Now you have 17 subscribers because of this beautiful video with amazing narration. Hope you continue to make more videos. I'm planning on buying a handheld as well. Most likely Ayaneon Kun when it releases or the ROG Ally as its smaller.
Thank you so much for the encouraging comment! The Ayaneo Kun, it looks amazing! I am definitely planning to make more videos. Time permitting I'm hoping to make at least one video a week. I have another dock and some video capture hardware on the way from Amazon this week, I might pop up a review on these. The next video will likely be a short one showcasing Call of Duty performance as that is one of the reasons I wanted a windows based hand held, spoiler alert, it runs great on the ROG (although you can see that in the footage captured for this video). I'm keen to get an Aya Neo of some description at some point as those are also available here in Australia and I'd like to see what they are like as they are the other big player here. One thing is for sure, these hand held gaming PCs are certainly gaining momentum, we are getting to a stage where we are spoilt for choice!
Great video, just stumbled on your channel. Love your travel set up, I am using the JSAUX dock connected to a portable monitor for work (fifo). I was just wondering what case your using? I fly with Asus case, but wanting something that has more room in it.
Thanks for the comment! It’s actually a steam deck case that was “ROG Ally compatible” from Amazon. I just searched my past orders and it’s dropped off. From memory it was around $35-40 and was one of the generic brands. It’s not a perfect fit for the Ally but was handy to store the charger etc in it. Recently I’ve actually started traveling with the official Ally case as flight attendants would sometimes ask for that larger one to be put away during take off and landing (I was using it to give the Ally some height while resting on my lap). Both have their pros and cons, the Ally case is a lot more convenient to throw in a bag, but has no room for accessories, the larger one fits your accessories but is, well, larger… Sorry, long way of saying, have a look on Amazon and you should be able to find something similar to that case.
Thanks for the comment! It really depends on what you're looking for. I've been interested in getting my hands on a GPD Win Max for that reason, it has very similar hardware to the Ally and is in that smaller laptop form factor you're talking about. With the Ally or Steam Deck, you get some flexibility in being able to just play the unit handheld without pulling out a laptop and worrying about what's sitting underneath it for airflow etc. For my use case, with my travel for work, I already have to carry around my work laptop so the gaming PC handhelds suit me as they are in a smaller form factor than a laptop and are easier to just pull out of my bag and play while I'm waiting for a flight or sitting on a train. Plus, here in Australia, the airlines wont let you have a laptop out until the seatbelt signs are turned off, while that might not seem like a lot of time, when you fly a lot of short 45-60min flights, you actually spend about half your time ascending/descending or sitting on a runway, so for my personal use the handhelds make more sense. I also own a gaming Laptop with an RTX 3070 in it, so I completely get where you're coming from.
Can you do a video on how to get the controller to work with WARZONE? I can get my Xbox controller to connect over Bluetooth, but I can’t get it to work in a game.
I sure can, in the meantime, try disabling the embedded controller in the ROG quick settings (the settings you access by pressing the ROG button on the left, under the "select" button). That was the main issue I was facing, the ROG will otherwise default to its built in controller in my experience. Another tip, once you've disabled the internal controller, test the BT controller is working in armoury create before you launch the game, then check that you have Controller input enabled in the Battle.Net launcher settings (if there is the option). If the above doesn't help, let me know and i'll create a video walking through all of the steps I take to see if that helps you out. I have some Bluetooth controllers as well, I'll run some tests using those if you still have issues. On a side note, the ROG can be temperamental with external controllers, I use 2.4ghz wireless controllers that use USB dongles (including the Xbox USB Dongle for my Xbox controller). I often have to unplug/re-plug the dongle in a few times and exit a game to get it working. That could also be the JSAUX dock mind you, I've just started testing MOKIN dock from Amazon, it seems to work a lot better with USB peripherals. I know that wont help your specific issue as you're using Bluetooth but I will also be doing a video reviewing the docks I have at some point.
In that video I was using a JSAUX dock from Amazon, I've since purchased a MOKIN dock from Amazon which seems to be more compatible with USB Capture Cards. Either will work, but if I had to choose I'd take the MOKIN dock over the JSAUX. You can find either by searching their brand name in Amazon.
Just some cheap thumbstick grips from Amazon, the product is called "20Pieces Analog Stick Joystick Controller Performance Thumb Grips Compatible with PS5, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S Controller Joystick Grips". They actually fit really well and haven't fallen off during use.
I haven't yet, but have used those in the past (back when media PC's were in and before smart TVs existed). That is a good tip for a travel kit though, I might look into picking one up :).
@@HandHeldGamingReviews I have both Xreal Air and Rokid Max + used Arpara 5K with it once which is VR glasses.... Only downside is Asus for some reason decided to put only single USB C on Ally while all competitions have dual or more, which means you can't charge with using the glasses, you lose about more power using the glasses but not by much about 3-5W more only..... One solution is to buy an adapter but so far I don't like using it as it just becomes too many cables, glasses only is a single cable so not an issue if alone As for experience? I can tell you it's kinda a must have thing with my Ally or GPD Win Max 2 for me, it transforms gaming experience from a compromised portable sized gaming to a console on TV like gaming, no compromises in screen size or quality since 1080P on these sharper than a large TV with 1080P content or colors and contrasts since these are micro OLED
@@HandHeldGamingReviews so i have the xreal air and they work great for the rog ally but if you get them i would also reccomend picking up the rokid adapter that allows you to display and charge at the same time however one drawback from what i can tell is the adapter only allows about 10 watt charging so there might be a better solution out there but it does prolong your battery life alot longer than without the adapter there is also some good ones to get from virtrue that you can also get a portable charger slash adapter through which allows you to hook up 2 glasses to one device it was made for the switch but should work great for the rog ally as well as other handhelds with type c ports also great video you just earned yourself a new subsciber
If you mean the RGB rings around the thumb sticks, you sure can. There is a button in the ASUS Command Center where you can select the brightness or turn the RGB off all together. Very handy if you're playing in a dark setting e.g. in bed or on a plane with the cabin dimmed.
@@HandHeldGamingReviews Awesome. Thanks. They look pretty cool but would be distracting to me. Great review, since I travel a lot for work and I’m looking at getting this or the Logitech cloud.
I don’t know much about the Logitech cloud aside from what they say on the website. Sounds intriguing and is a lot cheaper, although you’d need a solid internet connection (still issues with that while traveling in Aus). I’ve been enjoying the ROG although the battery life on it really lets it down. I’ve got the steam deck with me this week traveling and it was nice to go back to it. Playing Spyro it seems to have better battery life than the ROG, though to be fair I haven’t run a side by side with exactly the same settings to really confirm that.
Thanks for the comment! I’m still overly paranoid about it, it’s one of those “it’s probably fine but if it wakes up and cooks itself in the carry case, I’ve just lost $1300 (AUD) for the sake of saving 15 seconds”. Don’t get me wrong, if I’m at home and it’s not going back into its case I’ll just use the power button to put it to sleep.
Not quite that bad, I'm based at a National office for a company, so around every 4-6 weeks I head out to one of our sites. I spend a lot of time in airports, hotels and on planes, these handheld gaming PC's have been a real game changer (pardon the pun). I used to travel with my Nintendo switch quite a lot, but it spent more time in my bag then actually getting used.
Thanks for the comment! They’re just the budget Playststion/Xbox 20pc pack from Amazon, the brand here is RGEEK. If you search Amazon for PlayStation or Xbox thumb grips it’s a 20 pack with different colours for AUD $10.99 AUD, so likely around USD $7-8 or GBP $5-6 depending on where you’re based. They work well for me but depending on your play style they can fall off your thumb sticks during “spirited play”. It doesn’t happen so much for me on the ally or 8bitdo controller, having said that, even when it does, they’re the budget pack so you get what you pay for haha. The grips you see on both the Ally and Controller in this video are from the same pack.
Now you have 17 subscribers because of this beautiful video with amazing narration. Hope you continue to make more videos. I'm planning on buying a handheld as well. Most likely Ayaneon Kun when it releases or the ROG Ally as its smaller.
Thank you so much for the encouraging comment! The Ayaneo Kun, it looks amazing! I am definitely planning to make more videos. Time permitting I'm hoping to make at least one video a week. I have another dock and some video capture hardware on the way from Amazon this week, I might pop up a review on these. The next video will likely be a short one showcasing Call of Duty performance as that is one of the reasons I wanted a windows based hand held, spoiler alert, it runs great on the ROG (although you can see that in the footage captured for this video).
I'm keen to get an Aya Neo of some description at some point as those are also available here in Australia and I'd like to see what they are like as they are the other big player here. One thing is for sure, these hand held gaming PCs are certainly gaining momentum, we are getting to a stage where we are spoilt for choice!
I'm traveling with my Ally today and looking forward to it! 😎
Awesome! Let me know what games you played and how you went for battery life.
Medieval Dynasty my favorite game to, so relaxing game for since I'm a nature lover. Even though I already maxed out the game it still fun to play.
It really is! I love the survival/building style games. I poured hours into Stranded Deep without ever actually finishing the game.
Great video, just stumbled on your channel.
Love your travel set up, I am using the JSAUX dock connected to a portable monitor for work (fifo).
I was just wondering what case your using? I fly with Asus case, but wanting something that has more room in it.
Thanks for the comment! It’s actually a steam deck case that was “ROG Ally compatible” from Amazon. I just searched my past orders and it’s dropped off. From memory it was around $35-40 and was one of the generic brands. It’s not a perfect fit for the Ally but was handy to store the charger etc in it. Recently I’ve actually started traveling with the official Ally case as flight attendants would sometimes ask for that larger one to be put away during take off and landing (I was using it to give the Ally some height while resting on my lap). Both have their pros and cons, the Ally case is a lot more convenient to throw in a bag, but has no room for accessories, the larger one fits your accessories but is, well, larger…
Sorry, long way of saying, have a look on Amazon and you should be able to find something similar to that case.
Regardless, good stuff mate, video was mint! Keep up the good work!
Thanks for the feedback, working on the next one as we speak!
Wouldn’t a 13 or 14in laptop be more practical? It won’t fill all of the use cases but will fill others that the ally won’t.
Thanks for the comment! It really depends on what you're looking for. I've been interested in getting my hands on a GPD Win Max for that reason, it has very similar hardware to the Ally and is in that smaller laptop form factor you're talking about. With the Ally or Steam Deck, you get some flexibility in being able to just play the unit handheld without pulling out a laptop and worrying about what's sitting underneath it for airflow etc. For my use case, with my travel for work, I already have to carry around my work laptop so the gaming PC handhelds suit me as they are in a smaller form factor than a laptop and are easier to just pull out of my bag and play while I'm waiting for a flight or sitting on a train. Plus, here in Australia, the airlines wont let you have a laptop out until the seatbelt signs are turned off, while that might not seem like a lot of time, when you fly a lot of short 45-60min flights, you actually spend about half your time ascending/descending or sitting on a runway, so for my personal use the handhelds make more sense. I also own a gaming Laptop with an RTX 3070 in it, so I completely get where you're coming from.
Can you do a video on how to get the controller to work with WARZONE? I can get my Xbox controller to connect over Bluetooth, but I can’t get it to work in a game.
I sure can, in the meantime, try disabling the embedded controller in the ROG quick settings (the settings you access by pressing the ROG button on the left, under the "select" button). That was the main issue I was facing, the ROG will otherwise default to its built in controller in my experience. Another tip, once you've disabled the internal controller, test the BT controller is working in armoury create before you launch the game, then check that you have Controller input enabled in the Battle.Net launcher settings (if there is the option). If the above doesn't help, let me know and i'll create a video walking through all of the steps I take to see if that helps you out. I have some Bluetooth controllers as well, I'll run some tests using those if you still have issues.
On a side note, the ROG can be temperamental with external controllers, I use 2.4ghz wireless controllers that use USB dongles (including the Xbox USB Dongle for my Xbox controller). I often have to unplug/re-plug the dongle in a few times and exit a game to get it working. That could also be the JSAUX dock mind you, I've just started testing MOKIN dock from Amazon, it seems to work a lot better with USB peripherals. I know that wont help your specific issue as you're using Bluetooth but I will also be doing a video reviewing the docks I have at some point.
What sort of dock do you use to hook it up to a bigger screen/tv?
In that video I was using a JSAUX dock from Amazon, I've since purchased a MOKIN dock from Amazon which seems to be more compatible with USB Capture Cards. Either will work, but if I had to choose I'd take the MOKIN dock over the JSAUX. You can find either by searching their brand name in Amazon.
What do you have at the top of your thumbs sticks?
Just some cheap thumbstick grips from Amazon, the product is called "20Pieces Analog Stick Joystick Controller Performance Thumb Grips Compatible with PS5, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S Controller Joystick Grips". They actually fit really well and haven't fallen off during use.
Great review thank you
Thanks for watching!
Have you tryd mini keyboard and trackball (Bluetooth)?
I haven't yet, but have used those in the past (back when media PC's were in and before smart TVs existed). That is a good tip for a travel kit though, I might look into picking one up :).
The only thing missing is AR glasses
I'd love to try out AR glasses with the Ally. Do you have/have you tried AR glasses? I've only ever seen them on TH-cam reviews.
@@HandHeldGamingReviews I have both Xreal Air and Rokid Max + used Arpara 5K with it once which is VR glasses....
Only downside is Asus for some reason decided to put only single USB C on Ally while all competitions have dual or more, which means you can't charge with using the glasses, you lose about more power using the glasses but not by much about 3-5W more only..... One solution is to buy an adapter but so far I don't like using it as it just becomes too many cables, glasses only is a single cable so not an issue if alone
As for experience? I can tell you it's kinda a must have thing with my Ally or GPD Win Max 2 for me, it transforms gaming experience from a compromised portable sized gaming to a console on TV like gaming, no compromises in screen size or quality since 1080P on these sharper than a large TV with 1080P content or colors and contrasts since these are micro OLED
Oh wow! I’ll have to try and get my hands on some to try them out!
@@HandHeldGamingReviews so i have the xreal air and they work great for the rog ally but if you get them i would also reccomend picking up the rokid adapter that allows you to display and charge at the same time however one drawback from what i can tell is the adapter only allows about 10 watt charging so there might be a better solution out there but it does prolong your battery life alot longer than without the adapter there is also some good ones to get from virtrue that you can also get a portable charger slash adapter through which allows you to hook up 2 glasses to one device it was made for the switch but should work great for the rog ally as well as other handhelds with type c ports also great video you just earned yourself a new subsciber
Thanks for the comment and the Sub! Sounds like I should put some glasses on the Christmas list!
Can you turn the lights off on the ROG?
If you mean the RGB rings around the thumb sticks, you sure can. There is a button in the ASUS Command Center where you can select the brightness or turn the RGB off all together. Very handy if you're playing in a dark setting e.g. in bed or on a plane with the cabin dimmed.
@@HandHeldGamingReviews
Awesome. Thanks. They look pretty cool but would be distracting to me. Great review, since I travel a lot for work and I’m looking at getting this or the Logitech cloud.
I don’t know much about the Logitech cloud aside from what they say on the website. Sounds intriguing and is a lot cheaper, although you’d need a solid internet connection (still issues with that while traveling in Aus). I’ve been enjoying the ROG although the battery life on it really lets it down. I’ve got the steam deck with me this week traveling and it was nice to go back to it. Playing Spyro it seems to have better battery life than the ROG, though to be fair I haven’t run a side by side with exactly the same settings to really confirm that.
I had this ally for a few days, stick with the steam deck you're not missing much. Also that ROG brand on the lcd panel is hideous.
Thanks for the comment!
Just put it into hibernate, sleep doesn’t work well
Thanks for the comment! I’m still overly paranoid about it, it’s one of those “it’s probably fine but if it wakes up and cooks itself in the carry case, I’ve just lost $1300 (AUD) for the sake of saving 15 seconds”. Don’t get me wrong, if I’m at home and it’s not going back into its case I’ll just use the power button to put it to sleep.
Or you can set the power button to hibernate in power setting, though you have to do some digging to set it up.
Oh that’s a good tip, thanks! I’ll look into doing that.
You a FIFO worker?
Not quite that bad, I'm based at a National office for a company, so around every 4-6 weeks I head out to one of our sites. I spend a lot of time in airports, hotels and on planes, these handheld gaming PC's have been a real game changer (pardon the pun). I used to travel with my Nintendo switch quite a lot, but it spent more time in my bag then actually getting used.
What caps are you using for the sticks?
Thanks for the comment! They’re just the budget Playststion/Xbox 20pc pack from Amazon, the brand here is RGEEK. If you search Amazon for PlayStation or Xbox thumb grips it’s a 20 pack with different colours for AUD $10.99 AUD, so likely around USD $7-8 or GBP $5-6 depending on where you’re based. They work well for me but depending on your play style they can fall off your thumb sticks during “spirited play”. It doesn’t happen so much for me on the ally or 8bitdo controller, having said that, even when it does, they’re the budget pack so you get what you pay for haha. The grips you see on both the Ally and Controller in this video are from the same pack.