Are you eying more alternatives to the ASUS ROG Ally and other high-end handheld PCs in its category? The TerransForce Handle 5 is another high-end gaming PC handheld with a 1080p, 120 Hz screen and an onboard Radeon 780M RDNA 3-based iGPU. Compared to the ROG Ally, which has the same iGPU, the Handle 5 also boasts a Ryzen 7 7840U Pro, which is slightly more potent than the Ryzen Z1 Extreme inside the ROG Ally and includes AMD's AI accelerator.
Initially announced in November with a price point starting at $650, the device is currently listed for $999 on MiniXPC.com, the only US seller at the time of writing. Unfortunately, this device is complex to recommend at this high price point since the ROG Ally provides virtually the same experience at only $599.
Today, the first detailed hands-on review of the device has been released by ETA PRIME on YouTube. I've embedded his video below, but I will discuss some key takeaways about the device and how it may fare in the market afterward.
So, how does the TerransForce Handle 5 justify its existence in the market when it has to compete with devices like the ROG Ally? The benchmarks shown in ETA PRIME's video above are within spitting distance of ASUS' more well-known handheld.
One key difference highlighted by ETA PRIME in his review is the presence of Hall-Effect analog joysticks. For those unfamiliar, Hall-Effect joysticks are known to be immune to long-term joystick drift. This makes hall-effect sticks (or at least readily replaceable sticks, like on the Steam Deck) of particular value to handheld PC devices like this one.
Compared to the ROG Ally, which is restricted to just USB 3.2 Gen 2 (20 Gigabits per second) external bandwidth, the Handle 5 is also capable of USB 4 (40 Gigabits per second) connectivity. As ETA PRIME notes, this makes it a better choice for external GPUs and similar solutions.
While I think this price desperately needs to be sold at its actual-announced price point of $650, it seems like a promising alternative to the ROG Ally if the price is right. With slightly better overall performance (including the ability to temporarily boost up to 35W with a built-in "Rage Mode"), improved eGPU support for hybrid desk/couch use, and longer-lasting analog sticks, the TerransForce Handle 5 actually can be a viable ROG Ally competitor.
Just...not for $999.
