Computex 2024 is bigger than ever, with 1,500 technology companies participating, showcasing their products in 4,500 booths. However, it was hard to ignore the single central theme that dominated the event: artificial intelligence. The tech trade show that opens on Tuesday will be marked by artificial intelligence announcements, with semiconductor giants Nvidia and Advanced Micro Devices kicking off the show by unveiling new artificial intelligence chips in back-to-back keynotes in Taipei. The focus has always been on artificial intelligence computing, especially since Computex takes place just days after Microsoft launched its new Copilot+ line of artificial intelligence computers.
Microsoft’s OEM partner Asus on Monday launched its first artificial intelligence-powered Copilot+ laptop powered by AMD’s latest Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 processor, detailing plans to integrate artificial intelligence into every aspect of its business at a Computex conference. However, a day before announcing its new AI PC line, Asus launched the ROG Ally X, an updated version of the handheld gaming PC it launched last year. The company’s latest portable gaming console comes with twice the battery capacity of the Asus ROG Ally, more storage and memory, and a host of other tweaks and improvements over the original.
ASUS ROG Ally is one of the few gaming handhelds officially launched in India, where the Taiwanese company has grown to become a leader in gaming PCs. The updated ROG Ally X will also arrive in India later this year.
At least, that’s Asus’ plan, said Arnold Su, vice president of Asus’ China consumer and gaming PC business. technology shout caught up with Su after Asus held a launch event during Computex in Taipei on Monday to discuss the new handheld device, AI PCs, and more.
ASUS ROG Ally X unveiled at Computex Taipei 2024
“As a company, we don’t want to just sell a box. We want to sell technology,” Su said of Asus’ decision to bring ROG Ally to the Indian market. The handheld device debuted in India in July 2023, just two months after its global launch. “We want to bring all the latest technologies to every country, not just India.”
He said ASUS is willing to test customer acceptance and demand for its new products. Whether Indian gamers are ready to embrace dedicated handheld gaming devices is a secondary question; first, companies must be bold enough to showcase their latest technology to potential customers. “If I don’t show it, I never have a chance to know if it’s for sale,” Sue said.
In a market dominated by mobile gaming, dedicated gaming devices and consoles have a small footprint in India. The emerging handheld device industry remains more niche. Segment leader Nintendo Switch and Valve’s Steam Deck, while available at online retailers, are not yet officially available in India, and the two companies don’t plan to change that anytime soon.
Lenovo Legion Go made its debut in September last year, but it is still in the “coming soon” stage in the Indian market. On the other hand, the MSI Claw A1M was launched in India in March but availability remains a concern.
However, ASUS doesn’t believe in waiting. Su said the company’s rapid introduction of its latest products into India has enabled it to rank second in consumer computers and first in gaming PCs in the country. “Now is the time for us to go to market. If you look at the last five years, whenever the latest technology comes out, whether it’s CPU or GPU, we have always been the first or second to launch the product in India,” he said.
ROG Ally X is also in line with ASUS’s policy of launching gaming computers in various form factors. Su said that when it comes to gaming-centric devices, the company initially only talks about performance. “Look, we were the first company to launch a 2-in-1 gaming laptop, our Rog Flow X13. We were the first company to launch a detachable gaming laptop, our Z13. In our form factors, we have the Zephyrus for thin and light laptops, we have the Strix, we have the Strix Scar. So for gamers, and even for the gaming market, it’s not just a powerful console (that’s important); it’s different segments that we make sure we’re in,” Su said.
Asus’ Arnold Su says ROG Ally should arrive in India sometime in 2024
Photo credit: ASUS
ASUS is really making its mark in the gaming handheld space. While official sales figures are unclear, as of January 2024, ROG Ally has reportedly sold around 70,000 to 80,000 units in India since its launch last year. “In the beginning, sales were really good, but then they went back to normal,” Su said. “The main reason is that when customers come to our store, they still want to buy a gaming device, and for educated customers, they already have the first device. They can spend money on a second device. ROG Ally will still be considered a second device.”
Su said customers looking to buy their first gaming device need a suitable console. For the price range of the ROG Ally, they can buy gaming laptops from the ASUS TUF series. But the response to this niche device that debuted in India priced at Rs. 69,990, which might bode well for its successor, the ROG Ally X. And the latest iteration of this handheld device improves on its predecessor in almost every way on paper. It still runs Windows 11, is still powered by the Zen 4 AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme platform, but comes with a larger 80Wh battery, 24GB of RAM (up from 16GB on the standard ROG Ally), and 1TB of SSD storage (up from 512GB). These upgrades also increase the price of the handheld device by about $100, to $799.
While there’s no clear launch timeline or local pricing details yet, the ROG Ally X should arrive in India later this year. When the handheld launches in India, it’s likely to be sold at ASUS’s 270 stores in the country, with each of the stores displaying the original ROG Ally for customers to touch and feel before deciding to buy. According to Su, this was ASUS’s first intention – to showcase the technology, even if it’s too niche. “Whether they want to buy it or they don’t want to buy it,” Sue said. “At least they’ll know Asus has these products.”
Disclosure: ASUS sponsored flights and hotels for this reporter’s event in Taipei.
