ASUS ROG Ally (2023) Z1 Extreme

Source

Dave2D

Key Takeaways

• The MicroSD slot is placed directly over the boiling thermal exhaust heatsink, permanently frying dozens of users' expensive SD cards.
• Off-wall battery life in 25W Turbo mode collapses in just 50 to 60 minutes under modern 3A game loads.
• Windows 11 remains a nightmare on a 7-inch handheld: tiny dialogue boxes, ghosting virtual keyboards, and surprise reboot updates.
• Modern Standby sleep bugs regularly wake the console inside carrying cases, cooking itself boiling hot and draining battery.

✅ Pros

• AMD Z1 Extreme delivers desktop-class handheld graphical muscle
• Silky 120Hz display with FreeSync Premium VRR eliminates screen tearing
• Dual-fan thermal solution runs remarkably quiet

❌ Cons

• Heatsink placement physically cooks MicroSD cards
• Abysmal sub-60-minute Turbo battery life
• Frustrating, clunky Windows 11 touch navigation
• Sleep wake-up bug boils inside carrying bags

📝 Verdict

"ROG Ally offers brilliant 120Hz VRR gaming crippled by an unforgivable hardware SD-cooking flaw and 60-minute battery."

Source

• Video: Asus ROG Ally - Long-term Review
• Channel: Max Dendy | Type: Long-term review | Based on: YouTube transcript

Key points

• Because the Steam Deck can't play games with anti-cheat like Fortnite, Valorant and Call of Duty, and installing Windows on the Steam Deck was a poor experience, he bought a ROG Ally to play Game Pass
• Windows support is better, and Armoury Crate makes it feel more like a console; the chip is more powerful than the Steam Deck's, so it can play some AAA titles and smoothly emulate PS3 and Switch games
• He loves the screen (higher resolution and refresh rate than the Steam Deck), though the bezels are thick
• Problems: the microSD slot can burn out memory cards (a known design flaw); there are only two back buttons; the 40Wh battery dies in about an hour playing AAA games at 25W
• The Z1 and Z1 Extreme versions are easily confused (the Z1 is even slower than the Steam Deck); the XG Mobile external GPU is absurdly priced; ASUS's return/customer service policies are poor

✅ Pros

• Windows game compatibility
• Strong performance, good emulation
• Excellent screen

❌ Cons

• microSD slot burns out cards
• Short battery life
• Few back buttons
• Two easily confused versions
• Poor after-sales service

📝 Verdict

He wouldn't recommend it to friends: too many problems and risks; he suggests considering the Lenovo Legion Go or the ROG Ally X, which fixes most of the issues.

Source

• Video: Beware the ASUS ROG Ally Reviews
• Channel: Dave2D | Type: Professional review | Based on: YouTube transcript

Key points

• He points out that almost all early reviews were flawed, and the blame lies with ASUS: the review units' drivers and firmware were too immature
• He noticed the numbers were off (the AYANEO 2S with the same chip was clearly faster), contacted ASUS and received a series of updates; the latest makes the product about 15–20% faster than on day one, with improvements across the 15W and 25W Turbo modes
• The screen is great, up to 1080p 120Hz, but most AAA games can't reach that, so he mostly tested at 720p
• Compared with the Steam Deck, setting up Windows games is a hassle: you have to adjust V-Sync, resolution, graphics quality and button mapping yourself; the Steam Deck can run less demanding games at 60fps at 3W, which the Ally can't; the preinstalled Office and McAfee should be removed
• He worries ASUS will stop supporting this generation once it releases an Ally 2, whereas Valve has promised long-term support for the Steam Deck

✅ Pros

• Big performance boost after updates
• 1080p 120Hz screen
• Faster than the Steam Deck

❌ Cons

• Tedious Windows setup
• Less efficient at low power than the Steam Deck
• Preinstalled software
• Questionable long-term support

📝 Verdict

It's a great product; as long as ASUS keeps supporting it, it will be better than any Windows handheld on the market.

Source

• Video: Asus ROG Ally Review vs Steam Deck: The Fastest PC Handheld... But Is It The Best?
• Channel: Digital Foundry | Type: Professional review | Based on: YouTube transcript

Key points

• ASUS brings a premium brand into the market of the Steam Deck and Chinese-brand Windows handhelds; the box contains only the device and a 65W power supply
• Much smaller than the Steam Deck and very light at 608 grams, with textured grips, crisp shoulder buttons and back buttons; rumble feedback is cruder than the Steam Deck's
• Used for about two weeks without encountering the stuck-button issue others reported, but in A Plague Tale: Requiem he couldn't use the sling and had to switch to an external controller
• The 1080p 120Hz screen with VRR support is a major highlight; but the 40Wh battery drains quickly in Turbo mode at 40–48W, and the 4nm chip's efficiency gains are less than expected
• Windows makes Game Pass and the like easier to use, but Armoury Crate integrates poorly with Windows, and the software experience lags far behind the Steam Deck; he often had to connect a keyboard and mouse to configure things

✅ Pros

• Strongest performance
• Light
• VRR 120Hz screen
• Supports Game Pass

❌ Cons

• Poor battery life
• Software experience lags behind
• Button bugs in some games
• Limited I/O

📝 Verdict

It's a good but flawed handheld PC; as a handheld, he thinks ASUS's first generation isn't there yet and the Steam Deck still leads, but PC gamers who want to break through the Steam Deck's performance limits may be tempted.