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ROG Ally: Triple AAA Gaming Windows handheld

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Ouroboros

Ouroboros

Member
Oct 27, 2017
13,244
United States
I just got mine in. I have a Z1 extreme R6 model...does that mean I'm screwed? I tested the SD card reader and it worked as intended. I checked the warranty and it ends 12/2024...so I have a whole year for it to catch on fire or whatever.

Initial thoughts : I like it. I had the steam deck for 1.5 years and as a windows machine to play GamePass for roughly 3 months before selling it off when the OLED model was announced. The screen is very pretty and I'm installing games now. Armoury Crate seems very serviceable. I like how i can toggle power profiles easily and change resolution with 2 taps. Turned off the RGB lighting around the sticks. I hate that. Thinking I will keep this for sure and get custom Playstation buttons and the translucent backplate.

I got an open box "excellent" model from best buy. The box was mangled a bit but the handheld itself has no sign of use. The power cable was also never used so I don't think this was ever plugged in. I can understand why - setting up windows on a handheld isn't very fun and if the original purchaser thought it was going to be straightforward like steam, I could see them packing it back up straight away.

I played some AAA on the deck before I sold it. Notably, FF7 Remake and RE(make) 4. I had to set them both @ 720p low settings and capping them both at 40fps. While the experience was fine on both games, I'm excited to see the visual fidelity improvement on the ROG. I also am excited to remote play to my PS5 and see how that looks. It isn't a great experience on my old iPad.

Ok, time to install games, update Windows and drivers, and firmware while cleaning my newly purchased pink DSi.
 
Ulcus

Ulcus

Member
Nov 3, 2017
388
Ouroboros said:
I just got mine in. I have a Z1 extreme R6 model...does that mean I'm screwed? I tested the SD card reader and it worked as intended. I checked the warranty and it ends 12/2024...so I have a whole year for it to catch on fire or whatever.
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I bought an R6 at Best Buy also and I had it for 5 weeks without issue. I'm ignoring the SD card tho and will just put a larger 2230 SSD later. Enjoys!
 
snipe_25

snipe_25

Member
Oct 27, 2017
2,180
Inspired by the Decky Loader plug in Pause Games for Steam Deck, I've been testing out Nyrna on my Ally and it's been great - easy suspend/resume that seems to work well - suspend the game, hibernate. Turn on, resume game. Seems more reliable than just hibernating alone, plus adds a way to pause to Elden Ring lol
 
Samurai Penguiin

Samurai Penguiin

Member
Oct 28, 2017
206
Brisbane, Australia
I am tempted to get one today.

I had a Steam Deck @10 months ago and got rid of it.

I wanted to play games like:

System Shock 2 (GoG)
Deus Ex (GoG)
Vampire Bloodlines (GoG)
Stalker CoP (via Steam)

And install mods.

But I had nothing but issues with them on the Steam Deck. Stalker worked ok, but i found the Deck to be too bulky and uncomfortable.

The GoG games never got to work at all, despite following step by step guides.

I am also not very tech savvy. Tweaking the Ally isnt too difficult is it?
 
Ry.

Ry.

AVALANCHE
Member
Oct 10, 2021
1,202
the planet Zebes
Samurai Penguiin said:
I am tempted to get one today.

I had a Steam Deck @10 months ago and got rid of it.

I wanted to play games like:

System Shock 2 (GoG)
Deus Ex (GoG)
Vampire Bloodlines (GoG)
Stalker CoP (via Steam)

And install mods.

But I had nothing but issues with them on the Steam Deck. Stalker worked ok, but i found the Deck to be too bulky and uncomfortable.

The GoG games never got to work at all, despite following step by step guides.

I am also not very tech savvy. Tweaking the Ally isnt too difficult is it?
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This is where the Ally shines in my book. It's just a windows pc. If you're fine with windows gaming, it's no different. And ASUSs apps have been getting better and better when it comes to interfacing with the built in controller.

It's certainly not plug and play, but PC gaming never has been. You definitely need to be ok with a little tinkering for sure.
 
RyougaSaotome

RyougaSaotome

Member
Oct 25, 2017
4,718
Yeah. As long as you're okay with tinkering and futzing with Windows being Windows, you'll have a great time.

Steam Deck is effectively a game console, but stuff like the Ally are basically PCs in handheld console shells.

Once you get used to it though, it's a breeze, IMO.
 
Soapbox Killer

Soapbox Killer

Member
Oct 28, 2017
27,541
So my 14yo daughter wants a Gaming Laptop to play Valorant and some other other FPS games. The laptop she showed me was expensive as FUCK and it didn't seem cost efficient for her expectations….and I'm cheap.

It was a ROG as well but cost $2200 which is out of the question. Is the Ally a reasonable option?
 

Rahkeesh

Member
Jun 20, 2022
4,127
Soapbox Killer said:
So my 14yo daughter wants a Gaming Laptop to play Valorant and some other other FPS games. The laptop she showed me was expensive as FUCK and it didn't seem cost efficient for her expectations….and I'm cheap.

It was a ROG as well but cost $2200 which is out of the question. Is the Ally a reasonable option?
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Is your 14 yo going to be satisfied playing competitive PC shooters with the equivalent of an xbox controller?

You can get laptops in the Ally's retail price range that will perform better. They tend to be larger/clunkier at the low end but they will work. You really have to want a handheld to go for all the tradeoffs in the device. If she says she wants a laptop then you should look at once of those instead. They certainly don't have to cost $2K.
 
Soapbox Killer

Soapbox Killer

Member
Oct 28, 2017
27,541
Rahkeesh said:
Is your 14 yo going to be satisfied playing competitive PC shooters with the equivalent of an xbox controller?

You can get laptops in the Ally's retail price range that will perform better. They tend to be larger/clunkier at the low end but they will work. You really have to want a handheld to go for all the tradeoffs in the device. If she says she wants a laptop then you should look at once of those instead. They certainly don't have to cost $2K.
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That is a good question you pose. I did ask what other games she wanted to play to try and make a determination of the best rig but yeah
 
Shoichi

Shoichi

Member
Jan 10, 2018
10,559
Soapbox Killer said:
So my 14yo daughter wants a Gaming Laptop to play Valorant and some other other FPS games. The laptop she showed me was expensive as FUCK and it didn't seem cost efficient for her expectations….and I'm cheap.

It was a ROG as well but cost $2200 which is out of the question. Is the Ally a reasonable option?
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If your daughter wants to play on a small screen and controller only the Ally is okay. But for playing FPS games, I'd probably rather have a Keyboard and Mouse combo for games like that. You shouldn't need to spend $2k+ to get decent gaming on a laptop and should find a decent selection of them around the $1k range plus or minus $100-200 or so. A game like Valorant isn't really that power hungry and should not need top specs to run well. Also if she wants to use it for schoolwork and such, a laptop is an easy recommend over a ROG Ally or any handheld pc designed for controller gaming.

Also I'd suggest you ask in this thread if you want recommendations as they probably are better tuned into the gaming laptop sphere.
www.resetera.com

Gaming Laptop Discussion Thread OT

In conjunction with the PC Gaming Threads archive and that there's no Laptop gaming discussion thread on this forum yet, I would like to start it. Let's use this thread to share news, comments about our gaming laptops, upcoming advances in laptop gaming technology and other helpful information...
www.resetera.com www.resetera.com
 
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SolarLune

SolarLune

Member
Jun 22, 2021
908
Soapbox Killer said:
So my 14yo daughter wants a Gaming Laptop to play Valorant and some other other FPS games. The laptop she showed me was expensive as FUCK and it didn't seem cost efficient for her expectations….and I'm cheap.

It was a ROG as well but cost $2200 which is out of the question. Is the Ally a reasonable option?
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Click to shrink...

I'm unfamiliar with Windows on the Steam Deck, but does anybody here know if Windows on the Deck can play Valorant without issue? If so, then that might be a better approach. Otherwise, yeah, a cheaper gaming laptop might be fine - it depends on your needs (i.e. is she going to be doing homework on it or just playing games, does she have interests like art or 3D modeling that she could use it for, etc).
 
TheRuralJuror

TheRuralJuror

Member
Oct 25, 2017
6,507
Ouroboros said:
I just got mine in. I have a Z1 extreme R6 model...does that mean I'm screwed? I tested the SD card reader and it worked as intended. I checked the warranty and it ends 12/2024...so I have a whole year for it to catch on fire or whatever.

Initial thoughts : I like it. I had the steam deck for 1.5 years and as a windows machine to play GamePass for roughly 3 months before selling it off when the OLED model was announced. The screen is very pretty and I'm installing games now. Armoury Crate seems very serviceable. I like how i can toggle power profiles easily and change resolution with 2 taps. Turned off the RGB lighting around the sticks. I hate that. Thinking I will keep this for sure and get custom Playstation buttons and the translucent backplate.

I got an open box "excellent" model from best buy. The box was mangled a bit but the handheld itself has no sign of use. The power cable was also never used so I don't think this was ever plugged in. I can understand why - setting up windows on a handheld isn't very fun and if the original purchaser thought it was going to be straightforward like steam, I could see them packing it back up straight away.

I played some AAA on the deck before I sold it. Notably, FF7 Remake and RE(make) 4. I had to set them both @ 720p low settings and capping them both at 40fps. While the experience was fine on both games, I'm excited to see the visual fidelity improvement on the ROG. I also am excited to remote play to my PS5 and see how that looks. It isn't a great experience on my old iPad.

Ok, time to install games, update Windows and drivers, and firmware while cleaning my newly purchased pink DSi.
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Doesn't really matter what model you have. Folks thought it did but as someone who is always on the Reddit, it happens to new models as well.
 

Rahkeesh

Member
Jun 20, 2022
4,127
SolarLune said:
I'm unfamiliar with Windows on the Steam Deck, but does anybody here know if Windows on the Deck can play Valorant without issue? If so, then that might be a better approach. Otherwise, yeah, a cheaper gaming laptop might be fine - it depends on your needs (i.e. is she going to be doing homework on it or just playing games, does she have interests like art or 3D modeling that she could use it for, etc).
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Windeck can be a real hassle if you're not techy. Steamdeck Tools is mostly functional but extremely hacky looking. Then you need to set up another launcher like playnite etc. The amount of effort you have to put it makes it a terrible gift idea unless you know the person wants it and likes to tinker.

Fundamentally though, something like Valorant is the absolute last thing I would play on a controller. Maybe my shock or sarchasm isn't coming through but its an incredibly bad idea to show up to a keyboard and mouse team competition with a standard controller, and very likely to trigger disappointment if that wasn't what they asked for.
 
Ouroboros

Ouroboros

Member
Oct 27, 2017
13,244
United States
Gosh this thing is amazing. I'm playing FF7 remake at 900p with high settings on a 45fps cap and it's so smooth. I'm loving it. Having the black frame insert for retro games is such a unique experience. My biggest gripe right now is it's not as comfortable to hold than the steam deck was for me. I'll probably get a grip for it that gives it some bulk and a minimal gripe is waking from sleep takes a bit more time than the deck did. Not that big of a deal tho.

I'm going to try some more emulation later, specifically 360. I really want to play Lost Odyssey and mot have to stream it from my Xbox.
 
Adryuu

Adryuu

Master of the Wind
Member
Oct 27, 2017
5,621
Ouroboros said:
Gosh this thing is amazing. I'm playing FF7 remake at 900p with high settings on a 45fps cap and it's so smooth. I'm loving it. Having the black frame insert for retro games is such a unique experience. My biggest gripe right now is it's not as comfortable to hold than the steam deck was for me. I'll probably get a grip for it that gives it some bulk and a minimal gripe is waking from sleep takes a bit more time than the deck did. Not that big of a deal tho.

I'm going to try some more emulation later, specifically 360. I really want to play Lost Odyssey and mot have to stream it from my Xbox.
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Oh. Some questions though. Does FF7R not hit 60 fps in any way, or at least higher than 45 as to get advantage of vrr? Do you have the vrr range reduced or, if not, how are you locking to 45 fps and at what screen refresh rate? Last time I checked, mine could only lock to 30?, 60 and 120 and refresh at either 60 or 120 when not variable.

Also, is it possible to run Lost Odyssey at 60 fps or unlocked via emulation or does it only run "vanilla"? I don't have any experience with 360 emu but I've got the game too.

I can recommend the Skull and Co. grip case for a bit bulkier feel, as well as the hard travel case from the same brand (which is miles better than the shitty official one, which is just expensive crap).
 

Rahkeesh

Member
Jun 20, 2022
4,127
BennyWhatever said:
I got mine for $520 Open-Box Excellent back in November and it's been in perfect condition and still has the warranty from Best Buy. The Deck OLED starts at $550 and I don't believe there are cheaper ones available outside of re-sellers.
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Yeah don't pay full retail for an Ally, there's no need to. Doing that, you're really only going to save by going with an LCD deck. Price on the OLED vs Ally is close enough, you should pick based on preference rather than price.
 
Ouroboros

Ouroboros

Member
Oct 27, 2017
13,244
United States
Adryuu said:
Oh. Some questions though. Does FF7R not hit 60 fps in any way, or at least higher than 45 as to get advantage of vrr? Do you have the vrr range reduced or, if not, how are you locking to 45 fps and at what screen refresh rate? Last time I checked, mine could only lock to 30?, 60 and 120 and refresh at either 60 or 120 when not variable.

Also, is it possible to run Lost Odyssey at 60 fps or unlocked via emulation or does it only run "vanilla"? I don't have any experience with 360 emu but I've got the game too.

I can recommend the Skull and Co. grip case for a bit bulkier feel, as well as the hard travel case from the same brand (which is miles better than the shitty official one, which is just expensive crap).
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Well I did the fps cap in armoire crate to 45 so I assumed that capped it like the steam deck does but maybe not? I did it again with the frames showing and I was getting high 50s. Hmm

I haven't tested LO yet. I'm going to try that tonight and will let you know. I've seen 60fps videos on YouTube so it seems like it's possible

Thanks for the recommendation! I'll look into them :)
 
neoak

neoak

Member
Oct 25, 2017
15,407
Ouroboros said:
Well I did the fps cap in armoire crate to 45 so I assumed that capped it like the steam deck does but maybe not? I did it again with the frames showing and I was getting high 50s. Hmm

I haven't tested LO yet. I'm going to try that tonight and will let you know. I've seen 60fps videos on YouTube so it seems like it's possible

Thanks for the recommendation! I'll look into them :)
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You have to turn on vsync in game iirc
 

Rahkeesh

Member
Jun 20, 2022
4,127
Dunno about vsync but you need to have some frame limit set before you launch the game. You can't switch it from off to on mid-game.

Would be nice if frame limit could be stuck in the per-game performance options somehow. So when using the AC launcher it could set the framelimit before starting the game.
 
Adryuu

Adryuu

Master of the Wind
Member
Oct 27, 2017
5,621
About frame limiting, I don't know where you specify a different number than 60 or 120 but anyway I watched a video that said to not use the AC frame limit because it results in bad frame times, it recommended to use a different tool instead that also has its own frame time and rates display but I can't remember what it was. I think maybe riva tuner? And maybe that one lets you easily apply limits different than 60 or 120 too. I rather just use vrr and variable rates as mine is usually plugged in anyway.
 

Rahkeesh

Member
Jun 20, 2022
4,127
Yeah VRR makes discussions of frame time kind of irrelevant. If its like a few MS judder its not noticible, where it sucks is those 16 MS hiccups inside of a fixed 60hz container.
 
Ketch

Ketch

Member
Oct 25, 2017
2,297
Well, I woke up this morning and the right stick on my ally is fucked. Mechanically it seems fine, but the input is stuck hard right. I tried restarting, calibrating, updating... nothing works. Online says to replace the stick, but I don't even know if that will fix the problem... Like how do I know if it's a hardware issue to begin with? I bought it with an open box discount from best buy like 6 weeks ago so I doubt it's under warranty.

Just fuckin frustrating.
 
F34R

F34R

Member
Oct 27, 2017
12,030
So, I've been experimenting this morning. Right now, I'm doing this
  • Main Monitor - Alienware AW322QF
  • Xbox Series X
  • ROG Ally
  • Anker 778 Thunderbolt Docking Station
  • Avermedia 553G2 hdmi 2.1 external capture box
So, I have my Xbox going to the Avermedia, then hdni 2.1 out from Avermedia to the AW322QF monitor. The Avermedia is going to the rear thunderbolt i/o via usb-c cable. The ROG Ally is connected to the left side thunderbolt i/o port via usb-c.



Worked extremely well. Still able to capture at 60fps while playing games at 120fps on the Series x. Ori is the game at 120fps.
 
F34R

F34R

Member
Oct 27, 2017
12,030
Update:


View: https://twitter.com/ASUS_ROG/status/1751854191738544611

We also know our community is anxiously awaiting the release of a new driver supporting AMD Fluid Motion Frames.
While AMD has recently launched this feature on desktop platforms, the driver still requires some testing on our end, and then will await certification from AMD before the final ROG Ally release.

We know you are very excited to try out AFMF (we are too!), and we're working to get it to you as soon as possible.
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Adryuu

Adryuu

Master of the Wind
Member
Oct 27, 2017
5,621
Gyro in multiple buttons sounds cool tho!
And that never show again option was long overdue.
 

Kris1977

Member
Nov 25, 2017
994
Finally, on the fly TDP control. Been waiting for this. Good update!

Now, to finally install my 8tb SSD today 👌
 

Rahkeesh

Member
Jun 20, 2022
4,127
Does anyone have experience with hall-effect stick replacements for the Ally? Newer entries on amazon come with some sort of shielding foil that should help with right-stick interference? But even setting aside the interference question I see people complaining about awful deadzones. My right stick needs replacing anyway but not sure how to proceed.
 
Cloud-Hidden

Cloud-Hidden

Member
Oct 30, 2017
5,021
Rahkeesh said:
Does anyone have experience with hall-effect stick replacements for the Ally? Newer entries on amazon come with some sort of shielding foil that should help with right-stick interference? But even setting aside the interference question I see people complaining about awful deadzones. My right stick needs replacing anyway but not sure how to proceed.
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The antideadzone settings in armory crate solved my deadzone issues. I'm just interested in sticks with more resistance.
 
Charpunk

Charpunk

Member
Oct 25, 2017
10,702

Rahkeesh

Member
Jun 20, 2022
4,127
This revision could be as minimal as the rebranded 5000 series equivalent (Z2?) and maybe, maybe an upgraded SD card reader. I wouldn't expect much at this point, AMD isn't ready and swapping the screen to OLED would probably mean losing VRR.
 
Ouroboros

Ouroboros

Member
Oct 27, 2017
13,244
United States
Kris1977 said:
Finally, on the fly TDP control. Been waiting for this. Good update!

Now, to finally install my 8tb SSD today 👌
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Waiting for my 2TB in the mail like...
spongebob-waiting.jpg
 
JackOfSomeTrades

JackOfSomeTrades

Member
Apr 9, 2018
1,429
ChimeraOS 45 is out now, and it's a really good out of the box experience on Ally, working sleep/resume and gyro and all. You just lose the fingerprint reader and you need to install something like SimpleDeckyTDP for TDP controls but I'm having a really good time with it so far
 

Rahkeesh

Member
Jun 20, 2022
4,127
JackOfSomeTrades said:
ChimeraOS 45 is out now, and it's a really good out of the box experience on Ally, working sleep/resume and gyro and all. You just lose the fingerprint reader and you need to install something like SimpleDeckyTDP for TDP controls but I'm having a really good time with it so far
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Really glad to see this. I miss sleep/resume of SteamOS badly but I think I'm stuck with Windows till my gamepass subscription expires. Still this is a very nice option.
 
JackOfSomeTrades

JackOfSomeTrades

Member
Apr 9, 2018
1,429
Rahkeesh said:
Really glad to see this. I miss sleep/resume of SteamOS badly but I think I'm stuck with Windows till my gamepass subscription expires. Still this is a very nice option.
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I was nearly going to reinstall Windows to play Persona 3 on Game Pass, but then remembered how frustrating I found sleep and hibernate on Windows.

I'll probably just stream it from my gaming PC, the time to resume from hibernate on Windows is probably not far off the time it'd take me on this to resume, open Moonlight and connect to my PC
 
Cloud-Hidden

Cloud-Hidden

Member
Oct 30, 2017
5,021
The number one thing I need from Windows sooner rather than later is a handheld-friendly mode that coordinates a proper system-level game suspend. I actually bought Prince of Persia on my Switch rather than the Ally since the performance gap wasn't impactful in terms of visuals, but the ability to effortlessly and instantly suspend my game on Switch when my baby girl wakes up in the middle of the night and then pick it right back up in a matter of seconds once I'm back in bed makes all the difference.
 
Hanzo

Hanzo

Member
Dec 10, 2023
325
So, maybe someone could help. I usually play with my Ally docked, at 30watt. While playing battery stays charged. 80%)
But now I noticed it drops as if I was playing from battery, the LED on the top goes orange. I haven't changed anything in the settings.
What could have happened?
I use jsaux dock with original charger.
 
Cloud-Hidden

Cloud-Hidden

Member
Oct 30, 2017
5,021
Hanzo said:
So, maybe someone could help. I usually play with my Ally docked, at 30watt. While playing battery stays charged. 80%)
But now I noticed it drops as if I was playing from battery, the LED on the top goes orange. I haven't changed anything in the settings.
What could have happened?
I use jsaux dock with original charger.
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I know that dock had to get a firmware update to supply full power to the Ally and enable 30w turbo mode, right? I wonder if something about the latest AC update that enabled more granular power settings messed meeting up with the way that the dock interfaces with the Ally. Idk.
 
RyougaSaotome

RyougaSaotome

Member
Oct 25, 2017
4,718
So my Ally seems to constantly be boosting to like, 30 TDP and up even when I have it on 15 or lower, and I have no idea why or how to fix it. Anyone have any ideas?

This is on battery.

GFnsJhJXEAEgN-T



EDIT: IGNORE THIS I AM A FUCKING IDIOT.
 
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Hanzo

Hanzo

Member
Dec 10, 2023
325
Cloud-Hidden said:
I know that dock had to get a firmware update to supply full power to the Ally and enable 30w turbo mode, right? I wonder if something about the latest AC update that enabled more granular power settings messed meeting up with the way that the dock interfaces with the Ally. Idk.
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Thanks for the heads up. I thought I had updated the firmware, but I checked and found I had not. Updated now, and seems to work as intended , but will keep an eye in case it happens again
 
snipe_25

snipe_25

Member
Oct 27, 2017
2,180
snipe_25 said:
Inspired by the Decky Loader plug in Pause Games for Steam Deck, I've been testing out Nyrna on my Ally and it's been great - easy suspend/resume that seems to work well - suspend the game, hibernate. Turn on, resume game. Seems more reliable than just hibernating alone, plus adds a way to pause to Elden Ring lol
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Just wanted to check in here - this setup has been fantastic for Persona 3 Reload. I literally haven't closed the game since launch, just been pausing with Nyrna and suspending the Deck. Not quite as fast as resuming the Deck, but nice nonetheless.
 
Mcfrank

Mcfrank

Member
Oct 28, 2017
15,291
Picked this up today and am just getting it set up. So far I am really enjoying it. I assume if I want more storage I should do an ssd upgrade and not an sd card?
 
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