The Asus ROG Ally Z1 Extreme is on sale for the very best value we have seen at Greatest Purchase. Usually $650, the 7-inch handheld gaming PC is up for grabs for less than $450. On high of the $200 low cost, Greatest Purchase is throwing within the official ROG Ally Travel Case, which retails for $40 by itself. For those who’re out there for a transportable gaming PC and need a Home windows mannequin, you are getting spectacular energy and efficiency for the value right here. If Greatest Purchase sells out, you may snag one for $457 at Walmart. This deal is offered by a third-party vendor however is fulfilled by Walmart.
$450 (was $650)
The ROG Ally Z1 Extreme comes with a pointy 1080p display screen, AMD’s Ryzen Z1 Extreme processor, 16GB LPDDR5 6400 RAM, and an inside 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 may make a significant distinction with newer, extra graphically demanding video games.
The ROG Ally provides spectacular efficiency for the value. It is not going to play graphically demanding video games on the highest settings, however you continue to can play many AAA titles in 1080p decision with at the very least 30fps. Even at its full $650 value, the ROG Ally’s efficiency is admirable; at $450, the ROG Ally Z1 Extreme provides unbelievable worth.
Admittedly, you may fill a 512GB SSD pretty shortly today, however the ROG Ally has a microSD card slot that means that you can broaden your storage for affordable. As an illustration, you may seize a SanDisk Ultra 1TB microSD card for only $70 at Amazon right now. 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 $80 (was $110).
It is price noting that Home windows could be cumbersome on gaming handhelds, until you pair it with a conventional mouse and keyboard setup. Asus does have a proprietary app referred to as Armoury Crate that provides 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 $40. It is on the pricier aspect, however Razer is releasing a Chroma RGB-enabled docking station this week. 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 most well-liked handheld gaming PC by a large margin, however the Asus ROG Ally has been the most well-liked various for Home windows customers since its June 2023 launch. Following the success of the ROG Ally Z1 Extreme and Z1 fashions, Asus launched the ROG Ally X final yr. Whereas it retained the Z1 Extreme chip, the ROG Ally X is fitted with 24GB RAM and different welcome enhancements similar 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 will likely be one other thrilling yr for handheld PCs, beginning with the discharge of the Lenovo Legion Go S. The Home windows mannequin of Lenovo’s upgraded handheld encompasses a new Ryzen Z2 Go Chip, 32GB RAM, and a 1TB SSD. The Legion Go S is offered to preorder now for $730 at Greatest Purchase forward of its February 14 launch.
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.