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[Chiggs]

Reporting by The Verge:

Two weeks ago, I told you how Asus has officially extended its warranty on the ROG Ally gaming handheld’s SD card reader to two full years in the United States, presumably to give you more time to get it fixed. But Asus refuses to confirm to The Verge that it’s actually identified a fix for the issue. If you ship your Ally back to Asus, there’s no guarantee the problem won’t reappear.

Early on, some ROG Ally buyers discovered the SD card readers had a tendency to fail and possibly damage your SD cards in the process. One law firm, CSK&D, even threatened to pursue a class-action lawsuit on behalf of owners, though I haven’t yet found record of an actual suit being filed, and its class-action website has since been removed.
Last July, Asus confirmed the SD card reader issue and suggested it might be due to a temperature problem, writing that “under certain thermal stress conditions the SD card reader may malfunction.” It released an update that increased the speeds of the gadget’s fans to compensate, but that doesn’t seem to have solved the problem.

Nine months later, the company’s new warranty announcement seems to confirm the worst — Asus is now even offering to reimburse you for damaged SD cards if you return them alongside a ROG Ally that needs service.

Beware of misinformation on Reddit (shocking, I know!)

Anecdotally, I’m definitely seeing some alleged owners on Reddit and Discord say that Asus came through for them with fixed SD card readers, and some say Asus customer support confirmed there was some sort of fix.

But if that’s true, why wouldn’t Asus confirm that to me? When I asked whether there was a fix, and what percentage of ROG Ally systems have this issue, the company completely dodged my questions.

Summary: For all intents and purposes, the SD card reader issue on the Asus ROG Ally applies to EVERY single unit shipped and sold. If you buy the device, you buy it knowing that this feature is TOTALLY broken and will eventually damage ANY card you place in it. And even if you send your ROG Ally in for repair, there is no guarantee that the issue won't appear again.

• The Asus ROG Ally is clearly a rushed to market device.
  • Asus has extended their warranty and is compensating people for ruined SD cards, which seems nice enough, until you realize they have no actual fix for this problem.
  • Regardless of what mental gymnastics you perform in order to defend the ROG Ally, there's no denying this is a design flaw that will not be fixed by any driver or firmware update.

Buyer beware!

 

[FinalBossWithTheMostPower]

I know you don't want to hear this since it seems like you love trying to dunk on the ROG at every opportunity, but...

There's a simple fix: don't use an SD card.

I don't and never will.

 

[Dr.Morris79]

There's a simple fix: don't use an SD card.

I don't and never will.

I don't think anyone buys hundreds of pounds worth of kit to newter themselves

 

[Chiggs]

I know you don't want to hear this since it seems like you love trying to dunk on the ROG at every opportunity, but...

There's a simple fix: don't use an SD card.

I don't and never will.

I think your post perfectly encapsulates the sad state of modern consumerism. So acquiescent it's painful to read. Just being real, man.

 

[DenchDeckard]

I have one...my sd card slot failed. It was sent to Asus for repair.

I just don't use my SD card slot but I must admit it's wack and needs to be perfect for the next one.

 

[FinalBossWithTheMostPower]

I don't think anyone buys hundreds of pounds worth of kit to newter themselves

Oh, is that what you think?

Well I knowingly bought it and upgraded the SSD.

I've never put a game on a SD card. Ever.

 

[Dr.D00p]

I know you don't want to hear this since it seems like you love trying to dunk on the ROG at every opportunity, but...

There's a simple fix: don't use an SD card.

I don't and never will.

The 'Dumb as a box of frogs' solution.

 

[FinalBossWithTheMostPower]

I think your post perfectly encapsulates the sad state of modern consumerism. So acquiescent it's painful to read. Just being real, man.

It's funny because I read your post and was like I bet this guy is the same guy that loves to shit on the ROG instead of playing games.

All I had to do was scroll down to the similar threads section to prove myself right.

Go play games my guy.

On Legion GO or whatever.

 

[FinalBossWithTheMostPower]

The 'Dumb as a box of frogs' solution.

That's not even remotely funny.

I guess your solution is, what, to cry about it on a forum, while ASUS nor anyone that bought the ROG with serious intentions to play games will never give a fuck?

Or better yet, deprive yourself of the best Windows handheld?

 

[Panajev2001a]

Or better yet, deprive yourself of the best Windows handheld?

Yep, as an overall package Steam Deck OLED (and standard) is better and Valve’s work with it (SteamOS, Proton/Wine) deserves far more respect.

By the time others get their shit together more, Steam Deck 2 will be out with a very large specs bump… so yes .

 

[FinalBossWithTheMostPower]

Yep, as an overall package Steam Deck OLED (and standard) is better and Valve’s work with it deserve far more respect.

By the time others get their shit together more, Steam Deck 2 will be out with a very large specs bump… so yes .

Absolutely nothing wrong with that.

 

[Mr Hyde]

Is this really a prevalent issue? I use a 1tb card and I have played on my ROG Ally in turbo mode quite extensively (I use it mostly on desktop mode) and never had any issues. Knock wood

With that said, it sucks for those who have been affected and Asus should've been more thorough with their testing regarding this issue. The Ally is a great device but a thing like this puts a damper on it and hurts the reputation of Asus (or maybe they already have a shit reputation and don't care).

 

[Miyazaki’s Slave]

Installed a 2tb drive in the Rog and it works great. I have another rog with just 1 tb and have plenty of room. I guess you could use the SD card slot for dual boot (batocera or whatever) but much like on my laptops, chrome books, android tablets, etc....I don't use the sd card slot personally.

 

[AeonGaidenRaiden]

I know you don't want to hear this since it seems like you love trying to dunk on the ROG at every opportunity, but...

There's a simple fix: don't use an SD card.

I don't and never will.

What a daft opinion on consumerism. There is plenty people in the field that use SD cards especially for emulation games not to mention how much cheaper they are compared to an SSD. Yes, its way better for you to run games off an SSD but if they arent modern AAA, sd serves just fine. Thats like me saying I went all digital for playstation last 2 generations and all of a sudden people are getting unfixable drives and here I am saying...pfff who uses cd drives anymore or buys phisical games. A LOT do, as well as A LOT people use SD. As a compay you need to take accountability. Nintendo said their joycons are always prone to stick drift but you can always send it back for a replacement. These guys dont even care to look at the problem. Yeah Id say thats a pretty big issue.

Are you forgetting the Switch doesnt have a SSD...not even an HDD, it uses flash memory and games are on sd cards.

 

[Dr.D00p]

I guess your solution is, what, to cry about it on a forum, while ASUS nor anyone that bought the ROG with serious intentions to play games will never give a fuck?

My solution?

Same as always, I never buy 1st generation Beta Test hardware.

Patiently waiting for the 2024 updated Ally with the fixed SD card slot and other improvements that make it worth my money.

...but coming in here and proudly saying that you're giving a free pass to a piece of poor, shoddy design by a multi billion dollar company, like its some kind of 'Achievement Unlocked' trophy, sure is dumb as a box of frogs territory.

 

[FinalBossWithTheMostPower]

What a daft opinion on consumerism. There is plenty people in the field that use SD cards especially for emulation games not to mention how much cheaper they are compared to an SSD. Yes, its way better for you to run games off an SSD but if they arent modern AAA, sd serves just fine. Thats like me saying I went all digital for playstation last 2 generations and all of a sudden people are getting unfixable drives and here I am saying...pfff who uses cd drives anymore or buys phisical games. A LOT do, as well as A LOT people use SD. As a compay you need to take accountability. Nintendo said their joycons are always prone to stick drift but you can always send it back for a replacement. These guys dont even care to look at the problem. Yeah Id say thats a pretty big issue.

Are you forgetting the Switch doesnt have a SSD...not even an HDD, it uses flash memory and games are on sd cards.

What's your point?

Millions use SD cards and there's millions, like myself, that don't.

Why bring up the Switch? It doesn't have an SD card issue.

 

[FinalBossWithTheMostPower]

My solution?

Same as always, I never buy 1st generation Beta Test hardware.

Patiently waiting for the 2024 updated Ally with the fixed SD card slot and other improvements that make it worth my money.

...but coming in here and proudly saying that you're giving a free pass to a piece of poor, shoddy design by a multi billion dollar company, like its some kind of 'Achievement Unlocked' trophy, sure is dumb as a box of frogs territory.

No, that's not what I've done. That's how you've perceived it because you're a chump.

The only thing I've proudly said is that the ROG is a great handheld and I don't use SD cards.

For gamers who don't it's a moot point.

 

[Dr.Morris79]

Oh, is that what you think?

Well I knowingly bought it and upgraded the SSD.

I've never put a game on a SD card. Ever.

That doesn't make what you previously said any less silly

 

[FinalBossWithTheMostPower]

That doesn't make what you previously said any less silly

Nor did it make your statement any more correct.

 

[Unknown Soldier]

I know you don't want to hear this since it seems like you love trying to dunk on the ROG at every opportunity, but...

There's a simple fix: don't use an SD card.

I don't and never will.

Yes, the best solution to a broken device is to not use it. After all, if you never use it, then it can't be broken!

 

[PsyEd]

I really loved the Ally but damn I wasted few SD cards...and asus did not reimburse me for it. SD Oled is great but EA games on it are broken and many of my old fav's just not compatible yet. I also found sound to be superior....too bad I had to return it.

I already gave asus the feedback that why Sd cards were dying in high power mode in day 3 of it's release date but I was labelled as some SD shill. Anyways looking forward to Ally 2.

 

[The Cockatrice]

I know you don't want to hear this since it seems like you love trying to dunk on the ROG at every opportunity, but...

There's a simple fix: don't use an SD card.

I don't and never will.

"Thank you for buying this expensive phone. Hope you enjoy it, oh just dont use the camera or itll break hihihi".

Did your 2 braincells think before posting?

 

[Skifi28]

There's a simple fix: don't use an SD card.

I don't and never will.

And if the SSD was known to have issues I imagine you'd be here telling us how you never use the SSD and we should be using an SD card instead.

 

[Robb]

There's a simple fix: don't use an SD card.

What a great solution. Seems to work for everything.

My JoyCons just started drifting. But hey, why bother Nintendo to fix their faulty hardware when I can just not use them?

 

[diffusionx]

To be fair to ASUS, we are talking about a very difficult and unproven technology. I don't know of anyone who has gotten SD card tech working correctly.

 

[FinalBossWithTheMostPower]

Yes, the best solution to a broken device is to not use it. After all, if you never use it, then it can't be broken!

"Thank you for buying this expensive phone. Hope you enjoy it, oh just dont use the camera or itll break hihihi".

Did your 2 braincells think before posting?

And if the SSD was known to have issues I imagine you'd be here telling us how you never use the SSD and we should be using an SD card instead.

What a great solution. Seems to work for everything.

My JoyCons just started drifting. But hey, why bother Nintendo to fix their faulty hardware when I can just not use them?

At this point, all of you are just reaching.

Acting as if the only thing the ROG does is play games from SD cards.

This isn't a RROD level issue that bricks the system...

Cell phones stopped including SD cards slots a couple iterations back. Why? It's a secondary method of storage at best, which most people don't even use, and hardly the show-stopper it's being presented as.

Again, someone who doesn't use SD cards won't even perceive the device as broken.

Let's be clear I'm not saying there's not an actual SD card hardware issue with the device, and that ASUS shouldn't fix it. They should.

But who in their right mind would be driven to buy one based solely on its SD card functionality?

 

[AeonGaidenRaiden]

Let's be clear I'm not saying there's not an actual SD card hardware issue with the device, and that ASUS shouldn't fix it. They should.

That is EXACTLY what you said lol. You said if theres an issue, simple fix, dont use the SD slot and ignore. Only an idiot would pay $600+ and just let go of the issue even if you dont use it. Down the line you will maybe sell it, next question from a buyer will be oh i heard it has SD issues, is yours working or not? Now you can kiss your original market price goodbye. It doesnt matter that you dont use it, your device is officially defective.

 

[FinalBossWithTheMostPower]

That is EXACTLY what you said lol. You said if theres an issue, simple fix, dont use the SD slot and ignore. Only an idiot would pay $600+ and just let go of the issue even if you dont use it. Down the line you will maybe sell it, next question from a buyer will be oh i heard it has SD issues, is yours working or not? Now you can kiss your original market price goodbye. It doesnt matter that you dont use it, your device is officially defective.

Nah, you're a moron.

First post, I said there's simple solution: don't use the SD card.

 

[Magic Carpet]

First the Intel motherboard auto clock blunder now this.
ASUS is moving down on my list of electronic manufacturers.

 

[Spyxos]

I know you don't want to hear this since it seems like you love trying to dunk on the ROG at every opportunity, but...

There's a simple fix: don't use an SD card.

I don't and never will.

If the remote control doesn't work on your new TV, is it okay because you don't use it? If I had bought the Rog Ally, I would use it with exactly these SD cards, because I have a lot of them. I don't have any SSDs lying around.

 

[FinalBossWithTheMostPower]

If the remote control doesn't work on your new TV, is it okay because you don't use it? If I had bought the Rog Ally, I would use it with exactly these SD cards, because I have a lot of them. I don't have any SSDs lying around.

It's not the same thing.

An SD card is a secondary medium of storage, whereas the remote is the primary control interface for the television.

In your case, if you knowingly bought the ROG with the SD issue, with the intention of using the SD card slot it would be nonsensical.

 

[R3TRODYCE]

Tragic...Good thing I upgraded mine to 2tb so I don't have to use an SD card.

 

[Spyxos]

It's not the same thing.

An SD card is a secondary medium of storage, whereas the remote is the primary control interface for the television.

In your case, if you knowingly bought the ROG with the SD issue, with the intention of using the SD card slot it would be nonsensical.

Still stupid that you defend Asus.

 

[YeulEmeralda]

How the fuck can you screw up something as simple as a SD card reader?

 

[night13x]

I stopped buying asus. Great when it works. Absolutely F'd and scammed if it breaks as they are not interested in fixing their products and their "warranty" is a joke. I had to go all the way up to corporate once to get a mobo replaced correctly under warranty - they ended up giving me a used downgrade to shut me up (when ended up broken also).

 

[BennyBlanco]

These have been so cheap recently open box, I considered getting one but at this point ill wait to see if that Nvidia handheld is real

 

[CGNoire]

I know you don't want to hear this since it seems like you love trying to dunk on the ROG at every opportunity, but...

There's a simple fix: don't use an SD card.

I don't and never will.

Massive Cringe Post Man.

 

[The Cockatrice]

At this point, all of you are just reaching.

Just take the L and move on my guy. You yourself know you said a dumb shit. By your logic since everything breaks then we should stop using everything. Hell, my guy, your penis can also break, better stop using it, cause you clearly stopped using whatever is in your skull.

 

[THE DUCK]

Why all the name calling in here people?

Having an functional sd card slot is very convenient. Does it break the system? No, but it sure diminishes it's overall value for a good chunk of buyers.

 

[StereoVsn]

It is quite annoying for sure. Now, yes, it’s not the end of the world and I put a 2TB SSD in mine so the only time I use SD card slot is for transfer, but that still sucks on Asus.

It’s a fundamental design flow that I can’t believe they missed. At least they are extending the warranty so I guess that’s something.

 

[rodrigolfp]

I know you don't want to hear this since it seems like you love trying to dunk on the ROG at every opportunity, but...

There's a simple fix: don't use an SD card.

I don't and never will.

Not really a fix, but I got you.

 

[//DEVIL//]

my revision of the system is R8. i bought a micro SD card just for testing purposes. works fine, was able to transfer movies in and out fast.. removed the SD card and moved on with my life as ill never use it anyway.

this is the same with the 4000 series power cable. .. just.. don't fuck with it lol

 

[FinalBossWithTheMostPower]

Just take the L and move on my guy. You yourself know you said a dumb shit. By your logic since everything breaks then we should stop using everything. Hell, my guy, your penis can also break, better stop using it, cause you clearly stopped using whatever is in your skull.

You can't even be taken seriously.

 

[FinalBossWithTheMostPower]

Massive Cringe Post Man.

If you say so, you people trying to rationalize away an otherwise fantastic gaming handheld because the SD card doesn't work is foolishness.

 

[DenchDeckard]

It should work. 100%

Is the rog ally awesome. YES

 

[Imtjnotu]

I know you don't want to hear this since it seems like you love trying to dunk on the ROG at every opportunity, but...

There's a simple fix: don't use an SD card.

I don't and never will.

this is some RROD is a simple fix. dont use your 360 during the summer.

 

[Unknown Soldier]

First the Intel motherboard auto clock blunder now this.
ASUS is moving down on my list of electronic manufacturers.

Uh Asus has long had a reputation among PC gamers for making dodgy hardware and not supporting it...

Most PC gamers know not to trust Asus without reading a lot of reviews first and also waiting a few months to see how it goes before buying

 

[bender]

Yes, the best solution to a broken device is to not use it. After all, if you never use it, then it can't be broken!

Don't give Elon Musk any ideas, please.

 

[Unknown Soldier]

Don't give Elon Musk any ideas, please.

Imagine thinking Elon Musk invented that. Steve Jobs pioneered "you're holding it wrong" decades ago now with that one iPhone design where you would cover up the antenna if you held it a certain way

 

[bender]

Imagine thinking Elon Musk invented that. Steve Jobs pioneered "you're holding it wrong" decades ago now with that one iPhone design where you would cover up the antenna if you held it a certain way

Who said anything about inventing? Further, jury-rigged solutions are as old as man.