I was wanting high tier gaming-made portable
I didn’t want high tier gaming -on the go
This product made that possible. I started with the steam deck I bought from a friend, because sometimes in my line of work I will have moments of free time and wanted my games with me. When Iam home Iam busy too so it works great there too. I couple this with a portable 16” 2k display I caught on sale on amazon and a dock with cooling fans for the ROG. And the dock lets me bring my headset and the ROG allows my controller to Bluetooth right to it no hassle. I currently play Starfeild at 60fps upscaled 30 “no issue” and the quality is plunty good for me. I was worried at first about having to update drivers and the learning curve involved in PC gaming (optimizing games,mods,updates,etc) but with the already downloaded apps that come default on the ROG everything has been a very refreshing experience.
……Now the things I worry about and some hang ups I’ve had
….i worry about the battery of the device. Not so much the duration of a full charge. But the duration of its life. But there has been a update to the software that allows for “smart care” of the battery so that has helped my mind a lot
The price…I started with the steam deck I bought from a friend bare bones for around 300 dollar's US …and slowly over around four months was able to get a portable monitor a productive case and screen protector,dock,cooling fans, extra portable battery bank, 65w and above charging docks or power cables. So after purchasing the ROG I was relived to notice everything worked with it aside from the screen protecter and protective case I also bought another dock to help keep it cool during longer game sessions but not going to lie the thought does cross my mind “why didn’t I just buy a gaming laptop”- in a nutshell- the ROG is better suited for someone who is new to PC gaming vs a laptop that after your initial purchase (witch would most likely be over 1000$ US) of a mid level gaming laptop I don’t feel like you would have the same level of attention and support for a laptop pc as u do with the ROG.
So if your like me and need to be able to set up a mobile gaming hub in places you spend most of your life at, to be able to set up and tear down in min and still have your AAA games with you to help satisfy that gamer feeling inside that always says “ man I have no time to game anymore” then I think this is well worth the time/money/effort. Giving the right amount of patience I think this product can satisfy the needs of all gamers weather you travel or don’t ..have a big family or a small…single/married…busy/relaxed…hardcore/retro..you got something here.

The Asus ROG Ally Z1 Extreme is an amazing device! I'm a 41-year old woman gamer and this is more comfortable to hold than my Nintendo Switch Lite and plays like a dream. It's been exactly 4 months since my purchase and I am in LOVE! I love being able to play from my catalog of games available from Xbox (PC games), Good Old Games, Switch, EA, Epic, and many others. I really like the Armory Crate interface on this device, too. I think I like it better on here than I do on my ROG Strix SCAR 17 laptop. The device fits into a large purse (Dooney & Bourke Florentine Large Satchel, looking at you) and it's great fun. Games that I love to play on my Ally: Final Fantasy XIV, Car Mechanic Simulator 2021, Disney Dreamlight Valley, No Man's Sky, Strange Horticulture, My Time at Portia, Power Wash Simulator, Fae Farm, Ace Attorney Chronicles, Skyrim and more to come! Recommended travel accessories: ASUS - ROG 65W Charger Dock (sturdy USB-c cable connects to wall charger and allows you to connect HDMI displays + USB-A accessories), hard case with deep well to hold the Ally + the charger dock, portable trifold Bluetooth keyboard (I use the on-screen keyboard just fine during game sessions but if you are docking this at the hotel and want to stream your shows/movies from the bed...). I don't dock the Ally to play on a large screen at home because I already have better options for this: laptop mentioned above + custom built desktop (with Asus - ROG Maximus XIII Hero motherboard). I do encourage anyone who is new to PC gaming to invest in this first as it's a wonderful gateway and I see no reason for it to become obsolete once you decide to take the plunge and purchase other gaming options. The portability of this device cannot be overstated. The only con is the battery life but that's not really a con to me as big time graphics and audio have never run on energy saver mode. It's got 512 GB of storage so I've no reason to use an SD card and thus haven't run into any of the issues others ran into with regard to that. I own a lot of games but it's easy to rotate what I actually want to play on my mobile device (meaning, what I want to play in bed).

The ROG Ally was my first introduction to the handheld gaming pc space. When it comes to performance, there are few that come close to it within its class, especially with the Z1 Extreme processor. The majority of games, with the exception of some AAA titles, run as good as you can get for a handheld. The 120hz LCD screen is also a nice plus. HOWEVER, the blessing and curse of this device is the software, namely Windows, in my opinion.

If you like tweaking settings, installing mods, and are okay with typical Windows quirks, then this device is perfect for you. However, if you want a machine that boots up and just plays games with little hassle, you may want to look towards a Steam Deck or even look into installing a Linux-based OS designed for handhelds. Armory Crate SE certainly does a great job of hiding certain Windows issues, but you will still encounter a bug here and there. Typically, the bugs are quick fixes, though.

Battery life is okay, with my top end at around 3 hours and bottom at around 1 hour. It really depends on the games/tasks you’re using and the TDP you set it to. For example, I was able to play Halo 2 on this device at 1080p normal graphics for close to 2 hours at 12-15W before the battery started getting somewhat low. Honestly, that’s plenty of time for me, but if battery life is a concern for you, a power bank would most likely cover those issues.

Now for the other parts: The speakers were great for what they are, and the joysticks were a little loose for my tastes. The weight of the actual device is light but not cheap feeling. I have a case on mine, but I don’t think you’ll really need it unless you’re carrying it around in your backpack all day with a bunch of other items. The screen is a great LCD panel, but sometimes the slightly raised black level as compared to an OLED screen did cause minor issues in terms of visibility on same games. Usually this is easily remedied by changing gamma settings in game.

All in all, as a first generation product, the ROG Ally Z1X is a great all rounder, with the main issues really coming from typical Windows bugs you see every once in a while. If you are okay and/or used to that, then this device is for you.

I have been using the Asus ROG Ally for the last one full year, and it has been quite a great performer in the handheld gaming market. Finally, a sleek design with top-of-the-line performance makes for engaging gaming in this one particular unit from ROG Ally. Of course, this comes at certain other trade-offs that an individual needs to eye against its offerings before buying it.

Pros

The Asus ROG Ally does a few things really well. Its custom AMD Ryzen Z1 processor is soldered to ensure this particular model can get through even the most demanding games. To add to that, it also comes with a high refresh rate display, providing vivid and detailed visuals that bring games alive—at least on paper. I especially liked its screen brightness and color accuracy.

Ergonomics is another area where the ROG Ally is preeminently superb. This gadget is endowed with a comfortable grip and well-placed controls to create entertaining extended gaming sessions. In addition, it also features customizable buttons and advanced haptic feedback for further personalization and immersion, thereby giving the device a personalized feel based on gaming preferences. Another good point about the ROG Ally is its ability to support a wide range of games, so gamers who want alternatives are well catered for.

Cons

Some of the key weaknesses of an Asus ROG Ally include the following: its battery life. With the powerful hardware this device contains, it tends to eat up a lot of battery and can be a major inconvenience for gamers looking for something portable. This product requires recharging frequently after runs of battery draining, reducing the appeal of using it on the move.

Another drawback would be the weight of the device. While the ROG Ally has been designed with an overall more rugged structure than one would expect, it does weigh heavier than some of its competition. That might become hectic for those looking for a lightweight, travel-friendly gaming solution. Also, fitting into the budget for those gaming on a tight budget may prove to be difficult due to the premium tag attached.

The SD card reader burned out immediately as well, and they never fixed, or offered to fix this. Asus support is one of the worst customer service I have ever dealt with. From the ROG laptop I own (GA503QS) to this device, to say REALLY bad drawbacks, would be an understatement.

Conclusion

In a nutshell, the Asus ROG Ally offers huge performance along with slick design for serious gamers. It packs in heavyweight processing power and a display that provides users with an amazing gaming experience. At the same time, it boasts an ergonomic design with requirements for comfort during long working hours. However, at the same time, battery life and weight, crap customer service, and broken SD card slot issues, are serious questions that might therefore easily dent its appeal.

Would I recommend?

Yes, I would recommend the Asus ROG Ally to every gamer who wants better performance and display in a portable handheld device. Obviously, it comes with drawbacks, but its strengths make it worth the cost if one aims at a high-end portable gaming experience. If one can manage frequent charging and doesn't mind a slightly heavier device, then the ROG Ally will be a great choice. (As long as you can get the Extreme model for under $500)