Asus came out of nowhere with its ROG Ally Gaming handheld, and it did became fast One of the most anticipated product launches of 2023. Compared to other handheld consoles, it does a lot differently and could create a new market. Most importantly, Asus has launched the ROG Ally in India just a few weeks after its international debut. In preparation for our full review and as the device goes on sale in India, Gadgets 360 was able to speak to Arnold Su, Vice President, Consumer & Gaming PC, System Business Group, Asus India to discuss the company’s overall vision for this new product category and what that means for gamers in India.
Gadgets 360: how big is the market for such a device in India and how important is this launch for Asus?
Arnold Su: The Indian gambling market is currently experiencing unprecedented growth in the world. ASUS ROG has always secured the top spot [for gaming laptops] for five consecutive quarters in India. However, even Indian gaming enthusiasts are striving for additional features in their personal gaming devices that go beyond pure gaming functions. The ROG Ally gaming console not only excels at delivering exceptional gaming performance, but also offers seamless connectivity for OTT entertainment. In addition, it serves as a portable personal computer that is fully compatible with the Windows software ecosystem.
The handheld segment is an emerging category in the Indian market and is currently at a relatively early stage, making it difficult to make accurate predictions for the future. In order to give ourselves a competitive advantage as a pioneer in this area, we want to proactively meet customer demand by offering a corresponding hardware solution with the ROG Ally.
Gadgets 360: Who is the target audience? Who do you think will buy it?
Arnold Su: The ROG Ally is aimed at people who value a compact, portable, yet powerful device for mobile gaming experiences. Additionally, we have identified a growing segment of consumers who currently play games on consoles or mobile phones but express a desire to make the move to PC gaming. We firmly believe that the Ally is the ideal product to meet the needs of these customers and provide them with an accessible and easy-to-use entry point into the world of PC gaming.
Gadgets 360: Do you think this will replace or compete with entry-level gaming laptops?
Arnold Su: It’s still too early to predict where the market will take us, but we hold fast to the vision of a future where different gaming platforms can coexist in harmony. Because of its unique functionality, we anticipate the market will embrace the Ally as a secondary handheld gaming console rather than a standalone primary device.
Gadgets 360: How much did Asus and AMD collaborate on the development of the Ryzen Z1 and how much did AMD contribute to the ROG Ally development process?
Arnold Su: We worked with AMD to serve as the chip partner for the ROG Ally, and we greatly appreciate their unwavering support, which reflects the level of commitment they have consistently shown to our previous AMD-exclusive products such as Zephyrus G14. It’s important to recognize that every laptop we release is the result of close collaboration with our valued partners, and the Ally is no exception. Rest assured that over time the Ally will continue to receive the same high level of support and dedication similar to our gaming laptops.
Gadgets 360: What performance can buyers expect from games? How would you compare the Ryzen Z1’s integrated GPU performance to today’s laptops and other consoles?
Arnold Su: The performance of the ROG Ally is the best in its class. You can expect modern AAA titles to run just fine. Our software and hardware teams have worked hard to get the best performance out of the AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme chip.
Gadgets 360: How did you decide on the final overall specs, screen size and type, physical design and other things?
Arnold Su: The ROG Ally development journey spanned five years and began with the conceptualization of the ROG mothership. Our overarching goal has always been to improve the portability of gaming experiences, a sentiment clearly expressed in our previous laptop iterations, and we’ve successfully achieved that goal compact 13 inch screen size. Throughout the development cycle, we conducted numerous focus groups and rounds of testing with different stakeholders, using an iterative approach of constant testing and refinement. This process allowed us to determine the optimal combination of screen size, type, trigger type, grip width, ergonomics and other key factors.
Gadgets 360: What use cases are there for such a wearable device other than gaming? Do you see it as a general purpose PC?
Arnold Su: Being a Windows device at its core, the uses for this device are endless. You can basically use it however you want, and ultimately it’s up to the users. While we plan to sell the Ally as a gaming device, users can dream up other scenarios as well.
Gadgets 360: How easy is it to upgrade the ROG Ally and what can users replace or upgrade themselves?
Arnold Su: Our approach to ROG Ally customization aligns with our take on laptop customization. It is important to note that opening the machine will void the warranty. However, for customers who understand the potential risks of upgrades and are willing to accept voiding the warranty, disassembling and upgrading the device is an option. NO
With ROG Ally, you can connect an external GPU for a massive boost in performance
Nonetheless, we strongly encourage all of our users to utilize the expertise and resources of our dedicated service centers for any upgrade needs. This ensures the highest level of quality and reliability of the device.
Gadgets 360: Is the Asus Customer Service Network Ready to Support This Unique Product?
Arnold Su: In fact, our customer support team is well equipped to answer and resolve all queries from customers. To ensure our support staff have the knowledge and experience to provide comprehensive assistance, extensive local training is conducted well in advance of any product launch.
Gadgets 360: What has changed the most from the beginning of the design phase to the final product?
Arnold Su: During this project we implemented various changes and improvements. One notable change was the transition from a single fan in our initial test units to a more advanced dual-fan setup in the final design. Similar revisions were made to the trigger design, exterior layout, and other key aspects. We’ve put a lot of work and effort into ensuring that the Armory Crate SE software offers a seamless user experience, and we continue to refine it with regular updates to further improve its performance and functionality.
Gadgets 360: Are you planning more devices with different specifications, larger screens, etc.? Will the ROG Ally expand into a full range?
Arnold Su: As pioneers in this new product category, we are at the beginning of our journey and we remain committed to actively listening to and collecting feedback from our customers. We value both positive and negative input as it provides us with insights to continuously develop our offerings. Our goal is to remain responsive and adaptable to meet the changing needs and expectations of our valued customers.
Some answers have been shortened and slightly edited for clarity.
