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Last week, the top end Asus ROG Ally received a hearty Black Friday discount, but some of you might not have spotted that the cheaper version has also dropped in price. For under $450, you can bag the AMD Ryzen Z1 version of the handheld PC, meaning it’s both less than most gaming laptops out there and the same price as the older reduced 512GB Steam Deck. Simply put, if you’re looking to play a chunk of your library on the go at 1080p, this deal is for you.
To grab what we consider to be one of the best gaming handhelds at the moment, you’ll want to swing by Best Buy, as the Asus ROG Ally Ryzen Z1 edition is down from $599.99 to just $449.99. Again, it’s easy to miss this Black Friday gaming deal if you’re distracted looking at the more expensive AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme version, and while that portable PC is also worth picking up if you prioritize power, the cheaper model could be a better fit for many of you out there.
For starters, if your budget is limited to under $500 and you’re eyeing up Black Friday gaming laptop deals, chances are you won’t find what you’re looking for. Even if you do end up finding something more affordable, mobile rigs arguably aren’t the most efficient way to run games on the go, as PC performance is now available in something with roughly the same footprint as a Nintendo Switch. Don’t get me wrong, laptops can still provide a desktop punch away from home, but not everyone is looking for a larger screen and higher resolutions.
Should you buy an Asus ROG Ally Ryzen Z1 Edition?
There are a few things worth considering before diving on this gaming handheld deal. As the name suggests, the handheld is rocking the ‘non-extreme’ version of AMD’s RDNA 3 APU, meaning it features scaled back performance compared to the flagship Asus ROG Ally. Naturally, that’ll tie into how far you can boost fps, and the gap between this version of the Ally and something like the Steam Deck is much narrower. However, keep in mind that the above Black Friday deal brings the portable PC down to the same price as Valve’s powerhouse, so that itself offsets some of the caveats.
Circling back to the idea of buying the ROG Ally instead of a laptop, it’s wise to weigh up the pros and cons before clicking buy. For one, most mobile gaming rigs that cost under $450 aren’t going to fair well handling the latest releases, and reducing settings and resolution using a 15-inch screen will produce some pretty unsavoury results. Not that Asus’ handheld is going to provide better performance than a discrete GPU, but it's harder to notice discrepancies on a smaller seven-inch screen.
In any case, if you’re looking for a handheld with more heft than the Nintendo Switch, the Asus ROG Ally Ryzen Z1 version is going to fill the brief. If you’re still window shopping, you’ll want to take a peek at Black Friday Steam Deck deals, as there are a few portable PCs out there that’ll provide an impressive portable gaming experience for less.
Looking for more handheld offers? Check out Black Friday Nintendo Switch deals for something console flavoured. Alternatively, swing by Black Friday PS5 deals for a 4K system you can use at home.
