The ASUS ROG Ally was released too recently to see any appreciable discounts for a new model, but Best Buy is now offering "Open Box: Excellent" units for only $615.99. That's a savings of $84, or about 12%.
ASUS ROG Ally Gaming System (Open Box) for $615.99
Although availability is based on your location, it looks like most regions have it in stock for immediate delivery. The details on the open box condition states as follows:
- Looks brand new
- Includes all original parts/accessories
- Typically contains packaging
Fortunately, Best Buy offers a 15 day return policy on open box items, the same as if you were to buy a new item. My Best Buy Plus and Total members get that extended to 60 days. Either way, that should be enough of a window for you to test it out thoroughly and make sure it meets your satisfaction.
Is the ASUS ROG Ally Better Than the Steam Deck?
The answer here totally depends on the games you want to play.
The ASUS ROG Ally is seen as a more powerful version of the Steam Deck. Hardware-wise, that's definitely the case. The ROG Ally sports a 7" 1080p 120Hz display which is powered by an AMD Z7 Extreme CPU. Software wise, it's quite a bit different from the Steam Deck. Whereas the Deck runs off the Linux-based Steam OS, the ROG Ally runs off the familiar Windows 11 OS. That means that you can install pretty much any Windows-based game launcher, including Steam, Battle.net, Xbox Games Pass, Epic Games Store, GOG, Ubisoft Connect, and more. Obviously that makes it more attractive to gamers who like to play games that aren't available on Steam, like Diablo 4, Fortnite, Genshin Impact, Call of Duty, and Forza Horizon 5.
