On April 1st, ASUS launched a portable PC game machine “ROG ALLY” announced. It was difficult to judge whether it was an April Fool’s joke because the date was just the date, but today I was guided again with the comment “Today is” 4/2 “!” was strongly suggested. Best Buy, a major overseas retail chain, has also released a page for receiving reservation information.
ROG ALLY is the company’s first portable PC game machine developed from ASUS’s gaming brand ROG (Republic of Gamers). Aiming to improve performance on small devices, it is said that it is a proud product packed with the company’s know-how that constantly challenges the limits of gaming.
This machine is a PC that uses the Windows 11 OS, and is equipped with a custom-made “fastest APU” jointly developed with AMD. AAA games can be carried outside and enjoyed with beautiful and smooth images on a high-performance display. It also has a dual fan that works with the ROG intelligent cooling system that has been used in ASUS ROG gaming PCs. Detailed specifications have not been announced.
The housing adopts a style that can be said to be Nintendo Switch style or Steam Deck style, with controllers placed on the left and right of the display. It also has triggers, bumper buttons, and rear buttons. It seems that a full-size analog stick is used, and LED illumination can be seen around it.
One of the features is that it supports ROG XG Mobile, a so-called external GPU box. ROG XG Mobile has a model equipped with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU, etc., and connects to this unit through a unique interface. You can enjoy PC games with higher quality images and performance. It is possible to play in a mobile style while on the go, and connect to ROG XG Mobile and a TV at home to enjoy full-scale play.
In addition, the utility software “ARMORY CRATE” is also supported. You can use the library function that can centrally manage PC games installed from various platforms and key mapping settings for each title. Even in the released video, there are scenes where various functions of the software are used, and the library is lined with games that seem to have been installed from Steam and the Microsoft Store.
Portable PC game consoles have traditionally been dominated by products from relatively small manufacturers, but last year’s release of the Steam Deck brought more attention to them. And this time, ASUS, a major device for PCs, has also entered the market. ROG ALLY will be equipped with Windows 11, so products from manufacturers such as GPD, AYANEO, and ONE-NETBOOK will be direct rivals, but depending on price and usability, it may also compete with Steam Deck. . I would like to pay attention to the follow-up report on the details of the product.
