I've been following you since late last year, and as always, you do great work. Your reviews are honest, and spot on for what has been my experience with the Steam Deck and ROG Ally. I love both, and if someone came to me asking which one to get I would explain that while they are very similar, they are also different. The steam deck can be had for cheaper, but then you'd have to spend extra money to upgrade the storage for you to go with the cheaper model. The steam deck is also a lot more streamlined and user friendly. It's a lot closer to a switch in that you can literally just download almost any game off Steam and play it as if it were a regular console. The Ally doesn't operate this way, since it is actually a quite powerful Windows 11 PC in a handheld form factor. This is a blessing and a curse. The good news is that the Ally has a much better screen with 120 hz and VRR support, in addition to a higher resolution. It can also play any PC game without the need for hacks or workarounds because it is a Windows PC. Now for the negatives, while the Ally is significantly more powerful than the steam deck particularly at higher wattage, it also has worse battery life and tons of bugs that are due to the fact that windows is not optimized for handheld gaming as of yet. I see a lot of people blame Asus for this, but it's really a Windows issue that Asus is trying to work around. So if someone were torn between the two and they were not experienced with dealing with all the bugs and glitches that come with tinkering with a Windows PC, I would still recommend the steam deck to them because there may be issues that the average person may not know how to circumvent in regards to a Windows device like the Ally. This would explain why the return rate is so high at Best Buy. Anecdotal evidence for sure, but I truly believe that most returns are due to the fact that people expect the ally to function like a Nintendo switch and are upset and disappointed when they realize that it's just a Windows PC with driver issues etc, and not a plug and play type of device. In any case keep up the great work bro. 🤜
Or simply due to the high amount of hardware errors? I.e. buttons that don’t function. I mean if a device got hardware problems at launch and the software is not optimized can you really blame the customer for returning? There’s not much left then is it? It’s just another unfinished product brought out in a rush and we as a customer should never accept this trend. Asus fix your shit and optimize the hell out of it. You can never make a first impression twice! That’s what the Japanese companies like Nintendo and Sony understand so well. It’s a recipe for success!
Great review and summary Midas. Covered all the important points and you aimed the info at casual gamers without confusing technical terms. One thing to add would be ASUS still hasn't addressed user repairability, at least not to the same level as the Deck where they have partnered with iFixit to make all their parts available for replacement. Also ASUS recently has not had a good track record when it comes to QA (at least with their motherboards).
Thanks! And I agree with you on the user repairability part but it's still young so we can give them some time. Same with QA, I hope that's not the case with the Ally 🙏🏾
Speaking on battery life at 15w it gets about the same battery as the steam deck and I definitely feel like the updating experience varies because it took me 20 min to update me and my girl ally it was pretty fast.
I think its awesome to think how far we have come so quickly in the handheld gaming space.. the ROG Ally paired with the external gpu could easily take the place of a good 1440p oven of a gaming computer then u could just disconnect it and take it with you.. seriously considering it.. storge is my only concern
I've been experiencing this with the ROG Flow X13 + eGPU since 2021 (minus the handheld option). Having a small 4K laptop/tablet and doing maxed out gaming on a 4K OLED or 32:9 monitor, it's super mindblowing. Hope next year ROG releases an improved Ally v2. The v1 is very compelling, but I feel like a bit more waiting will be worth it. I also hope disconnecting the XGM will become faster, it's just not convenient.
This is the kind of review i've been looking for. Simple and straightforward. Bonus for the satisfying ROG Ally show. You've earned a new subscriber man. Keep up the good work. 👍
Bro…. Just hesitantly got ready or not expecting the worst frames. After downloading, to my extreme surprise, no gpu block, it got a solid 58 to 60 fps on all high settings. FUCKING CRAZY
It'd be cool if you could make some short vids of carrying bags that can hold the ROG Ally and XG Mobile along with cables and miscellaneous stuff for travel like you did for the Steam Deck.
Hey Midas, great review! Finally some good Ally+XGM gameplay. Btw. is your 4K TV an LG 120 hz? I have the LG OLED55CX and occasionally connect my Flow X13 via XGM 3080 to it, but since over a year the HDMI ultra HD deep colour mode doesn't work anymore means I can't access the maxed out 4K 120 hz HDR 10bit mode via the XGM. I tried tons of things, nothing helped. Does your XGM cause any such problems or can you access all TV features?
The Ally is awesome and totally worth the money! However, the XG Mobile 6850M is loud as heck and quite buggy. I couldn't even lower the fan speed below a fixed speed in armoury crate. Then after activating the XG Mobile it would say it's disconnected and I can't deactivate it. It would also sometimes restart my Ally when activating. Love the idea but I had to return mine.
Your not doing it properly, you need to plug in the XG mobile then wait 10 seconds, after 10 seconds then you’ll need to turn on the XG mobile by using the switch button on the front of the XG mobile port, switch it down wards which 5 seconds later you’ll be prompt to stop a few software your running in the background then after you’ve down that you’ll then be prompt with a loading bar which means the XG mobile is been activated. The red light means it’s activated 😊
@@undisturbed809 nah, according to Asus website and instuctions you're suppose to plug in, push the lock then press ok when the prompt comes up (also stop all background processes if needed). When the light is red it's activated. No need to do all that wait between. I did all that and the XG mobile still sometimes bugs out. Then sometimes during the activation process it restarts the Ally and I can't deactivate it since it keeps asking to activate it when it's already activated. Still wouldn 't recommend it.
Before the Ally came out I was looking at an ROG Z13/X13 and that's what reviewers and forums had said about the eGPU as well. It's a tough sell-- though it could truly make the Ally a one-and-done device if you didn't have or want anything else.
I’m on my second unit right now as well. After 13 days, the first unit won’t turn on and I have tried everything to resolve it. End up retiring it and hopefully this new unit is functioning properly
Hey dude cool video. Im just looking for info to buy or pass? Are you experiencing any crash or freezes? Does these tips and tricks help? Thanks in advance
Good review but it is important to understand why the Ally has a 120hz screen. I dont understand why people think you're going to be able to hit 120fps in games consistently on a handheld. The 120hz screen is for VRR. VRR doesn't work on 60hz as it only works for 120hz. REGARDLESS if you hit 120fps in a game, VRR will be working to give you smoother playback when fps is jumping all over. We have to understand the tech. The screen was never put on there to hit 120fps in aaa titles or most titles. Peace.
It's one of the things I hope they add to a SD2. It's a great feature that would really smooth out a lot of the performance issues that the current Deck would have with various games-- especially the Indie games a lot of people really like to play.
I'm not saying i want games to hit 120fps consistently. I'm saying the battery life is already struggling so anything past 60fps on those AAA is just going to drain it faster. Most people are just going to lock it to 60fps to maximize battery life or even just get more consistent frames
@@midasgamespace the thing is if you set to 60hz VRR will not work anymore so it defeats the purpose of having VRR in the first place. Might as well leave it running at 120hz and cap the fps in game
Loving my ally really hadn’t had any issues slight software but that comes with the territory. I think some people expect too much from a handheld its all a balance or power and efficiency but honestly I usually have the deck or ally plugged in playing anyway. All i need now is a 2tb nvme ssd. Got a 1tb sd card but i hate the longer loading times.
You should try setting up moonlight (via Sunshine on your Ally and Moonlight on your PC/Mac)! If both devices are connected to 5GHZ network, you can stream your games to your computer with 0 latency, and you can even connect a controller
@@midasgamespace yeah I have a desktop with a 3080 and a laptop with a 3080 mobile and I've battled windows on both of those the last several years so for me it's business as usual. I know how to troubleshoot most issues as well. Thankfully my unit doesn't seem to have any hardware issues which is most important and hopefully Asus will update and refine the software over time. We'll see. It's my first handful gaming device since the PSP so huge difference since then.
6850m is equivalent to 6750xt but lower performance. It's kinda sad how AMD and nvidia get away with rebranding GPUs on mobile solutions. At least they should gives us a cut down version of the 6800xt on mobile, but I guess AMD never takes the initiative and we are stuck with subpar products at inflated prices. Hope intel at least gets it right next so we can have 1 more alternative to break this duopoly.
The 6800 XT is already ~250W. To cut that down on mobile you're going to lose performance, because of the power envelope shrinking. The closest we got for a one-to-one performance in a laptop, was the 980 (non M) laptop from Nvidia-a while back.
Great videos as always! Wondering if you could do more in depth video with the Ally and the Rokid Max AR glasses. I have both myself enjoying about an hour+ then battery gets low. I'm trying to research how to charge Ally while using the Rokid glasses together. Any suggestions??
They really need to do something about those bezels. They're so big and distracting. This is where some of the smaller companies like AyaNeo, Aokzoe/OneXPlayer, and GPDWin are doing much better. The big screens of some of their devices are so much better than the Ally and Deck.
@@KseRBanshee true true!! But the switch isn’t in the same league as of power and what you can do. The switch oled is by far the best and in its own tier, but I wouldn’t compare the two systems by no means. Not saying you did except for the screen.
@@jaycleaves oh I’m just comparing the screen since I have all 3 of them. I agree the Switch is in a completely different category cuz it’s a handheld console and not PC. Honestly til this day, I’m still amazed holding Switch in hands, screen to body ratio and weight also help with that. Crazy to know it’s only $50 more expensive than regular Switch and it’s night and day difference in term of experience and feels like a generational leap. Ive never liked OLED screen in the past but somehow the one on Switch just works for me lol
Thank you so much man for review egpu without using external monitor, I couldn’t find others that talks much and show gameplay in this mode yet. Considering buying one just for boosting up in handheld mode would you recommend?
Only if you find it for under 1000$ used or new. Sometimes its not even in your area or even the whole continent. I live in the netherlands and I was lucky that a czech guy sold one to me for 800$ incl priority shipping (it has to pass 2 or 3 country borders to get here).
When you say the buttons feel weird and annoying is that because you're already used to something else and have a preconceived notion of what it should feel like? Will first time handheld users arrive at the same conclusion?
Saw that you have the Shargeek Storm 2 in your carry bag - is it true that it doesn't work well with the Ally (disconnects/outright refuses to charge, or doesn't give the full 30W)? Shame because it's such a nice looking powerbank lol
Hi fit-gamer brother, The Steam deck is about to get a big update of the Linux kernel, don't know when exactly but soon. Considering it's specifications, do you think that could be a game changer for the SD ? I'm seriously considering to go for the Ally next month but for sure I'm not done with my Deck. Also we'll soon have the possibility to change the screen by the 1200p produced by DeckHD. I'm still wondering if the Ally will still represent such a real step ahead the SD after those improvements (update/screen) . Thanks for all 🤙💪
Great video! I've had my ally since launch day...never had any issues after initial install and ssd swap....I've found that keeping everything in performance mode and medium to low settings with most games is the sweet spot. I'm getting my xg mobile 6850 on friday and I'm looking forward to testing games out with this. I'm just curious about moving between 3 different scenarios...handheld, plugged in without xg mobile and plugged in with xg mobile...I'm curious if I have to tweak settings coming in and out of using the xg mobile.
Thanks for checking out the video! I'm glad you've found how to make the Ally work best for you. As for the XG mobile, I'm still looking for how to set up profiles to use when in any of those 3 scenarios you mentioned. I definitely hate always having to tweak things everytime I make the switch.
That, and remember that a physique like his is made about 85% in the kitchen and 15% in the gym. I'm a fat dude who lifts about 4x a week and does Martial Arts 2x a week because cardio is boring as shit, but it's harder to see because I eat like I'm in a perpetual dirty bulk. I'm guessing Midas really has his macros under wrap.
Isn’t it a hassle plugging in the ally dock mode then changing the graphics settings then unplugging go to settings again and change the graphics over and over
Hey bro, I wanted to ask you a question, tell me, are the NREAL AR GLASSES virtual reality glasses compatible with the rog ally asus? I'm about to buy one and I wanted you to tell me your experience
hi! do you have any idea if the micro SD speeds on the steam deck can be somewhat close to the speed as the internal ssd? I might end up getting the 256gb version with a large SD card to go with it! Thanks for the videos, they're really helpful!
Did your XG Mobile work on Turbo mode? Mine works fine on performance and when I switch to turbo, the fan turns up high but the frames drop to like 20.
The entire time with it in the video I was in turbo mode. It works great in turbo mode even though the fans are annoyingly loud lol. Maybe there's an update you need to do. Has it always been like that since you got it?
@@midasgamespacedangit im not sure what the problem is lol. It works great in performance and when using turbo the XG Mobile just freaks out. It must just be some sort of needed update
Hello, sorry, i am barely speak english and don't understand your video 😅😅 it is asus rog ally better than steam deck? I am going to buy something, and don't know steam deck or rog ally
I’ll be keeping both for now. Ally has already failed me once so I’m watching it closely. The deck might not get much use if the Ally keeps playing nice 🤞🏾
@@midasgamespace ya I'm thinking of getting one since I really want to play games like cod and destiny but I hear that in its current state it's still pretty incomplete 😕
These companies have to understand that only in U.S its THATs simple to return a unit and get a new one. But in Europe you have to submit a refund. PROOVE your unit is damaged, sent it back, wait for it to get back for 3 weeks. Than MAYBE get a new unit or a refund. Its a nightmare.
If I had to choose and had the money, I'd go for the Ally and that's inky because I get these handhelds for AAA games and performance is extremely important to me. If the Steam Deck had a better chip, it'd be my choice but I feel like they shouldn't be comparable for that reason alone.
I already bought a Steam Deck, and I love it, but I really see the potential in the Ally for everything from a low-budget gaming PC, something that can handle moderate VR, to something I can plug a few peripherals in and also use as a productivity device. I admit though, I love the Steam Deck's ability to pause verified games and wake up to them, even if I leave my deck in my work bag all weekend. The software and community support make it more difficult to spring another 700 + tax for an Ally, but if I didn't have a Steam Deck already, with what the Ally can do and the fact I can pick one up at Best Buy and return it there? I'd get one right away. I still might though, just to replace my EDC laptop and consolidate my portable gaming.
I got the xg mobile 6850m and play with it in handheld mode still. So smooth it's crazy but sucks your stuck in one holding position but it is hard to go back to running without it. I was fine before I got it but now I see the slowdowns without it lol. I got a 2tb to install as well the rocket t4 Sabrent just lazy installing it 😫
I feel like I’m comparison to the top model of the Steam Deck, the pricing for this is good since it’s got much better hardware. The other handhelds don’t even close to the Ally in price.
The video is 22 minutes long already so it was hard to decide what's games to show. Maybe I'll do a separate one just focused on testing several games with the Ally.
No, they are hall effect. Someone tried to swap out the sticks with hall effect sticks and they detected interference from the trigger on the left side where the stick is much closer to the trigger.
I chose the Steam Deck since it was on sale and waaay more cheaper and I play mostly light games like Yakuza or MGS and mainly emulate games. For something more serious or tryhard I jump on my PC. Plus... this is ASUS and lately ASUS are absolutely atrocious, they are like the Nintendo of hardware. Their support is terribad and people - as a owner of ASUS Strix motherboard, trust me - Armory Crate is cancerware that bogs down the machine. Ah, yes - also W11...
I just can’t pull the trigger on an Ally with these issues constantly popping up. I’m still so happy with my SD and it works. I don’t worry about it crapping out on a plane in the first week etc
If you worried about running into issues, I'd suggest waiting a few months until theres a fix for everything and buy then they'll probably be on sale too.
Idk what all these ally review dudes are doing that require "hours" of set up time. It took me 15 minutes from opening the box to running system shock remake. This time includes bios update and Windows update. (Yeah I download real fast) it's extremely simple to use and very intuitive, if you really want an out of box experience, even Xbox has updates, so you're not avoiding much. I feel like people really exaggerate how annoying it is to use the ally
I had two and both of them killed my sd cards my second killed the SD card port to was getting stupidly hot and turning it's self off I've now sent them both back
I went with the 64gb model, and I was able to add a 500 gig SD card for only 40 bucks and Jsaux's glare-reducing screen for about 15 and I think they're both great investments, I feel like with those, I now have 90% of the perks that come with spending 250 bucks and I only had to spend 55 bucks and take about 10 minutes to put on my own screen protector.
@@mcwaller123 SD glory boys because they don’t want anything better then the one they have now. I have both and the Rog is seriously that much better in every sense tbh, but the battery but mine is usually plugged in.
Thanks for watching guys! I appreciate it 🙌🏾
Which football game you play in this video ?
I've been following you since late last year, and as always, you do great work. Your reviews are honest, and spot on for what has been my experience with the Steam Deck and ROG Ally.
I love both, and if someone came to me asking which one to get I would explain that while they are very similar, they are also different. The steam deck can be had for cheaper, but then you'd have to spend extra money to upgrade the storage for you to go with the cheaper model. The steam deck is also a lot more streamlined and user friendly. It's a lot closer to a switch in that you can literally just download almost any game off Steam and play it as if it were a regular console.
The Ally doesn't operate this way, since it is actually a quite powerful Windows 11 PC in a handheld form factor. This is a blessing and a curse. The good news is that the Ally has a much better screen with 120 hz and VRR support, in addition to a higher resolution. It can also play any PC game without the need for hacks or workarounds because it is a Windows PC.
Now for the negatives, while the Ally is significantly more powerful than the steam deck particularly at higher wattage, it also has worse battery life and tons of bugs that are due to the fact that windows is not optimized for handheld gaming as of yet. I see a lot of people blame Asus for this, but it's really a Windows issue that Asus is trying to work around.
So if someone were torn between the two and they were not experienced with dealing with all the bugs and glitches that come with tinkering with a Windows PC, I would still recommend the steam deck to them because there may be issues that the average person may not know how to circumvent in regards to a Windows device like the Ally. This would explain why the return rate is so high at Best Buy. Anecdotal evidence for sure, but I truly believe that most returns are due to the fact that people expect the ally to function like a Nintendo switch and are upset and disappointed when they realize that it's just a Windows PC with driver issues etc, and not a plug and play type of device.
In any case keep up the great work bro. 🤜
Love this! Spot on 👏🏾
Or simply due to the high amount of hardware errors? I.e. buttons that don’t function. I mean if a device got hardware problems at launch and the software is not optimized can you really blame the customer for returning? There’s not much left then is it? It’s just another unfinished product brought out in a rush and we as a customer should never accept this trend. Asus fix your shit and optimize the hell out of it. You can never make a first impression twice! That’s what the Japanese companies like Nintendo and Sony understand so well. It’s a recipe for success!
This dude is fuckin jacked! He probably broke the Y key button mashing! 😳
Lmao!
Great review and summary Midas. Covered all the important points and you aimed the info at casual gamers without confusing technical terms. One thing to add would be ASUS still hasn't addressed user repairability, at least not to the same level as the Deck where they have partnered with iFixit to make all their parts available for replacement. Also ASUS recently has not had a good track record when it comes to QA (at least with their motherboards).
Thanks! And I agree with you on the user repairability part but it's still young so we can give them some time. Same with QA, I hope that's not the case with the Ally 🙏🏾
Speaking on battery life at 15w it gets about the same battery as the steam deck and I definitely feel like the updating experience varies because it took me 20 min to update me and my girl ally it was pretty fast.
excited to watch this been watching since when you first got the steam deck
I appreciate the love and support! Means a lot to me 🙏🏾
I think its awesome to think how far we have come so quickly in the handheld gaming space.. the ROG Ally paired with the external gpu could easily take the place of a good 1440p oven of a gaming computer then u could just disconnect it and take it with you.. seriously considering it.. storge is my only concern
I've been experiencing this with the ROG Flow X13 + eGPU since 2021 (minus the handheld option). Having a small 4K laptop/tablet and doing maxed out gaming on a 4K OLED or 32:9 monitor, it's super mindblowing.
Hope next year ROG releases an improved Ally v2. The v1 is very compelling, but I feel like a bit more waiting will be worth it.
I also hope disconnecting the XGM will become faster, it's just not convenient.
❤❤
You've got glued to your channel
THANKS BRO
This is the kind of review i've been looking for. Simple and straightforward. Bonus for the satisfying ROG Ally show. You've earned a new subscriber man. Keep up the good work. 👍
You having these 100k plus only subscribers is an understatement!!!❤️❤️❤️
Bro…. Just hesitantly got ready or not expecting the worst frames. After downloading, to my extreme surprise, no gpu block, it got a solid 58 to 60 fps on all high settings. FUCKING CRAZY
For how long tho?
It'd be cool if you could make some short vids of carrying bags that can hold the ROG Ally and XG Mobile along with cables and miscellaneous stuff for travel like you did for the Steam Deck.
I feel like the bad units is just Best Buy in general because everything that ive bought from best buy has randomly broke within the first 2 weeks.
I'm hoping so! This replacement has been the complete opposite experience so far
@@midasgamespace Yeah same has happened to me
Hey Midas, great review! Finally some good Ally+XGM gameplay.
Btw. is your 4K TV an LG 120 hz?
I have the LG OLED55CX and occasionally connect my Flow X13 via XGM 3080 to it, but since over a year the HDMI ultra HD deep colour mode doesn't work anymore means I can't access the maxed out 4K 120 hz HDR 10bit mode via the XGM. I tried tons of things, nothing helped.
Does your XGM cause any such problems or can you access all TV features?
Can you check out some accessories for this device like the steam deck where the portable battery can hang or anything that can give it a case please
The Ally is awesome and totally worth the money! However, the XG Mobile 6850M is loud as heck and quite buggy. I couldn't even lower the fan speed below a fixed speed in armoury crate. Then after activating the XG Mobile it would say it's disconnected and I can't deactivate it. It would also sometimes restart my Ally when activating.
Love the idea but I had to return mine.
Your not doing it properly, you need to plug in the XG mobile then wait 10 seconds, after 10 seconds then you’ll need to turn on the XG mobile by using the switch button on the front of the XG mobile port, switch it down wards which 5 seconds later you’ll be prompt to stop a few software your running in the background then after you’ve down that you’ll then be prompt with a loading bar which means the XG mobile is been activated. The red light means it’s activated 😊
@@undisturbed809 nah, according to Asus website and instuctions you're suppose to plug in, push the lock then press ok when the prompt comes up (also stop all background processes if needed). When the light is red it's activated. No need to do all that wait between.
I did all that and the XG mobile still sometimes bugs out. Then sometimes during the activation process it restarts the Ally and I can't deactivate it since it keeps asking to activate it when it's already activated. Still wouldn 't recommend it.
Yea XG mobile has been a little messy to work with for me too.
Before the Ally came out I was looking at an ROG Z13/X13 and that's what reviewers and forums had said about the eGPU as well. It's a tough sell-- though it could truly make the Ally a one-and-done device if you didn't have or want anything else.
I’m on my second unit right now as well. After 13 days, the first unit won’t turn on and I have tried everything to resolve it. End up retiring it and hopefully this new unit is functioning properly
Hey dude cool video. Im just looking for info to buy or pass? Are you experiencing any crash or freezes? Does these tips and tricks help? Thanks in advance
Yea, does it crash as often as the steam deck?
naisu! love the review and video quality as always. keep it up man
Much love my bro! Thanks as always 🙌🏾
Great watch and review as always 👊🏿
Thanks my guy! 🙌🏾
Nice tips! Are you able to connect your Rokid glasses to the ally and charge the ally at the same time?
Good review but it is important to understand why the Ally has a 120hz screen. I dont understand why people think you're going to be able to hit 120fps in games consistently on a handheld. The 120hz screen is for VRR. VRR doesn't work on 60hz as it only works for 120hz. REGARDLESS if you hit 120fps in a game, VRR will be working to give you smoother playback when fps is jumping all over.
We have to understand the tech. The screen was never put on there to hit 120fps in aaa titles or most titles.
Peace.
It's one of the things I hope they add to a SD2. It's a great feature that would really smooth out a lot of the performance issues that the current Deck would have with various games-- especially the Indie games a lot of people really like to play.
Silky: this!
You could probably hit 120 in some indie games! Hollow Knight and Hades, 120 lets gooooo
I'm not saying i want games to hit 120fps consistently. I'm saying the battery life is already struggling so anything past 60fps on those AAA is just going to drain it faster. Most people are just going to lock it to 60fps to maximize battery life or even just get more consistent frames
@@midasgamespace the thing is if you set to 60hz VRR will not work anymore so it defeats the purpose of having VRR in the first place. Might as well leave it running at 120hz and cap the fps in game
Loving my ally really hadn’t had any issues slight software but that comes with the territory. I think some people expect too much from a handheld its all a balance or power and efficiency but honestly I usually have the deck or ally plugged in playing anyway. All i need now is a 2tb nvme ssd. Got a 1tb sd card but i hate the longer loading times.
Great review man. The external GPU and extra power is appealing. The ergonomics, lack of track pads, and clunky UI kind of kill it for me though.
You should try setting up moonlight (via Sunshine on your Ally and Moonlight on your PC/Mac)! If both devices are connected to 5GHZ network, you can stream your games to your computer with 0 latency, and you can even connect a controller
I’ll try this. Thanks for the tip!
like always thank you for the great review. keep the great work my guy!.
Nice. Had mine 3 days and love it so far. I'm highly familiar with gaming on windows so that definitely helps.
It’s a great little machine once you’re able to get past some of the usual Windows nonsense. Glad you’re enjoying yours, I haven’t heard that a lot.
@@midasgamespace yeah I have a desktop with a 3080 and a laptop with a 3080 mobile and I've battled windows on both of those the last several years so for me it's business as usual. I know how to troubleshoot most issues as well. Thankfully my unit doesn't seem to have any hardware issues which is most important and hopefully Asus will update and refine the software over time. We'll see. It's my first handful gaming device since the PSP so huge difference since then.
6850m is equivalent to 6750xt but lower performance. It's kinda sad how AMD and nvidia get away with rebranding GPUs on mobile solutions. At least they should gives us a cut down version of the 6800xt on mobile, but I guess AMD never takes the initiative and we are stuck with subpar products at inflated prices. Hope intel at least gets it right next so we can have 1 more alternative to break this duopoly.
Thanks for the ❤ 🙂
The 6800 XT is already ~250W. To cut that down on mobile you're going to lose performance, because of the power envelope shrinking.
The closest we got for a one-to-one performance in a laptop, was the 980 (non M) laptop from Nvidia-a while back.
Great videos as always! Wondering if you could do more in depth video with the Ally and the Rokid Max AR glasses. I have both myself enjoying about an hour+ then battery gets low. I'm trying to research how to charge Ally while using the Rokid glasses together. Any suggestions??
Did you switch it to 8G instead of 4G? I know you said you got this got triple AAA titles. Makes a world of difference.
I did on my first one and then it started acting up so I didn't wanna do it on the replacement. I'll try it again 🤞🏾
@@midasgamespace Dang that sucks. Sorry to hear that and good luck on the replacement.
They really need to do something about those bezels. They're so big and distracting. This is where some of the smaller companies like AyaNeo, Aokzoe/OneXPlayer, and GPDWin are doing much better. The big screens of some of their devices are so much better than the Ally and Deck.
Tbh you don’t even notice it once it’s in your hands.
@@jaycleavestbh I do notice it, especially compare to Switch OLED it is a disaster. Can’t believe how immersive the Switch OLED screen is
@@KseRBanshee true true!! But the switch isn’t in the same league as of power and what you can do. The switch oled is by far the best and in its own tier, but I wouldn’t compare the two systems by no means. Not saying you did except for the screen.
@@jaycleaves oh I’m just comparing the screen since I have all 3 of them. I agree the Switch is in a completely different category cuz it’s a handheld console and not PC. Honestly til this day, I’m still amazed holding Switch in hands, screen to body ratio and weight also help with that. Crazy to know it’s only $50 more expensive than regular Switch and it’s night and day difference in term of experience and feels like a generational leap. Ive never liked OLED screen in the past but somehow the one on Switch just works for me lol
Best review I’ve seen so far!! Thanks
Glad you enjoyed it!
Just came across this and this is a great review! However, the ROG Ally, sadly, does not have Hall Effect joysticks.
I have a ps5 wanted a pc but shit takes up to much space so I just ran across this today just bought one
The 120hz is for the VRR not necessarily for hitting 120 Hz in a game.
Thank you so much man for review egpu without using external monitor, I couldn’t find others that talks much and show gameplay in this mode yet. Considering buying one just for boosting up in handheld mode would you recommend?
Only if you find it for under 1000$ used or new. Sometimes its not even in your area or even the whole continent. I live in the netherlands and I was lucky that a czech guy sold one to me for 800$ incl priority shipping (it has to pass 2 or 3 country borders to get here).
When you say the buttons feel weird and annoying is that because you're already used to something else and have a preconceived notion of what it should feel like? Will first time handheld users arrive at the same conclusion?
I feel like that part is subjective and I meant the back grip buttons only. They have a weird shape and honestly don’t feel very nice to press.
Saw that you have the Shargeek Storm 2 in your carry bag - is it true that it doesn't work well with the Ally (disconnects/outright refuses to charge, or doesn't give the full 30W)? Shame because it's such a nice looking powerbank lol
Yeah I'm experiencing that right now and yea it's a complete shame. It's my favourite one to use too.
@@midasgamespace Thanks, will probably end up getting the Anker 737 then.
I just got this today and it feels like it’s going to explode…literally
Hi fit-gamer brother,
The Steam deck is about to get a big update of the Linux kernel, don't know when exactly but soon. Considering it's specifications, do you think that could be a game changer for the SD ?
I'm seriously considering to go for the Ally next month but for sure I'm not done with my Deck. Also we'll soon have the possibility to change the screen by the 1200p produced by DeckHD. I'm still wondering if the Ally will still represent such a real step ahead the SD after those improvements (update/screen) .
Thanks for all 🤙💪
Bro, you are jacked. Cool vid too
Thank you! 🙌🏾
This is the first video I see you talking
I haven’t used my steam deck since I got the ally last weekend lol
Same here. I’m about to give my SD to my younger brother.
@@jaycleaves gonna keep mines as a backup and just play lesser intensive games/emulators and stuff that can’t fit on my Ally.
@@bushysowavvey That’s smart Brotha.
Same… ROG ally is a BEAST!
Great video! I've had my ally since launch day...never had any issues after initial install and ssd swap....I've found that keeping everything in performance mode and medium to low settings with most games is the sweet spot. I'm getting my xg mobile 6850 on friday and I'm looking forward to testing games out with this. I'm just curious about moving between 3 different scenarios...handheld, plugged in without xg mobile and plugged in with xg mobile...I'm curious if I have to tweak settings coming in and out of using the xg mobile.
Thanks for checking out the video! I'm glad you've found how to make the Ally work best for you. As for the XG mobile, I'm still looking for how to set up profiles to use when in any of those 3 scenarios you mentioned. I definitely hate always having to tweak things everytime I make the switch.
Thanks for video!!!
Now I should deside what is better - Steam Deck or Ally )))
off topic. How many days a week should someone workout to get into your type of shape?
I train 6 days a week but 5 days is good enough 😁
@@midasgamespace thanks bro.
That, and remember that a physique like his is made about 85% in the kitchen and 15% in the gym.
I'm a fat dude who lifts about 4x a week and does Martial Arts 2x a week because cardio is boring as shit, but it's harder to see because I eat like I'm in a perpetual dirty bulk. I'm guessing Midas really has his macros under wrap.
Isn’t it a hassle plugging in the ally dock mode then changing the graphics settings then unplugging go to settings again and change the graphics over and over
Yea I see how that could be annoying. Never thought of that 😬
@@midasgamespace yeah me personally I would save up and spend a little more on a dedicated desktop pc or gaming laptop and also have the rog ally
One work around you could do is using different profiles like have admin profile and another user using max graphic settings
@@frankraym maybe but I like my stuff already a one time set up and done plug and play type
Yooo please drop the name of the tv you’re using in the second half
so where can we buy the carrying bag you use for all your portable gaming systems?
Great video, quick question. I can’t get city skylines to play through steam on my Ally. It doesn’t recognize the controls.
See you have that sharkgeek charger, have you tested to see if that can actually provide 65w charging? My sharkgeek only does 32-34w
I use it with the Ayaneo 2 but after just now trying it out on the Ally I’m getting the same as you. 🤨 I gotta look into this.
Steam deck on Linux and low display still top1 on portable control.🎉✅
Hey bro, I wanted to ask you a question, tell me, are the NREAL AR GLASSES virtual reality glasses compatible with the rog ally asus? I'm about to buy one and I wanted you to tell me your experience
hi! do you have any idea if the micro SD speeds on the steam deck can be somewhat close to the speed as the internal ssd? I might end up getting the 256gb version with a large SD card to go with it!
Thanks for the videos, they're really helpful!
You are best TH-camr in the world 🌎 ❤
O my Got! You are very interesting man and very strong! 💪
Thank you! 🙏🏾
Did your XG Mobile work on Turbo mode? Mine works fine on performance and when I switch to turbo, the fan turns up high but the frames drop to like 20.
The entire time with it in the video I was in turbo mode. It works great in turbo mode even though the fans are annoyingly loud lol. Maybe there's an update you need to do. Has it always been like that since you got it?
@@midasgamespacedangit im not sure what the problem is lol. It works great in performance and when using turbo the XG Mobile just freaks out. It must just be some sort of needed update
@@NickWDawson Yea check on those GPU driver updates. They’re always messing with a lot of things.
Hello, sorry, i am barely speak english and don't understand your video 😅😅 it is asus rog ally better than steam deck? I am going to buy something, and don't know steam deck or rog ally
at Bestbuy cost 699 for z1 extreme ? FCK! here in Berlin z1 Extreme cost 799euro
Wow! That's ridiculous
Are you still gonna be rocking the deck or you gonna switch or to the alloy for day to day use?
I’ll be keeping both for now. Ally has already failed me once so I’m watching it closely. The deck might not get much use if the Ally keeps playing nice 🤞🏾
@@midasgamespace ya I'm thinking of getting one since I really want to play games like cod and destiny but I hear that in its current state it's still pretty incomplete 😕
@@clakty2302 Wait a month or two and watch as things progress. A lot of the issues with the Ally will probably have solutions by then.
@@midasgamespace definitely I remember that happening with the steam deck thank you for the advice and great videos man
I love you Midas zthe touch of gold.😅😅
Anyone ever told you you look like Henry ruggs
Controllers are getting to the point where moderate use shit starts messing up on them. Having that stuff built in seems to be not worth it.
my adoptive dad is gonna be getting one of these
Off topic, does your steam deck crash as much as mine?
These companies have to understand that only in U.S its THATs simple to return a unit and get a new one. But in Europe you have to submit a refund. PROOVE your unit is damaged, sent it back, wait for it to get back for 3 weeks. Than MAYBE get a new unit or a refund. Its a nightmare.
Wow! That sounds very stressful 🙁
if you've to choose one?
If I had to choose and had the money, I'd go for the Ally and that's inky because I get these handhelds for AAA games and performance is extremely important to me. If the Steam Deck had a better chip, it'd be my choice but I feel like they shouldn't be comparable for that reason alone.
I already bought a Steam Deck, and I love it, but I really see the potential in the Ally for everything from a low-budget gaming PC, something that can handle moderate VR, to something I can plug a few peripherals in and also use as a productivity device.
I admit though, I love the Steam Deck's ability to pause verified games and wake up to them, even if I leave my deck in my work bag all weekend. The software and community support make it more difficult to spring another 700 + tax for an Ally, but if I didn't have a Steam Deck already, with what the Ally can do and the fact I can pick one up at Best Buy and return it there?
I'd get one right away. I still might though, just to replace my EDC laptop and consolidate my portable gaming.
THOSE TEMPS THOUGH 95°c at 30w
This is why the sd cards are all frying
Which SD card u r using for ROG Ally?
The mail problem is the egpu stock and in consequence , price is ridiculous:(
I got the xg mobile 6850m and play with it in handheld mode still. So smooth it's crazy but sucks your stuck in one holding position but it is hard to go back to running without it. I was fine before I got it but now I see the slowdowns without it lol. I got a 2tb to install as well the rocket t4 Sabrent just lazy installing it 😫
Bruh I’m in the same boat hahaha got a 1TB card and 2TB rocket been lagging it and now ima add this soon
Please review the legion go 😁😁
Bro what’s your gym routine? 😂
How's fifa on this thing? I'm a big fifa guy and want to pick this up.
Runs like a charm at over 60fps consistently
Do you think it's worth the $700?
I feel like I’m comparison to the top model of the Steam Deck, the pricing for this is good since it’s got much better hardware. The other handhelds don’t even close to the Ally in price.
Did you Test IT with your nreal Air?
Yea it works with that too!
A live game would be nice if you’re doing a review next time preferably fortnite
The video is 22 minutes long already so it was hard to decide what's games to show. Maybe I'll do a separate one just focused on testing several games with the Ally.
It is soo small but playing game so smoothly while my laptop can't play gta 4 properly 🥲
How much network needed for game
Can we connect normal external gpu to it
How much for the eGPU?
Bought one, has all kinds of performance issues and had to return it. Pretty bummed about it.
Hello.
Did you get it at best buy or asus online shop?
@@getthefeels8611 Best Buy
I think rog ally dosent have steam decks magic
Yea I think it's missing that too 🥲. But let's give it some time before we rule it out. Competition is good after all
Steam not good
@@midasgamespace I hope this competition have effect on Nintendo next console
Great review! But the triggers are not hall effect magnetic triggers they are traditional spring loaded
No, they are hall effect.
Someone tried to swap out the sticks with hall effect sticks and they detected interference from the trigger on the left side where the stick is much closer to the trigger.
Do you pump right before shooting a vid? 😂
Hello bro Steam Deck or asus rog alay ?
Budget & User Friendly - Steam Deck
Experienced PC Gamers & More Performance (Only important if you play more recent AAA games) - ROG Ally
Do you even lift ?
It does not have Hall effect joysticks
Man’s a fifa player
Not as much as I used to be anymore 🥲
Be careful with microSD, I have heard they fried on discord community
Wow! I'll probably end up replacing the internal storage instead
There’s a fix for it now. There’s vids posted regarding the fix.
It's to early to come out, there's a lot of issues that they need to fix
Hi dude.and can you test battlefield 2042
woooww i want to have this one 😍😍😍👍🏻👍🏻
I chose the Steam Deck since it was on sale and waaay more cheaper and I play mostly light games like Yakuza or MGS and mainly emulate games. For something more serious or tryhard I jump on my PC.
Plus... this is ASUS and lately ASUS are absolutely atrocious, they are like the Nintendo of hardware. Their support is terribad and people - as a owner of ASUS Strix motherboard, trust me - Armory Crate is cancerware that bogs down the machine. Ah, yes - also W11...
I just can’t pull the trigger on an Ally with these issues constantly popping up. I’m still so happy with my SD and it works. I don’t worry about it crapping out on a plane in the first week etc
If you worried about running into issues, I'd suggest waiting a few months until theres a fix for everything and buy then they'll probably be on sale too.
@@midasgamespace Agreed. And with Ayaneo, Ayn, and others pushing we all benefit from choice
If I didn’t have to wait and hope that my ps5 games come to pc I would sell my ps5 and just stick with the ally
Idk what all these ally review dudes are doing that require "hours" of set up time. It took me 15 minutes from opening the box to running system shock remake. This time includes bios update and Windows update. (Yeah I download real fast) it's extremely simple to use and very intuitive, if you really want an out of box experience, even Xbox has updates, so you're not avoiding much. I feel like people really exaggerate how annoying it is to use the ally
Your experience is yours, never assume yours is the only one there is.
I LOVE mine
I had two and both of them killed my sd cards my second killed the SD card port to was getting stupidly hot and turning it's self off I've now sent them both back
We have two and both work perfect.
I think I was unlucky
Steam deck wins on Value, you get so much value for your money especially with the 64Gb model, Ally is too expensive for a casual gamer
The SD is definitely the best buy if money is the deciding factor
I went with the 64gb model, and I was able to add a 500 gig SD card for only 40 bucks and Jsaux's glare-reducing screen for about 15 and I think they're both great investments, I feel like with those, I now have 90% of the perks that come with spending 250 bucks and I only had to spend 55 bucks and take about 10 minutes to put on my own screen protector.
I have both and the SD can’t touch the Rog Ally imo. I’m going to give my SD to my younger brother. Switch it to 8g instead of 4g.
What’s up with Steam Deck owners defending and praising the SD on every Ally video 😅 both have their pros and cons
@@mcwaller123 SD glory boys because they don’t want anything better then the one they have now. I have both and the Rog is seriously that much better in every sense tbh, but the battery but mine is usually plugged in.