Skip to main content

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

A cheaper ROG Ally is coming, but you shouldn’t wait for it

Asus has finally given its hotly anticipated ROG Ally a price and release date (you can read my full thoughts on the device in our Asus ROG Ally review). The flagship model, the one I reviewed, arrives on June 13 for $700. But a cheaper model is on the way for only $600 later in the year.

It rarely pays to be an early adopter, so you might be tempted to wait for the cheaper model. I wouldn’t hold out for it, though. The base model comes with the Ryzen Z1 processor, not the Z1 Extreme, and it’s looking far less powerful.

Performance for the AMD Z1 processor.
AMD

The above chart from AMD shows a relative idea of how much weaker the Ryzen Z1 is. Sure, it can hold up decently in a game like DOTA 2 or Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, but it’s around half as powerful in Red Dead Redemption 2 and even worse in Shadow of the Tomb Raider. 

But the most important thing is that no one has actually tested the ROG Ally with the Ryzen Z1. Those benchmarks above were run in a sample device, not the final ROG Ally that will be shipped. I wouldn’t be surprised to see the ROG Ally with the Ryzen Z1 underperform compared to the older Steam Deck.

As you can see in my ROG Ally versus Steam Deck comparison, the ROG Ally is a clear winner. But it’s not as far ahead as its theoretical power would suggest, especially if you want to get any decent battery life out of the device.

Asus ROG Ally with the Windows lock screen.
Jacob Roach / Digital Trends

My worry with the base Ryzen Z1 model is that you’ll have to sacrifice performance or battery life to get anything nearing the Steam Deck, especially considering that it comes with the same 1080p screen as the ROG Ally with the Z1 Extreme processor.

The main reason why is that the Ryzen Z1 fits into the same power range as the Z1 Extreme: 9 watts up to 30W. It comes withjust six Zen 4 cores instead of eight like the Z1 Extreme has, and a measly four RDNA 3 cores instead of the 12 the Z1 Extreme has access to. That hindered graphics power shows up in AMD’s benchmarks, and I suspect they’ll only be exaggerated once the Ryzen Z1 is properly inside the ROG Ally.

For now, that’s just speculation. The ROG Ally with the base Ryzen Z1 is coming in the second half of the year. Meanwhile, pre-orders for the model with the Z1 Extreme are live at Best Buy. If you’re planning on picking up the ROG Ally, this is a rare case where I wouldn’t recommend waiting for the cheaper model. It’s looking like a different class of device entirely.

Editors' Recommendations

Jacob Roach
Senior Staff Writer, Computing
Jacob Roach is a writer covering computing and gaming at Digital Trends. After realizing Crysis wouldn't run on a laptop, he…
ROG Flow X16 already looks like contender for best new gaming laptop
Someone playing the ROG Flow Z16 with accessories nearby.

Asus has announced the ROG Flow X16, a new laptop in its 2-in-1 gaming line with a focus on ultra-portable PCs. The Flow X16 shares a lot in common with the Flow X13, only stretched out to the larger 16-inch form factor.

It's still a convertible 2-in-1 using a 360-degree hinge and a touchscreen to be used as a tablet.

Read more
Asus unveils 20 new gaming laptops with AMD Ryzen 6000
Asus announced the 2022 model of the Zephyrus G14.

Asus has just revealed a large selection of new laptops, ranging from tablet-style notebooks to full-on gaming beasts.

All 20 of the laptops are part of the Asus ROG line and come equipped with the new AMD Ryzen 6000 mobile processors. We now have a full list of the laptops, including their main specifications.

Read more
Even with lower prices, you shouldn’t buy a GPU right now
Two graphics cards sitting on top of each other.

In February, graphics card prices dropped by an average of 11%. It's a significant positive movement in the midst of GPU shortage, which has locked PC builders out of buying a graphics card for more than a year and a half. Don't be tempted, though. Now is the worst time to buy a graphics card.

The idea of waiting a little longer isn't appealing at a time when waiting is all most PC gamers have done. Waiting until the middle of the year will pay off, though -- you'll get a better graphics card at a cheaper price, and it's hard to argue with that.
Prices are dropping

Read more