If you’re a gaming enthusiast who loves the idea of taking your PC games on the go, the Asus ROG Ally is an excellent alternative to the Valve Steam Deck—especially now that it’s available for just $500, thanks to a $150 off early Black Friday deal at Best Buy. This gaming handheld packs a punch with its powerful hardware and is designed to let you play your favorite PC games portably, wherever you are.
The ROG Ally is powered by the AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme processor, coupled with 16GB of RAM and AMD RDNA3 graphics, ensuring smooth performance and impressive visuals, even for demanding titles. Whether you’re diving into the latest AAA games or exploring indie gems, this device is ready to handle it all. It also offers 512GB of built-in storage, which is great for keeping multiple games and save data on hand. While more storage would have been nice (say, 1TB or more), the ROG Ally includes a memory card slot for easy expansion, so you can add more space as needed.
The handheld features a 7-inch 1080p display with a 120Hz refresh rate, which provides crisp visuals and smooth gameplay. Whether you’re gaming on the go or relaxing at home, the display ensures you get the best out of your games, no matter the genre.
From our hands-on experience with the ROG Ally:
“Seeing this sleek and compact device, which offers full PC gaming power, you’d expect it to be heavy, like an oversized smartphone. Surprisingly, it’s not! While it’s large enough that it’s not exactly ‘pocketable’ unless you’re wearing oversized vintage JNCO jeans, it’s light enough to throw into almost any bag and forget about it until you’re ready to game.”
At $500, the Asus ROG Ally offers incredible value, making it a great pick for anyone looking for a portable gaming experience. It’s also a perfect gift idea for gamers who are always on the go—whether for the holiday season or just as a treat for yourself or a loved one.
