ASUS teases a successor to the ROG Ally, but it may not be what you think

The ASUS ROG Ally was released in June 2023 across international markets - marking an (almost) one-year anniversary for the beloved handheld gaming PC. Widely considered as the best, proper Windows-based competitor to Valve’s Steam Deck, the Ally does a lot of things right - despite a few major pitfalls.

To celebrate the occasion, it would seem that ASUS has prepared a refreshed version of the ROG Ally, which is set to be announced later today. While exciting, the updated device is poised to be nothing more than a mid-gen refresh, which may be disappointing for some.

Note: This article is subjective and reflects the author’s opinions.

---

The new ROG Ally is likely to be a mid-gen refresh with no performance improvements

As detailed in the Thank You and Happy Birthday ROG Ally video uploaded by the ROG Global channel, the Ally has seen tremendous sales and very positive reviews from both fans and critics alike since its launch approximately a year ago.

As such, ASUS is planning to launch an updated Ally 2 sometime this year, which was brought to light by multiple leaks prior. This was all but confirmed by the curiously scheduled announcement video for later today, May 9, titled The next ROG Ally is coming. Judging by current trends, the device should be available in the second half of 2024 - although getting your hands on one is an entirely different matter altogether.

The Ally 2 is more than likely to be a mid-gen refresh, boasting crucial quality-of-life improvements and further refinements that should further cement the Ally’s place as the king of Windows-based PC handhelds. To that extent, a list of these expected improvements are detailed below:

• SD Card fix: An updated design is expected that should entirely eliminate the SD Card issue that used to plague all Ally models. Newer units should not fry SD Cards anymore.
• Improvements to battery life: A larger battery is expected to ship with the Ally 2, which should allow for more game time. The device's current iteration suffers from poor battery life (a side effect of the Z1 Extreme being too power hungry) and as such this update would be very much appreciated.
• Display improvements: An updated display is also expected, with adjustments to bezels and brightness. While an OLED panel would be neat to have, it is unlikely to be added in this iteration.
• Z2 Extreme: The Ally 2 may ship with an updated chipset (aka the Ryzen Z2 Extreme). The APU is expected to be more power efficient than the Z1 Extreme, while delivering similar levels of performance.
• New design and build: The Ally 2 is also expected to bring with it an all-new build and sleeker design, along with a black colorway.
• Alternative OS support: With Valve acknowledging and expressing a desire to push SteamOS for additional devices, it is hoped that the Ally will receive an official fork of the project. This would greatly benefit users who wish to use Linux instead of Windows, which is admittedly quite janky on a handheld.

While ASUS’s strategy to not completely rework the Ally may seem disappointing at first glance, it is quite understandable - the technology isn’t quite there yet to warrant a full-on refresh. These quality-of-life improvements for the ROG Ally are in no way insignificant however, and should make the handheld a lot more appealing for future buyers, especially with the SD Card fix in mind.