ASUS ROG Ally: An Honest Evaluation and Why You Should Look Elsewhere.

CONSOLE RELIABILITY AND CUSTOMER SUPPORT

It's no secret that hardware can have its quirks, and individual experiences can vary. However, the sheer number of issues plaguing the ROG Ally, coupled with Asus's questionable customer support, paints an incredibly bleak picture. This isn't the first time Asus has been involved in controversy surrounding product defects and subpar customer service, and sadly, it probably won't be the last.

Let's start with the infamous SD card debacle.  This isn't just a minor inconvenience; it's a widespread problem stemming from a defective SD card reader linked to excessive heat.  Users have reported their SD cards becoming unrecognizable or even suffering permanent damage, sometimes taking the Ally's reader down with them. This is a major design flaw for a device that relies on expandable storage, and despite Asus's claims to have addressed it, reports of SD card failures persist even as of December 2024.

Asus's initial response was a software update that, rather than fixing the problem, attempted to mitigate it by adjusting fan speeds.  This, however, introduced new issues, with users reporting increased fan noise and reduced performance.  A recall and hardware revision would have been the appropriate solution, but instead, users were left with a band-aid fix and the lingering fear of their expensive SD cards getting fried.  It's worth noting that this "fix" also had the unfortunate side effect of invalidating many of the initial positive reviews, which were based on the device's pre-update performance.

This raises an uncomfortable question: did Asus intentionally overclock review units to achieve impressive benchmarks, only to throttle performance later on for the sake of long-term stability?  While we can't definitively say, the timing and nature of the performance-impacting "fix" certainly raise eyebrows.

But the problems don't end there.  Our own experience with the Ally involved three separate units. The first destroyed our MicroSD card and its reader, ran at a scorching 99°C at idle, and sounded like a tortured robot with its high-pitched fan whine. The second unit, supposedly a revised model, still had noisy fans and suffered from constant Windows crashes and freezes.  Our third unit arrived with a broken thumbstick and a blemish on the screen.

And we consider ourselves lucky!  Our returns were hassle-free thanks to strong consumer protection laws and a cooperative retailer.  However, countless reports online paint a grim picture of Asus's RMA process, with customers facing excruciating delays, fabricated diagnoses, and even extortionate repair fees.  It seems Asus has a pattern of dodging responsibility, shifting blame onto customers, and making it incredibly difficult to get faulty devices repaired or replaced.

This isn't just about faulty hardware; it's about accountability and customer trust.  Asus's handling of the Ally's issues, and their broader history of shoddy products and questionable customer support, raises serious concerns about their commitment to quality control and customer satisfaction.  The lack of a widespread recall for the Ally or a genuine effort to address these problems is unacceptable, especially given the premium price tag of this device.

In my own experience with Asus, I've had to RMA numerous devices over the years, including GPUs, motherboards, controllers, a router, a laptop, and even a phone. Each time, the process was a drawn-out ordeal, with Asus taking months to issue credit notes instead of providing timely replacements.  It's clear that Asus has a systemic problem when it comes to supporting their products.

For a more in-depth look at Asus's customer service woes, we highly recommend checking out this video from Gamers Nexus below.  It's a sobering reminder that even big brands can fall short when it comes to supporting their products and respecting their customers.