ASUS ROG Ally portable game console has been handed over to iFixit experts who specialize in repairing electronic devices. They noted the high maintainability of the console. The console allows you to quickly and easily replace the battery, cooling system fans, solid state drive and analog interface module. However, there were also disadvantages.

Repairability is important. It depends on how easy it is to repair the device and how much it will cost the end user. iFixit experts point out that the overall repairability of the ASUS ROG Ally console is higher than that of Valve’s rival Steam Deck.

Removing the back cover from the ASUS console is easy: just unscrew the six Philips screws and twist a few clips. The middle part of the motherboard is covered with a thermal sleeve with an adhesive base. Shown below is the battery pack with the Do Not Disassemble warning label. However, this is more of a recommendation than a strict rule. According to iFixit, it’s easy to replace the current battery in ROG Ally “the most important advantage during repair” consoles compared to Steam Deck. Unlike the latter, which attaches the battery with glue, the ROG Ally battery attaches with screws.

The solid state drive of the M.2 2230 console is also attached with a screw. The SSD can be easily replaced with a larger capacity up to 2TB. Further disassembly of the ROG Ally also revealed repairable aspects of the console’s design. For example, the analog jack is on a separate module board that connects to the main motherboard with two screws and a detachable data cable.

The ignition module itself is completely disassembled and can be disassembled for further service or replacement, again with the help of two screws. The console’s cooling system can be folded. If one of the two supplied fans fails, only one needs to be replaced.

The design of the set-top box also provides a simple process to disassemble the main motherboard, speaker module, power button, fingerprint scanner and LED backlight module. However, iFixit notes that things got a little more complicated after that.

As with many other touchscreen-equipped smart devices, the ROG Ally display is glued to the console body, which is not very convenient when replacing. But an experienced master will cope with this task with the help of a special plastic spatula designed for hot weather and such situations.

iFixit also complained about the lack of official replacement parts for the ROG Ally. ASUS has yet to confirm plans to retail these parts, as Valve has done, for example. However, given the general trend of the market and the approach of competitors, it is likely that the manufacturer will solve this problem in a positive way.