ROG Ally" direct and piquant review: We played around with the latest portable gaming device to enjoy PC games anytime, anywhere!

Junk Hunter Yoshida and Hatahumi-Nobu were able to touch and feel this device prior to its release, and we would like to share our impressions of it with you.

Review by Hatahumi-Nobu

The first thing that struck me when I first saw the console was how small and light it was. The official website claims that the console, which measures approximately 280 mm (W) x 111 mm (H) x 608 g (D), is as light as a Nintendo Switch combined with a HORI Grip controller. The ability to enjoy high-spec PC games in this form is really something to look forward to.

There is a vent on the back with the ROG logo on it, which directs heat away from the top of the device. When actually playing a game, a considerable amount of heat was discharged from this upper vent, but we did not notice any choppiness or other processing failures in the game itself, so we assumed that proper heat removal processing was being performed.

The package was simple, containing only the main unit and a Type-C/65W AC adapter for power supply. After turning it on and completing the pre-installed Windows 11 settings, I immediately installed game apps and game launchers from the Xbox Store, including Hi-Fi RUSH, Steam, and Epic Games Launcher. I then downloaded the games to be played for the test.

The display uses a capacitive touch panel, so all text input and game launches are done directly by touching the screen.

I immediately tried to play "Fortnite," a Battlow game, from the Epic Games Launcher at ......, but it didn't work. The reason for this is very elementary: when I tried to log in to my account from the Epic Games Launcher, the virtual keyboard, which is required to log in, did not appear. I tried several times, but for some reason, the coexistence of the Epic Games Launcher window and the virtual keyboard did not work, so I finally decided to give up on using the Epic Games Launcher and on testing Fortnite.

One thing that was very frustrating was the inability to connect an external USB keyboard to this unit. Although this device can be connected to a Bluetooth mouse, keyboard, and controller, I unfortunately do not have such a device.

I looked around to see if a USB Type-A connection was available, but I could not find one either. I thought this was a very regrettable point. As one would expect from such an expensive gadget, it would be nice to have at least one or two Type-A ports available, just in case.

To get back on track, I downloaded the benchmark programs for Dragon Quest X and FINAL FANTASY XV to gauge the specs of this gaming machine.

The "Dragon Quest X" benchmark program is a lightweight design, so it scored very well.

However, the benchmark program for "FINAL FANTASY XV," the most difficult game to benchmark, scored disappointingly low, with the first car ride experiencing a processing drop as the car approached a curve, and the battle encounter being choppy at a questionable 30 FPS. The snow powder that is generated when Shiva is summoned drops to a level where the image may be viewable in areas with a lot of particle expressions. By reducing the graphics to the standard level, we managed to achieve a rating of "normal," but "FINAL FANTASY XV" is a game title that makes extensive use of advanced graphics, and a PC with considerable specs is required to run it comfortably. Unfortunately, it does not seem to be possible to play it comfortably on "ROG Ally. Please keep in mind that these figures are not intended to be a critical evaluation of the machine, but rather as a verification material.

Now that we have a rough idea of the specifications, let's give it a try. Let's continue with the gameplay.

The game we tested this time was the fighting game "Tekken 7. Senran Kagura ESTIVAL VERSUS - Girls' Choice," which has many enemies and objects, as well as many effects. Hi-Fi RUSH," which is rather new and requires specifications. Then, we played "METAL GEAR SOLID V: GROUND ZEROES," which requires TPS aiming and delicate controls.

Let's start with "Tekken 7. While playing this game, I felt that the stick and button layout of this machine is not really suited for fighting games. This may be a problem with my playing style, but the crosshairs are so close to the sticks that my fingers unintentionally come in contact with the sticks during operation. I also found it a little difficult to input diagonally. In particular, when trying to perform the fastest Fuushinken, the diagonal input judgments were not well recognized, perhaps due to the hardness of the cross keys, and it was difficult to get it right.

It was also very difficult to input the Hadoken command, and the success of the command input was also very doubtful. Incidentally, the software ran perfectly without any frame drops. Again, the inability to use a USB-connected arcade controller was a bit of a disappointment.

Next was Senran Kagura ESTIVAL VERSUS: Girls' Choice. This game has a large number of enemy characters and many flashy effects, so I think it is a perfect title for testing the load on this machine. However, when the game was started up and the 1080P full-screen mode was selected in the settings menu screen, the game crashed immediately. I had no choice but to first acclimate the game in 720P window mode for about 30 minutes, and then switch to "1080P full screen mode," which worked fine. In the end, we were unable to pinpoint the cause of the problem, so there was some concern, but once the game started running in earnest, we were able to play the game comfortably without any frame drops or soft drops.

In addition, while playing the game, I felt that the colors on the screen were very good. Senran Kagura" is rendered in anime-style toonshades, so the colors are very rich, from the characters to the backgrounds. The colorful display on this monitor proved to be an excellent match for this title.

The machine's advertised Full HD 120Hz specs may have been intended first and foremost to promote the smoothness of frame rates in TPS and FPS games, but this title seemed to bring out the most potential of the machine's display.

Surprisingly, this machine seems to be a good match for bishojo and bishojo novel games and adventure games that sell delicate graphics. If so, I would like to connect a DVD drive and try installing it, but again, the problem here is that USB Type-A for connecting the drive is not implemented. ......

The same goes for the following "Hi-Fi RUSH," whose graphics are rendered in a graffiti art-like taste, which we felt strongly benefited from the unit's display. Although we thought that this title, which was released for the Xbox Series X/S, would require considerable specs, "Hi-Fi RUSH" started up without difficulty. Even at a point where a large number of enemies appeared, the game ran without difficulty, which quickly dispelled any concerns I had about the "FINAL FANTASY XV" benchmark test.

At the same time, I was reminded once again of how important display coloration is for portable game consoles.

The last game we tested was "METAL GEAR SOLID V: GROUND ZEROES. What I strongly felt when playing this title was that the sound of this console is very good. This device also makes great claims about the quality of its sound, and there is no lie in that. Even in "MGSV: GZ," where the sound of enemy footsteps and carefully crafted background music are a major part of the gameplay, the advantages of this device could be felt strongly. The same goes for "Hi-Fi RUSH," which pushes music, and we were very impressed with the speakers' clear and expansive sound.

However, there are some drawbacks. While "MGSV:GZ" requires delicate action, precise aim, and quick shooting, the sticks on this machine are very light and slippery, much more so than the PlayStation5 and Xbox Series X/S controllers, which I found to be quite slippery. Even when I wanted to move carefully, I sometimes unintentionally ended up making large movements.

Also, due to the shape of the LR trigger button, the large range of movement translates into lost time, which can cause delays when firing a gun. This is a disadvantage in "APEX" and other games as well. If there is a next project, I hope that the trigger will be button-operated.

Now, the unit also has an "Armoury Create" button, which, when pressed, displays a "Game Library" that lists the games installed on the unit. From here, you can instantly launch another game.

This is a very convenient function, but there is one regrettable part. It is not possible to close a currently running game from this menu. If you are used to home video game consoles, you may think that the original game is automatically closed when you start up another game. At the very least, we would have liked to have a function to shut down the running game in this menu screen. However, this part will probably be updated at some point in the future, so it is probably not a major problem.

Other features include a "command center" for adjusting monitor resolution and other settings, and a button mapping function, which we felt provides a number of functions that will allow gamers who are particular about their gaming experience to comfortably play unique indie games.

Incidentally, although we have reviewed this machine as a portable gaming device in this test run, we were told that even more high-end games can be played by connecting the ROG XG Mobile GC32L, an external GPU module (sold separately).

The lack of a USB Type-A port is still a disappointment. A USB keyboard is highly versatile and convenient, and a touch panel-only input makes it difficult to respond to emergencies. Also, not only Windows 11, but other operating systems have unexpected problems, so having only one input method is not ideal. We would like to see these points considered and improved for the next version.

If the hardware specifications of this machine were applied to home video game consoles, it would be more like a PlayStation4 Pro and less like an Xbox Series S.

It is a good introduction for those who are interested in the world of PC gaming, or for device enthusiasts. It is a product with sufficient specs.

Junk Hunter Yoshida's review

A UMPC enthusiast who is a fanatic about UMPCs contacted me and said, "I bought a ROG ALLY and decided to start Dragon Quest X Online (DQX) on this machine! I was just in time to be asked by Akiba Research Institute to review this product, so I left the ROG ALLY in my office in Hata's hands and immediately went to my friend's house.

I had already touched ROG ALLY at the office, so I was not surprised to see the actual product. ...... He was playing with ROG ALLY plugged into a third-party 6-in-1 dock. The dock he purchased for his STEAM DECK fit perfectly with the ROG ALLY, and he was ready to go with a mouse and keyboard, a gamepad, HDMI output to his 50-inch TV, and an Ethernet connection through the dock for his Internet connection.

HOPDAY 6 in 1 Steam Deck Dock

View at Rakuten Ichiba View at Amazon.co.jp

Since only the ROG ALLY had arrived at the office, I wasn't going to report on the use of the dock in the first place, but I decided to see if the ROG ALLY could be used like a gaming PC even when connected to the dock.

My friend and I have known each other for 10 years through the Dragon Quest X Online MMORPG, so it made sense to play DQX exclusively. And since DQX is always utilized for PC benchmark testing, I'm assuming that this choice is perfectly fine.

First of all, the ROG ALLY interface projected on the 50-inch TV in the living room is easy to see. To be honest, for an old man over 50 years old, ROG ALLY's small monitor alone does not live up to its potential as a middle-aged gamer (I know I sound like a big guy, but it's hard on my old eyes. ......). However, when I switch the ROG ALLY to hand-held, the left and right speakers produce a nice sound, and the comfort of Koichi Sugiyama's music stands out. I would strongly recommend hand-held play for sound.

As for the Internet environment, I use Wi-Fi when I play handheld and Ethernet when I plug in the dock, but since DQX is an MMORPG, there are no one-frame battles like in fighting games, so I don't feel that there is any difference in speed between the two. I guess I also use Wi-Fi at home and play DQX on my Nintendo Switch and PS5. There are some scenes where I definitely feel the Ethernet connection is faster, though slightly. Especially in places where all four players head together, such as the magic labyrinth, the appearance of my character is just a few seconds faster than on Wi-Fi. I don't know what to say about that. ...... I'm just happy to be the first one to jump out of the screen with a "yoyi don!

As for the game controls on the handheld ROG ALLY, I give it a perfect score of 100. The analog sticks, digital keys, and button layout are Microsoft-specific or XBOX-compliant, so there are no problems at all. I think the ROG ALLY is easier to use when playing "DQX". I don't want to think that the stick part of my Switch has been damaged by playing with it too much ......, but it drifts and moves by itself, so I prefer the ROG ALLY because the analog stick part is well made to prevent breakage. I think ROG ALLY is the better choice.

The only thing in common between the two is that when you are playing handheld, your own stupid face is always reflected on the 7-inch monitor, so sometimes you have to come to your senses (laughs). However, as I have said many times before, the 7-inch monitor is too small for an old man with aging eyes, so it is honestly more immersive to play DQX on a 50-inch monitor via a dock. As long as I have a gamepad and a keyboard that are jointed to the dock, I can play DQX while chatting in a normal environment.

As expected, it is difficult to play DQX with ROG ALLY in hand while text chatting. Unfortunately, DQX does not support voice chat, so the clumsy author cannot chat without a physical keyboard. So, if you are looking for a comfortable MMORPG communication environment, I recommend purchasing a dock that is compatible with ROG ALLY.

Finally, the main event. Can you actually play "DQX," which requires high specs, on ROG ALLY without any problems?

I have tried benchmark tests using "DQX" on the desktop PCs I have purchased so far, but there is almost no problem on ROG ALLY. So, I asked my friend who is sitting next to me to log in to DQX on his Nintendo Switch, and I logged in from ROG ALLY, formed a party and had an adventure. Incidentally, "DQX" is an MMORPG that supports cross-play on all hardware, so there are a surprisingly large number of PC users since it is platform-agnostic.

I've played on Wii, Wii U, PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, and PC (I avoided Nintendo 3DS version because of its small screen), but I don't want to imagine how much money I've spent on "DQX", including monthly fees. I don't want to imagine how much money I have spent on "DQX" (I'm a fan of Yuji Horii, so I don't mind), but I found the PC version the easiest to play in terms of interface.

So my friend and I started playing "DQX" on our handheld mobile devices. Oh, I should explain that we decided not to play through the dock here because we wanted to see ROG ALLY in action. I was playing "DQX" while glancing at my friend's Nintendo Switch screen, and ROG ALLY was naturally much faster than Nintendo Switch in terms of drawing processing power. After two hours of working on the coin boss battle with two NPCs and a party of four, it was around 10 p.m. and my friends started coming online one after another.

So I cut the NPCs off and formed a party of four players. What was the purpose?　I was actually enjoying a 4-player party play on my PC earlier. I had an experience that when all the players hit the Giga Slash at the same time, the system crashed. Perhaps it was because the PC I bought was a small gaming PC, but it seemed that the processing could not keep up. So since then, I've been using Gigablash, with its intense flashes and effects, as my own in-play benchmark test.

After explaining the various aspects of the game to the two new players I had teamed up with, I asked them to choose a profession that could use a gigaslash-capable one-handed sword, so that everyone was ready to activate the gigaslash at any time. The challenge was the coin boss, Slime General. This slime general summons a number of giant slimes, including Slime Behemazun, so I planned to show the potential of ROG ALLY by having everyone Giga Slash at the same time while the screen was filled with enemies. As any "DQX" user can tell you, this was a pretty crazy test.

Everyone was level 130 max. We were all level 130 max, with 4 battle masters, each equipped with a one-handed sword. When the remaining HP of the slime general is less than 60%, two slime behemoths are called. When the remaining HP of the slime general is less than 30%, it will call for a King Slime, Queen Slime, and Slime BehoMazun, so six giant slimes will appear on the stage. The pressure becomes tremendous.

At this stage, when I looked at the Nintendo Switch, I saw that the processing was already slowing down, and the players were stuck between the giant slimes, unable to move properly. Since there was no one in charge of recovering from the damage, everyone was desperately recovering little by little with Miracle Sword. We managed to slip through the pincers and when the four Battle Masters of the scattered players gathered together, we launched a Giga Slash all at once!

However, I don't know if my friend who is handling the Nintendo Switch is the only one who is limited by the hardware, but the poor response due to the processing slowdown causes one person to delay the timing of the activation. The result was okay, though: ROG ALLY there was a slight choppiness during the Giga Slash effect, but we decided that it was probably due to the giant slimes dominating the screen. The other two players, both of whom were playing on PS4, also experienced some choppiness when the effects were on screen, so we concluded that this was not a problem on the ROG ALLY side, but rather a problem with DQX itself reaching its processing power limit.

I had to get my friends online to try this kind of crazy benchmark test, but I understood from playing that the ROG ALLY's processing power is quite high.

It is a big win for us that it turned out to have the same processing power as consoles like PS4. This is just my personal opinion, but the ROG ALLY is not suitable for my aging eyes. ......, but you can increase the power in various ways via the dock, so I hope ASUS will develop a version that comes bundled with a genuine dock for middle-aged gamers with poor eyesight in the future. I hope that ASUS will develop a version that comes bundled with a genuine dock for the benefit of middle-aged gamers with poor eyesight.

(Text by Junk Hunter Yoshida and Hatahumi Nobu)