The Asus ROG Ally: A More Repairable Alternative to Valve's Steam Deck
The Asus ROG Ally outshines Valve's Steam Deck in terms of repairability, according to repair site iFixit. The team at iFixit has taken apart the handheld gaming console and found that the battery, thumb sticks, motors, SSD, and cooling elements can all be easily detached from the motherboard/case with the help of some screwdrivers. This makes it much easier to carry out any component repairs, as well as enabling easy modding and customization.
This is a particularly positive development for miniaturized PC gaming, as easy repairability, tinkering, and modding are all aspects of the PC gaming experience that are often lost when gaming on the go.
One of the most notable repairability advantages of the ROG Ally over the Steam Deck is the battery. Whereas Valve's portable PC uses a glued-down battery, the Ally's component is screwed in and can be removed without much hassle.
Ally thumbstick removal is also easier, as they can be detached directly without affecting the wider thumbstick module, unlike the Steam Deck.
Asus has also reinforced the bumper buttons on the ROG Ally, addressing a potential failure point present in the Steam Deck.
Another big repairability advantage is SSD compatibility. Both the ROG Ally and the Steam Deck use the same format, meaning there are a wide range of options available on the market – up to 2TB.
Despite its apparent repairability advantage, the ROG Ally isn't perfect, as iFixit says the device's screen is "barely repairable." This isn't a major issue, and it's actually expected as handheld screens are normally quite difficult to remove.
Overall, iFixit says the Asus device has "an impressive list of repairability pros," highlighting that the company has done "an excellent job with the design."
"The unexpected repairability of the ROG Ally highlights Asus' dedication to its handheld PC," the site says. "You can almost feel the love."
However, iFixit says that while the Steam Deck has a "wide range of spare parts," Asus currently does not offer the same option, which could be an issue for some customers.
Check out the full ROG Ally teardown video below:
iFixit ROG Ally teardown highlights:
Is the ROG Ally more repairable than the Steam Deck?
