Black Friday 2023 is finally here, but lets shift away from the deals talk and get real for a second: The Asus ROG Ally is a whole new breed of console. It seamlessly incorporates a Windows PC into handheld form with sufficient gaming hardware to back it up. I reviewed the Asus ROG Ally and I have not been shy about my adoration for it since.
I wrote about how the Asus ROG Ally is my new favorite gaming “laptop,” and if you know me at all, you’d understand that I never stop shutting up about this thing. I have used it nearly every day since I got it (except when I was on vacation, but that doesn’t count), and I have beaten 14 games on this in the last two months. I am helplessly addicted and I cannot keep away when I get an inkling of free time. The ability to play over a thousand Steam games I own, go through the coolest Xbox Game Pass titles, and emulate some of my favorite childhood games is wondrous.
I’m not exaggerating when I say it’s my favorite console in forever, and frankly, it’s probably the most I’ve been excited about any new piece of technology since the PS5 launched. And this Best Buy Black Friday sale offers the standard Asus ROG Ally on sale for $449, while the Extreme Asus ROG Ally is currently on sale for $619.
And if that genuinely sounds nice to you, I sincerely recommend it. I won’t shy away from saying that using Windows on a handheld can be rather cumbersome, and I even wrote 5 Asus ROG Ally tips and tricks to turn Windows 11 into less of a nightmare. The base model is also not great for running more demanding titles, but it is perfect for indie games and emulation. Otherwise, if the prospect of a Windows handheld gaming device makes your mouth water, you cannot miss it.
