ASUS ROG Ally Featuring Ryzen Z1 Opens Pre-orders For $599

The Asus ROG Ally handheld with a Ryzen Z1 non-extreme processor is the closest contender to the Steam Deck.

Following the 20th anniversary of Steam, the gaming giant has announced a temporary price reduction for its Steam Deck consoles. Asus has decided to follow Steam, launching the cheaper variant of its handheld console.

The Ryzen Z1 Asus ROG Ally is now available for pre-orders based on the retailers and regions. It can be pre-ordered for $599 from the Best Buy or Asus.

Why it matters: This model brings the Asus ROG Ally closer to the price of the Steam Deck, making it more competitive with the extremely well-priced Valve handheld console.

The Ryzen Z1 CPU featured in the cheaper ROG Ally offers a 6-core Zen4/Zen4c APU with 4 RDNA3 CUs, which powers the RC71L-Z1512.

Compared to the 8-core Zen4 and 12 CU RDNA3 APU from the Ryzen Z1 Extreme, the GPU performance of the cheaper model is significantly lower. However, this leads to a $100 reduction in cost.

Both consoles feature 512GB of storage, and this parity also carries over to the impressive 7-inch 120Hz 1080p display. Asus has implemented upscalers like AMD FSR to ensure the higher resolution screen does not lead to massive performance impacts.

Such additions make it a compelling purchase for those fond of handheld gaming consoles. The industry has seen rapid developments since the release of the Nintendo Switch in 2017, and Asus is among the newest competitors in the market.

Nintendo is also expected to return with its own offering in the second half of 2024, bringing new and improved hardware for the successor to the Nintendo Switch.