ROG Ally Accessories

Description

 

It’s the curse of being on the cutting edge. You’re basically beta-testing products for a company. In the case of the ROG Ally, we’re reporting problems in the first generation of the handheld … which will eventually be fixed or redesigned when the ROG Ally 2 comes out. Still, I don’t really mind, as I’m fully enjoying my time with the ROG Ally.

One of the problems that the ROG Ally suffers from is that there are very few accessories for it. Unlike the competing Steam Deck, which released 3-D specs and information for manufacturers to create third party accessories, Asus kept the ROG Ally a secret until the announcement on April’s Fools Day. Manufacturing a great product takes at least three months, from design to market.

While Asus provided their system to YouTube influencers and tech websites for review, they didn’t bother sending any to manufacturing companies. Instead, Asus made their official accessories: a 65-Watt power-brick with HDMI-out ($65) and a travel case ($40).

Since the official release of the ROG Ally on June 13, we’re finally starting to see third party accessories.

amFilm 3 Pack Screen Protector

The first thing that I bought was a protective glass by amFilm: 3 Pack Screen Protector for $15.

This came with three tempered glass, which they tout as “transparent ultra HD” and anti-fingerprint. I would have to say that the glass is crystal clear and it’s thick enough to leave no bubbles or imperfections when you lay it on your ROG Ally’s screen. The dimension is 100% perfect, unlike other early-to-market glass manufacturers.

Given that you get three (I did screw the first one up, that I’m thankful I had spares) for $15, to me, it is a reasonable price of $5 for each glass.

The next item on my list for the ROG Ally is a dock, so I can attach a full keyboard with mouse and an external monitor. Fortunately, any Steam Deck Doc will work. Unfortunately, the official Steam Deck Dock was specifically designed for a naked Steam Deck, so it will barely fit anything else. That sucked for anyone with a Steam Deck case, since it made the Steam Deck fatter and you can’t sit it in the Dock. The same thing for ROG Ally, it’s slightly thicker than a standard Steam Deck, so it sits uncomfortably in the official Steam Deck Doc.

Now, I do own other docks, but the one that works the best, in terms of functionality and design, is the official Dock. It’s simply the best dock for the Decks, in my opinion.

JSAUX Stand for Official Steam Deck Dock

So, this company called Jsaux, who made a name for itself by producing various Steam Deck accessories, made a Stand for the official dock. It’s a very simple design, it’s made to slide over the dock, to give a wider opening for a fat handheld device… which is perfect for the ROG Ally. Even though at $25 it seems expensive, it’s worth it. The whole thing is made from a heavy metal material that will absolutely not bend. Inside, where the Steam Deck or ROG Ally sits, it’s padded with an anti-slip material that is soft to the touch and will not damage or scratch your device.

The only thing I don’t like is that it now raises the stand to about two inches… and there’s nothing but a JSAUX branding on the front. I don’t like that, so I placed a sticker over it… but I wish there was some sort of artwork on the front, rather than a black metal with the JSAUX logo.

Lastly, I need a carrying case. The official case looks flimsy, and I do not love the branding: “REPUBLIC OF GAMERS” that is printed on the side of the case.

I saw the MES Merry hardcase for $30 and I had to buy it. This is a thin hard case made from nylon and was specifically designed for the ROG Ally’s dimension.

Currently, most of the products are sold out on Amazon, which means people are desperate for any accessories for the ROG Ally. I feel like you can really strike gold if you are one of the early manufacturers to release a product.

I think my next couple of purchases will be based around the ROG Ally. This includes a 100-Watt portable battery charger. I’ve been thinking about this, not just for the ROG Ally, but for a recent dead battery for my camera and my iPhone on the verge of 3% battery life support. The problem with the portable battery charger is that it can be big and heavy and it might be a hassle to tug around.

I’m also looking at getting a new 4k monitor, like the 32″ M70B Series 4K UHD USB-C Smart Monitor & Streaming TV . It’s only 60hz, but I think it’s a fair trade off for being only $300 for 4k resolution. I’m currently using a 1080p monitor that serves its purpose… but it would be nice to upgrade the resolution.

… Because the 4k monitor will pair nicely with the ROG XG Mobile External GPU Dock, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080. This is an external GPU that can boost the ROG Ally’s gaming performance… basically turning the ROG Ally into a true gaming computer.

Unfortunately, as of this writing, the XG Mobile External GPU is way too expensive at $1,500. I’m very tempted though. Once the prices goes down or when they introduce a new version, designed specifically for the ROG Ally, I may be lining up to buy it.

For now, I’m quite happy with my ROG Ally as a portable gaming computer … and when docked, becomes an extra computer in the home. In some ways, the ROG Ally has replaced my ROG Electro Punk laptop (it’s too big and heavy), my Steam Deck (it only plays Steam games and nothing else), my Nintendo Switch (it only plays Nintendo games), and my Surface Pro 7 (it’s a tablet and can’t handle games).

Yours,

Read more Weekend Gamer.

Yours,

Read more Weekend Gamer.

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