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[IFireflyl]

If Asus want to launch a product today and ask money for it then it's their duty to ensure its ready, works as it should and is worth the money they are asking for it. If someone thinks that's the case as it is today and the value proposition is correct for them then fine. It's not however your duty as a consumer excuse them, justify what they are doing, test it for them and help them make it worth it (if the situation is that it's not ready to go to market and it's not worth it vs the other options out there). If they expect that of you then you should be getting paid, not the other way round.

Mini-rant over but it's important that people realise products improve by us demanding more, not making excuses for them. In an ideal world the ROG ally launches and it's better than the Steam Deck from a usability standpoint, that way Valve are also pushed to improve and adopt any innovations that Asus might have come up with where applicable. But right now as it stands, it's just the raw hardware that is better, something that valve can easily remedy through releasing a steam deck with updated internals, it's not pushing them in any other way. Internally they will view this the same as any other newly released windows based handheld PC out there.

I get what you're saying, but you're giving Valve a pass whereas you're holding ASUS's feet to the fire. The Steam Deck had launch issues for a product they sold. They worked on the launch issues and made great improvements. Every post you have made about the Steam Deck has been in defense of it. Why doesn't ASUS get the same benefit of the doubt that you gave Valve? It's ASUS' first foray into the handheld PC market (unless someone wants to be pedantic and argue that the ROG phones are technically a handheld PC). You don't need to try to tear them a new one when the device hasn't even launched yet.

 

[GHG]

I get what you're saying, but you're giving Valve a pass whereas you're holding ASUS's feet to the fire. The Steam Deck had launch issues for a product they sold. They worked on the launch issues and made great improvements. Every post you have made about the Steam Deck has been in defense of it. Why doesn't ASUS get the same benefit of the doubt that you gave Valve? It's ASUS' first foray into the handheld PC market (unless someone wants to be pedantic and argue that the ROG phones are technically a handheld PC). You don't need to try to tear them a new one when the device hasn't even launched yet.

Nowhere I'm I giving valve a pass. The problems meant I cancelled my initial reservation and didn't follow through with it.

So I'm not sure what you want me to say here. Asus are not a small company and they have a lot of experience in this industry.

 

[IFireflyl]

Nowhere I'm I giving valve a pass. The problems meant I cancelled my initial reservation and didn't follow through with it.

So I'm not sure what you want me to say here. Asus are not a small company and they have a lot of experience in this industry.

A lot of experience in the PC industry doesn't automatically equate to experience in the handheld gaming PC market. Having said that, if you were also opposed to Valve's Steam Deck initially then at least your stance is the same across the board. I can't fault you for that.

 

[GHG]

A lot of experience in the PC industry doesn't automatically equate to experience in the handheld gaming PC market. Having said that, if you were also opposed to Valve's Steam Deck initially then at least your stance is the same across the board. I can't fault you for that.

I wasn't "opposed" to it, I just didn't follow through on my allocation at the time it arrived because of the issues I saw.

I'm not opposed to the Ally either, I think its a great device for the right customer. However people pre-emptively making excuses for it in certain respects makes no sense to me, it's not launching into the same environment that the deck launched into, this subsection (as niche as it is) of the industry has moved on since then. The standards that people have come to expect and should demand have moved on since early 2022, and rightly so.

If there are any critical issues the Asus better hope they can get them solved ASAP, because people won't put up with it considering the viable alternatives. This isn't even a console situation where they might have unique software to keep people tied in while they wait.

 

[DenchDeckard]

If it wasn't for the steam deck I wouldn't be giving this a go. It made me realise how much I love these handheld PCs. Hopefully there is a battery upgrade available for the Ally within the first 6 months.

 

[ToTTenTranz]

New interview from the Verge:

Asus claims that it has totally fixed the ROG Ally’s battery life

Executives had “very serious meetings” about the bad reviews.

www.theverge.com

It looks like, for launch day, they're promising the ability to disable CPU cores on the Ally. This was one of the main reasons for the Ally being unable to compete with the Steam Deck in the 5-10W range, as keeping those cores alive takes too much power no matter the frequency. Now if only they could do the same for disabling a couple of WGPs in the iGPU, that would be awesome.


On the other hand, it seems they have no plans to officially support larger batteries because they're awfully fixated on those 600g. I for one wouldn't mind an extra 150g to get a >50% larger battery.

 

[Dream-Knife]

It's a handheld gaming device. The main focus is playing games. Which means they should treat them like consoles and deliver fixes and updates for at least 5 years. The Ally is very expensive so I expect a similar longevity as consoles. I'm not gonna replace it in 2-3 years time.

You're not going to replace it in that time, but asus will if it's successful.

 

[FingerBang]

New interview from the Verge:

Asus claims that it has totally fixed the ROG Ally’s battery life

Executives had “very serious meetings” about the bad reviews.

www.theverge.com

It looks like, for launch day, they're promising the ability to disable CPU cores on the Ally. This was one of the main reasons for the Ally being unable to compete with the Steam Deck in the 5-10W range, as keeping those cores alive takes too much power no matter the frequency. Now if only they could do the same for disabling a couple of WGPs in the iGPU, that would be awesome.


On the other hand, it seems they have no plans to officially support larger batteries because they're awfully fixated on those 600g. I for one wouldn't mind an extra 150g to get a >50% larger battery.

This is great news. That should free up a considerable amount of performance on lower TDPs

 

[Tams]

Nowhere I'm I giving valve a pass. The problems meant I cancelled my initial reservation and didn't follow through with it.

So I'm not sure what you want me to say here. Asus are not a small company and they have a lot of experience in this industry.

Your comments say otherwise, Valve warrior.

 

[Mr Hyde]

Got confirmation today that my ROG Ally and XG Mobile is arriving tomorrow. Very excited to set it up and try it out.

 

[Superbean]

It's lighter than I thought it would be, and the screen is so incredibly much better than decks. No issues, just enjoying some games

 

[FingerBang]

I just received my Ally. This thing is beautiful and compact/light. I will post more opinions later, trying some new/heavy games but feel free to ask questions. I also have a Steam Deck and a high-end PC in case you want me to do some comparisons.

Update:

After the initial setup, I made it into Windows and had multiple blue screens in a row. I downloaded many updates and restarted to install them... and another blue screen. Currently updating the bios, seems to be part of the updates. This is ALREADY the authentic Windows experience on the go!!!

Update 2: After the bios update (and a few other things true Windows), it seems to be working fine. Still a few updates to go.

 

[Hayabusa83]

At work, see I got a shipment notification. 5 PM can't come soon enough.

 

[dolabla]

Mine is showing ready for pick up. Will be heading out the best buy when they open in about an hour to pick it up.

 

[Sleepwalker]

Launch day is here, I didn't preorder but I see it available locally at best buy here.

Any gaffers got theirs yet?

 

[FingerBang]

I am on the second BIOS update of the day after I pulled some more Windows updates and restarted to install them.

The BSOD issue hasn't happened again (it was probably driver-related).

Game Pass is now giving me an error and not letting me play any games because fuck me. Again, gotta love the pure Windows experience!

"clip license device id does not match the device id in the bound device license"

 

[Sleepwalker]

I am on the second BIOS update of the day after I pulled some more Windows updates and restarted to install them.

The BSOD issue hasn't happened again (it was probably driver-related).

Game Pass is now giving me an error and not letting me play any games because fuck me. Again, gotta love the pure Windows experience!

"clip license device id does not match the device id in the bound device license"

NGL, your painful troubleshooting has deterred me from impulse going to the store to pick one up lol

 

[Diseased Yak]

NGL, your painful troubleshooting has deterred me from impulse going to the store to pick one up lol

Hah, same here! Makes me wonder how the review units sent to influencers were done, they must have hand-updated them before sending them out.

 

[FingerBang]

NGL, your painful troubleshooting has deterred me from impulse going to the store to pick one up lol

Well, those are well known Windows issues. Once everything is up-to-date, I have to say Armory Crate seems to work really well.

The device is fast and even at 15W it's way more powerful than a Steam Deck and with a much better screen.

I tried Monster Hunter Rise and can run it above 60 fps on medium settings at 1080p. 120hz. It's amazing.

The Game Pass stuff is something I have dealt with every time I used a new device. All the other stores work absolutely fine.

 

[jshackles]

I am on the second BIOS update of the day after I pulled some more Windows updates and restarted to install them.

The BSOD issue hasn't happened again (it was probably driver-related).

Game Pass is now giving me an error and not letting me play any games because fuck me. Again, gotta love the pure Windows experience!

"clip license device id does not match the device id in the bound device license"

It probably isn't helping that Asus decided to release this on "patch Tuesday". Microsoft just released their monthly updates about an hour ago.

 

[DR3AM]

Picked up mine yesterday. Guy at BestBuy said they are very popular.

 

[OverHeat]

 

[IC3M@N FX]

I get my Ally yesterday too, with Sabrent 1TB SSD .
But i have question, can I install the newest AMD Adrenalin Driver from the AMD Website? When i click the Update Button they don't find new GPU Driver in Adrenalin App.
Actually the Ally has Adrenalin Version 22.40.58 but the newest Driver is Adrenalin 23.5.2 with few more optimization for Diablo 4 and Street Fighter 6.
Can i install that or has the Ally own special driver with custom values they are not compatible with official AMD Radeon Driver?

 

[Ribi]

i mean its basically what i wanted with the steam deck minus the battery life

 

[DR3AM]

So far so good with mine. Installing games now. Updates and FW took forever.

 

[Mr Hyde]

The postal service fucked up my delivery and now they say it's coming tomorrow. Fucking clownshoes.

 

[IC3M@N FX]

I posted that in other thread but maybe someone has more information about my question.

Can I install the newest AMD Adrenalin Driver from the AMD Website? When i click the Update Button they don't find new GPU Driver in Adrenalin App.
Actually the Ally has Adrenalin Version 22.40.58 but the newest Driver is Adrenalin 23.5.2 with few more optimization for Diablo 4 and Street Fighter 6.
Can i install that or has the Ally own special driver with custom values they are not compatible with official AMD Radeon Driver?

 

[M1chl]

I see that the experience reflect running Windows + AMD HW. Who would have thought

 

[Reallink]

I mean if you're in the market for this sort of thing just buy a Steam deck.

The problem with Steamdeck is you can't play Gamepass locally, the 300 free games you got on EGS/GOG, or all the bullshit EA, Ubi, Actiblizzard launchers you own stuff on. All of which combined are honestly far more important than Steam (particularly Gamepass). And putting Windows on Steamdeck is certified trash. Steamdeck is a terrible product unless you're 100% in the Steam ecosystem and literally never touch anything outside it. And even then a very large portion of your library won't run on it cause of the Linux handicap.

 

[Gamer_By_Proxy]

How is windows a bad thing when it comes to gaming? More games being compatible and anti-cheat stuff works? Oh no!!!!
I'm just not getting the Ally cause I know I won't have time for it. I hardly have any time for my ps5/psvr2/switch.

 

[jshackles]

The problem with Steamdeck is you can't play Gamepass locally, the 300 free games you got on EGS/GOG, or all the bullshit EA, Ubi, Actiblizzard launchers you own stuff on. All of which combined are honestly far more important than Steam (particularly Gamepass). And putting Windows on Steamdeck is certified trash. Steamdeck is a terrible product unless you're 100% in the Steam ecosystem and literally never touch anything outside it. And even then a very large portion of your library won't run on it cause of the Linux handicap.

I've had no real trouble getting my EGS and GOG games loaded on to the Steam Deck using Heroic Games Launcher. Blizzard, EA, and Ubisoft apps also work (just add the launcher itself as a "Non-Steam game", download and play games normally). I've played Assassin's Creed Origins, Diablo 4, and a smattering of GOG and Epic games without too many hitches. There are obviously a few games that just flat out won't work due to the Linux compatibility not being there. Being able to run stuff like AC specifically at 40fps is pretty incredible.

Microsoft / Xbox / Game Pass games are definitely a bummer that they can't be played on the Deck without installing Windows - which I agree runs like ass on the Deck.

I'm glad the Ally exists personally, even though the value proposition isn't there for me personally. The more options people have to play the games they want, where they want, the better!

 

[OverHeat]

Still on the way home impression so far…the packaging is nice and much nicer then the deck

 

[FingerBang]

I see that the experience reflect running Windows + AMD HW. Who would have thought

Tbh the AMD side of things has not been a problem at all. At the moment I'm just unable to make Game Pass games work, and that's on Windows

 

[M1chl]

Tbh the AMD side of things has not been a problem at all. At the moment I'm just unable to make Game Pass games work, and that's on Windows

What does it do or not do? On last Win11 update?

 

[willothedog]

The problem with Steamdeck is you can't play Gamepass locally, the 300 free games you got on EGS/GOG, or all the bullshit EA, Ubi, Actiblizzard launchers you own stuff on. All of which combined are honestly far more important than Steam (particularly Gamepass). And putting Windows on Steamdeck is certified trash. Steamdeck is a terrible product unless you're 100% in the Steam ecosystem and literally never touch anything outside it. And even then a very large portion of your library won't run on it cause of the Linux handicap.

utter nonsense, is Windows too hard for you to install?

 

[FingerBang]

What does it do or not do? On last Win11 update?

Everything up-to-date, it was an issue with licenses with game pass. Tried few things but eventually resetting the app fixed it and now everything works.

All the games I tested so far work perfectly, except for Alan Wake remastered that hangs after a few seconds of gameplay for some reason.

 

[Spukc]

The problem with Steamdeck is you can't play Gamepass locally, the 300 free games you got on EGS/GOG, or all the bullshit EA, Ubi, Actiblizzard launchers you own stuff on. All of which combined are honestly far more important than Steam (particularly Gamepass). And putting Windows on Steamdeck is certified trash. Steamdeck is a terrible product unless you're 100% in the Steam ecosystem and literally never touch anything outside it. And even then a very large portion of your library won't run on it cause of the Linux handicap.

no offense but your post it outdated for about a solid 4 months

 

[OverHeat]

Setup was a breeze it’s like every windows install

 

[FingerBang]

Setup was a breeze it’s like every windows install

It's pretty straightforward, but takes a while to get all the updates (including the bios). That say, Armory Crate works really well and if you're just using it for gaming, you can do everything from there using the controls.

 

[TVexperto]

h

It's pretty straightforward, but takes a while to get all the updates (including the bios). That say, Armory Crate works really well and if you're just using it for gaming, you can do everything from there using the controls.

how do i uppdate the bios?

 

[Reallink]

utter nonsense, is Windows too hard for you to install?

No, it just runs like shit and completely breaks with many programs either cause of drivers, or none of them being tested to run on 1280x800 displays (i.e. they try to draw half the UI off screen). That isn't a controversial statement, no one honest is going to tell you Windows on Steamdeck is great. It's widely agreed upon, universally, to be a terrible experience.

 

[willothedog]

No, it just runs like shit and completely breaks with many programs either cause of drivers, or none of them being tested to run on 1280x800 displays (i.e. they try to draw half the UI off screen). That isn't a controversial statement, no one honest is going to tell you Windows on Steamdeck is great. It's widely agreed upon, universally, to be a terrible experience.

there you go with the nonsense again and most of the r/windowsondeck community would disagree.

nothing to be ashamed of if you need help setting it up, if you even own one that is.....

 

[Spukc]

No, it just runs like shit and completely breaks with many programs either cause of drivers, or none of them being tested to run on 1280x800 displays (i.e. they try to draw half the UI off screen). That isn't a controversial statement, no one honest is going to tell you Windows on Steamdeck is great. It's widely agreed upon, universally, to be a terrible experience.

no offense but your post it outdated for about a solid 4 months

 

[BobbyColtrane]

i went to bb on my lunch break and got one.

I've had a SD since November but only ever use Windows on it. I haven't had any trouble with the sleep/resume feature in Windows, but we'll see about the Ally.

I will miss the trackpads.

 

[TwinB242]

Is anyone missing the GPU settings option that lets you adjust VRAM allocation?

That option is just not there for me, even though i've spent the last day grabbing every update out there.

 

[TwinB242]

I posted this in the other thread, but is anyone able to head to Settings > Operating Mode > GPU Settings in Armory Crate and change their VRAM allocation? That option is completely absent even though i've grabbed all of the updates.

 

[Jooxed]

Anyone having trouble launching games? I install go to armory crate and press play and it just takes me to desktop

 

[64bitmodels]

Steamdeck is a terrible product unless you're 100% in the Steam ecosystem and literally never touch anything outside it.

like a great majority of many PC gamers...???

Even games using other launchers are still distributed on steam, like Trackmania.

And even then a very large portion of your library won't run on it cause of the Linux handicap.

it's not a handicap when it consumes less power and is more efficient... Also, this is bullshit. You haven't used the OS if you seriously think that it's a "large" portion. I don't even have to think when playing a game on Linux

 

[Guileless]

All you negative nellies kill me. My Best Buy was like the Windows 95 launch. I'm about to boot up Total Annihilation and play it in my hammock like a king.

 

[Quasicat]

I like the idea of the handheld pc, but like the simplicity of the Switch. Instead of downloading emulators/games and needing to play with the settings, I can download a game and just start playing. I did spend a lot of time setting up dev mode on my Xbox, but that’s as far as I need to go.