Handheld gaming PCs have come a long way since Valve’s Steam Deck launch, providing an affordable (and portable) avenue into PC gaming. Its launch spurred Asus and other manufacturers into action to compete, resulting in the Asus ROG Ally - which provides greater performance at 1080p thanks to the AMD Z1 Extreme chip.
The $700 / £700 / AU$1099 MSRP price of the Asus ROG Ally was a dealbreaker for many considering the Steam Deck’s relative affordability - but now, Black Friday has pushed its price down significantly, staking its claim as a true Steam Deck rival. It’s available at $614.99 (was $659.99) on Amazon in the US in a bundle with some bonus attachments, while also available for just £399 (was £499.99) on Amazon in the UK this Black Friday.
Not in the US or UK? Scroll down to see the best Asus ROG Ally Z1 Extreme deals in your region!
Today's best Asus ROG Ally Z1 Extreme deal in the US
Today's best Asus ROG Ally Z1 Extreme deal in the UK
The Z1 Extreme chip provides fantastic performance at the ROG Ally’s 1920x1080 resolution across multiple games; even in more demanding titles, you’ll be able to utilize AMD’s Fluid Motion Frames with FSR 3 to ensure frame rates remain at an acceptable level. With Team Red’s recent claim of FSR 4 providing greater battery life for handhelds, we hope this will be used within the current Z1 Extreme model and not become a feature exclusive to the newer (and pricier) Asus ROG Ally X.
The UK sale price makes it only £50 more expensive than the Steam Deck 256GB LCD model (£349), and there's a drastic performance difference between the two handhelds - Valve’s device utilizes a Zen 2 processor with 4 cores and 8 threads, compared to the Ally Z1 Extreme’s Zen 4 architecture using 8 cores and 16 threads, opening the gateway for more consistent performance.
It’s also important to note that there are a plethora of game platforms that you can’t utilize on the Steam Deck - notably, Microsoft’s Xbox app isn’t compatible with Linux, so you’d have to install Windows on the device for a seamless experience, which is a real hassle. On the ROG Ally, this won’t be a concern since Windows 11 is pre-installed, along with access to 3 months of Xbox Game Pass when you purchase and access to all the usual storefronts including Steam, Epic, GOG, and Itch.io.
Among the various handheld gaming PCs on the market right now, the ROG Ally is currently the best you can get your hands on in terms of bang for your buck, thanks to its sale price and performance in multiple games.
More of today’s Black Friday sales in the US
- Amazon: TVs, smart home & air fryers from $12.99
- Apple: AirPods, iPads, MacBooks from $89.99
- Best Buy: $1,000 off 4K TVs, laptops & headphones
- Cheap TVs: smart TVs at Best Buy from $69.99
- Christmas trees: top-rated trees from $54.99
- Dell: best-selling Inspiron & XPS laptops from $279.99
- Dreamcloud: mattress deals from $349 + free shipping
- Holiday: decor, lights, Christmas trees & PJs from $10.99
- Home Depot: 40% off tools, appliances & furniture
- Lowe's: holiday decor, appliances & tools from $17.31
- Nectar: up to 50% off all mattresses
- Nordstrom: 46% off boots, coats, jeans & jewelry
- Samsung: $1,500+ off TVs, phones, watches & appliances
- Target: save on furniture, tech & clothing
- Walmart: cheap TVs, robot vacs, furniture & appliances
More of today’s Black Friday sales in the UK
- Amazon: up to 68% off toothbrushes and TVs
- AO: savings on games consoles and appliances
- Argos: up to 50% off toys, Lego, TVs and gifts
- Boots: up to 50% off Dyson, Oral-B and Philips
- Currys: early deals on TVs, appliances, laptops
- Dell: laptops, desktops, monitors from £299
- Dyson: up to £150 off
- Ebay: up to 50% off refurbished tech
- EE: up to £600 off Samsung and Apple
- John Lewis: up to £300 off appliances and TVs
- LG: £1,000 or more off TVs and appliances
- Samsung: up to £600 off TVs, phones and tablets
- Very: up to 30% off phones, appliances & clothing
