Even before ROG Ally reached its one-year anniversary, Asus ROG was hard at work planning another gaming handheld device. Evidence quickly piled up surrounding this new ROG Ally and so the internet dubbed it the ROG Ally 2. The idea is that the ROG Ally 2 is a powerful next-gen device that greatly improves upon the original gaming handheld.
Without further ado, here's everything you need to know about the ROG Ally 2 and a list of improvements we need to see in this next-gen handheld.
What is ROG Ally 2?
ROG Ally 2 is the name the internet has given the ROG Ally successor. However, we do not know what its official name is. Unlike the modest ROG Ally X, which is an updated ROG Ally that was officially revealed during an ROG Pulse stream, the ROG Ally 2 is going to be the next-gen system.
Is ROG Ally 2 a real thing?
Yes, but it's likely still in very early development. During an interview with Techlusive, Asus India Vice President Arnold Su said, "...we most likely will launch a second-generation [handheld gaming console] this year. We will still keep the Windows features, but we will focus more on gaming." Then in May 2024, ROG officially announced the ROG Ally X. They explained it isn't a basic refresh, but it's also not a totally new generation device either. It will feature improvements to the battery, RAM, SSD, and more. That all said, an ROG Ally 2 will more than likely release later down the line.
Source link: Techlusive | Windows Central
Does the ROG Ally need a successor already?
Although the ROG Ally was only released in Jun 2023, it has a significant design flaw that must be dealt with. Specifically, it can cause microSD cards to overheat and malfunction, which is frustrating for people with large gaming libraries. Additionally, there are many ways in which the original gaming handheld design could be improved upon. So, yes, an ROG Ally 2 could fix some blaring issues that the original system has.
ROG Ally 2 updates
June 2, 2024 UPDATE: Asus ROG officially announced ROG Ally X specs, and showed that this new device offers better battery life, RAM, and SSD than the original device. This is not the ROG Ally 2, but it gives us a starting point for what to expect for next-gen ROG Ally 2 specs.
May 9, 2024 UPDATE: A video about the "next ROG Ally" went live on May 9, 2024 at 1 p.m. PT / 4 p.m. ET. While it didn't go into specifics, the video revealed that "ROG Ally X" is the official name for this device. This is not an ROG Ally 2, but rather an updated version of the original. You can watch this reveal in the embedded video above.
ROG Ally 2 release date speculation
When will ROG Ally 2 release?
We don't have an exact release date yet for the next-gen ROG Ally. Considering that the ROG Ally X is launching Summer 2024, it is likely that we won't see an ROG Ally 2 until 2025 or later.
ROG Ally 2 specs speculation
What are ROG Ally 2 specs?
At this point, the ROG Ally 2's specs have not been revealed. However, taking a look at ROG Ally X specs helps us see where the ROG Ally 2 specs will likely start at. It will likely offer 16GB to 32GB RAM and up to 1TB SSD. I also hope it will have an OLED display and a more powerful processor, but we'll have to wait and see what Asus officially announces.
Should I just buy the ROG Ally X?
Should I wait for the ROG Ally 2 or just buy the ROG Ally X?
It's unclear when the ROG Ally 2 will actually launch, it could be in 2025 or later. As such, if you're really wanting an upgraded ROG Ally, you'd be better off going with the ROG Ally X for now since we know it's launching on July 22, 2024 and it's already available for preorder. Of course, if your biggest problem is the original device's SSD capacity, then you could always upgrade to a 1TB SSD.
🎮 GUIDE: How to upgrade ROG Ally SSD
Improvements we want to see in the ROG Ally 2
While I have enjoyed using the original ROG Ally and have been impressed by the caliber of updates Asus makes for it, there's no denying that several aspects of the gaming handheld could be improved upon. This includes a glaring issue that has existed since I did the ROG Ally review at the handheld's launch.
So, here are all of the things we want to see in a next-gen ROG Ally 2:
1.) Fix microSD card overheating issues: The ROG Ally was off to a great start at launch, but then a big issue was discovered — the placement of the ROG Ally heating vents near the microSD card slot can cause inserted cards to overheat and malfunction. Asus has never fully acknowledged that this is a problem. However, the new ROG Ally X does have a different microSD card slot, which likely solves this problem. As such, it's very likely that the ROG Ally 2 will also have a different microSD card slot from the original handheld.
2.) Offer larger internal storage capacity options: Having only a 512GB SSD on the original ROG Ally kept prices down but also made it so people had to invest in microSD cards or internal SSDs if they wanted to have a large library of games on the device. Gaming handheld competitors, including Legion Go and MSI Claw, come with up to 1TB SSDs, so it would be better if the ROG Ally 2 did the same. Considering that the ROG Ally X comes with up to 1TB SSD, we can assume the same will be true for the ROG Ally 2.
3.) Provide a more polished Armoury Crate interface: I have a love-hate relationship with Armoury Crate. It provides plenty of customization options, but there's no denying the software can sometimes be clunky and slow. I often have to jump between AMD Software and Armoury Crate to get the handheld set up the way I want, so integrating the two better would be very helpful. We're getting Armoury Crate SE 1.5 for both the original ROG Ally and ROG Ally X around the time of the ROG Ally X launch, so this could improve the software tremendously from the original handheld version. Still, if Asus continues to build upon the software's foundation and makes the program more responsive and streamlined as time goes on, then we could have a phenomenal interface on the ROG Ally 2.
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4.) Continue to provide a wide range of settings options: The ROG Ally team has been incredible in providing updates and patches for the ROG Ally. Right now there are so many settings options, allowing me to customize the original handheld and make it work just how I want it to. I hope the ROG Ally team keeps up the good work as they move on to the next-generation device.
5.) Add another USB-C port: I don't know how many times I've wanted to use an accessory with my ROG Ally but also needed it to charge simultaneously. This wouldn't be an issue if there were just one more USB-C Thunderbolt 4 port like there is with the Legion Go. Thankfully, we know that the ROG Ally X comes with two USB-C ports, one of which is Thunderbolt-capable, so it's very likely we'll see this on the ROG Ally 2 as well.
6.) Make battery life last longer: The first PC gaming handhelds on the market only tend to last for 1.5 to two hours while playing more intensive games. This isn't that long. If Asus can design the ROG Ally 2 with a longer battery life, it will appeal to more people. That said, the ROG Ally X already offers double the capacity of the original gaming handheld, so it's not out of the question to assume that battery life could be improved upon even more by the time the ROG Ally 2 launches.
7.) Include an OLED option: We've already seen the majesty an OLED panel can bring to Steam Deck. These displays offer excellent color, contrast, and crisp detail, too. True, they tend to be more expensive, but they can also help a system be more efficient, so it would be awesome to have the option on a next-gen ROG Ally.
