Feedback from Owners/Ex-Owners of ASUS ROG Ally?

Lmonkeyjaja on 20/08/2024 - 15:42
Last edited 20/08/2024 - 17:17 by 1 other user

Hi all, I've been looking at the ROG Ally since it was announced and have watched countless YouTube videos on it.

I'm very familiar with the general pros/cons (great screen, powerful for its size but defective microSD slot, poor battery, buggy software, crap customer service etc..)

The price is finally going down thanks to Ally X (which is still waaay to expensive) but I'm still waiting on a good deal.

For context, here's my situation:

  • I have a gaming PC (PS5 level specs) and a Switch
  • I never turn on my PC (I do my work on a work Mac)
  • Got heaps of games on my Steam backlog
  • Switch gets played the most because it's handheld mode

I'm hoping that with the Ally, it'll make playing my Steam collection much easier.

For my use case, do you think this is a sensible investment? I'm only gonna use it around the house, not on the go (I WFH).

I've seen quite a few being sold second hand in the marketplace etc.. so not sure if this is any indication of people being dissatisfied with it.

If you still have yours, what's your experience with it? Has it changed your gaming habits?

For those that have sold it, what made you sell it?

Thanks!

Gaming ASUS Computer Game Console Handheld Computer

Comments

  • Xyzzy on 20/08/2024 - 15:46
    +2

    Investment?

    • monkeyjaja on 20/08/2024 - 17:33

      I'm coping

      • rumblytangara on 20/08/2024 - 18:36

        For my use case, do you think this is a sensible investment? I'm only gonna use it around the house, not on the go (I WFH).

        Very American.

  • JownehFixIT on 20/08/2024 - 15:59
    +1

    If you don't need the portability beyond use in your home, and you've already got the PS5-level PC, why not just game more on the PC? Get a nice controller if you don't like KBAM, but it's a few hundred bucks for the perceived convenience of handheld mode at lower graphics settings I'm assuming vs playing on your existing PC. I keep mulling over handhelds and just reckon it'd gather dust if I bought one. I prefer keyboard and mouse for most things anyway.

    Or is there some other reason I've missed that you don't like playing at the current gaming PC?

    • kekw on 20/08/2024 - 16:45
      +1

      play while laying on couch?

      • freefall101 on 20/08/2024 - 17:56

        I just plugged my gaming PC into the TV (I'm typing on it right now, ergonomics be damned). Finish work, check OzB, time to play Horizon Forbidden West then will watch TV.

        If only streaming services supported 4K through Windows, I wouldn't need anything else.

    • monkeyjaja on 20/08/2024 - 17:40
      +1

      Thanks for the question, it made me think why I don't use my gaming PC. My theory is that it's setup on my work desk, so after a whole day of working I don't really associate it with relaxing (nor do I want to spend more time there). This is probably why the Switch is used a lot, I can lay in bed with it. I have a TV in the apartment but I don't have a couch, just dining table/chairs so using the TV has never been that comfortable. So perhaps I just need to find a way to make my desktop PC gaming more relaxing. Most of my Steam games are made for controllers and I already have a couple of wireless ones.

      • freefall101 on 20/08/2024 - 17:58
        +1

        Have you tried streaming from the PC first? Setup Moonlight/Sunshine on a cheap handheld gaming device to see what you think of it before committing to an expensive handheld.

        • monkeyjaja on 20/08/2024 - 18:01

          This is a good idea, and I tried to stream Steam to my tablet. Unfortunately I live in a very wifi signal congested place (50 units around me + other houses) and streaming does not work well at all. I even upgraded my router recently and stood within 5cm of my router and it still lags. There's just too much interferences :(

        • JownehFixIT on 20/08/2024 - 19:47
          +1

          I just set up Moonlight today!!! Not sure why I didn't mention it too 😂

          • freefall101 on 20/08/2024 - 20:55
            +1

            @JownehFixIT: It's such a shame nVidia stopped supporting streaming (although it still works), but Sunshine has come a long way already.

            I was actually streaming games to a handheld so I could play in bed. Turns out I'm so old and tired that I was just falling asleep, and that I need to be propped up on a couch to keep gaming. So I sold the handheld 😄

            • JownehFixIT on 23/08/2024 - 12:11

              @freefall101: Haha! Never too old for gaming… But in bed gaming, maybe there's a requisite youthfulness to remain conscious… 🤔

              I'm just stoked I can have the most nothing laptop and it can still run anything via moonlight really smoothly. It'll never look as good as sitting at the source sunshine streaming host machine, but it's still pretty amazing.

  • Slippery Otter on 20/08/2024 - 16:05
    +1

    I have OneXplayer 8840u with 32gb ram and 1tb storage purchased for $1,610, and I do use it for everything, including work. When I get home, I either plug in my PS5 controller or use the detachable joysticks it comes with and game.

    Works well with EGPU AMD RX 7600 too.

    My only concern is future warranty claims. Prefer Asus.

    • monkeyjaja on 20/08/2024 - 17:47

      Sounds like you're getting your money's worth from the OneXplayer, unfortunately I'm only planning to use the Ally for gaming at home.

      I love the idea of using an EGPU on handheld PCs but Ally's are stuck on ASUS' expensive XG mobile so it's not a viable option.

      How are you finding gaming on the unit portably?

  • jugsy on 20/08/2024 - 16:06
    +1

    Steam deck?

    • monkeyjaja on 20/08/2024 - 17:51

      I prefer the Ally because it has better games compatibility over Steam OS (I know it's got other issues though).

      At the time of writing, they both are priced similarly but the Ally is more performant too.

  • Trenno on 21/08/2024 - 13:42
    +1

    I have the Ally, only pretty much exclusively use it to stream from my Gaming PC via Moonlight. Best investment in regards to gaming for me, I enjoy sitting in bed or with the wife playing.
    Never used my microSD card so can't attest to that, battery life when playing directly from the unit is pretty poor but as I use Moonlight, it lasts up to 5 hours which is way beyond what I can play daily anyway.

    I was in the same boat as you, playing the Switch constantly due to the portability but the games are average at best. Definitely way happier with the Ally. I'd say go for it!

    • monkeyjaja on 21/08/2024 - 13:50

      Thanks for the input. As stated above, I wouldn't be able to stream due to bad wifi in the area, BUT the Ally will allow me to play my Steam library so, same same. I'm not surprised about the poor battery, lots of people have reported it.

      How's the Ally at 'waking up' from sleep these days? I've read reports that it's buggy but I know ASUS has been releasing heaps of updates since launch.

      • Trenno on 21/08/2024 - 13:57

        I used to have issues with wifi, have you got a Wifi 6 router? I upgraded my wifi setup and now have no issues whatsoever

        I've set it to hibernate when powering down, no issues other than a 10 second or so delay in connecting to WiFi

        • monkeyjaja on 21/08/2024 - 20:39

          Yep, got a Wifi 7 router so it supports 6 too.

          That’s good to hear that powering down isn’t a huge issue. I’ve read reports where powering back on leads to crashes.

          • Trenno on 21/08/2024 - 20:46

            @monkeyjaja: So odd, have you played with the settings in Sunshine/Windows? Plenty of posts on reddit fixing this.

            Definitely never had that issue

            • monkeyjaja on 21/08/2024 - 20:51

              @Trenno: I’ve only tried streaming to my phone and tablet. Both supports wifi 6 but just can’t stream anything smoothly (steam, PlayStation) even at point blank range to the router.

              • Trenno on 22/08/2024 - 08:26
                +1

                @monkeyjaja: The Ally supports Wifi 6e - the playstation will not, not sure about your phone though.
                If you can test streaming with ethernet directly to an Android box or a laptop could be a good start, or pull the trigger on the Ally and then go from there. Theres no major reason why you couldn't use in home streaming, steam has their own aswell but I've always had issues with their one (If you need help with setup or anything in regards to Sunshine/Moonlight send me a PM and I can try help as best as I can)

                If the battery is really the only thing holding you back, and in home streaming isn't working how you want. There are plently of battery packs and you can get an attachment which attaches to the back of it. Considering you are only playing in home its a minor inconvenience.
                Steamdeck is a viable option aswell, but with Linux comes a lot of non direct compatibility, people are coming up with workarounds and such but they wont be as reliable as a full fledged Windows PC

                As said above though, I love mine and still get about 2 hours running Fortnite directly from the Ally on battery alone.. so really, if you have shorter gaming sessions its fine

                • monkeyjaja on 22/08/2024 - 10:00

                  @Trenno: I've tested PS Remote play and Steam streaming, all via ethernet to router > Wifi > phone/tablet. I've given up on this streaming thing, so that's why I'm looking at the Ally for on device gaming.

                  Good to know that you can get 2 hours battery on it, I don't think I see myself spending any longer than that a night on gaming.

                  Just waiting for the next deal to come up on OzB.

  • jk82 on 21/08/2024 - 20:35

    I had the Ally but swapped it for a steam deck. 2x reasons, 1/ the ally has sharp edges where your palms grip, which became quite uncomfortable to hold for sessions longer than say half an hour. And 2/ I spent more time having to tinker with windows and with sleep/hibernate not working than I did playing games. After a day of work I just want to play games, not tech support windows to get something to work. The steamdeck is a much more console like handheld, and if you’re not using gamepass I don’t see a reason to go the ally over the steamdeck.

    Also the SD OLED battery life is insanely good. And yes, even at home it makes a biiig difference, it’s a PITA having to plug in to play a handheld.

    • monkeyjaja on 21/08/2024 - 20:46

      Awesome, thanks for the insight.

      Valid points on the Windows flaws. Even on my gaming desktop it randomly breaks if I just don’t use it for a month.

      Battery life is definitely the biggest thing that’s stopping me from pulling the trigger any earlier, the benchmarks are just so abysmal.

      I read that Valve is gonna allow SteamOS to work on windows handheld soon including the Ally so I’m keen on having the power of the Ally with all the benefits of Steam OS.

    • Trenno on 22/08/2024 - 08:29
      +1

      Just piggy back on this one, I bought the Skull & Co grip case and it has infinitely made my experience better, has a more ergonomic feel to the unit now. Worth the money

      • monkeyjaja on 22/08/2024 - 09:56

        Nice, I was eyeing the JSAUX ModCase which has a strap in the back if you want to attach a portable battery.

  • Charbel91 on 26/08/2024 - 09:51

    Which device would be good for switch emulation?

  • Noophe on 09/11/2024 - 10:05
    +1

    what was the outcome in the end?

    if you have a gaming pc, id recommend using steamlink or moonlight to just remote to it using your phone or a dedicated device. the only handheld i'd get for myself is a switch or a steamdeck purely because the suspend mode is the best. i dont think these things wake all that well back to games

    • monkeyjaja on 09/11/2024 - 10:35
      +1

      I picked up a second hand ROG Ally in the end. Completed some games I normally wouldn’t have because playing portably is handy so mission accomplished. However the battery life and (as you said), wake up function is kinda balls with some games.

      • Noophe on 09/11/2024 - 16:14
        +2

        i ended up getting a second hand one just this afternoon and setting it up now for my son to replace his mini PC, he doesnt use the resume feature as most of the stuff he plays on the pc are online anyway. he will probably use it docked a fair bit too

        if battery life is suffering, maybe just do the remote play, moonlight was amazing. i used to plug in a headless HDMI and have no monitor on my gaming pc and just remoted to it. the only thing i didnt like was the PC running 24/7, not resuming and i didnt have wake on lan either as it was on the wifi

        • JownehFixIT on 09/11/2024 - 18:22
          +1

          Mike The Tech shows you how to install the Virtual Display Driver (negating the need for HDMI dongle): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUcgQ_IxyGc
          https://github.com/itsmikethetech/Virtual-Display-Driver

        • monkeyjaja on 09/11/2024 - 19:56

          I got used to playing it while plugged to the wall since it’s next to my bed. It’s a shame it doesn’t have USB 4 or oculink so you can’t use external GPU, that would be perfect. I wasn’t willing to pay double for the ally X to get this feature, maybe in 2 years time in the second hand market.

    • JownehFixIT on 09/11/2024 - 18:17

      +1 for Sunshine Host and Moonlight Client.

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