The Asus ROG Ally Z1 Extreme is discounted to $450 at Greatest Purchase. Usually $650, the deal slashes $200 from the worth of the favored Home windows gaming handheld. You will additionally get the official Journey Case ($40 worth) together with your buy. The ROG Ally has been the preferred Steam Deck various since its debut in June 2023, and whereas Asus has launched extra highly effective fashions over the previous 12 months, the Z1 Extreme presents the perfect efficiency for the worth within the Home windows handheld space–especially when it is obtainable for under $450.
$450 (was $650)
The ROG Ally Z1 Extreme comes with a pointy 1080p display, AMD’s Ryzen Z1 Extreme processor, 16GB LPDDR5 6400 RAM, and an inner 512GB NVMe SSD. In comparison with the $500 base mannequin ROG Ally, the Z1 Extreme has two further CPU cores and a greater GPU, which might make a significant distinction with newer, extra graphically demanding video games.
The ROG Ally presents spectacular efficiency for the worth. It isn’t going to play graphically demanding video games on the highest settings, however you continue to can play many AAA titles in 1080p decision with not less than 30fps. Even at its full $650 value, the ROG Ally’s efficiency is admirable; at $450, the ROG Ally Z1 Extreme presents unimaginable worth.
Admittedly, you possibly can fill a 512GB SSD pretty shortly today, however the ROG Ally has a microSD card slot that lets you develop your storage for reasonable. For occasion, you possibly can seize a SanDisk Ultra 1TB microSD card for $79 at Amazon. Alternatively, you can upgrade the internal SSD with an M.2 2230 NVMe SSD. One option here is Corsair’s 1TB MP600 Mini SSD for $75 (was $110).
It is price noting that Home windows will be cumbersome on gaming handhelds, except you pair it with a standard mouse and keyboard setup. Asus does have a proprietary app referred to as Armoury Crate that offers you a extra conventional console-like interface for gaming, however you may nonetheless have to spend a while navigating Home windows 11.
For a smoother total expertise and to show your handheld right into a hybrid desktop PC, we might advocate pairing your ROG Ally with a docking station. There are many budget-friendly docks, together with this popular JSAUX dock for $30 (was $40). It is on the pricier aspect, however Razer not too long ago launched a Chroma RGB-enabled docking station. You possibly can order the Razer Handheld Dock Chroma for $80 at Amazon.
Asus additionally makes a 65W Charger Dock, which has ports for USB-C, USB 2.0, and HDMI 2.0.
The Steam Deck stays the preferred handheld gaming PC by a large margin, however the Asus ROG Ally is a good various for many who need a Home windows machine. Following the success of the ROG Ally Z1 Extreme and Z1 fashions, Asus launched the ROG Ally X final 12 months. Whereas it retained the Z1 Extreme chip, the ROG Ally X is fitted with 24GB RAM and different welcome enhancements comparable to higher battery life, upgraded analog sticks, and elevated storage capability. The ROG Ally X is considerably costlier, particularly proper now, at $800 for a 1TB mannequin and $900 for a 2TB mannequin.
Here is the total ROG Ally lineup, however the Z1 Extreme is the one mannequin that is on sale.
2025 is shaping as much as be one other thrilling 12 months for handheld PCs. On February 14, Lenovo launched the Legion Go S. The Home windows mannequin of Lenovo’s upgraded handheld contains a new Ryzen Z2 Go Chip, 32GB RAM, and a 1TB SSD.
In Could, Lenovo will launch a $500 mannequin of the Legion Go S with SteamOS, the identical working system utilized by Valve’s Steam Deck. This mannequin options the Z2 Go Chip, 16GB RAM, and a 512GB SSD. It is going to be the primary third-party handheld to run on SteamOS.