The Asus ROG Ally has served me well for an entire year, and I’m recommending it again this Black Friday

by Pelican Press November 28, 2024

by Pelican Press November 28, 2024 5 views 18 minutes read

The Asus ROG Ally has served me well for an entire year, and I’m recommending it again this Black Friday

With many handheld gaming PCs going on sale during Black Friday, it can be difficult to make a decision on which one to opt for. Depending on your desires, you may prefer the Steam Deck OLED due to its $549.00 / £479 price – but the Asus ROG Ally Z1 Extreme is here to put an end to your hunt.

It’s now available on Best Buy in the US for just $499.99 (was $649.99), and also available on Amazon in the UK for just £399 (was £499) – and thanks to AMD’s Z1 Extreme chip, the Asus ROG Ally defeats the Steam Deck OLED in terms of raw performance in-game.

I know I’ve previously mentioned swapping my Ally for the Lenovo Legion Go (on sale now) due to its larger 8.8-inch screen, but Asus’ handheld provides in areas that the Legion Go doesn’t.

Not in the US or UK? Scroll down to see the best Asus ROG Ally Z1 Extreme deals in your region!

Today’s best Asus ROG Ally Z1 Extreme deal in the US

Today’s best Asus ROG Ally Z1 Extreme deal in the UK

Back on the topic of the Legion Go for a moment: its 8.8-inch 1600p display easily defeats all handheld gaming PCs (yes, including the Steam Deck OLED) – I would rather deal with worries of burn-in on my gaming monitor instead of a portable device, but that’s beside my main point.

It’s been evident that the Asus ROG Ally’s battery life isn’t the best (though this was improved with the recent Ally X), but this is far more of an issue with the Legion Go – with a bigger screen and a 2560×1660 resolution, the battery will drain much faster if you’re gaming at the native resolution.

Asus’ handheld utilizes a 1080p 120Hz display, with VRR (variable refresh rate) helping significantly while gaming, which the Legion Go does not have. Currently, the Ally is the cheaper option thanks to Black Friday, and you’ll be getting your hands on one of the best handheld gaming PCs available.