The best ROG Ally accessories you can buy

The ROG Ally Z1 Extreme is an absolute powerhouse of a handheld computer, but its compact form factor means it’s a bit light on ports and extra features. With a few simple purchases, you can turn the device into a bonafide desktop alternative or a more reliable travel companion with longer battery life. Here are the best ROG Ally accessories you can buy.

If your ROG Ally is going to leave the house, you’ll want to pick up a case. Unfortunately the official ASUS case leaves a lot to be desired, but this tomtoc case is here to pick up the slack. The hardshell case is slim, but has great joystick and bumper protection. There’s also a handle on the top, although you’ll definitely want to throw this into a larger bag with the rest of your gear, or even something like tomtoc’s Daily Shoulder Bag, if you’re going to take it with you on a trip.

While a screen protector won’t increase the performance of your ROG Ally, it can help keep it safe from scratches and breaks. Also, if you’ve spent any time with the device you know that the screen is a fingerprint magnet, which is also something a tempered glass screen protector and help mitigate. There are plenty of these on the market, but the one we recommend is from amFilm, and it features three tempered glass protectors in the box. There’s no alignment guide like you’d find in a screen protector for a phone, but the two handles on the sides make it a relatively seamless process.

Battery life is one of the biggest drawbacks of the ROG Ally, so a power bank is a must-have accessory for playing on the go. We have a separate post for the best power banks for phones and other devices, but for the ROG Ally it’s essential to get something with 65W output to play in the high-performance Turbo mode. For that, we recommend the SiWiQU power bank above. Not only does it have the perfect output for the Ally, it also comes with a magnetic clip to store it on the back of your device while charging and a bent cable for convenient cable management. Be warned though, it will add considerable weight to the back of the device.

For playing at home, a dock is one of the best ROG Ally accessories you can buy. Not only will it charge and store your device, but it also expands your IO ports to turn it into a full-fledged desktop PC. The one we recommend for most people is the JSAUX 6-in-1 docking station, which has a charging port, an HDMI port, three USB-A ports, and an ethernet port. With it, you can charge your device, plug in all of your accessories, and play on a monitor at 4K 60Hz while also tidying up your desk. JSAUX specializes in handheld PC accessories, and although the Steam Deck is pictured above, rest assured that it works just as well with the ROG Ally.

If you want something more portable than a dock, this simple USB-C hub from Anker will do the trick. It features two USB-C ports, two USB-A ports, an HDMI port capable of 4K 60Hz output, both standard and micro SD card slots, and an ethernet port. You’re not losing out on any functionality over a stationary dock, and the additional SD card readers are fantastic if you burned out the built-in reader. Just be aware that you will need a higher wattage charger than the one included in the box if you want to hit the full 65W speeds for Turbo mode.

Obviously the ROG Ally comes with a built-in controller, but if you want to play on an external monitor you’ll want to pick up a standalone controller. Of course, being a Windows PC any Bluetooth controller will work. If you have an Xbox Core Controller or PS4/PS5 controller, use that. If you don’t, we recommend the 8BitDo Pro 2. It’s perfect for both modern games and classics if you want to go the emulator route.

One of the easiest ROG Ally accessories to find is a micro SD card, but there are a few things to consider before buying the cheapest option. The Ally features a UHS-II micro SD slot, which is significantly faster than the UHS-I slot found on the Steam Deck and most other devices. However, only a few manufacturers make UHS-II micro SD cards, and the only one we recommend is the Lexar 256GB option linked below. It does run more expensive than UHS-I cards, so if you don’t need full speeds you can get a higher capacity UHS-I card for less.

For even more storage, you’ll need to grab an SSD. You have two options here, and which one is best for you will depend on how comfortable you are opening your device. Picking up an NMVe 4.0 SSD like the SABRENT option linked below will increase the internal storage of your ROG Ally permanently, but it will require some technical know-how. It’s not terribly difficult with the help of an online tutorial, but if it sounds like it’s too much for you you can always go with an external SSD, which will be cheaper and almost as fast.

Our final pick is truly the ultimate ASUS ROG Ally accessory, and it’s the XG Mobile external GPU. The 2023 edition of the enclosure is both a hub that massively expands the number of ports available to your ROG Ally and a GeForce RTX 4090 for absolutely incredible graphical performance in games. The proprietary Flow connector attaches to the top of your Ally to enable all that data transfer, but it can also be used with select ASUS gaming laptops if you happen to have one.

This single accessory can turn your ROG Ally into a true battlestation, but in all honestly you probably shouldn’t buy it. It costs several thousand dollars, which is more than a comparable desktop PC build. If you have the money to burn more power to you, but most people will be better served spending the money elsewhere.