ASUS ROG Ally Could Launch Sooner Than Expected

[Chrispy_]

I think the track pads on the steam deck are a little gimmicky, they do work ok to be honest, especially if you don't want to smudge your screen with fingerprints, but actually using them in games that only support mouse is not fun at all.

that is really my only complaint with steam deck though. the actual placement of the sticks I agree with you on, the steam deck is just made for adult hands, so damn comfortable.

The trackpads are AMAZING for FPS games. I prefer them to the thumbsticks for FPS games and the fact you can 'flick' them like trackballs with momentum makes them way more versatile than I ever expected them to be. There are also tons of "thunmbstick-friendly" games that don't need a mouse, but benefit from a mouse cursor - inventory management, map marker placement etc.

I found myself using the trackpads to move the cursor instinctively whenever the in-game crosshair became a cursor, and that happens occasionally even in the most console-y games in my library.

The fact they're there doesn't mean you have to use them, and I don't think their placement displaces the other controls significantly. That's just me though....

 

[AusWolf]

Great and fancy, but who's gonna buy this when you have the Steam Deck?

 

[Space Lynx]

The trackpads are AMAZING for FPS games. I prefer them to the thumbsticks for FPS games and the fact you can 'flick' them like trackballs with momentum makes them way more versatile than I ever expected them to be. There are also tons of "thunmbstick-friendly" games that don't need a mouse, but benefit from a mouse cursor - inventory management, map marker placement etc.

I found myself using the trackpads to move the cursor instinctively whenever the in-game crosshair became a cursor, and that happens occasionally even in the most console-y games in my library.

The fact they're there doesn't mean you have to use them, and I don't think their placement displaces the other controls significantly. That's just me though....

can you recommend me a FPS game to try them with?

and yeah I agree for just simply cursor movement to navigate menus with and such they do come in handy.

 

[Chrispy_]

can you recommend me a FPS game to try them with?

and yeah I agree for just simply cursor movement to navigate menus with and such they do come in handy.

One of the first games I put on the Deck was Doom 2016, just to see how well FPS games worked on it. I've also played some Dishonored 2 and recently shoved Alice: Madness Returns on there.
Doom 2016 is a fast twitch shooter that occasionally requires fine aiming, so I figured it would be a good thing to try the (right) trackpad with and I wasn't disappointed.

Honestly, try any first-person or third-person game you enjoy. I would actually recommend massively reducing the amount of momentum the "flick" feature has, so that it has less momentum slows down after 180 degrees of turn or so. Also, my personal preference is to set the X and Y scales differently so that the Y sensitivity is about half what the X sensitivity is. Doing fast flicks to spin around in a hurry had a tendency to look up or down too much for me at first. Maybe I'll get better at it, but the band-aid of reducing the vertical sensitivity is working very well for me.

One thing I can't get my head around is the gyro control. YMMV but I didn't like it on either the thumbstick or the trackpad.

 

[Space Lynx]

One of the first games I put on the Deck was Doom 2016, just to see how well FPS games worked on it. I've also played some Dishonored 2 and recently shoved Alice: Madness Returns on there.
Doom 2016 is a fast twitch shooter that occasionally requires fine aiming, so I figured it would be a good thing to try the (right) trackpad with and I wasn't disappointed.

Honestly, try any first-person or third-person game you enjoy. I would actually recommend massively reducing the amount of momentum the "flick" feature has, so that it's stickier and momentum falls off faster. Also, my personal preference is to set the X and Y scales differently so that the Y sensitivity is about half what the X sensitivity is. Doing fast flicks to spin around in a hurry had a tendency to look up or down too much for me at first. Maybe I'll get better at it, but the band-aid of reducing the vertical sensitivity is working very well for me.

One thing I can't get my head around is the gyro control. YMMV but I didn't like it on either the thumbstick or the trackpad.

I got nothing to do today, so will try today, will adjust my settings for that too, thanks!

 

[Nordic]

Almost certainly more expensive than the base steam deck with almost certainly worse battery life. The loss of track pads may not sound like much but they work better than I ever thought they would once they were configured.

 

[enb141]

I think the track pads on the steam deck are a little gimmicky, they do work ok to be honest, especially if you don't want to smudge your screen with fingerprints, but actually using them in games that only support mouse is not fun at all.

that is really my only complaint with steam deck though. the actual placement of the sticks I agree with you on, the steam deck is just made for adult hands, so damn comfortable.

Yep, that's why I don't buy and I'll never have a handheld like that because of the track pads.

 

[Space Lynx]

Yep, that's why I don't buy and I'll never have a handheld like that because of the track pads.

well there are hundreds of games on backlog that use the controller setup just fine, so im pretty happy with steam deck still, especially since i got it on sale.

 

[enb141]

well there are hundreds of games on backlog that use the controller setup just fine, so im pretty happy with steam deck still, especially since i got it on sale.

To me if a game doesn't supports gamepad, then I don't play it, of course there's some exceptions like FPS, MOBA and RTS.

 

[GreiverBlade]

I don't know how anything could be more comfortable than the Steam Deck. Honestly hope you get to hold one someday. It's truly a genius design. That is the thing I most skeptical about with the ROG Ally. How comfy will it actually be.

i did hold one ... and nope, i don't like it one bit it's almost as uncomfortable as a dualshock gamepad (well almost ... luckily the screen give some space between the 2 control zone )
and i positively hate the touchpad, to me touchpad left should be D-pad, touchpad right should be analog right ... the rest is mostly fine ... (i blame muscle memory ... )

If anything, the left analogue stick on the Steam Deck is in the perfect, most comfortable position. I tried some 8-bit stuff using the d-pad and found it way less comfortable.

I'm saying this as a lover of the XB360 and XBOne gamepads, which have the opposite left-side layout to the Steam Deck.

Clearly, it's all about relative position to the sculpting of the grips, and also YMMV based on the size of your hands. I can one-hand catch a basketball though so any controllers look like children's versions around me....

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well indeed i am one to use the Xbox layout since the Duke (and i considered the Duke small even when it was launched ) and yeah the d-pad on the steamdeck is my main grip (no pun) well so is the ABXY, thus why the ASUS ROG ally has a superior layout to me ...


but i will probably never buy one i don't really need either one, but if someone would gift me one ... then i should influence them into buying the right one or propose them alternatives (i.e.: other hardware for the same value )

 

[Kyan]

i did hold one ... and nope, i don't like it one bit it's almost as uncomfortable as a dualshock gamepad (well almost ... luckily the screen give some space between the 2 control zone )
and i positively hate the touchpad, to me touchpad left should be D-pad, touchpad right should be analog right ... the rest is mostly fine ... (i blame muscle memory ... )


well indeed i am one to use the Xbox layout since the Duke (and i considered the Duke small even when it was launched ) and yeah the d-pad on the steamdeck is my main grip (no pun) well so is the ABXY, thus why the ASUS ROG ally has a superior layout to me ...


but i will probably never buy one i don't really need either one, but if someone would gift me one ... then i should influence them into buying the right one or propose them alternatives (i.e.: other hardware for the same value )

Actually, the trackpad left is a dpad most of the time (only a scrolling wheel on desktop) and the trackpad right is the right stick (and mouse on desktop) maybe a configuration of the owner ?
Personnaly the left stick is a little bit too far but i have "small" hands, i have played a lot of Spyro, breath of the wilds and nier automata and the layout could be a bit better but it's really not a problem for what you get.
The thing i'm sceptical with the rog is that i didn't see a lot of grip on the back, it will probably be like the nintendo switch. So, if it's heavier than the switch, it will be very bad to use it if you don't let it rest almost horizontally on your hand.

 

[Klemc]

Is there an information about cache, i think games not from Steam had no cache available leading to stutter... or does it not needs cache anymore ?

 

[GreiverBlade]

Actually, the trackpad left is a dpad most of the time (only a scrolling wheel on desktop) and the trackpad right is the right stick (and mouse on desktop) maybe a configuration of the owner ?
Personnaly the left stick is a little bit too far but i have "small" hands, i have played a lot of Spyro, breath of the wilds and nier automata and the layout could be a bit better but it's really not a problem for what you get.
The thing i'm sceptical with the rog is that i didn't see a lot of grip on the back, it will probably be like the nintendo switch. So, if it's heavier than the switch, it will be very bad to use it if you don't let it rest horizontally on your hand.

possible ... but even if it was configured differently ,i would prefer physical d-pad, analog stick over trackpad acting like one, the feeling is vastly different

 

[Kyan]

Is there an information about cache, i think games not from Steam had no cache available leading to stutter... or does it not needs cache anymore ?

There's a shader cache on steam deck if it's what you reffer too, steam download it when you install the game. I've never have a stutter with steam games so far. Don't know how they could create a downloadable shader cache on the Ally without cooperating with steam. Is the shader cache download only a steam deck thing or was it available before ?

possible ... but even if it was configured differently ,i would prefer physical d-pad, analog stick over trackpad acting like one, the feeling is vastly different

Luckily there's a true dpad and stick
Having the possibility to use the trackpad is great, having choice is always better if it has almost no impact on the main goal. The Asus will be less usable in desktop mode without a mouse. It's not the main goal but when you have to go on desktop, not being "forced" to connect a mouse is really nice.
But yeah, different usage and ergonomic is key on the handheld market.

 

[GreiverBlade]

Luckily there's a true dpad and stick
Having the possibility to use the trackpad is great, having choice is always better if it has almost no impact on the main goal. The Asus will be less usable in desktop mode without a mouse. It's not the main goal but when you have to go on desktop, not being "forced" to connect a mouse is really nice.
But yeah, different usage and ergonomic is key on the handheld market.

true... but as i mentioned in the post you quoted from me, they are in a position that iritate me due to muscle memory on Xbox layout since the Duke.

even my phone gamepad, 2 Moga 1 pocket 1 xp5-x have that layout, although i could also get something that go on each side of the screen "a la" Switch or Steam deck and they would have all the same layout, either turtle beach ATOM or Moga xp7-x plus or ... ergh ... Razer Kishi (v1 preferably although it would be my least favored choice due to the brand )

tbf the Steam Deck control felt like they where too high on the device (not a hand size problem, mind you)

as for the trackpad being a nice replacement for a mouse ... yeah but somewhere else (funnily enough i liked the PS Vita back touchpad) and i manage quite well to use mouse mode with analog sticks, specially on a handeld device the Asus will be perfectly fine in desktop mode for me

 

[Kyan]

true... but as i mentioned in the post you quoted from me, they are in a position that iritate me due to muscle memory on Xbox layout since the Duke.

even my phone gamepad, 2 Moga 1 pocket 1 xp5-x have that layout, although i could also get something that go on each side of the screen "a la" Switch or Steam deck and they would have all the same layout, either turtle beach ATOM or Moga xp7-x plus or ... ergh ... Razer Kishi (v1 preferably although it would be my least favored choice due to the brand )

tbf the Steam Deck control felt like they where too high on the device (not a hand size problem, mind you)

Yeah, i'm an xbox layout user too and the steam deck layout felt like a mix between ps and xbox, they tried to blend the dpad, stick and trackpad close to each other to make them usable. The result is that the dpad is at the best position and the left sticks slightly too much on the interior, in my opinion. But nothing that will make it unpleasant to use.

as for the trackpad being a nice replacement for a mouse ... yeah but somewhere else (funnily enough i liked the PS Vita back touchpad) and i manage quite well to use mouse mode with analog sticks, specially on a handeld device the Asus will be perfectly fine in desktop mode for me

Didn't get a vita on hand so i wasn't aware they put a trackpad, and on the back on top would be interesting to test.

 

[GreiverBlade]

But nothing that will make it unpleasant to use.

for me, it is ... and yeah i clearly affirmed it was personal since my first post in that news for me the Steam Deck layout is a total mess and even if i got used to it, it would still feel somewhat odd.

ergonomy is subjective indeed (aside the superiority in ergonomics of the Xbox layout over the Dualshock layout which is total cra... OKAY OKAY, i'm joking ... alright )

tho, it's not the ergonomics or the price that prevent me to buy a Steam deck (or the Ally once it's out) ... i doubt i would ever use it if i bought either one ... i pondered for a while on buying a Switch Lite ... but nope ... never found a decent argument in favor of it.

Didn't get a vita on hand so i wasn't aware they put a trackpad, and on the back on top would be interesting to test.

well, since the touchpad (not trackpad but it's probably the same ) was on the other side of where the screen on the chassis, it was quite interesting in games that supported it ... although it was somewhat limited in games ofc,
nonetheless i tested with Vitashell and ScummVM and mousemode worked fine (single finger drag move pointer, single finger tap right click, double finger tap left click and triple finger drag : drag-n-drop )
think of having a thin sheet of paper and running your finger under it, interesting indeed (and better to using the front touchscreen of the Vita) ...
sad that Asus did not think of that ... but i guess for thermal reason, they could not ...


edit: i still was BOTHERED by the Vita Analog/D-Pad (left side) layout ... which is why i did not use it for long ...

 

[Bytales]

We need a windows 10/11 Gamers Edition, that is debloated of useless shiet, and focused on running games. Windows has to much stuff going on, and a comparison side by side on steam deck vs windows shows games runn better on steam os. (the ones that do run).

 

[enb141]

We need a windows 10/11 Gamers Edition, that is debloated of useless shiet, and focused on running games. Windows has to much stuff going on, and a comparison side by side on steam deck vs windows shows games runn better on steam os. (the ones that do run).

It already exists, it's called Tiny 11.