If you ask me, handheld PC gaming devices are the most exciting category in gaming hardware right now. It seems like every month a hot new device hits the market, or we get news about game-changing software improvements. If you’ve been eyeing one of these modern marvels, I’ve found what is by far the best deal on a Windows-based machine right now. You can grab an Asus ROG Ally with AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme processor (that’s the fastest one) on sale for $499.99 at Best Buy right now. That’s $150 off MSRP, and you even get a free travel case, plus a month of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate at no extra cost.
Asus ROG Ally for All-Time Lowest Price
This is far and away the best deal we’ve ever seen on the Ally – and the free travel case and month of Game Pass Ultimate only sweetens the pot. So yeah, this is a killer deal. As someone who has a Steam Deck and uses a travel case to bring it out into the world all the time, I can attest to how useful having a case is.
For what it’s worth, the non-Extreme version of the Ally is also on sale for an all-time low price (see it at Best Buy). But, honestly, I wouldn’t recommend it unless you just can't swing the added cost of the faster model. It works OK, but you’re just not going to get the performance or longevity that the Z1 Extreme processor gives you.
The device is great as-is right now (see our Asus ROG Ally review for details). But recent news suggests it’s only going to get better in the future. For one thing, Valve is currently working to add SteamOS support to the Ally, which would let you play it with the near-console-like ease of a Steam Deck. Microsoft is also working on making Windows more user-friendly for people using handheld Windows-based gaming devices like the ROG Ally.
All this lovely chatter about the original Asus ROG Ally will leave handheld gaming PC enthusiasts wondering: what about the Asus ROG Ally X? Isn’t that the device IGN declared the best handheld gaming PC overall?
The answer is yes, but with a big caveat. The ROG Ally X is certainly a better overall device in a number of ways. But it’s also not on sale (see it at Best Buy). It also costs $300 more than this deal. Are the benefits of the Ally X worth $300 more to you? That’s a question you’ll have to answer for yourself, after weighing your particular financial situation against your love-for-handheld-gaming situation. But either way you slice it, you'll end up with a great gaming machine.
Chris Reed is a commerce editor and deals expert for IGN. He also runs IGN's board game and LEGO coverage, and is an enormous fan of handheld gaming PCs. You can follow him on Threads.
