STEAM DECK NEWS – The next version of Asus’ handheld PC, the ROG Ally, will improve several things, although we doubt that the company will improve the SD card reader situation, which is flawed to say the least in the base model…

The release of the Asus ROG Ally X is not far away (we’re one week away to be precise), but some of its specifications have already leaked. VideoCardz has already written down the information as no longer rumors, and indeed it seems that they are not joking around now. According to them, the new handheld PC will feature the same AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme APU that’s in the currently available model. The display won’t change either: it will still have a 7-inch display with a 120 Hz refresh rate and will be VRR capable (supports variable refresh rates).

In terms of memory and battery, there are significant changes: the Asus ROG Ally X could include an 80Wh battery. In the first version, it was only 40Wh, so you can use the machine longer before you need to charge it. Best of all, the weight of the machine hasn’t increased significantly, as it’s 70 grams heavier and 5 millimeters thicker. RAM has been increased from 16GB to 24GB LPDDR5. This gives the device more room for the graphics chip, so performance can be improved without the need for a new chip or architecture. There’s also a second USB-C port with USB4 speed, which will be great for docking and charging.

According to The Verge editor Sean Hollister, the back of the machine no longer has those weird sharp edges, so it’s easier to get your hands on it without accidentally pulling one of the triggers on the back. The triggers and buttons are also more durable and feel better, in his opinion. If the device is targeting the leaked price of around $800, then the Steam Deck OLED could be a good alternative against it.

However, all this is not official yet. The device will be released on June 2.

Source: Ars Technica, VideoCardz, The Verge