We’re only one month away from the annual Black Friday event and all the amazing discounts it will provide for all your favorite tech devices, video games, and other lucrative products. However, Best Buy isn’t waiting until Black Friday to host such deals because it has just opened up a huge 15% discount deal for the ASUS ROG Ally 7 (with a Z1 Extreme ROG processor installed).
This beast of a gaming handheld is able to play your favorite PC games whether they’re from PC Game Pass or Steam at their maximum graphical settings with smooth frame rate performances thanks to its advanced specs. The ASUS ROG Ally usually has a steep MSRP of $649.99, but now it’s been reduced to $549.00 at Best Buy (or $499.99 if you have a ‘My Best Buy Plus’ subscription).
🎃The best early Black Friday deals🦃
Why should you buy the ASUS ROG Ally?
Ever since it debuted in 2023, the ASUS ROG Ally has quickly established itself as one of the most powerful and highly sought-after gaming handhelds that’s able to compete with Valve’s Steam Deck in terms of processing power and build quality. Our gaming handheld experts at Windows Central have even declared it one of the best gaming handhelds on the market when our own Rebecca Spears reviewed the ASUS ROG Ally when it first launched in 2023 and when our own Jez Corden gave it a second review after being out in the wild for six months.
How it managed to accomplish such a feat is due in part to its myriad of advanced technological features. For starters, the ASUS ROG Ally’s AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme Processor allows this device to run PC games at their high graphical settings, so they can achieve framerates of 60fps and detailed resolutions of 1080p. It also features a VRR-enabled display, so games can achieve even smoother framerate performances.
With this tech, the ASUS ROG Ally can run high-end PC games like Cyberpunk 2077, Diablo 4, and Monster Hunter World at more consistent and higher framerates than other competing handhelds.
Another remarkable aspect of the ASUS ROG Ally is its physical design. With its lightweight build and ergonomic grips, the AUS ROG Ally is very comfy to hold and can be played with for several hours without causing too much strain on your hands. Some of us at Windows Central even feel that this gaming handheld feels nicer to hold than other gaming handhelds like the Lenovo Legion GO.
On a side note, the ASUS ROG Ally includes a Windows Hell-enabled fingerprint reader to protect your device from being misused by people you don’t want using it without your permission.
That being said, there are a couple of quibbles you should be aware of before considering if the ASUS ROG Ally is for you. For instance, the ASUS ROG Ally uses Windows 11 which can be finicky to navigate through and launch apps even with the system’s touch screen as Windows 11 is designed with a mouse in mind rather than handheld controls. You can solve this issue by attaching a USB or Bluetooth mouse to the ASUS ROG Ally, as they’re compatible with the system. Another solution is to launch the Steam App and activate its Big Picture Mode so you can navigate through the menus and settings more easily with the system’s controller.
Its biggest issue however is its short battery life, as it only has enough power to run low-end 2D games for about 3-4 hours and high-end 3D games for about 1 hour and 38 minutes at most. Thankfully, you can plug the ASUS ROG Ally into power outlets, battery hubs, or even some of the best ASUS ROG Ally power banks to give it the extra juice it needs to run more graphically intensive PC games for longer periods.
If you can look past these niggling drawbacks, the ASUS ROG Ally is a much-have for any gamer looking to play the best PC games on the go at their full graphical potential, especially now it had its steep MSRP of $649.99 cut down to $549.99 at Best Buy thanks to this early Black Friday deal.
It’s also a worthwhile purchase for Xbox fans, as the ASUS ROG Ally allows users to the PC Game Pass app so they can play the best Xbox games on it. In addition, thanks to Xbox Game Pass’ cross-buy and synchronized cloud-saving features, you will be be able to download your favorite Xbox games like Persona 3: Reload or the Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster on both ASUS ROG Ally and Xbox consoles with only one digital purchase and carry over their save data between each system.
Is the ASUS ROG Ally worth buying over a Steam Deck?
Many of our gaming handheld experts believe so. While Valve’s Steam Deck is heavily optimized and built for handheld gaming and constantly receives updates to refine the experience, it doesn’t feature fully-native Windows. This means you can’t access games through PC Game Pass, Battle.net, or even the HoyoVerse app through the Steam Deck like you can with ASUS ROG Ally.
In addition, the ASUS ROG Ally’s more powerful hardware is capable of running high-end 3D games with more detailed resolutions and smoother frame rates than the Steam Deck. So if you want a gaming handheld that can push the graphical potential of 3D games and have access to a larger variety of online PC gaming retailer apps, we recommend the ASUS ROG Ally. However, if you primarily use gaming handheld to 2D games or indie that don’t require much hardware power, then the Steam Deck may be a better, more cost-effective option for you.
When does Black Friday start?
Black Friday officially commences on November 29, 2024, a day after Thanksgiving. However, retailers have already begun hosting discount deals like the one we have spotlighted today. No doubt there will be more deals to appear at various retailers over the coming weeks leading up to Black Friday, so keep a lookout for any discounts that catch your eye.
When does Cyber Monday start?
Cyber Monday is an extension of the Black Friday event and usually begins on the Monday after Thanksgiving. For 2024, Cyber Monday will officially commence on December 2 and will last for 24 hours. However, it’s important to note that some retailers will host discount deals for a week or longer after the event is over.
In addition, some Black Friday deals will remain active during and after Cyber Monday. Granted, not all of them will be active on Cyber Monday, so don’t hesitate to take advantage of any discounts you’re interested in case it goes away on Cyber Monday. Also, be sure to check Cyber Monday as that event may have some exclusive deals that weren’t available during Black Friday or have more affordable discounts on certain products.
