Did the Asus ROG Ally 2 just get announced at this laptop reveal?
Yes, that’s right, the Asus ROG Ally 2 is seemingly already in the pipeline, and it’ll reportedly land in 2024. While it hasn’t even been a year since the hardware maker stepped into the handheld ring, we might end up with a sequel to its successful Steam Deck rival just in time for the MSI Claw. The news is just from a single source, and no official announcements have been made, but the rumblings are pretty exciting if you're into playing Steam games on the go.
The best gaming handheld scene has changed dramatically, and the Asus ROG Ally is somewhat responsible for the shift. Valve’s Steam Deck certainly paved the way for the platform overall, but the Ally has ultimately helped facilitate more competition in the space in terms of cost and performance. Plenty of familiar brands are now making moves to grab a slice of the tasty portable PC pie, and now that the Lenovo Legion GO and upcoming MSI Claw serve as alternatives, it makes sense that Asus is planning its next move.
Word of the Asus ROG Ally 2 comes courtesy of Techlusive, who recently claims to have sat down for a chat with Asus India Vice President Arnold Su at a Zenbook 14 OLED event. During the interview, the VP seemingly stated that the company “most likely will launch a second generation [handheld gaming console] this year.”
In addition, Su revealed that the Asus ROG Ally 2 “will still keep the Windows features, but we will focus more on gaming.” Whether that means it’ll boast a software suite that better bridges the gap between Windows 11 and a console-like experience remains to be seen, and the comments could realistically refer to any number of changes that improves the overall core experience.
It’s worth noting that while news of a potential Asus ROG Ally 2 reportedly comes from the senior Asus India VP, the company hasn’t officially announced plans for a new gaming handheld. Therefore, I’d absolutely take any mention of it for now with a grain of salt, as this could just be a reference to vague plans that are on the cards. That said, Asus consistently puts out new hardware, so the idea of a new portable PC arriving this soon isn’t completely farfetched.
For now, there are plenty of handheld gaming PCs out there, and if you’re looking for something truly premium, you may want to swing by our Ayaneo 2S review. Alternatively, we’ve also got a few current deals below that may come in handy.
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