At this stage, there are more docking stations out there than handhelds to go with, and the one specifically for Asus ROG Ally just dropped super low. At full price, there are countless alternatives I’d point you towards, but seeing the official accessory dip under $30 makes recommending it pretty easy.
At Best Buy, you can now grab the Asus ROG 65W Charger Dock for $29.99, down from its ordinary $64.99 price tag. The hearty $35 discount absolutely brings this accessory down to a price I’m comfortable with, particularly since it’ll provide many of the best gaming handhelds with travel-friendly power and video output. Would I pay the full MSRP for it? Absolutely not, but the discount means it’s sitting at the same level as most “cheap” Steam Deck docks on the market.
I’ve already been to the trouble of hunting around for the Asus ROG Ally charger dock at other retailers, but stock is sparse. Just like the handheld itself, this accessory is a Best Buy retailer exclusive for the most part, so you won’t normally find it at other vendors. That’s not to say it won’t show up elsewhere, but you’re unlikely to find it this cheap if third-party sellers do come into stock.
Should you buy the Asus ROG Charger Dock?
Picking up the Charger Dock for your Asus ROG Ally is anything but mandatory, but docking stations this small can be incredibly useful. Before I even get to the fact this is a full blown HDMI video output device that’ll feed data back and forth from your handheld using USB-C, the fact it’ll also serve as a way to just reliably charge your device is worth shouting about. Even the cheapest Power Delivery options, like this Amazon Basics model, will set you back $15.99, and Anker’s version is sitting even higher at $39.99. Yeesh.
Keep in mind both of those options supply power only, so for less than the latter Anker plug, you’re getting a pocket-size brick that’ll hook up to your gaming TV or monitor using HDMI and provide an additional USB port. My fellow hardware editor chum Tabitha Baker consistently uses this accessory with the ROG Ally and used it to test the Asus ROG Ally X too, which serves as a testament to its usefulness.
I admittedly use an alternative device for travel, specifically the Acefast GaN Smart PD Charger Hub that has dropped to $23.99 in the past. As the name suggests, this rival uses Gallium Nitrate tech to achieve a smaller formfactor, in turn making it a touch more portable. There’s no much in it comparatively, with Asus’ brick being a touch larger, but it’s still worth noting if you want something the same size as your gaming phone brick.
All that aside, the Asus ROG Charger Dock is a pretty nifty way to turn your handheld into a console hybrid, and it’ll work nicely with the Steam Deck OLED and even beefier handhelds like the Zotac Zone and Ayaneo Flip DS. You will have to perch your portable PC since this is docking station lacks a cradle, but if that’s a biggie, Amazon has you covered with stands from $9. If it gets to the point where you’re then thinking about more than one USB port, you’ll probably just want to grab the Baseus 6-in-1 while it’s sitting at $29.99 instead.
What can I say, you’re spoiled for docking station choices in 2024.
Looking for more handheld savings? Swing by Black Friday Steam Deck deals. Alternatively, take a peek at Black Friday TV deals and Black Friday monitor deals for screens to go with.
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