Asus ROG Ally: Steam Deck’s Formidable Rival with Confirmed Release Date and Competitive Pricing

The gaming world is abuzz with anticipation as the Asus ROG Ally emerges as the biggest rival to the Steam Deck in the handheld gaming PC arena. Building on the excitement surrounding its impressive tech specifications, Asus has finally unveiled the official price and release date during their highly anticipated launch event. Get ready to experience the power of the Asus ROG Ally as it hits the market on June 13th, priced at $700 USD, with preorders now open exclusively on Best Buy.

On paper, the Asus ROG Ally showcases a clear advantage over the Steam Deck in multiple aspects. Its AMD Ryzen Z1 processor, featuring a Zen 4 8-core CPU and RDNA 3 GPU rated at an impressive 8.6 TFlops, solidifies its position as the most powerful handheld PC to date. In comparison, the Steam Deck relies on a Zen 2 CPU and RDNA 2 GPU with a rating of 1.6 TFlops. Additionally, the ROG Ally boasts a superior display, offering a higher resolution IPS screen with a remarkable 1080p resolution and an impressive refresh rate of up to 120Hz, while the Steam Deck features a 1280×800 resolution with a 60Hz display. Notably, the Asus ROG Ally also holds an advantage in terms of weight, weighing in at just 608 grams (1.34 lbs), surpassing the Steam Deck’s 669 grams (1.47 lbs).

For a comprehensive overview of the Asus ROG Ally’s impressive specifications, please refer below:

Asus ROG Ally Full Tech Specs:

Operating System: Windows 11 Home
CPU: AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme Processor (Zen 4 architecture, 8-core/16-thread, up to 5.1 GHz boost)
GPU: RDNA 3 (12 CUs up to 2.7 GHz, 8.6 TFlops, 4GB VRAM)
APU Power Draw: 9 to 30 Watts
Display: 7-inch IPS panel with a glossy finish, peak brightness of 500 nits, 7ms response time, and touch screen functionality
Resolution: 1920×1080 @ 120 Hz refresh rate (AMD FreeSync Premium)
Memory: 16 GB dual-channel LPDDR5 RAM (6400 MT/s)
Storage: 512 GB NVMe m.2 SSD
Ports: 3.5mm audio jack, USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 combo port with DisplayPort 1.4 support, UHS-II microSD card reader
Battery: 40 WHrs
Power Supply: 65W USB-C PD 3.0 power supply
Weight: 608 grams / 1.34 lbs

As an enticing bonus, purchasers of the Asus ROG Ally will receive three months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for free. With native Game Pass support on the ROG Ally’s Windows operating system, gamers can seamlessly enjoy a vast library of games without the need for additional configurations. This advantage sets it apart from the Steam Deck, which natively runs Linux, requiring additional setup for Game Pass gaming. The Asus ROG Ally offers versatile usage options, including the ability to connect to a TV using the ROG Gaming Charger Dock (sold separately), similar to the Nintendo Switch dock. For those seeking a powerful desktop PC experience, external GPUs are also available. Notably, the ROG XG Mobile offers the choice of an Nvidia RTX 4090 laptop GPU for $2,000 or an AMD Radeon 6850M XT for $800.

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