Skip to main content

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

The Asus ROG Ally Z1 has a nice discount at Amazon

Starfield running on the Asus ROG Ally.
Jacob Roach / Digital Trends

There are several worthwhile gaming consoles on the market right now, and a handful of them are handheld devices. We’re talking about systems like the Nintendo Switch Lite, Steam Deck, PlayStation Vita, and the incredible Asus ROG Ally Z1. Once in a while, one of these gadgets goes on sale, and today, the honor goes to the Asus ROG:

Right now, you’ll be able to purchase the Asus ROG Ally Z1 on Amazon for $430, compared to its full price of $500. Considering the recent announcement of the Acer Nitro Blaze 7 at IFA 2024, we’re thinking Asus is dropping its prices to start getting extra-competitive. It’s one of the best gaming console deals we’ve seen this week, but we’re not sure how long this discount is going to last. That being said, now is always the best time to buy and save!

Why you should buy the Asus ROG Ally Z1

A fantastic alternative to some of the more mainstream handhelds of 2024, the Ally Z1 is powered by AMD’s Z1 APU with RDNA 3 graphics on top of 16GB of system RAM. With its 1080p/120Hz screen capabilities and AMD FreeSync Premium support, you’ll experience breathtaking gameplay visuals, smooth motion, and next to no lag.

Packed with 512GB of storage, the Z1 is engineered to handle most Windows-compatible games (check out our list of gaming PC deals). Plus, you’ll get 90 days of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate on the house, which is home to hundreds of streamable titles. You’ll even be able to hook up the Ally Z1 to your TV. Pair multiple controllers and enjoy an immersive local multiplayer match!

Other excellent features include Dolby Atmos compatibility, a built-in fingerprint reader, and 100% coverage of the sRGB color space. We hope that Amazon keeps this bad boy on sale for the foreseeable future, but we still advise taking advantage of this offer right now if you can. Save $70 when you order the Asus ROG Ally Z1 through Amazon, and be sure to check out some of the best gaming laptop deals we found this week, too!

Michael Bizzaco
Michael Bizzaco has been writing about and working with consumer tech for well over a decade, writing about everything from…
The Sims 5: everything we know so far

After over a decade of support and expansions with The Sims 4, we were all ready for the next entry in this hit life-simulator series. Rumors of a Project Rene were our first signs that EA was working on some sort of follow-up, which many assumed was The Sims 5. There was even a preview video detailing a few of the new features this next step in the Sims franchise would take. However, late in 2024 EA detailed the future plans for the series and, sadly, The Sims 5 is not a part of it. If you're a bit lost on whether The Sims 5 is canceled, what's going on with Project Rene, and what will happen with The Sims 4, we'll explain the entire story.
Is The Sims 5 canceled?

Technically The Sims 5 was never officially confirmed to be in development so it isn't clear whether it was canceled, but we do know that EA and Maxis are not currently working on a new installment in the franchise. EA's statement on the matter reads: "We’re focused on creating a variety of games and experiences that will touch different categories across the simulated life genre including cozy games, social and collaborative based gameplay, mobile narrative games and continued depth, improvements and modernization of The Sims 4, which will continue to be a foundational Sims experience."

Read more
After years of promises, Xbox might let you stream games you own
An Xbox controller being held up in front of an Xbox Series S

Xbox may soon be testing the ability to let you stream games you own over Cloud Streaming, instead of limiting you to just titles available in Xbox Game Pass.

The Verge's Tom Warren reports that the functionality is a part of Project Lapland, and will be coming to the Xbox Insider program in November. Barring any problems, it'll release to more users after that. Based on previous statements, it'll likely only be available to Ultimate subscribers.

Read more
Disney Pixel RPG is a pleasant, free mobile surprise
Mickey and the player in Disney Pixel RPG.

Earlier this week, a new Disney RPG dropped. No, it wasn't the next Kingdom Hearts, but a free mobile game. Disney Pixel RPG is exactly what its title implies: a turn-based RPG with 8-bit/16-bit-inspired art starring many iconic Disney characters.. It's free to play, and while it does fall into all of the trappings you'd expect from a gacha-focused mobile RPG, you can get through quite a bit of it without feeling like you need to spend much money to have a good time.

GungHo Online Entertainment and Disney are actually launching this game at a good time. Recently, Square Enix announced that it will shut down the mobile RPG Final Fantasy: Brave Exvius at the end of this month. For players looking for a similar game to move over to, Disney Pixel RPG is already shaping up to be a worthy alternative with a lot of room to grow.

Read more