Asus ROG Ally Z1 Handheld Rumored to Cost $599 with 256 GB SSD

News
By Ash Hill
published

The new Z1-based handhelds are releasing soon and price rumors are already circulating.

Asus ROG Ally
(Image credit: Asus)

It won’t be long before the Asus ROG Ally handheld series is released. Asus has officially scheduled the launch for May 11th. With just weeks to go, rumors are already circulating of what can be expected price wise for the two models, the Asus ROG Ally and Asus ROG Ally (AMD Z1 Extreme). Over at Twitter, user snoopytech_ has posted a potential leak for the price of the base model which he estimates to be at $599.99 USD. The base model uses the AMD Z1 chip and has a 256 GB NVMe M.2 internal SSD for storage.

The Asus ROG Ally (AMD Z1 Extreme) edition is said to be priced at $699.99 USD. For just $100 more, this Extreme edition comes with a boost to the processor as well as a little extra internal storage, which caps out at 512 GB. Most of the specs are similar between the two editions which may make the Extreme upgrade more appealing given the price point.

The biggest difference between the performance of the two will come down to the processors. The AMD Z1 has 6 cores and 12 threads alongside 22 MB of cache. The AMD Z1 Extreme has a little beefier specs supporting it with 8 cores and 16 threads along with 24 MB of cache. These differences are subtle but can make a notable difference performance-wise depending on what you want to play.

Apart from the processor differences and sizes of the SSDs, the two handhelds are quite similar spec-wise. Both come with 16 GB of LPDDR5 for memory and use Dolby Atmos Surround Sound technology. They feature AMD Radeon Navi3 graphics which output to a 7-inch FHD display with a maximum refresh rate of 120 Hz.

Again, we want to emphasize that these price estimates are just rumors and nothing has been officially confirmed by Asus. That said, you can tune in to the ROG Ally handheld launch event on May 11th to be among the first to know all of the juicy details about these new handhelds. You can check out the live stream when it debuts over at YouTube.

Ash Hill
Ash Hill
Freelance News and Features Writer

Ash Hill is a Freelance News and Features Writer with a wealth of experience in the hobby electronics, 3D printing and PCs. She manages the Pi projects of the month and much of our daily Raspberry Pi reporting while also finding the best coupons and deals on all tech.

12 Comments Comment from the forums
  • newtechldtech
    Not worth it . Handhelds need game optimization PC games are not for them... I wish That Nintendo release their next handheld soon. with such hardware.
    Reply
  • atomicWAR
    newtechldtech said:
    Not worth it . Handhelds need game optimization PC games are not for them... I wish That Nintendo release their next handheld soon. with such hardware.
    Not sure I agree completely. No you won't be able to play ever game and certainly not maxed out but there is a place for PC handhelds. My adult nephew uses his Steam Deck all the time. I on the other hand returned mine as it felt a little to beta for me in July but I did see the huge potential and did like the unit for the most part. The quad core CPU gave me pause as well. Give me a Windows 11 based hand held that can also allow for steam OS, with a hair more CPU/GPU power than the Steam Deck and I would likely make a purchase. The Z1 extreme edition fits that bill nicely. I am looking forward to reviews on the device when it comes out.
    Reply
  • LabRat 891
    It's funny to see "the one that popularized the category" becoming the SOLID best-value, as similar (but higher-performing) units come to market.

    Until someone comes out with a modular and expandable handheld PC, I'll be sticking with my 1TB-upgraded Steam Deck and Ryzen5k+16GBvega Desktop.
    Reply
  • txfeinbergs
    newtechldtech said:
    Not worth it . Handhelds need game optimization PC games are not for them... I wish That Nintendo release their next handheld soon. with such hardware.
    Are you kidding? Have you seen what is capable on the Steam Deck? That things runs most steam games really well and there is an entire community dedicated to find the best tweaks for them.
    Reply
  • thestryker
    If both pricing rumors are correct this one is a head scratcher as $100 more would get you 2 more CPU cores (limited use, but still), twice the storage and the big one of 8 more CUs worth of GPU. Should the pricing shape up this way I'll be looking at the Extreme as it seems to be the best value of the non Steam Deck handhelds. I like what Valve is doing with the Steam Deck immensely, but I'm not a fan of Zen 2 and very much prefer offset sticks.
    Reply
  • txfeinbergs
    thestryker said:
    If both pricing rumors are correct this one is a head scratcher as $100 more would get you 2 more CPU cores (limited use, but still), twice the storage and the big one of 8 more CUs worth of GPU. Should the pricing shape up this way I'll be looking at the Extreme as it seems to be the best value of the non Steam Deck handhelds. I like what Valve is doing with the Steam Deck immensely, but I'm not a fan of Zen 2 and very much prefer offset sticks.
    Yeah, something doesn't seem right with that price rumor. I would think it would be closer to $999 for the Extreme version.
    Reply
  • newtechldtech
    txfeinbergs said:
    Are you kidding? Have you seen what is capable on the Steam Deck? That things runs most steam games really well and there is an entire community dedicated to find the best tweaks for them.

    not enough .. also MS windows is a huge layer in between . unlike consoles. maybe MS releases an XBOX handheld soon ... you will see the difference .
    Reply
  • Elusive Ruse
    That $699 price tag for the Z1 Extreme version is too good! Dave2D mentioned Asus were gonna price the Ally conpetitively but I never thought it'd be so close to the Deck.
    Reply
  • txfeinbergs
    newtechldtech said:
    not enough .. also MS windows is a huge layer in between . unlike consoles. maybe MS releases an XBOX handheld soon ... you will see the difference .
    It is quite clear you have no idea what you are talking about, so I will leave it at that. I played many hours of Elden Ring and Dying Light Stay Human 2 on my Steam Deck and they ran great while on a recent 20 day trip to Australia. Good luck bringing your gaming PC the next time you travel.
    Reply
  • salgado18
    The biggest difference between the performance of the two will come down to the processors. The AMD Z1 has 6 cores and 12 threads alongside 22 MB of cache. The AMD Z1 Extreme has a little beefier specs supporting it with 8 cores and 16 threads along with 24 MB of cache. These differences are subtle but can make a notable difference performance-wise depending on what you want to play.
    Ash, that's not entirely correct. The biggest difference in performance is that the regular Z1 chip's GPU has 2 CU, while the Z1 Extreme will have 8 CU. That's a lot of graphics performance from one to the other, and the difference between playing the latest games or only 2D and old games.
    Reply