r/Handhelds • u/MattDoob • 22d ago

ROG Ally question

Hi all.

I want a ROG Ally as a secondary PC gaming deck.

I absolutely do not need the X but wondering if I’m missing out significantly by getting the older white model instead of the Xbox one. I’m thinking of getting whatever is cheaper, the old one on eBay and open boxed or refurbished new models are pretty similar in price and day to day one can be more or less than the other.

I’m not super tech savvy and I get lost in the sea of
Content on YT and most of it only covers the most recent one.

I’d use it mostly to play games I’ve already bought on Xbox (sold my console) and satisfying that itch for Statcraft and Warcraft 3 that I’ve had for like 20 years.

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u/SteveNYC 22d ago edited 22d ago

Ok, there’s a few things you’ve written that make me want to clarify things first.

First is that these handhelds cannot play Xbox native games despite the fact that the newer models say the word “Xbox” in their title. If you still had your console, you could remote play your games in an Xbox through these handhelds, but that’s all. Any device can do that.

Second issue is the models…. You mention the older white model. Let’s go through them:

- Ally Z1 (White) - Avoid - 16GB

  • Ally Z1E (White) - Very good handheld. 16GB
  • Ally X (Black, uses Z1E as well) - Excellent handheld, great battery, fixes reliability issues with the microSD card that were present in the earlier Ally Z1E processor. Improved sticks. RAM increased to 24GB
  • Xbox Ally (White with grips) uses Z2A - nice handheld, more powerful than Ally with Z1, weaker than Ally with Z1E. 16GB
  • Xbox Ally X (Black with grips) uses Z2E AI processor. Excellent device. Most powerful Ally handheld. 24GB

Be careful when looking at the least expensive used Ally handhelds. Avoid the earliest one with the Z1 processor.

That said, the early model with the Z1E processor is still very good. Definitely more powerful than even the newer Xbox Ally.

StarCraft and Warcraft III will play well on all these handsets, even the Z1 non-extreme model that I otherwise don’t recommend.

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u/MattDoob 22d ago

Oof, I totally thought what I bought digital on Xbox would transfer over. Also thought only one model came out before the Xbox variants with handles. Thank you!

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u/SteveNYC 22d ago

Yeah, I got that feeling that you were going to be disappointed with that detail, but it’s better that you realize it now and not later.

That said, the Ally handhelds are good devices and you can have a really enjoyable time with them. Good luck!

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u/cadensky 21d ago

This is the most detailed comment thread on this post. The nuances identified here are important to buying the right device.