ASUS ROG Ally Update Adds AMD HYPR-RX, 900p Support And More To The Gaming Handheld
AMD drivers come with quite a few built-in features, but many of them couldn't be used at the same time until AMD released HYPR-RX last month. Now, HYPR-RX is coming to the ROG Ally with the device's latest update, and it seems like a match made in heaven for this driver feature and ASUS's high-end gaming handheld.
While the ROG Ally is high-end among its peers, its integrated GPU is pretty slow compared to even low-end discrete graphics cards like the Radeon RX 6400. That's why HYPR-RX makes so much sense for it, as it combines three of AMD's features that boost performance and visual quality. Radeon Boost is easily the most important thing HYPR-RX offers for the ROG Ally, as it dynamically alters the resolution based on movement. Lowering the resolution not only improves performance but can also boost battery life, especially when the framerate is capped.
Of course, a lower resolution looks worse, which is where Radeon Super Resolution comes in. It's basically a more universal version of FSR that should work in pretty much every game, with the tradeoff being that it doesn't improve visual quality as much. Radeon Anti-Lag is also a useful feature to add since it simply reduces input lag in supported games, much like NVIDIA Reflex.
For handheld gaming PCs like the ROG Ally, some intensive and cutting-edge games might only be barely playable under normal circumstances, but HYPR-RX should help out quite a bit. Of course, the caveat is that not all games are tuned for HYPR-RX and don't support Radeon Boost, which is obviously the big ticket feature. All games should work with Radeon Super Resolution and Radeon Anti-Lag though.
This update didn't just stop at HYPR-RX though, it also added a quick way to change the Ally's resolution from the default 1080p to 900p, which is still a step above the 800p of the Steam Deck. The 900p resolution is seen as a great middle ground for both visual quality and performance, as handheld PCs come with pretty small screens that make 900p and 1080p look pretty similar. Being able to switch so easily to 900p is yet another performance boosting feature for the Ally, and combined with HYPR-RX it could transform the landscape of what's playable and what isn't.
While the ROG Ally is high-end among its peers, its integrated GPU is pretty slow compared to even low-end discrete graphics cards like the Radeon RX 6400. That's why HYPR-RX makes so much sense for it, as it combines three of AMD's features that boost performance and visual quality. Radeon Boost is easily the most important thing HYPR-RX offers for the ROG Ally, as it dynamically alters the resolution based on movement. Lowering the resolution not only improves performance but can also boost battery life, especially when the framerate is capped.
Of course, a lower resolution looks worse, which is where Radeon Super Resolution comes in. It's basically a more universal version of FSR that should work in pretty much every game, with the tradeoff being that it doesn't improve visual quality as much. Radeon Anti-Lag is also a useful feature to add since it simply reduces input lag in supported games, much like NVIDIA Reflex.
For handheld gaming PCs like the ROG Ally, some intensive and cutting-edge games might only be barely playable under normal circumstances, but HYPR-RX should help out quite a bit. Of course, the caveat is that not all games are tuned for HYPR-RX and don't support Radeon Boost, which is obviously the big ticket feature. All games should work with Radeon Super Resolution and Radeon Anti-Lag though.
This update didn't just stop at HYPR-RX though, it also added a quick way to change the Ally's resolution from the default 1080p to 900p, which is still a step above the 800p of the Steam Deck. The 900p resolution is seen as a great middle ground for both visual quality and performance, as handheld PCs come with pretty small screens that make 900p and 1080p look pretty similar. Being able to switch so easily to 900p is yet another performance boosting feature for the Ally, and combined with HYPR-RX it could transform the landscape of what's playable and what isn't.
