TECH NEWS – It’s official: ASUS has admitted that the ROG Ally can occasionally play barbecue with our SD cards!

ASUS has now confirmed that the ROG Ally handheld has a problem with heat dissipation. If you’re not lucky, this problem could lead to a broken microSD card. The issue has already been reported online by several affected users. But now the company has spoken out and revealed how to fix the problem.

The good news is that a fix is on the way. The bad news is that it could affect the noise level of the ROG Ally.

While the ROG Ally is the Steam Deck’s biggest rival, it’s certainly not flawless – and now the company admits it. According to Whitson Gordon, who shared ASUS’ announcement on Discord (which was later shared by Tom’s Hardware), the MicroSD card reader could cause problems.

“After confirmation from internal testing, under certain thermal stress conditions the SD card reader may malfunction,” Gordon’s statement reads. While this is vague, it is consistent with previous user complaints.

The problem appears to be caused by the SD card reader being located inside the console – literally – in a hot spot. Close to the power VRMs. It seems to have a tendency to heat up more than is safe for the card inside. According to Tom’s Hardware, some affected users may be able to reuse these cards in another device. However, in other cases, SD cards must be destroyed after trying to use them inside the ROG Ally. Indeed, the SD card reader needs to reach a severe temperature.

Fortunately, ASUS claims it will release an update soon to fix the problem. The update will optimize the fan speed to improve the thermal sensation. This should save all your SD cards from burning out. Of course, there is a downside. If the fan clock speed is higher, the handheld can get noisy. Or at least louder than it is now. All in all, a little more fan noise is a small price to pay for the knowledge that nothing is burning down inside the gaming console. So it’s a good trade-off if noise levels aren’t going to be off the scale.

Also importantly, if you’re a ROG Ally owner and you believe the SD card reader has failed, ASUS will initiate a Return Material Authorization (RMA) program.

This allows affected consumers to either replace their defective device or receive a refund. Users in the United States should contact [email protected]. Those living in other parts of the world are advised to contact their local ASUS customer service.

Source: Tom’s Hardware