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ASUS has today formally revealed all about their handheld gaming PC, the ROG Ally and it's releasing in June with a pretty competitive price. It runs Windows 11, so for the GamingOnLinux followers, it may not exactly be what you're after. However, with handheld PC gaming rising, especially with the Linux powered Steam Deck, it's good to keep an eye on the competition right?

Today they revealed the pricing after many leaks:

  • AMD Ryzen Z1 model: $599 - launching in Q3.
  • AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme model: $699 - launching June 13th.

Picture source - ASUS YouTube

Goes without saying really but I will anyway: I will be sticking to the Steam Deck and desktop Linux. Just because something new comes along, doesn't mean I'm going to instantly jump towards it. Not everyone has money to burn every time something a bit more powerful comes along.

IGN already have a review of it up and it sounds overall like a good device, with battery life also not long when playing bigger games like the Steam Deck. They do make a point that the initial experience with Windows 11 and ASUS Armoury Crate being a nuisance.

It will definitely be interesting to watch how this will affect the Steam Deck though. Competition is absolutely good! It benefits everyone and it pushes all sides to do better. Plus, the more companies that show there's a demand for handheld gaming like this, the better the future will be for it, including a potential Steam Deck 2.

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Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
Tags: Hardware, Misc
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I am the owner of GamingOnLinux. After discovering Linux back in the days of Mandrake in 2003, I constantly came back to check on the progress of Linux until Ubuntu appeared on the scene and it helped me to really love it. You can reach me easily by emailing GamingOnLinux directly. Find me on Mastodon.
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89 comments
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mr-victory May 11, 2023
$599, now THAT IS actual competition after many attempts from other vendors.
herrorange May 11, 2023
I really like the hardware here and the resulting experience (based on video reviews we already had from LTT and D2D), but I really don't want a Windows device, if SteamOS will work fine on this device, then it's worth looking into.
Aeder May 11, 2023
As always, what makes or breaks these devices is software support, and ASUS recent troubles with their Ryzen motherboards do not instill any confidence in their ability to handle that.
Kithop May 11, 2023
So don't get me wrong - I have a 2021 'AMD Advantage' Asus ROG Strix gaming laptop that is my daily driver and spends 90% of its time in Linux, and while it has its quirks and drawbacks it's on the whole pretty good hardware wise. But I feel like this is kind of missing the point. New SoC is great performance wise, but as that review states: no touchpads (actually something I really like on my Steam Deck!) and the dodgy Windows experience vs. the work Valve's put in on SteamOS.

...and then the battery life kicker at the end. Yeah, you can get 8hrs out of it, 'just like the Steam Deck', if you drop to 720p and drop all your settings to Low so the thing isn't running full bore. Otherwise an hour and a half is a little quick for a handheld.

It'd be nice to have the option of brief, high power sessions and then a battery life preset, I guess, so at least they're trying something a little different, but if you already have a gaming desktop or laptop and are supplementing with a handheld, I feel like you probably want that battery life.
omer666 May 11, 2023
To think this device could have been $50 cheaper without the Windows licence...
buckysrevenge May 11, 2023
I'm sure Valve is fine with the competition, too, since they'll make their cut from game sales no matter what device you buy/play your games on
const May 11, 2023
Quoting: omer666To think this device could have been $50 cheaper without the Windows licence...
Might as well be a strategic partnership...
const May 11, 2023
QuoteThe biggest negative is that the Ally lacks the Steam Deck’s (and the Switch’s) ability to suspend and resume a game at the touch of a button. This means that any time you want to stop playing for longer than a simple pause, you’ll need to save and quit out of your game entirely, and load up again fresh the next time you want to play. This is, of course, the standard way things go on desktop PCs
Damn, I'll keep my Deck for this alone :/
ElamanOpiskelija May 11, 2023
1-2h battery...
I hate to bring this up, but my also-ASUS laptop with Fedora can play most games at 15W TDP, and that lasts me definitely longer than 2 hours.
Eike May 11, 2023
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QuoteThey do make a point that the initial experience with Windows 11 and ASUS Armoury Crate being a nuisance.

Quoting: const
QuoteThe biggest negative is that the Ally lacks the Steam Deck’s (and the Switch’s) ability to suspend and resume a game at the touch of a button. This means that any time you want to stop playing for longer than a simple pause, you’ll need to save and quit out of your game entirely, and load up again fresh the next time you want to play. This is, of course, the standard way things go on desktop PCs
Damn, I'll keep my Deck for this alone :/

As usual... Linux is just more user friendly! :D
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