No April Fool's joke: Asus presents new gaming handheld on the first of April

April, April! Every year on the first of April, tech companies play a joke on their customers. Asus also mutates into a prankster every year and presents absurd fake products. Last year, the company presented smart contact lenses that are supposed to help you with your gaming:

This year, Asus presents the gaming handheld "ROG Ally". The video is so well done that, despite the release date, many are convinced that this is a real product.

Asus' first handheld console runs Windows 11 and supports all major gaming platforms. In additional published promo images, Asus confirms that the handheld is compatible with Xbox Game Pass.

According to Asus, the "ROG Ally" has a custom-built APU from AMD. It is said to be the fastest APU AMD has ever produced. This would make the device more powerful than the Steam Deck, which also has an AMD custom APU installed.

The screen offers a full HD resolution. The device should remain very quiet even when in full operation. The mobile handheld can also be used stationary on a TV or monitor. You can also pair it with an external graphics card, the ROG XG Mobile eGPU, to boost its performance.

April Fool's joke or the real thing?

Shortly after the video was published, discussions started online: Is the gaming handheld real, or is it just an April Fool's joke?

It is now clear: the gaming handheld is real. A first prototype already exists. It is not yet known when the device will be launched and in which regions the "ROG Ally" will be available. Asus is also still silent on the price.

Youtuber Dave2D has already tested the prototype:

Linus has also been able to try out the "ROG Ally":

The April Fool's joke as a smoke test

The release of the announcement video on the first of April and the allusions in the video are no coincidence. The discussion about the authenticity of the product is attracting additional attention.

To sow doubt about its authenticity, Asus mentions the smart gaming contact lenses in the trailer, which they introduced last year as an April Fool's joke. The whole video is very self-deprecating and feels like a well-produced April Fool's joke. Furthermore, Shawn Yen, Head of Product Management at ROG, suggests in a LinkedIn post that the whole thing is not meant seriously. The name "Ally" was deliberately chosen because it sounds like "a lie",

At the end of the video, Asus refers to a pre-order page at Best Buy. Interested buyers can enter their e-mail address there so as not to miss any future information about the device.

The Best Buy landing page can be explained by the "Smoke Testing" strategy. This is primarily used by start-ups. A serious-looking landing page is created on which interested parties can sign up or pre-order the product.

In most cases, the product does not even exist yet or is in an early prototype phase. Based on the number of pre-orders or registrations, the company can see whether the development of the product is worthwhile. So: sign up so that the smoke test becomes a reality as soon as possible. <p