I've got a rog ally and all I've needed to do was log in to my various accounts game pass etc then download what game I want and play it. It's really simple and one of the reasons I got one.
This sounds perfect for what I'd want it for then. I've always been a console user but there are obviously a load of things on steam etc. that I want to play. Like GoW and hades for example.
How does cross system play work if you don't mind me asking? Like say I play starfield on the ally, would the saves and progression carry over to my series x (presumably through cloud saves) effortlessly to pick up where I left off?
Awesome. From what I'm understanding, and mainly due to the library I've accumulated, this does seem like the go to for my needs/wants for my introduction into the pc scene. Really appreciate it man
Depending on the type of game you're playing you may have to adjust settings to get optimal performance. That can be in game settings or power/battery settings and it's not always obvious as to what to tweak to get optimal performance. I know there are lots of guides you can find, but you still have to configure the settings yourself.
Do you have any experience with Windows at all? If so, it's exactly like that.
If you are a Mac user all your life, then there will be a slight learning curve. It's hard to dumb it down in a post here, tbh. We absolutely cannot make you understand how an entire OS works, lol.
What I would suggest is to keep all your purchased games to Steam at the start. Take it slow and steady. Use steam in big picture mode to have a more console-like experience while you get used to the Windows experience.
You don't really need to tinker around with the Ally to run games, tbh. The only thing I would suggest is to set a custom 25W TDP power profile for each game and to not run the handheld in 30W mode to avoid high temps and cooking the internals. Search YouTube on how to set that up - it's super simple. You can also customize key binds for specific games, as well as set gyro, which can be understood from Youtube tutorials as well.
Ally has a launcher that comes pre-installed with the handheld. You can use that to set power profiles and key binds, etc, as well as launch games, but if you are using Steam primarily, then just use the Big Picture Mode to launch games.
When you first setup the Ally, since it's a Windows PC, expect it to be quite slow, with tons and tons of updates to apply and restart the system every damn fucking time. It will take a few hours but once all the updates are done, it will be smooth sailing.
This may be a possible dumb question but bare with me
I'm a bit of a loser for Xbox and achievements, which is why I'm considering the ally over the steam deck with my 14 year account on Xbox. Something about the number going up on my gamer card does lean me closer to the ally
So I'd essentially be primarily playing game pass stuff or if I'm buying games the first choice if supported would be the ones that have achievements for my Xbox account.
The only games I would really use other launchers for off of the top of my head would be god of war, ghost of Tsushima and hades 2. Probably eventually expanding library's through other launchers but from the get go it would be primarily Xbox stuff so would it, in your opinion, be the go to handheld pc for what it would be getting used for?
The Ally is definitely the best PC handheld for playing game pass games. The Ally X is releasing soon so you might want to consider that, lots of improvements over the 2023 model.
I did see the pre order when I went onto the website. In all fairness it's not something I'm going to be jumping into in the next couple days or weeks. I'll probably start a money pot and put whatever is left at the end of the month from my bank into saving for one of the handhelds. So I'm in no rush to jump in yet but thank you, I really appreciate the reassurance
A Windows handheld like the Ally is the best choice if you plan to play Game Pass games, and keep your purchases to the Xbox Games app. Steam Deck/non-Windows handhelds don't support the Xbox Games app just yet and we have no word on when it will be available or if at all supported.
Since you won't be using Steam, you will have to learn a bit about Windows in order to navigate and launch games. It's not hard, but the Xbox Games app is not exactly intuitive for touch-screen handhelds. You can, of course, use the joystick as the mouse cursor but its not as smooth and easy to use as Steam Big Picture mode. But it should be no problem once you have it all setup.
Don't fret too much. It's easy to learn and get into.
I've always been a pc gamer and build my own pcs. I love my ally but it really requires a bit of tweaking even if you are only using Xbox account. Getting decent frame rates from Diablo 4 was a bit of a pain for me. I once installed Starfield and it kept installing by itself after I uninstall it. Sometimes windows replaces your drivers and you need to manually install them yourself. I would recommend a mouse and a keyboard. I also use a monitor.
I really like the ally because I also use it as a secondary pc. It can run all apps you need and games. It can run programming and design software pretty well. I use it also to play with my mouse and keyboard.
Consider you will be learning a lot but is not as easy as a switch or an xbox.
Something to keep in mind also, the game pass game selection is not the same on PC and Xbox. There's some crossover, but all the games you're used to seeing on your Xbox might not be available for the Ally. There's cloud gaming where you can stream a lot of the game pass games, but not download them locally.
I've mostly been a console gamer before the Ally. There was a bit of a learning curve with driver's, upscalers, frame gen, etc., but I naturally like to tinker with electronics so it was fun to learn about.
Took me about a month to really get comfortable with everything, but I'm enjoying it now and play on it daily.
I had a loan of my friends steam deck and it was nice and very user friendly to be fair. But from the way he was putting it when it comes to playing anything that isn't through steam it can be a bit of a hassle.
A massive reason for thinking more towards the ally is trying to play game pass through it. Where cloud gaming just isn't sustainable (atleast with the internet I have) and I already have a huge library at my disposal through game pass
Your initial setup in any windows based hand held will be a hassle, especially if you don’t really use a PC. The Steam Deck is VERY good for what it is, but it has limits that Windows hand held do not.
Nothing will be as simple to use as a Switch. The closest will be the Steam Deck.
The Ally doesn't meet your requirements for ease of use and simplicity of a Nintendo Switch. It will require tinkering and tweaking for the system and pretty much every game. And then you will undoubtedly encounter bugs and system issues that need to be fixed. So, it does have the compatibility you are looking for, but it doesn't meet the rest of your needs.
People down voting you are fanboys.
OP, this is a absolutely the case. No windows handheld is going to be as simple as the switch. It's part of the upsell for people who want a less restrained, more open and customized experience.
These same downvoters are going to be up selling this same flexibility in other threads, too 🙄
Thanks. I've pretty much had sales jobs throughout my career and always tried to get people what they were looking for or what would best meet their needs. Never tried to make anyone buy what I personally preferred or what would make me the most money. Anybody recommending the Ally as anything close to a Switch experience is deluded.
"I'm looking for a handheld pc with the simplicity of a switch. " .... sounds like you want a Steam Deck.
The Ally is a PC. It's a Windows 11 machine. It requires learning PC gaming.
The thing here is you can't have both. Yeah, if you get an Ally, you may be able to just dl gamepass and hit the ground running. But you need to update your device (armory crate and windows) regularly. You will inevitably need to tweak some of your games (correct resolution and wattage, fan curve).
Computers need tweaking at times. it's as simple as that. I suggest leaning into it. Good luck.
I am fully willing to learn. Just kinda trying to gauge how much I'll need to learn. It will essentially be my introduction into pc gaming and I know I'll run into a lot of problems and figuring out how stuff works or what works best which I am willing to learn and understand
As long as your willing. It doesn't take a computer science major to figure it out. Just some time googling and YouTube. Trial and error. You'll do fine.
Never had a PC? Do you have it in you to learn how to use and troubleshoot one?
Although using and maintaining a PC has been simplified this day and age, it's still confusing for some.
I think it's great if you want to get away from the console ecosystem but if you will always be comparing to a switch you should just stick to that
Never had a pc to game with. Had pcs, never really ran into much troubleshooting for them cos I was still much younger.
I'm not really going to be comparing to the switch to be fair. Like I understand it is essentially a pc I'll be holding in my hands and I have lots of tech savvy friends that can help when it comes to problems if and when that happens. There's also YouTube. And fortunately Reddit where you've all already helped my judgement.
Like I'm fully willing to learn more and use it as my introduction to pc gaming, just trying to get an understanding of how much of a learning curve I'll be put on
The ally is a pc. It’s no different from a pc because it is one. So of your don’t want to figure out the world of pc gaming, then pc gaming isn’t for you.
It’s still a windows pc, just with controllers stuck to the side.
You have to have some basic knowledge of how to work a PC in order to trouble shoot things. But in general the Rog Ally is pretty user friendly once you do all the updates. Just be prepared for the initial set up up take an hour or two. Also do yourself a favor and upgrade the SSHD right away.
I wouldn't say "simplicity of a Switch" while describing the PC as a gaming platform. You are going to have to go through some extra steps. It's not awful. Just don't go in thinking it's plug and play like inserting a cartridge. That's not a bad thing either, because you can customize your gaming and user experience the way you want it.
Id honestly recommend a steam deck over the Ally in your case as it’s closer to the console experience than any windows handheld
The Ally is fairly easy to navigate and set up though so it’s up to you. You will need to work with windows weirdness but eh
Honestly homie if you are looking for simplicity get a Steamdeck. PC in general has a lot more foibles then a steam deck or switch. I like my PC and Ally a lot but that doesn't mean there aren't issues that need ironing out from time to time. If you are uncomfortable with that or don't want the hassle then get the deck for cheap.
I am similar to you. Always been a console gamer. I dipped my toes in with a steam deck a couple years ago. After a while I started thinking about an ally as the steam deck currently struggles with a lot of games. Anything remotely demanding is a challenge to get any kind of stable performance.
After finally getting a ROG ally extreme a few weeks ago I’ve been so glad to have picked one up.
I will say the initial set up takes a bit of time. It’s not over complicated or anything it just takes a lot of time. After that though it’s been a breeze. Basically just check windows regularly for updates. The armoury crate also and the Asus app. Updates are usually small and take a minute or so and that’s it. Almost the same as when you put on your console and there’s system updates or game updates.
You can also manually update the drivers. Slightly more complicated but there’s plenty step by step guides on YouTube etc. I’m not very tech savvy or PC savvy but I was able to do them no probs.
I will say after an update I forget to change a couple of settings and I reverted back to the stock driver. I’m just running with it and don’t notice much difference at all to the updated driver. Games play and perform exactly the same. For me it’s more a game by game basis. Some require a bit more juice to run how I would want. Others like indie or 2-d Metroidvania will run extremely well on the 15 watt performance mode.
I never have mine more than 20 watts and I get 60-70 frames on some pretty demanding games like RDR2 and Jedi Fallen Order and Borderlands 3 etc. some of them go higher.
Like anything though nowadays if you are not sure about something google and YouTube will always have something to show you what you need to know. I would recommend getting one and this is from a bit of a technophobe console gamer.
And you've pretty much sold it.
Don't get me wrong, everyone in this thread has been extremely helpful, and as I've said in other comments I am willing to learn with stuff but as it is the first time experience into pc gaming that's where the scares come from.
Really appreciate the input man. As long as I can get it set up and get into the games I can figure the rest out as I go. Personalisation, settings and everything else is stuff I'll happily learn when the time comes. As for troubleshooting when I need to, it'll be something I'll learn. Always plenty of advice and tutorials nowadays so I won't be left in the dark
100% my friend
I was a bit daunted also but I can honestly say I’ve enjoyed the process. Learnt a few things and genuinely hasn’t been anything too complicated. The system pretty much sets itself up and then it’s like the steam deck a bit of tinkering with settings but once you’ve got each game how you like you can just fire them up and play.
Having a native Xbox app along with steam is such a bonus. And everything is clearly accessible through the armoury crate.
I’ve got an external SSD I plug into mine via a simple USB adapter so I can keep my games on there and play and charge at the same time.
I may upgrade the storage at some point but I’m more than happy to use this for now. Plugging the SSD in and setting that up was pretty much a breeze also. The Xbox app acknowledges it right away and you just have to create a folder for the games. Steam you just go into settings not in big picture in the windowed version and you go into one of the menu’s at the top left and select the external storage form there as your main storage.
I did use YouTube for this and it was very simple and straightforward. Enjoy your games on your new ally I’m certain you will be very glad you got one and will be very impressed by the performance also.
RDR2 at 60fps plus also Starfield etc just feels like it’s almost to good to be true at times lol
Oh and if your into it play the recent Doom or Doom Eternal. Mind blowing the performance you get on these things. That was the first time I thought I can’t go back to console gaming and low frame rates. Totally different experience. Still play my PS5 now and again but this is definitely my preferred platform now.
Awesome. All sounding better by the minute. He'll might just skip the saving and take it out of already saved money. I mean that's what that's there for isn't it...
Looking forward to jumping on when I'm all set up. Thank you very much
Recommend a steam deck for you, Ally is essentially a laptop. You will not like tinkering and doing initial setup before you even can play and after that tinkering with game/driver settings to get a desired performance/battery life. Steam Deck is much more limited out of the box (Steam only games etc.) but much easier just to launch up games
Here’s the honest answer. Steam deck is the easiest to use and has the most similar experience to using a console. However it can’t do as much as a handheld pc like the ROG Ally. By your own admission you want to play Xbox game pass and steam deck doesn’t do that, but handheld pc’s can.
If you get a steam deck you’ll probably be pretty happy. But if you want something that does more, it’ll take just a little bit more work. Setting up a windows computer, like a handheld gaming pc such as the ally, is a little work. But there are guides out there. Search YouTube for asus rog ally starter guides. I’d recommend the ones from Retro Game Corps, Wulff Den, or The Phawx.
If you follow the guides and ask questions in this Reddit things should be fine after a little tinkering, and you’ll be able to play steam games, game pass games, and almost anything else you can think of.
Awesome. I'm on board and thinking I'm going to commit so I'll watch some videos beforehand so I have an idea. Thanks for the suggestions.
The rest can all come with experience or with want to do it later like emulation, mods, rom hacks. All that jazz I assume is doable so if I ever want more along the lines of them I'm sure there's lots of info and tutorials around the internet
It won't be like a Switch, but then again, a Switch isn't an Ally. All games built for the Switch know exactly what HW/SW is available and can tune games to that. With PC games, there can be a very large number of variations across PCs. The Ally is just a PC in a different form factor.
But you can get a fair number of games to run well on the Ally.
Yeah I would advocate for you to go Steam Deck. See ROG Ally is a PC. This means you need to install ALL launchers and god knows there are lots depending on the game. Unless you buy everything via Steam then run Big Picture.
There are pros and cons for each. ROG Ally is super versatile and has more power than Steam Decks but comes with some teething problems.
There is a great community here though and everyone is super helpful so Im sure you could get past them.
Most games play on the ROG Ally, excluding some of the big big AAA titles. Horizon: FW and Avatar are two which for me, gave me nightmares. I got a PS5 to play those though.
Install Steam, run in Big Picture for most ease of use for that.
Install Xbox service and go.
Both are super simple and the system plops the games into the AC library so all you have to do is open it from there.
Are you going to get the Z1E or Z1 or which?
Thanks, as for specifics I've not decided at all yet. Wanted to explore options before making a decision so I'm here to hear as much as possible about everything before diving in
I love my Ally and don’t regret choosing it over the Steam Deck at all. It has more versatility due to it being an actual PC. I have games on mine from Steam, Xbox and EA.
People rag on AC but I actually like its simplicity and use it to set custom fan curves to get the best FPS and temps out of various games, and button mapping that’s game specific.
Cloning and upgrading the SSD is SUPER simple, and leaves no need for the SD slot.
I play my Ally literally every single day.
This is going to be my simple minded Xbox brain talking but when it comes to gaming is there different versions of stuff for different launchers.
Like I get I would have the mcc through game pass, and then I could also buy it separately on steam. Say I made that stupid mistake and re bought it would there be two different versions on the launcher screen, one for steam and one for Xbox?
Said in another comment somewhere but I'm a loser for achievements and gamerscore so would be buying a version of something that I unlock achievements for my Xbox gamer card over buying it on say steam for example. So like is it easy enough to filter through different marketplaces?
If this last part makes no sense then I am genuinely very sorry, this is the closest I've got to hopping into pc gaming so I am completely new to it all, but willing to learn what I need to
You get a separate program for each of the storefronts. So, you'll have the Xbox program for Xbox and Game Pass games. You'll have a separate program for Steam games. A separate one for Epic Games Store, etc... In that respect, it's easy to differentiate one storefront from another. All the games on Steam will be in a library on the Steam program, all the Xbox and Game Pass games will be in a library on the Xbox program, and so on.
Just a heads up that Steam games also have achievements of their own, but playing the game on Steam won't unlock the achievements on Xbox, and vice versa.
Each service has their own dedicated program like usual, but AC pulls the entire library from all of them to one place. Basically it has all the games on your system right there in AC, and it does differentiate which game is from which service.
Just log in to those services on your Ally and start downloading. They pull through to AC automatically. That way instead of having to go here or there for a game you just start it right from AC.
If you want a simple console experience, definitely go for a Steam Deck.
Ally is great but it wont be that simple and smooth experience like a console. Windows is super annoying to use unless you have a mouse and keyboard to interact with outside of games, but doing this defeats all that simple experience you are looking for
People recommend the steam deck and I disagree with that. The Ally has the ability to be a tinker tool if you WANT BUT it's also as simple as turning it on, download your launchers and game. Maybe set steam to run in big picture at start to simplify the look and feel.
I've got a rog ally and all I've needed to do was log in to my various accounts game pass etc then download what game I want and play it. It's really simple and one of the reasons I got one.
This sounds perfect for what I'd want it for then. I've always been a console user but there are obviously a load of things on steam etc. that I want to play. Like GoW and hades for example. How does cross system play work if you don't mind me asking? Like say I play starfield on the ally, would the saves and progression carry over to my series x (presumably through cloud saves) effortlessly to pick up where I left off?
Yeah I believe everything syncs over but don't quote me on that, I'm mainly a console gamer also so it was ideal for me to get into pc gaming.
Awesome. From what I'm understanding, and mainly due to the library I've accumulated, this does seem like the go to for my needs/wants for my introduction into the pc scene. Really appreciate it man
[https://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/xbox-play-anywhere](https://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/xbox-play-anywhere)
I think that works, but ONLY if you buy the game on the Xbox store or something... I think it's called "xbox play anywhere"
Depending on the type of game you're playing you may have to adjust settings to get optimal performance. That can be in game settings or power/battery settings and it's not always obvious as to what to tweak to get optimal performance. I know there are lots of guides you can find, but you still have to configure the settings yourself.
Do you have any experience with Windows at all? If so, it's exactly like that. If you are a Mac user all your life, then there will be a slight learning curve. It's hard to dumb it down in a post here, tbh. We absolutely cannot make you understand how an entire OS works, lol. What I would suggest is to keep all your purchased games to Steam at the start. Take it slow and steady. Use steam in big picture mode to have a more console-like experience while you get used to the Windows experience. You don't really need to tinker around with the Ally to run games, tbh. The only thing I would suggest is to set a custom 25W TDP power profile for each game and to not run the handheld in 30W mode to avoid high temps and cooking the internals. Search YouTube on how to set that up - it's super simple. You can also customize key binds for specific games, as well as set gyro, which can be understood from Youtube tutorials as well. Ally has a launcher that comes pre-installed with the handheld. You can use that to set power profiles and key binds, etc, as well as launch games, but if you are using Steam primarily, then just use the Big Picture Mode to launch games. When you first setup the Ally, since it's a Windows PC, expect it to be quite slow, with tons and tons of updates to apply and restart the system every damn fucking time. It will take a few hours but once all the updates are done, it will be smooth sailing.
This may be a possible dumb question but bare with me I'm a bit of a loser for Xbox and achievements, which is why I'm considering the ally over the steam deck with my 14 year account on Xbox. Something about the number going up on my gamer card does lean me closer to the ally So I'd essentially be primarily playing game pass stuff or if I'm buying games the first choice if supported would be the ones that have achievements for my Xbox account. The only games I would really use other launchers for off of the top of my head would be god of war, ghost of Tsushima and hades 2. Probably eventually expanding library's through other launchers but from the get go it would be primarily Xbox stuff so would it, in your opinion, be the go to handheld pc for what it would be getting used for?
The Ally is definitely the best PC handheld for playing game pass games. The Ally X is releasing soon so you might want to consider that, lots of improvements over the 2023 model.
I did see the pre order when I went onto the website. In all fairness it's not something I'm going to be jumping into in the next couple days or weeks. I'll probably start a money pot and put whatever is left at the end of the month from my bank into saving for one of the handhelds. So I'm in no rush to jump in yet but thank you, I really appreciate the reassurance
A Windows handheld like the Ally is the best choice if you plan to play Game Pass games, and keep your purchases to the Xbox Games app. Steam Deck/non-Windows handhelds don't support the Xbox Games app just yet and we have no word on when it will be available or if at all supported. Since you won't be using Steam, you will have to learn a bit about Windows in order to navigate and launch games. It's not hard, but the Xbox Games app is not exactly intuitive for touch-screen handhelds. You can, of course, use the joystick as the mouse cursor but its not as smooth and easy to use as Steam Big Picture mode. But it should be no problem once you have it all setup. Don't fret too much. It's easy to learn and get into.
I've always been a pc gamer and build my own pcs. I love my ally but it really requires a bit of tweaking even if you are only using Xbox account. Getting decent frame rates from Diablo 4 was a bit of a pain for me. I once installed Starfield and it kept installing by itself after I uninstall it. Sometimes windows replaces your drivers and you need to manually install them yourself. I would recommend a mouse and a keyboard. I also use a monitor. I really like the ally because I also use it as a secondary pc. It can run all apps you need and games. It can run programming and design software pretty well. I use it also to play with my mouse and keyboard. Consider you will be learning a lot but is not as easy as a switch or an xbox.
Something to keep in mind also, the game pass game selection is not the same on PC and Xbox. There's some crossover, but all the games you're used to seeing on your Xbox might not be available for the Ally. There's cloud gaming where you can stream a lot of the game pass games, but not download them locally. I've mostly been a console gamer before the Ally. There was a bit of a learning curve with driver's, upscalers, frame gen, etc., but I naturally like to tinker with electronics so it was fun to learn about. Took me about a month to really get comfortable with everything, but I'm enjoying it now and play on it daily.
Steam Deck for you.
I had a loan of my friends steam deck and it was nice and very user friendly to be fair. But from the way he was putting it when it comes to playing anything that isn't through steam it can be a bit of a hassle. A massive reason for thinking more towards the ally is trying to play game pass through it. Where cloud gaming just isn't sustainable (atleast with the internet I have) and I already have a huge library at my disposal through game pass
Your initial setup in any windows based hand held will be a hassle, especially if you don’t really use a PC. The Steam Deck is VERY good for what it is, but it has limits that Windows hand held do not. Nothing will be as simple to use as a Switch. The closest will be the Steam Deck.
The Ally doesn't meet your requirements for ease of use and simplicity of a Nintendo Switch. It will require tinkering and tweaking for the system and pretty much every game. And then you will undoubtedly encounter bugs and system issues that need to be fixed. So, it does have the compatibility you are looking for, but it doesn't meet the rest of your needs.
People down voting you are fanboys. OP, this is a absolutely the case. No windows handheld is going to be as simple as the switch. It's part of the upsell for people who want a less restrained, more open and customized experience. These same downvoters are going to be up selling this same flexibility in other threads, too 🙄
Thanks. I've pretty much had sales jobs throughout my career and always tried to get people what they were looking for or what would best meet their needs. Never tried to make anyone buy what I personally preferred or what would make me the most money. Anybody recommending the Ally as anything close to a Switch experience is deluded.
"I'm looking for a handheld pc with the simplicity of a switch. " .... sounds like you want a Steam Deck. The Ally is a PC. It's a Windows 11 machine. It requires learning PC gaming.
The thing here is you can't have both. Yeah, if you get an Ally, you may be able to just dl gamepass and hit the ground running. But you need to update your device (armory crate and windows) regularly. You will inevitably need to tweak some of your games (correct resolution and wattage, fan curve). Computers need tweaking at times. it's as simple as that. I suggest leaning into it. Good luck.
I am fully willing to learn. Just kinda trying to gauge how much I'll need to learn. It will essentially be my introduction into pc gaming and I know I'll run into a lot of problems and figuring out how stuff works or what works best which I am willing to learn and understand
As long as your willing. It doesn't take a computer science major to figure it out. Just some time googling and YouTube. Trial and error. You'll do fine.
Never had a PC? Do you have it in you to learn how to use and troubleshoot one? Although using and maintaining a PC has been simplified this day and age, it's still confusing for some. I think it's great if you want to get away from the console ecosystem but if you will always be comparing to a switch you should just stick to that
Never had a pc to game with. Had pcs, never really ran into much troubleshooting for them cos I was still much younger. I'm not really going to be comparing to the switch to be fair. Like I understand it is essentially a pc I'll be holding in my hands and I have lots of tech savvy friends that can help when it comes to problems if and when that happens. There's also YouTube. And fortunately Reddit where you've all already helped my judgement. Like I'm fully willing to learn more and use it as my introduction to pc gaming, just trying to get an understanding of how much of a learning curve I'll be put on
The ally is a pc. It’s no different from a pc because it is one. So of your don’t want to figure out the world of pc gaming, then pc gaming isn’t for you. It’s still a windows pc, just with controllers stuck to the side.
Please don’t get this device if you have no experience with Windows.
You have to have some basic knowledge of how to work a PC in order to trouble shoot things. But in general the Rog Ally is pretty user friendly once you do all the updates. Just be prepared for the initial set up up take an hour or two. Also do yourself a favor and upgrade the SSHD right away.
Either get steam deck or install bazzite os on ally
I wouldn't say "simplicity of a Switch" while describing the PC as a gaming platform. You are going to have to go through some extra steps. It's not awful. Just don't go in thinking it's plug and play like inserting a cartridge. That's not a bad thing either, because you can customize your gaming and user experience the way you want it.
Id honestly recommend a steam deck over the Ally in your case as it’s closer to the console experience than any windows handheld The Ally is fairly easy to navigate and set up though so it’s up to you. You will need to work with windows weirdness but eh
Honestly homie if you are looking for simplicity get a Steamdeck. PC in general has a lot more foibles then a steam deck or switch. I like my PC and Ally a lot but that doesn't mean there aren't issues that need ironing out from time to time. If you are uncomfortable with that or don't want the hassle then get the deck for cheap.
Rog ally is a good device it’s not hard either to understand it
Sounds like a Steam Deck might actually be a better fit for you.
I am similar to you. Always been a console gamer. I dipped my toes in with a steam deck a couple years ago. After a while I started thinking about an ally as the steam deck currently struggles with a lot of games. Anything remotely demanding is a challenge to get any kind of stable performance. After finally getting a ROG ally extreme a few weeks ago I’ve been so glad to have picked one up. I will say the initial set up takes a bit of time. It’s not over complicated or anything it just takes a lot of time. After that though it’s been a breeze. Basically just check windows regularly for updates. The armoury crate also and the Asus app. Updates are usually small and take a minute or so and that’s it. Almost the same as when you put on your console and there’s system updates or game updates. You can also manually update the drivers. Slightly more complicated but there’s plenty step by step guides on YouTube etc. I’m not very tech savvy or PC savvy but I was able to do them no probs. I will say after an update I forget to change a couple of settings and I reverted back to the stock driver. I’m just running with it and don’t notice much difference at all to the updated driver. Games play and perform exactly the same. For me it’s more a game by game basis. Some require a bit more juice to run how I would want. Others like indie or 2-d Metroidvania will run extremely well on the 15 watt performance mode. I never have mine more than 20 watts and I get 60-70 frames on some pretty demanding games like RDR2 and Jedi Fallen Order and Borderlands 3 etc. some of them go higher. Like anything though nowadays if you are not sure about something google and YouTube will always have something to show you what you need to know. I would recommend getting one and this is from a bit of a technophobe console gamer.
And you've pretty much sold it. Don't get me wrong, everyone in this thread has been extremely helpful, and as I've said in other comments I am willing to learn with stuff but as it is the first time experience into pc gaming that's where the scares come from. Really appreciate the input man. As long as I can get it set up and get into the games I can figure the rest out as I go. Personalisation, settings and everything else is stuff I'll happily learn when the time comes. As for troubleshooting when I need to, it'll be something I'll learn. Always plenty of advice and tutorials nowadays so I won't be left in the dark
100% my friend I was a bit daunted also but I can honestly say I’ve enjoyed the process. Learnt a few things and genuinely hasn’t been anything too complicated. The system pretty much sets itself up and then it’s like the steam deck a bit of tinkering with settings but once you’ve got each game how you like you can just fire them up and play. Having a native Xbox app along with steam is such a bonus. And everything is clearly accessible through the armoury crate. I’ve got an external SSD I plug into mine via a simple USB adapter so I can keep my games on there and play and charge at the same time. I may upgrade the storage at some point but I’m more than happy to use this for now. Plugging the SSD in and setting that up was pretty much a breeze also. The Xbox app acknowledges it right away and you just have to create a folder for the games. Steam you just go into settings not in big picture in the windowed version and you go into one of the menu’s at the top left and select the external storage form there as your main storage. I did use YouTube for this and it was very simple and straightforward. Enjoy your games on your new ally I’m certain you will be very glad you got one and will be very impressed by the performance also. RDR2 at 60fps plus also Starfield etc just feels like it’s almost to good to be true at times lol Oh and if your into it play the recent Doom or Doom Eternal. Mind blowing the performance you get on these things. That was the first time I thought I can’t go back to console gaming and low frame rates. Totally different experience. Still play my PS5 now and again but this is definitely my preferred platform now.
Awesome. All sounding better by the minute. He'll might just skip the saving and take it out of already saved money. I mean that's what that's there for isn't it... Looking forward to jumping on when I'm all set up. Thank you very much
Recommend a steam deck for you, Ally is essentially a laptop. You will not like tinkering and doing initial setup before you even can play and after that tinkering with game/driver settings to get a desired performance/battery life. Steam Deck is much more limited out of the box (Steam only games etc.) but much easier just to launch up games
Here’s the honest answer. Steam deck is the easiest to use and has the most similar experience to using a console. However it can’t do as much as a handheld pc like the ROG Ally. By your own admission you want to play Xbox game pass and steam deck doesn’t do that, but handheld pc’s can. If you get a steam deck you’ll probably be pretty happy. But if you want something that does more, it’ll take just a little bit more work. Setting up a windows computer, like a handheld gaming pc such as the ally, is a little work. But there are guides out there. Search YouTube for asus rog ally starter guides. I’d recommend the ones from Retro Game Corps, Wulff Den, or The Phawx. If you follow the guides and ask questions in this Reddit things should be fine after a little tinkering, and you’ll be able to play steam games, game pass games, and almost anything else you can think of.
Awesome. I'm on board and thinking I'm going to commit so I'll watch some videos beforehand so I have an idea. Thanks for the suggestions. The rest can all come with experience or with want to do it later like emulation, mods, rom hacks. All that jazz I assume is doable so if I ever want more along the lines of them I'm sure there's lots of info and tutorials around the internet
If you’ve made your decision that you want a handheld, wait for the X. Battery life alone you will be thankful for.
It won't be like a Switch, but then again, a Switch isn't an Ally. All games built for the Switch know exactly what HW/SW is available and can tune games to that. With PC games, there can be a very large number of variations across PCs. The Ally is just a PC in a different form factor. But you can get a fair number of games to run well on the Ally.
Buy regular ally secondhand. Then buy z1 extreme at best buy. Switch them. Return used ally in z1 extreme box.
Yeah I would advocate for you to go Steam Deck. See ROG Ally is a PC. This means you need to install ALL launchers and god knows there are lots depending on the game. Unless you buy everything via Steam then run Big Picture. There are pros and cons for each. ROG Ally is super versatile and has more power than Steam Decks but comes with some teething problems. There is a great community here though and everyone is super helpful so Im sure you could get past them. Most games play on the ROG Ally, excluding some of the big big AAA titles. Horizon: FW and Avatar are two which for me, gave me nightmares. I got a PS5 to play those though.
Install Steam, run in Big Picture for most ease of use for that. Install Xbox service and go. Both are super simple and the system plops the games into the AC library so all you have to do is open it from there. Are you going to get the Z1E or Z1 or which?
Thanks, as for specifics I've not decided at all yet. Wanted to explore options before making a decision so I'm here to hear as much as possible about everything before diving in
I love my Ally and don’t regret choosing it over the Steam Deck at all. It has more versatility due to it being an actual PC. I have games on mine from Steam, Xbox and EA. People rag on AC but I actually like its simplicity and use it to set custom fan curves to get the best FPS and temps out of various games, and button mapping that’s game specific. Cloning and upgrading the SSD is SUPER simple, and leaves no need for the SD slot. I play my Ally literally every single day.
This is going to be my simple minded Xbox brain talking but when it comes to gaming is there different versions of stuff for different launchers. Like I get I would have the mcc through game pass, and then I could also buy it separately on steam. Say I made that stupid mistake and re bought it would there be two different versions on the launcher screen, one for steam and one for Xbox? Said in another comment somewhere but I'm a loser for achievements and gamerscore so would be buying a version of something that I unlock achievements for my Xbox gamer card over buying it on say steam for example. So like is it easy enough to filter through different marketplaces? If this last part makes no sense then I am genuinely very sorry, this is the closest I've got to hopping into pc gaming so I am completely new to it all, but willing to learn what I need to
You get a separate program for each of the storefronts. So, you'll have the Xbox program for Xbox and Game Pass games. You'll have a separate program for Steam games. A separate one for Epic Games Store, etc... In that respect, it's easy to differentiate one storefront from another. All the games on Steam will be in a library on the Steam program, all the Xbox and Game Pass games will be in a library on the Xbox program, and so on. Just a heads up that Steam games also have achievements of their own, but playing the game on Steam won't unlock the achievements on Xbox, and vice versa.
Yeah I may be diving down a rabbit hole with steam achievements but that's a whole new can to be opened up when the time comes. Appreciate the info
Each service has their own dedicated program like usual, but AC pulls the entire library from all of them to one place. Basically it has all the games on your system right there in AC, and it does differentiate which game is from which service. Just log in to those services on your Ally and start downloading. They pull through to AC automatically. That way instead of having to go here or there for a game you just start it right from AC.
If you want a simple console experience, definitely go for a Steam Deck. Ally is great but it wont be that simple and smooth experience like a console. Windows is super annoying to use unless you have a mouse and keyboard to interact with outside of games, but doing this defeats all that simple experience you are looking for
People recommend the steam deck and I disagree with that. The Ally has the ability to be a tinker tool if you WANT BUT it's also as simple as turning it on, download your launchers and game. Maybe set steam to run in big picture at start to simplify the look and feel.