8 things I want to see from the Asus ROG Ally 2

Summary

• More color options, better software, and improved battery life needed for Asus ROG Ally 2 success.
• Asus should focus on enhancing software experience and display quality for ROG Ally 2.
• Hall effect joysticks, more ports, and a better chip would elevate the ROG Ally 2 handheld device.

Asus' ROG Ally is one of the best PC gaming handhelds out there, but there are plenty of ways it could be improved. Following a lengthy period of time when Valve was the only major player in the PC gaming handheld space, Asus was the first big-time Windows OEM to release a competitor. That spurred insane growth in the gaming handheld market, with Lenovo and MSI releasing their own options. While the initial reception to the ROG Ally was mixed, it has become popular over time, in part due to software fixes.

With a few hardware additions and changes, Asus could make the ROG Ally 2 the definitive pick for a PC gaming handheld that runs Windows. To do so, the company would have to fix some existing issues and make notable upgrades. The gaming handheld market is ripe with competition in 2024, but Asus is poised to make a standout ROG Ally 2 — as long as it does these eight things.

8 More color options

Black or transparent colorways would be great ROG Ally 2 options

The Asus ROG Ally comes in a white colorway with some RGB elements that closely match the company's tried-and-true Republic of Gamers design language. It's not a bad design, but more color options would definitely be appreciated. The white ROG Ally shows wear and smudging clearly, and gets dirty easily. If you're someone that likes to play games while enjoying a few snacks, the ROG Ally won't stay white for long. A black version would be a nice option, as would a transparent model. The market for third-party ROG Ally backplates proves that there is demand for more options, and any colorways Asus adds to the ROG Ally would be better than just the white one. I do hope the white version sticks around, though.

7 Improved software

Microsoft or Asus could fix the handheld Windows experience

A lot of people looking for a PC gaming handheld default to the Steam Deck, and it's not hard to figure out why. Valve has killed it with SteamOS, the Linux-based operating system. Windows 11, and how it runs on touchscreens and handheld devices, is arguably the biggest issue with the current-gen ROG Ally. Asus' native Armoury Crate program makes the experience slightly better, but that too could be improved.

Whether it's Microsoft or Asus that manages to make the ROG Ally software better, it needs to happen. Microsoft has already made the Xbox Game Bar a bit easier to use on handhelds, and it's reportedly working on Xbox gaming handhelds of its own. Asus did a decent job with Armoury Crate on the ROG Ally, but it only works well when it's active. Plus, launching apps through the Armoury Crate sometimes takes much longer than doing so via the Windows 11 desktop, or occasionally doesn't work at all. Microsoft and OEMs like Asus need to work together to make gaming handheld software better, and it needs to start with the ROG Ally 2.

6 A bigger battery

Battery life is the biggest problem all gaming handhelds face

The ROG Ally is far from the only PC gaming handheld to deal with battery life struggles. In fact, Valve is the only manufacturer that seems to have somewhat figured it out with the Steam Deck. When using the ROG Ally to play AAA titles, I only get about an hour or two of battery life. That means I often play while connected to wall power or with a high-capacity power bank nearby. There are a few tricks that you can do to increase ROG Ally battery life, and Asus could improve battery life on an ROG Ally 2 with better power efficiency. However, what the handheld really needs is a larger battery capacity.

5 A better chip with more RAM

The ROG Ally 2 will almost certainly be more powerful than its predecessor

Asus' ROG Ally 2 is all but guaranteed to feature a new processor, whether it's an AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme successor or something else altogether. A chip with better power efficiency and better overall performance would help the ROG Ally 2 keep up with the never-ending performance demands of new AAA gaming titles. However, the more important upgrade needs to come in the ROG Ally 2's memory. Since the Asus ROG Ally has its RAM soldered to the board, it is not user-upgradeable. That makes it all the more important that the ROG Ally 2 has RAM upgrades available for purchase from Asus. Even if the ROG Ally 2 starts with the same 16GB of RAM, it needs to at least have a 32GB upgrade option.

4 A higher-quality display

Better yet, let us choose between high-res IPS displays and OLED

The current ROG Ally has an IPS display that falls right in the middle of PC gaming handheld offerings today. Its 1080p resolution is less than the Lenovo Legion Go, but it's better than the Steam Deck and Steam Deck OLED. Of course, the latter alternative has the benefit of using OLED display technology. So, we'd like to see Asus take one of these two routes in improving the ROG Ally's display with the ROG Ally 2. It could increase the resolution and stick with an IPS panel while cutting down on the bezels around the display. Or, Asus could pivot to an OLED panel for better colors. Better yet, Asus could follow Valve's footsteps and offer two display options for the ROG Ally 2, but this seems less likely.

3 Fix the microSD card issues

Overheating is a serious problem current ROG Ally owners face

Asus fixing the microSD card issues by the time the ROG Ally 2 comes out isn't so much of a wish as it is a requirement. Due to the placement of the microSD card slot on the ROG Ally, microSD cards have a tendency to overheat. This causes microSD cards to be completely bricked in cases that have been well-documented. You can lose save data, other files, and, of course, the cost of your microSD card as a result of these problems. Right now, the workaround seems to be to just avoid using the microSD slot and upgrade the ROG Ally's internal SSD instead. For the ROG Ally 2, users deserve to get a proper fix from Asus.

2 Hall effect joysticks

Joystick issues could ruin your PC gaming handheld experience

Asus shipped the first ROG Ally with analog joysticks, and these have a tendency to develop issues like stick drift over time. On something like a PC gaming handheld, where the joysticks are built into the device, this poses an obvious problem. If your joysticks end up experiencing stick drift years down the road, they'll need to be replaced. Asus can avoid these woes altogether by including Hall effect joysticks that use magnets instead. These joysticks almost never suffer from stick drift, and are a better option overall. MSI included Hall effect joysticks on the MSI Claw, and Asus should follow suit on the ROG Ally 2.

1 More ports, and Thunderbolt 4

Want to charge and connect? Unless you use XG Mobile, that's not possible

At the top of my ROG Ally 2 wish list is Thunderbolt 4 support and more USB-C ports. Asus included its proprietary XG Mobile port on the original ROG Ally, and this can be used to connect with external GPUs. However, as a proprietary and little-used port, it's hardly used. Thunderbolt 4 support would make the ROG Ally 2 compatible with a much wider variety of eGPUs, and this change would be extremely beneficial to users. At the same time, Asus should give us a second USB-C port, even if it doesn't want to make these ports Thunderbolt-compatible. The minute you want to charge your ROG Ally and connect to an accessory, you need a USB dock or hub. By adding a second USB-C port — like the Lenovo Legion Go — Asus would make the ROG Ally 2 much more versatile.

These upgrades would make the ROG Ally 2 the best PC gaming handheld

If you're a fan of PC gaming handhelds, it's hard not to get excited about the future of the market. There's plenty of competition here, and that'll only benefit end users. Since the ROG Ally first debuted, the Lenovo Legion Go, Steam Deck OLED, and MSI Claw have been released. That means it won't be an easy road for Asus, because there are plenty of things each of those gaming handhelds do better than the ROG Ally. However, if Asus takes note of these competitors and listens to customer feedback, it could make the ROG Ally 2 a winner.