Asus ROG Ally Z1 Extreme: $150 Off Top Handheld PC

This week only, Best Buy has slashed $150 off the Asus ROG Ally Z1 Extreme handheld gaming PC, bringing the price down to just $499.99 (originally $650). Plus, you'll receive a complimentary one-month trial of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. The ROG Ally remains one of the top Windows-based gaming handhelds on the market, only potentially outmatched by newer models that cost at least $300 more.

Asus ROG Ally Z1 Extreme Gaming Handheld for $499.99

Asus ROG Ally AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme Gaming Handheld

Includes 1 month of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. Originally $649.99, now only $499.99 at Best Buy – that's a 23% saving.

The Asus ROG Ally Z1 Extreme is a Windows 11 gaming handheld PC. As the premium model in the ROG Ally lineup, it features an AMD Zen 4-based Z1 Extreme CPU, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD. Its 7-inch display delivers a crisp 1080p resolution and a smooth 120Hz refresh rate. While its main competitor, the Steam Deck, uses a Linux-based Steam OS, the ROG Ally runs on Windows 11. Steam OS is often seen as more user-friendly, but Windows 11 provides greater control and makes it simpler to install game clients beyond Steam.

In our Asus ROG Ally review, Robert Anderson noted: "The Asus ROG Ally truly feels like the portable Xbox Game Pass machine many fans have wanted. Although it has some drawbacks – including a frustrating user interface, short battery life, and no Steam Deck-style touchpads – it's undeniably fun to use when it hits its stride. With a gorgeous, brilliantly bright 1080p screen ideal for gaming anywhere, powerful specs, and an aggressive price, it might just be the Steam Deck competitor we've been waiting for."

For a better handheld gaming PC, be prepared to spend significantly more

Several new gaming handhelds have recently launched that outperform the Asus ROG Ally. One is Asus' own ROG Ally X. It uses the same Ryzen Z1 Extreme APU but comes with a much larger battery, more RAM, increased storage, and two USB Type-C ports. However, it retails for $800 at Best Buy – $300 more than the standard ROG Ally – which may not justify the extra cost.

Another highly recommended option is the newly released Lenovo Legion Go S Steam Edition. Like the ROG Ally X, it's powered by the same Ryzen Z1 Extreme APU but offers double the RAM and storage. It also features a larger 9-inch display and is the first non-Valve handheld to use Steam OS. In terms of features, it surpasses the older Steam Deck, at least until Valve releases an updated model. The downside is the price: currently $830 at Best Buy, which is $330 more than the ROG Ally.