The ASUS ROG Ally is already proving a new disruptor in the gaming handheld space, nearly two years after Valve revealed the Steam Deck. While ASUS has not unveiled all ROG Ally specifications yet, it appears that GPD has moved quickly to share new information about the Win Mini. So far, there have been various disparate leaks about the ROG Ally since the device's first teaser roughly three weeks ago. In summary, the key specifications for the ROG Ally are as follows:
ASUS ROG Ally | |
---|---|
Dimensions | 280 x 113 x 39 mm |
Weight | 608 g |
Display | 7-inch IPS1,920 x 1,080 pixels16:9 aspect ratio120 Hz refresh rate500 nits peak brightness7 ms response times |
APU | AMD Ryzen Z1 (Ryzen 5 7540U)AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme |
iGPU | Radeon 740M (Ryzen Z1) |
Storage | 512 GB PCIe Gen4 (M.2 2280)UHS-II Micro SD card reader |
RAM | 16 GB LPDD5 dual-channel, soldered |
Software | Windows 11, Armoury Crate SE pre-installed |
Other | Two fansXG Mobile connector for eGPU expansion |
Battery capacity remains unknown for now. However, ASUS has revealed via Dave Lee that the ROG Ally will launch with a battery capacitive competitive with the 40 Wh capacity that the Steam Deck offers. In comparison, the GPD Win 4 has a 45.62 Wh battery. Please see our GPD Win 4 review for our full thoughts on the company's latest gaming handheld.
Additionally, ASUS bills the ROG Ally as the first gaming handheld with custom AMD Ryzen APUs. Recent Geekbench listings suggest that AMD has based these APUs on the Ryzen 5 7540U and the Ryzen 7 7840U. It is unclear what customisations AMD and ASUS have made, with both APUs also appearing to retain their standard Radeon 740M and Radeon 780M iGPUs, respectively.
Regardless, Geekbench highlighted that ASUS will offer the ROG Ally with Ryzen Z1 and Ryzen Z1 Extreme chipsets, which leaked marketing materials underlines. Incidentally, The Phawx asserts that there could also be a Z1 Pro variant based on the Ryzen 5 7640U. In short, the Ryzen 5 7540U and Ryzen 5 7640U should deliver equivalent CPU performance, each with 6 CPU cores. The latter should have the edge over the former's GPU performance though, with 4 Compute Units (CUs) in the Radeon 740M and 8 CUs in the Radeon 760M.
Previously, The Phawx claimed that ASUS would target Steam Deck pricing, with US$650-US$700 launch pricing. The YouTuber has since informed his Twitter followers that pricing may vary between US$400 and US$900, with a US$650 starting price point for Z1 Pro SKUs. This appears to be speculative though, so we would treat it with some scepticism for now. Currently, ASUS is expected to announce the ROG Ally later this quarter. The company has not revealed anything about pricing or availability yet, other than a Twitter post in which it teased that the ROG Ally may launch 'sooner than you expect'.
Source(s)
Various (see links to older articles)