Asus ROG Ally 319 firmware significantly lowers performance, so don't update it just yet
If you've just got your Asus ROG Ally, hold off on updating it
The Asus Rog Ally has made its way into the sweaty hands of gamers across the globe, but you may want to hold off on updating the portable PC’s firmware for now.
It turns out the Asus Rog Ally 319 firmware significantly lowers performance, even though it appeared that the handheld had received a notable performance boost after initial reviews went live.
As spotted by HotHardware, the new update is available through the MyAsus software app. Even though it claims to improve the gaming experience at 9 Watts, it’s actually been proven to make things worse. It also impacts performance at 15 and 25 Watts, as spotted by YouTuber ThePhawX.
The firmware has been flagged by several users for degrading performance and an Asus ROG Ally representative has since advised not to update to the latest BIOS. However, you can still install specific updates that improve aspects of the console, like the fingerprint scanner.
➡️ The Shortcut Skinny: Asus ROG Ally firmware update
✋ Hold off updating to the new Asus ROG Ally firmware update
😞 The new update has been proven to lower performance
🔧 It’s likely a fix will arrive soon
📆 The Asus ROG Ally is out now and costs $599 to $699
When it comes to Asus ROG Ally vs Steam Deck, Asus’s portable is a lot more powerful than Valve’s handheld. However, due to running Windows 11 instead of a custom OS like the Steam Deck, some of those performance gains are lost due to a lack of optimization.
However, things were looking promising leading up to the handheld’s launch, with Asus claiming that it had even improved the portable PC’s battery life by up to 10% to 20%, along with the aforementioned performance boost.
Still, the Asus ROG Ally comes with a superior screen, lets you play all of the best PC games regardless of which launcher they need, and has an attractive price point of $599.99 for the Asus ROG Ally Ryzen Z1 and $699.99 for the Z1 Extreme model.
Much like the Steam Deck and the majority of electronic devices out there, expect the Asus ROG Ally to receive lots of post-launch support that will continue to tweak and correct any issues that may arise.