Asus ROG Ally (2023) Review: A Handheld I Didn’t Think I Needed

The sentiment of taking massive AAA titles on the go is still such a profound thing to experience when I look back at the games I was playing on my GameBoy Color. From the days of Tetris and Pokémon Red (or whatever games you played as a kid) to console-quality experiences, handheld gaming is a medium that has come a long way in a short amount of time. Despite the clear advancements, I was adamantly against owning a device like this simply due to the high price of admission. Yet, after experiencing the power and convenience of the Asus ROG Ally, it has become my preferred way to play in my down time. 

A Vibrant Look Into Modern Handheld Gaming 

The Asus ROG Ally is a handheld gaming device that has all the horsepower to run pretty much any game in your library. Boasting a 120Hz, full HD 1080p display, I still found myself impressed at how sharp my games looked. This was apparent when playing games like Clair Obscur Expedition 33, which really puts this console’s power capabilities to the test. Seeing the lavish animations and intricate details in characters and environments without dropping a frame was a sight to behold. On the flip side of this, playing a game like the Spyro Reignited Trilogy shows how vibrant and bright colors can be. 

What I enjoy the most about my ROG Ally is the fact that all of my major PC gaming libraries are here. Xbox Game Pass, the Epic Games Store, GOG Galaxy, and Steam are all at my fingertips on this one console. The one feature I took advantage of the most during my time with the ROG Ally was Xbox Cloud Gaming. And while cloud streaming off the ROG Ally I didn’t encounter any lag, frame drops, or any real performance issues, which I can accredit to the onboard WiFi 6E that the ROG Ally uses.

Beyond performance, my main concern with the ROG Ally was testing how the battery would hold up. Having known the capabilities of this device, I figured battery life would be consumed rather quickly. A typical play session for me off a full battery would last around 4 hours, which was more than enough for me, though the only caveat here was that this was heavily dependent on the performance needed to run the game I was currently playing. If you happen to be out and about but need to charge your device, the ROG Ally has the ability to charge from 0% to 50% in just about 30 minutes, which came in handy on more than one occasion when I was on the road and forgot to charge it overnight.

What I can’t neglect to mention is the build quality of the ROG Ally. Having spent hours on end with my Nintendo Switch that was the only solid reference point I had for a “modern” handheld gaming console. While it is a pioneer in the handheld gaming space, The Switch to me always felt a little flimsy and at times almost like a toy with its light feel and plastic exterior. Upon first taking the ROG Ally out of the box, I noticed the weight behind it that makes it feel like a true premium product. The buttons felt very smooth to the touch and clicky in all the right ways. And while I would not recommend dropping your ROG Ally, I am fairly confident it can take a few hits. Since it follows the same button scheme as Xbox, it was a breeze to instantly jump into my favorite games.

A High Price to Pay

Another thing that should be stressed when talking about the ROG Ally is the fact that it is a PC at its core. I bring this up because a lot of casual consumers might be expecting a device that plugs in and just works like a traditional console. Thankfully, I was prepared for an extensive setup process upon unboxing the device. This came in the form of countless Windows updates, driver updates, and installs that needed to be done prior to any actual gaming. If you are not used to the world of PC gaming or updating your hardware as often as you should, this device might be a bit more hassle than you think.

While minor, I would be remiss not to mention the need to button map inputs for certain games. I know this is normally the case with a lot of games nowadays, and some people prefer to craft their own button layout to begin with, but it is another pain point those coming from the console world might encounter. When I wanted to hop into a game like R.E.P.O., I found it to be a drag having to go through each and every input only to find there weren’t enough buttons available to map out. With that being said, the Asus ROG Ally does offer a gamepad mode, which is more like using your Xbox controller and the more universal option for all your games. But for smaller and lesser-known PC games that are excluded from the gamepad mode, the experience takes a hit. 

A PC gaming handheld was always on my radar, but having seen countless makes and models on the market always felt like product overload. When the dust settled and a few brands had established themselves as the key players, the determining factor that always kept me away from purchasing a device like this was the price point. That remains true with the ROG Ally, which comes in at a rather hefty $500-$650 price tag, depending on the internal processor you opt to go with. For the price alone, I can’t universally recommend this device as the bona fide way everyone should be playing their games in 2025. That said, if you consider yourself a gaming enthusiast looking for a way to play your games on the go with little to no concessions, and have the spare change to spend, this is the device you’ve been looking for.

Final Verdict

I was truly blown away during my time with the Asus ROG Ally. Since getting my hands on this console, it has slowly become my new favorite gaming device. After experiencing the sheer delight of having access to all my games during long travel days, I can’t imagine going without. That being said, its high price tag is still a deterrent for me, and I would point you in the direction of a traditional home console if you are looking for something that just works straight out of the box, even with rising prices in the market. If you are deeply ingrained in the world of gaming like myself and have your hands in multiple PC gaming libraries you want access to out of the house, the ROG Ally sets the new standard for what handheld gaming consoles can do. 

The Asus ROG Ally (2023) was reviewed with a device provided by Asus.

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