The Asus ROG Ally is one of the most compelling Steam Deck alternatives available today, offering better levels of performance for a higher but still agreeable price. However, it seems that a successor of sorts may be with us before the year is out, according to Asus itself.
As things stand, the ROG Ally is one of the best handheld gaming PCs, the Steam Deck aside, particularly if you are after a portable powerhouse that is rocking Windows 11. However, this only applies to the Z1 Extreme model, as the Z1 model that Asus released after the initial launch simply is not worthwhile.
The handheld may be due a replacement in 2024, though, according to Arnold Su, of Asus India. In an interview with Techlusive, Su disclosed that the company “most likely will launch a second generation [handheld gaming console] this year.”
While Su did not share any specifics about the silicon that may power the would-be ROG Ally 2, they did confirm that it “will still keep the Windows features, but we will focus more on gaming.” With this in mind, it seems we will be waiting a while longer before we see another device using SteamOS, outside of the Steam Deck OLED and LCD.
Given that Asus plans to potentially launch the ROG Ally 2 this year, the device will likely use an AMD Ryzen 8000 series chip, new for 2024. Whatever ends up at the heart of the handheld, however, it will certainly be more powerful than the Steam Deck.
The number of major manufacturers entering the handheld space is continuously growing, with the Lenovo Legion Go serving as the latest example we’ve reviewed. This naturally creates some pressure for Valve to release the Steam Deck 2, in order to remain competitive in every sense of the word. Given how popular the existing model is, though, it is anyone’s guess when we will see it arrive.
For now, check out our Asus ROG Ally review to learn more about PCGamesN’s preferred Steam Deck alternative.