Just when I thought Asus ROG Ally deals had vanished post Black Friday, the handheld decides to drop even lower. That’s fantastic news for players who held off on picking up a portable PC during the sale, and it’s a wild price for something far punchier than a Steam Deck.
Believe it or not, you can now grab the Asus ROG Ally Z1 Extreme for $483.95 at Amazon. The current discount beats Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals by a few dollars, and while Best Buy used to always boast the lowest price since it’s an official retail partner, it beats the big box retailer’s $499 offer by a nice chunk.
At Amazon UK, you can current grab the same Asus ROG Ally model for £399. That’s £100 off compared to its new $499 MSRP, but keep in mind this best gaming handheld contender launched with a £699 price tag. The last record low before this discount at the retailer was £450, which means the portable PC is now cheaper than ever.
Should you buy the Asus ROG Ally?
Now is probably an optimal time to buy an Asus ROG Ally, especially with prices reaching lower than during Black Friday. If you’re not fussed about the extra vibrancy of the Steam Deck OLED and would rather invest in higher frame rates, this handheld is for you. Plus, it’s technically compatible with more PC games since it runs Windows 11, even if that is a bit of an Achilles heel in terms of usability.
The ROG Ally Z1 Extreme model specifically comes armed with a Ryzen APU that’s capable of elevated portable performance compared to the Steam Deck. You’ll still have to lower settings and make use of upscaling tools like AMD FSR where possible, but the handheld can perform neat tricks in the latest games. Hitting 60fps is quite possible in plenty of PC outings, and I’ve personally hit nice averages in Cyberpunk 2077, Hitman 3, and F1 2022.
However, all that performance comes at a cost to battery life – something most handhelds in 2024 struggle with. Portable PCs like the Asus ROG Ally X have since arrived to try and provide a better runtime alongside improved specs like 24GB RAM and a chonkier 1TB SSD. But, you’ll still be capped to just a few hours of on the go play, and since that device costs $699, I’d say 16GB memory and 512GB storage will satiate most player’s needs.
My TLDR is this – if you’re looking for a punchy handheld that won’t set you back much more than the price of a Steam Deck, the Asus ROG Ally should be your first call. There are other options out there for those of you seeking something different, with the Lenovo Legion Go boasting a 8.8-inch QHD 144Hz display and the Zotac Zone bringing AMOLED tech to the table. However, there’s a reason that the ROG Ally is still sitting pretty as my handheld gaming PC pick for the year, and it’s worth a look while it’s sitting at a record low price.
Looking for more portable options? Swing by the best gaming laptop and best gaming phone for powerhouse devices. If you prefer console comforts, check out the best Nintendo Switch bundles for cheap ninty offers.
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