The Asus ROG Ally really challenges the Steam deck.
On June 13, device maker Asus will start selling its Asus ROG Ele handheld console worldwide, including Finland. The price is 799 Euro.
The handheld console, which weighs a little over half a kilo, features a 7-inch Full HD touch screen with a 120Hz panel. Inside you can find AMD’s processor (Ryzen Z1 Extreme), RDNA 3 graphics chip, 16 gigabytes of RAM memory and 512 gigabytes of SSD storage space. The operating system is Windows 11.
The storage space can be expanded with a microSD card. Apart from the speaker, the Ellie has a 3.5mm audio jack and a USB-C port that supports DisplayPort 1.4. A dock is sold separately, with which the handheld console can be connected to a TV. The handheld console also supports external graphics cards if you want extra performance.
A model with a weaker processor (Ryzen Z1) and graphics card will be released during the fall, the price of which is not yet confirmed.
This is what the handheld console looks like in the hand.
The Asus ROG Companion directly challenges Valve’s popular Steam Deck handheld console, which is slated to release in February 2022. This raised the interest of handheld consoles that functioned like PCs to a whole new level.
Valve’s high-quality handheld console runs on the company’s own SteamOS, which is Linux-based, so not all PC games work on it. Asus relies on Windows, so in the case of the ally, the game is not working, it is at best dependent on the display.
Regardless of the choice of operating system, Steam Deck works with a huge number of games from the popular Steam service. Steam Deck also provided assurance to the supplier of the IS that purchased the device.
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The Steam Deck is sold in three versions. The cheapest 64GB model costs €419, the faster 526GB model costs €549 and the middle model costs €679. Compared to others, the best model has the fastest storage memory and a non-reflective glass screen
The device from Asus is much more efficient than the Steam Deck, so the price was considered in the range of up to a thousand euros. The price of 800 euros has surprised many people who are looking at the device positively. In the US, the device costs $699 before taxes.
