ASUS ROG Ally handheld prototype pictured
Since ASUS announced the ROG Ally handheld gaming device, this compact unit equipped with a custom Zen 4+RDNA 3 architecture chip has attracted considerable attention from gamers and is considered a formidable competitor to the Steam Deck. The ROG Ally is currently undergoing certification and testing.
ASUS ROG Ally prototypes, Source: Engadget
According to VideoCardz, the ASUS ROG Ally prototype has been unveiled, revealing previously considered design variations, slightly different screen sizes, and even detachable game controllers similar to the Nintendo Switch. However, unlike Valve, ASUS did not consider incorporating a touchpad like the Steam Deck.
The new images also reveal the ROG Ally’s complete PCB, featuring the Ryzen Z1 Extreme chip built on the foundation of AMD’s codenamed “Phoenix” Ryzen 7040 series. At first glance, there are no significant differences between the Ryzen Z1 Extreme and the Ryzen 7040 series chips, apart from variations in capacitor positioning and quantity.
The ROG Ally handheld is equipped with a ROG XG Mobile GPU expansion interface, allowing users to further enhance performance using ASUS’s XG Mobile GPU dock, currently supporting up to the GeForce RTX 4090 mobile GPU. Moreover, VideoCardz provided images from a previous closed-door event where ASUS presented the device to the media, with the same codename (RC71L), corroborating that the Ryzen Z1 series chips were developed based on the Ryzen 7 7840U.
ASUS ROG Custom Ryzen Z1 APU vs. AMD Phoenix, Source: Engadget/AMD
According to previous information, the ROG Ally measures 280 x 133 x 39 mm and weighs 608g, making it slightly smaller than the Steam Deck in terms of length, width, thickness, and weight. The ROG Ally features a 7-inch screen with a 1080p resolution, a 120Hz refresh rate, a 5ms response time, and a brightness of 500 nits. Furthermore, the ROG Ally is equipped with 16GB of LPDDR5 memory, an M.2 2230 PCIe 4.0 SSD with 512GB capacity, and a MicroSD card slot.
Gamers won’t have to wait long, as the ROG Ally is expected to launch this quarter, with a rumored price tag of $649.
