ASUS ROG Ally: Executive confirms gamers can hold off on troublesome recent BIOS update

A few weeks ago, we discussed apparent performance improvements that ASUS had brought to the ROG Ally, its first gaming handheld. According to Dave Lee, ASUS distributed these changes via new firmware that it had not finalised in time to be part of early reviews. Reportedly, the firmware update brought up to 20% performance improvements in games and allowed the ROG Ally to match the similarly-equipped AYA NEO 2S in most scenarios.

Unfortunately, there are multiple reports that ASUS has since taken a step back from sources, including The Phawx and The Verge. Both state that the device's latest BIOS update reduces performance by up to 20%. Worse still, The Phawx notes that 0.2% and 1% FPS lows have regressed. Hence, ROG Ally units running BIOS 319 are likely to incur more in-game stuttering than those on earlier BIOS revisions.

Fortunately, it is possible to downgrade to or remain on BIOS 317 and skip BIOS 319 altogether. In fact, an ASUS ROG executive advised in a live stream that ROG Ally owners can hold off from installing BIOS 319. Seemingly, the company is working on resolving the performance degradation that BIOS 319 causes, although it is unclear when this will be available. Please see the videos below for advice on downgrading to BIOS 317 and how BIOS 319 affects performance in modern triple-A titles.

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