Asus India Exec Arnold Su Talks About ROG Ally, Market Impact, Innovations, Gaming Community, Esports, Demands From Gamers, and More

Editor's Note: Asus India gave IGN India the access to Arnold Su for this email-based interview. The content has been edited for grammar.

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Asus has recently released the much-anticipated Asus ROG Ally, its handheld gaming console, in the Indian market. This wider release follows a limited-time sale in partnership with the e-commerce platform Flipkart. The company has already provided details regarding the pricing and specifications of the ROG Ally variant being introduced in the country.

As we reported earlier, Asus has now released the AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme CPU variant of the ROG Ally, priced at ₹69,990. The handheld gaming console is currently available for purchase both online and offline. For online buyers, the ROG Ally can be found on Flipkart and the Asus e-store. Those preferring to buy online can visit any of the Republic of Gamers retail stores nationwide to explore and purchase this portable gaming device.

Just days before the launch, IGN India spoke to Arnold Su, the VP of the consumer & gaming PC segment in the System Business Group division at Asus India, regarding the ROG Ally. During the interview, we delved into topics such as customer trends, demands, the anticipated Ally 2, the impact of the Ally in India, key innovations, and more. The discussion also spanned around aspects such as community engagement, esports, modding, early projections, insights gained from the ROG Phone, and the company's focus on mobile gamers. Here is the full interview with Arnold Su.

Rehan Hooda: In the lead-up to the launch of ROG Ally in the Indian market, what are the three key customer trends you have seen in the Indian gaming market?

Arnold Su: The gaming industry has seen parabolic growth in the country. Fuelled by the increase in easy access to the internet, smartphones and specialised gaming laptops, Indians across geographies are increasingly indulging in gaming. This has also led the online gaming segment to grow 35% in 2022 to reach ₹135 billion.

Interestingly, in the last few years, we noticed that the majority of the gamers are stemming from the Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities of the country. With platforms like Discord, Reddit and Facebook Groups also enable gaming fandoms to multiply and gather at such a pace that it has become a dominant form of online culture.

Additionally, contrary to what people believe, India is not price sensitive but a market that is constantly looking for the latest technology. According to reports from GFK, Nvidia, the entry-level gaming laptop only occupies 45% of the India market, the remaining 55% gaming laptop market is ₹80k above, from ₹80,000 to ₹4,00,000.

Rehan: What are the primary customer demands/needs that ROG Ally addresses? What are the things that it still does not address and can be focused on in Ally 2?

Arnold: The ROG Ally is an ultimate gaming console that is built to make gaming more accessible, immersive, and on the go. Extending a rich library of triple AAA titles, the Ally can be used for single-use and multi-player use. The device is the beacon of immersive gameplay with the ROG Ally's Full HD 120Hz display and comfortable ergonomic design. The high refresh rate and Adaptive-Sync technology deliver smooth and tear-free visuals, letting its users enjoy every detail of the action.

The console can also be transformed into a multiplayer gaming device by connecting it to a TV and pairing multiple controllers, perfect for sharing the fun with friends and family.

The ROG Ally is a powerful portable device which gives users access to a wide range of software, allowing them to enjoy their favourite games and applications wherever they go. Moreover, they have the flexibility to connect the device to an external display, making it their go-to daily driver, or utilize the XG mobile to transform Ally into their main entertainment system, perfect for enjoying gaming sessions with friends in front of the TV.

Looking ahead, we will be focusing on enhancing portability, boosting performance, and extending battery life to provide an even more seamless and enjoyable gaming experience.

Rehan: Talking about Ally 2, what sort of product launch and support cycle would ROG Ally follow?

Arnold: ASUS considers its customers to be the engineers of our offerings. We believe that our customer's needs drive us to develop and design new products, even though the customer is not aware about it. ROG Ally is the prime example of such innovation. We provide support to our customers for ROG laptops. In a similar way, we will continue to take feedback from our users and keep working on making the experience even smoother and seamless. Especially, focusing on Armory Crate SE designed for Ally, we will keep updating so that it has more options that the customers can explore.

Rehan: What impact will ROG Ally have in the Indian gaming industry, and what leads you to believe so?

Arnold: Asus in India and globally has championed the gaming PC market. We have been diligently working towards building best-in-class futuristic products that are in line with the customer requirements and aspirations from their gaming PCs. The launch of ROG Ally is another testament from Asus that focuses on making gaming more accessible to a larger audience.

Ally is the industry's first Windows-based gaming console PC, the ROG Ally. This ground-breaking innovation is set to revolutionize the gaming landscape, providing gamers with a unique and immersive experience that is unmatched by any other product on the market.

While gaming PCs will continue to make inroads in the country, we are certain that the ROG Ally will carve a niche in the market.

Rehan: Could you share the key hardware innovations that set Ally apart from other hand-held devices in the market?

Arnold: Before launching ROG Ally, we worked on multiple prototypes to ensure that we deliver excellence. The hardware and features integrated into the console are done via multiple levels of research and testing. We collaborated with AMD to build the Z1 Extreme CPU, featuring 8 cores and 16 threads, that delivers optimum performance without sacrificing battery life. We also added the Zero Gravity thermal system. These Anti-Gravity heat pipes on the Ally vaporize liquid inside by using waste heat and help dissipate it efficiently. A dual fan design helps boost air pressure, increase heat dissipation, improve performance, and lower noise for the product.

With design also being a key pillar for ASUS, we also paid equal attention to design functionalities that will further aid in elevating user experience. There’s a 14-degree slant on both lower ends so that it fits easily in your palms. Textured back and shoulder buttons ensure good grip during intense gaming sessions, and all forward facing buttons are easy to reach with upper placement. The thumb sticks feature RGB ring lights that can be customized as you like and support Aura Sync as well.

Rehan: What is Asus planning to create a community around the ROG Ally? Does it have any plans to support software or hardware modding for the device?

Arnold: Currently, the esports industry in India is experiencing swift growth, with ASUS ROG has been at the forefront of the revolution. Since its inception, ROG has been actively contributing to the establishment of a strong esports ecosystem within the nation. ASUS ROG's various initiatives, including the ROG Academy, ROG Masters, and ROG Showdown, are meticulously designed to provide precise guidance, mentorship, and opportunities for emerging talents in the industry. These initiatives are accompanied by the provision of suitable infrastructure, enabling the aspiring individuals to cultivate the requisite skill set essential for effective participation on both national and global levels. By integrating the ROG ally within ROG academy and ROG Showdown, we aim to revolutionize gaming experience of the participants and in India's esports community. With its exceptional performance, versatility, and compact design, the ROG Ally promises to be the perfect gaming companion on the go, providing gamers with stunning visuals and exceptional performance. It allows one to take their gaming experience to the next level and empowers them to dominate the competition like never before.

We are also very active on social media and forums, and we listen to our community’s feedback. We are working with 3rd party websites like iFixit and will keep doing so in the future.

Rehan: What are the key strategic moves or changes the company is employing as part of the ROG Ally launch? How are these moves different from the past Asus ROG product launches and the Asus competition in the market?

Arnold: The Asus ROG Ally represents a revolutionary advancement in the domain of portable handheld gaming devices by integrating the Windows 11 platform. Standing apart from the herd, this device embodies a unique perspective on product development. The device does not restrict gamers within a confined gaming software and hardware ecosystem. Instead, it grants access to a diverse selection of games from different ecosystems, enabling the expansion of gaming experiences onto larger screens. Additionally, its extendable-GPU functionality empowers users to enhance their graphics capabilities, heralding a new era of transformative gaming encounters.

As our first gaming handheld device, we approached its promotion differently, deviating from the conventional computer strategy. One significant shift was the live coverage of articles and direct user feedback, enabling us to address issues promptly with our engineers. This experience has been a great learning opportunity, providing us with insights into this complex process. Moving forward, we are committed to applying the knowledge we have gained to future launch.

Rehan: Does the company have any plans around the esports segment regarding Ally?

Arnold: We will carefully observe the response and demand it garners in the Indian market and subsequently provide further information regarding our future plans for this device.

Rehan: How was 2022 for Asus ROG regarding market share, growth and more? What are your early projections for Ally?

Arnold: ASUS is passionate about technology and driven by innovation. We're always in search of incredible ideas and experiences, and we aspire to deliver the incredible in everything we do. Over the years, ASUS has strengthened its product portfolio across consumer PCs, gaming laptops, creator laptops. However, the gaming laptops market is growing much faster than the general consumer laptop division.

Asus ROG has been at the forefront of the gaming laptop revolution globally and in India. While ROG was already the No.1 gaming brand on a global level, in 2022, ASUS ROG emerged as the No. 1 Gaming brand in the country in 5 consecutive quarters with 30%+ market share, even in the flat market scenario when the first 10 months of 2022 saw slow demand overall.

And this year, Asus grew by 60% QoQ, while the market dropped by 43% (Q1 2023 VS Q4 2022). ASUS dominates the premium gaming PC segment with a more than 40% market share. For entry-level PCs, the company has around 20-25% market share.

Today, Asus is among the top PC brands in the country and the global leader when it comes to gaming Laptops, having a very versatile portfolio.

It is too early to predict any numbers, but we are quite confident and looking forward to Q3 sales season. All available devices were sold out on the Flipkart Flash sale on 7th July. So, we are confident about our numbers and look forward to positive sales in India.

Rehan: Could you share a few key learnings or design choices that ROG Ally design and engineering teams added from the ROG Phone team?

Arnold: Both ROG Smartphone and ROG Ally are two different products that have different designs and operating systems, but they both embody the core values of ROG. They share qualities such as compactness, effective cooling systems, and strong performance. Despite targeting different audiences, both products follow Asus' commitment to delivering high-quality and innovative features.

Rehan: What is the company doing to target the mobile gaming audience, considering the focus on portability? Would you happen to have any specific plans for this target audience?

Arnold: The ROG Ally transforms and elevates the gaming experience completely and caters to the needs of gaming enthusiasts and gaming professionals alike. It offers a multipronged approach wherein one can enjoy me time, we time and pro time with the ROG Ally, the one-stop shop for gaming.

• Me Time: In contrast to mobile gaming, the ROG Ally offers a heightened level of immersive gameplay through its Full HD 120Hz display and ergonomically designed form factor, catering to both AAA and indie games. The combination of its high refresh rate and Adaptive Sync technology ensures seamless and tear-free visuals. The Ally's lightweight and ergonomic design guarantees optimal comfort and control, making it the ultimate companion for prolonged gaming sessions, whether at home or on the move.
• We Time: Furthermore, the ROG Ally offers the flexibility to transform into a formidable couch gaming device by seamlessly connecting it to a television and synchronizing multiple controllers, presenting an ideal opportunity to engage in shared entertainment with friends and family. Through its versatile connectivity options, the Ally enables users to relish their favourite games on a larger display while benefiting from the convenience of utilizing multiple controllers simultaneously.
• Pro Time: To achieve peak performance in the realm of esports, the Ally can be seamlessly integrated with an XG Mobile external GPU, monitor, mouse, and keyboard, culminating in an unparalleled gaming experience. This strategic combination empowers users with a distinct competitive advantage, enabling them to outperform and surpass their peers in the competitive gaming arena.

Whether you are a dedicated esports enthusiast or an individual seeking to elevate your gaming pursuits, the ROG Ally stands as the ultimate device to fulfil your aspirations. The Ally will elevate your gaming experience to new heights, providing unparalleled immersion and performance, particularly with a rich library of triple AAA titles at your disposal.