When you stack up the Asus ROG Ally against the Steam Deck and some other handheld devices, you’ll notice a clear winner in terms of performance: the ROG Ally. Taking things up a notch, the 2024 release of the more robust ROG Ally X really sets itself apart with improved performance, a better screen, and enhanced comfort for users. What’s particularly noteworthy is that the entire ROG Ally lineup features a UHS-II microSD card slot. This tech advancement means faster read and write capabilities compared to the UHS-I slots you’ll find on devices like the Steam Deck, Nintendo Switch, and others in that category. Essentially, if you’ve got the right card, you can expect to experience quicker download speeds.
Lexar highlights that UHS-II offers three times the transfer speed of UHS-I, reaching up to 312 MB/s rather than just 104 MB/s. Yet, despite the widespread availability of microSD cards, UHS-II versions are quite scarce. Big players like Samsung and SanDisk haven’t stepped into the UHS-II microSD market yet. The few UHS-II cards available are significantly pricier than what you might typically shell out for a standard microSD. Adding to the dilemma, these available options don’t even hit the maximum speed capabilities of the UHS-II interface.
Now, if you’re comfortable with a bit of tech tinkering and own the ROG Ally (don’t worry, it won’t void your warranty), we recommend investing in an M.2 SSD. Not only might it save you some cash, but it also promises higher performance storage compared to microSD cards. If you’re more inclined to take the simpler route and don’t mind spending a bit more for a slight speed increase, we’ve pinpointed a couple of readily available models that could be of interest.
On the other hand, if your main goal is just to boost your storage capacity and you’re okay with it not being the absolute fastest, there’s a robust selection of microSD cards from brands like SanDisk, Samsung, and Lexar. These can offer you up to 1.5 TB of extra storage space for your gaming handheld.
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