Until recently, it was largely accepted that the ASUS ROG Ally was the best Steam Deck alternative on the market. But with the ASUS ROG Ally X set to make it’s debut next month, the original models have seen a price cut. Given that they originally retailed at a comparative price to the new ROG Ally X, we’re glad to see $150 and $200 shaved off the price of these lower-tier models. So if you wanted the competitive capabilities of the ROG Ally, but weren’t willing to pay more than the Steam Deck OLED RRP, now you can.
Both the Ryzen Z1 Extreme and Ryzen Z1 standard models of the ASUS ROG Ally have seen price cuts of $150 and $200 respectively at every major retailer. Head to Best Buy today and secure your ROG Ally at the lowest price yet!
It’s only been a year since the ASUS ROG Ally released, so many weren’t expecting a price drop so soon after release. But given the headway ASUS has clearly made in refining the handheld, the ROG Ally X is serving as a stop-gap between a full-fledged sequel and a simple quality-of-life upgrade. We’ve seen this before with handheld consoles – and have since seen the MSI Claw offer a price drop and new model mere months after release – so this was to be expected.
ASUS ROG Ally – AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme
What makes this ASUS ROG Ally deal worth it?
There have been two previous ASUS ROG Ally models available to consumers: one with a Z1 Extreme CPU, and one with the non-Extreme processor. The difference wasn’t just in processing power but in graphics, with the Z1 Extreme having three times as many RDNA 3.0 CUs as the standard Z1 – so getting your hands on the Extreme variant was well worth the added expense. Regardless, both ROG Ally models are now available at a lower price: the ROG Ally Z1 at $399, and the Z1 Extreme at $549.
But should you get these older models, especially with the ROG Ally X just around the corner? Given that this price drop is to accommodate the same tier of pricing for the ROG Ally X, it depends on your preferences. The extra $150/$200 buys you improved battery life and ergonomics, but doesn’t improve on any other major specifications of the console. The screen and technical power of the ROG Ally X remains the same as the ROG Ally models, so it ultimately depends on your preferences whether that extra playtime is worth $799.
There’s no major rush to get the older ROG Ally models: we suspect that these prices will remain for some time, if not drop further. The one hurdle may be whether stock levels survive the price drop. Depending on the success of the ROG Ally X and the reception to this price drop, the older consoles may sell out, and ASUS may prioritize the newer console over the older. So if you were keen on the ROG Ally and aren’t as concerned about battery life, don’t hesitate to buy one now at its lowest ever price!
