12+
£449.0
4.8/5
Excellent
ASUS ROG
Handheld Gaming PC
3 minutes
The original ROG Ally helped push handheld PC gaming into the mainstream by putting Windows 11 and serious AMD gaming hardware into a device you can hold like a console.
The Z1 Extreme version combines an AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme processor with 16GB LPDDR5 memory and a 512GB SSD. Its 7-inch Full HD touchscreen runs at up to 120Hz with AMD FreeSync Premium, making games look exceptionally smooth for a handheld.
Because the Ally runs Windows 11, it can access PC game libraries and services including Steam, Epic Games and Xbox Game Pass rather than locking players into one store. The built-in controls make it feel console-like, while Armoury Crate helps organise games and performance settings.
At around 608g, the original Ally is remarkably portable for the performance on offer. Battery life varies dramatically depending on the game and performance mode, so demanding AAA gaming is where a charger becomes particularly useful.
The ROG Ally remains an impressive way to take a large PC game library away from the desk. Newer handhelds have since appeared, including ASUS’s own Ally X, but the original Ally’s lower pricing can make it a particularly interesting route into handheld PC gaming.
Windows means you can use Steam, Epic, Xbox Game Pass and other PC stores instead of being tied to a single handheld ecosystem.
The 7-inch 1080p panel runs at up to 120Hz with FreeSync Premium, giving fast games an impressively smooth look.
The Z1 Extreme model has enough power for demanding modern games while still fitting into a device weighing just over 600g.
Use it as a handheld, connect a controller, dock it to a larger display or treat it like a tiny Windows PC.
