair comparison, and it is crucial to point out to people inquiring that Steam Deck also had plenty of issues at launch. Nobody should expect perfection, although that doesn't give companies a right to release utter garbage either.

I love my Steam Deck, but it does have a learning curve, and it had its fair share of issues initially. The ASUS ROG ALLY isn't something I need, but I'm excited to see how it stacks up against the Steam Deck, both with a comparison to how Steam Deck launched and how the Steam Deck performs now.

 

[GHG]

ToTTenTranz has a point with the Steam Deck having plenty of issues at launch. You might be comparing this to a current Steam Deck, but that's not a fair comparison, and it is crucial to point out to people inquiring that Steam Deck also had plenty of issues at launch.

Yes it is. Do you know why? You're paying similar money if not more, today. Now if it were cheaper due to you essentially beta testing a product and helping them work out any kinks it might have vs the competition then fine, but that isn't the case here.

Sorry, I see this sentiment all over the place (particularly in the gaming sphere for some reason) it's nonsense and it's grating.

"so and so storefront has just launched, go easy on them, we can't expect them to have the same amount of features as what else is out there" - well the games are not cheaper so why should I or anyone else for that matter care?

"It's so and so studios first game, blah blah" - don't care, unless they are doing something unique that I can't experience elsewhere then I'd rather play the better version of whatever they've come up with.

If a new electric car brand launches today or an existing manufacturer puts out a new electric car then what do you think the auto industry will compare it to? That's right, Tesla of today, not Tesla of 5 years ago. It's these company's duty to test their products to ensure they are robust enough to stand up against whatever competitors exist at the time they are launching. Further to that it just echos what's been discussed in this thread. For some reason we have lost our way and been conditioned into thinking it's ok for products to not work as they should at the time of purchase. As a consumer if I wanted to experience what is essentially "baby's first steps" then I'd have a child of my own.

If Asus want to launch a product today and ask money for it then it's their duty to ensure its ready, works as it should and is worth the money they are asking for it. If someone thinks that's the case as it is today and the value proposition is correct for them then fine. It's not however your duty as a consumer excuse them, justify what they are doing, test it for them and help them make it worth it (if the situation is that it's not ready to go to market and it's not worth it vs the other options out there). If they expect that of you then you should be getting paid, not the other way round.

Mini-rant over but it's important that people realise products improve by us demanding more, not making excuses for them. In an ideal world the ROG ally launches and it's better than the Steam Deck from a usability standpoint, that way Valve are also pushed to improve and adopt any innovations that Asus might have come up with where applicable. But right now as it stands, it's just the raw hardware that is better, something that valve can easily remedy through releasing a steam deck with updated internals, it's not pushing them in any other way. Internally they will view this the same as any other newly released windows based handheld PC out there.

 

[StereoVsn]

I would just like to point out that MS is not officially working on windows for handheld PCs in any capacity. What we saw was made by a few employees during a hackathon and it was just a prototype, many if not most hackathon projects never end up shipping.

If it does ship, my money is on it being a few years away.

This is the company that still has a shitshow of a software store back-end in MS Store and still can't figure out freaking taskbar.

I wouldn't bank on any major improvements in a reasonable amount of time.

 

[DenchDeckard]

You probably won’t. It all boils down to playing games on the go, and if you’re happy with the battery life, you can’t go wrong with the Ally from what I’ve seen.

The added power should make a difference. I tried playing Horizon Zero Dawn on my Deck in SteamOS and the fans went crazy + steep framerate drops. I know some folks in the subreddit have settings they’ve tinkered with to make it run stable around 30fps, but it’s hard to devote as much time to tinker these days.

Looking forward to seeing emulation results too, especially Switch emulation

I've got a nice fat chunky 100 watt external powerbank that I got for my steam deck which I'm going to use on my Ally.

Just looking forward to getting all my emulators on and launchers for various games.

I've got a 2tb WD nvme ready to go.

Looking forward to launch day.