Dear Santa, ditch the Nintendo Switch – I want the Asus ROG Ally instead
Nintendo Switch is now off my Christmas list
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Struggling to find the perfect gift for the gamer in your life? I’ve got the perfect idea – and I’ll be putting it down on my Christmas list: the Asus ROG Ally handheld, which has got a big price cut inboth the USandthe UK.
Not in the US or UK? Scroll down for the best Asus ROG Ally deals in your location.
I’ve been thinking about getting aNintendo Switchforyearsnow, as I loved the idea of playing games in both handheld and standard console modes, and thebest Switch gamesare impressive exclusives. So, once again, I was planning to put the Switch on my Christmas list. Considering how good I’ve been this year, I had hoped this year could be the year I get one.
However, I’ve now scrubbed the Switch from my list, and instead put the Asus ROG Ally on there. While the Switch is now six years old, and there are rumors thatNintendo is going to release a follow-up next year, the Asus ROG Ally has only just launched, and it’s got some great specs, such as an AMD Ryzen Z1 chip, 16GB of RAM and 512GB SSD.
This makes it far more future-proof than the aging Switch, and it’ll play multi-platform games far better than Nintendo’s console.
The main drawback, however, has been the price. When it launched, the Asus ROG Ally was a pretty expensive proposition, but these new price cuts in the US and UK make it much more affordable – especially if you compare it to thebest gaming laptops.
Today’s best Asus ROG Ally deals
Asus ROG Ally (AMD Ryzen Z1):was$599 now$499 at Best BuyThis is the base model of the ROG Ally, featuring the AMD Ryzen Z1 chip. This isn’t as powerful as the version below, but it still outclasses the Nintendo Switch, and can handle most Windows 11 games from any library, including Steam and Xbox. It also comes with a 120Hz full HD screen, 512GB storage and the lowest price you’ll find right now.
Asus ROG Ally (AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme):was$699 now$599 at Best BuyThe ROG Ally is an incredible Windows 11-based gaming handheld. Buy it if you want on-the-go access to all of your gaming libraries across Steam, Epic Games, Xbox, etc. right out of the box on a bright, colorful display. This model comes with the powerful AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme chip, so it can play any modern PC game, and it’s $100 off ahead of Christmas.
Asus ROG Ally:was£699now£549 at CurrysThis powerful gaming handheld runs Windows 11, giving you access to a huge library of PC games. With cutting-edge technology in the form of the AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme chip, 16GB RAM and 512GB SSD, as well as 120Hz screen, this handheld really puts the Switch to shame. With this £150 discount, it’s now much better value, and it’ll last you a long, long time.
The Asus ROG Ally runs Windows 11, and as it’s essentially a PC in handheld form, it means you have access to a huge library of thebest PC games, and you can install games from Steam, Epic Games Store and various other places.
This flexibility means you can build a huge library of games for a lot cheaper than on the Switch, and if you already have a lot of PC games, you won’t need to re-buy them.
While not being able to play Nintendo games is a blow, there are plenty of great alternatives available, such as cute Zelda-alikeTunic.
Also, while Nintendo is holding out on bringing its games to PCs like the Asus ROG Ally, Sega, Sony and unsurprisingly Microsoft all do, so you can play some of the best PlayStation and Xbox games on this handheld – something you definitely can’t do with the Nintendo Switch.
Not convinced by these ROG Ally deals? Then check out the deals that feature among our selection of earlyChristmas sales.
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Matt is TechRadar’s Managing Editor for Core Tech, looking after computing and mobile technology. Having written for a number of publications such as PC Plus, PC Format, T3 and Linux Format, there’s no aspect of technology that Matt isn’t passionate about, especially computing and PC gaming. He’s personally reviewed and used most of the laptops in our best laptops guide - and since joining TechRadar in 2014, he’s reviewed over 250 laptops and computing accessories personally.
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