Published 9 November 2026
The microSD slot is the cheapest way to add storage to an ASUS ROG Ally, so it is frustrating when it stops working. The card vanishes from Windows, Steam says games are missing, installs fail halfway, or a card that worked yesterday now asks to be formatted. Sometimes the card is at fault. On the original ROG Ally the reader itself is often the problem, and ASUS has said so. This guide covers how to tell the two apart, what to try at home, how to protect your saves, and when the reader needs a repair.
Why the ROG Ally's card reader has a reputation
In July 2023, soon after launch, ASUS confirmed that under certain thermal stress conditions the original ROG Ally's microSD reader may malfunction. The slot sits right next to one of the console's exhaust vents, so it gets hot during long gaming sessions. ASUS said it would change the fan behaviour in an update and offered support through its repair service. The statement was reported by outlets including Tom's Hardware and PC Gamer.
That means an older Ally that has done a lot of gaming may have a reader that is failing or already dead, even if the card in it is fine. A heat-damaged reader can also damage the files on the card, so the two faults often appear together.
Typical symptoms
- The card no longer shows in File Explorer, or only appears after a restart.
- Steam or another launcher reports the games on the card as missing or needing to be reinstalled.
- Downloads or installs to the card stop with disk write errors.
- Games that live on the card crash or load very slowly, while games on the internal SSD run normally.
- Windows offers to format a card that was working before, or the card shows the wrong capacity.
- The problem gets worse when the console is warm and is better from a cold start.
Card or reader? Checks you can do at home
- Restart properly. Hold the power button and choose Restart, not just sleep and wake. A reader that has stopped responding sometimes comes back after a full restart, which tells you something but is not a fix.
- Test the card somewhere else. Put the card in a laptop or PC with a USB card reader. If it reads normally and the files are there, the card is probably fine and the Ally's reader is the likely fault. If the card fails in other devices too, the card itself is failing.
- Try a different card. A known-good card that the Ally also fails to see, or that drops out after a while, points strongly at the reader.
- Update the system. Install the latest BIOS and driver updates through Armoury Crate SE, and run Windows Update. An out-of-date BIOS will not cause a hardware fault, but updates change fan and power behaviour, so it is worth ruling out.
- Check whether heat is the trigger. If the card only disappears after half an hour of gaming, the console is running in Turbo mode on a hot day, or the vents are blocked by a case or a duvet, heat is a likely trigger. Clean the vents and avoid covering them.
One thing to avoid: do not keep formatting the card in the Ally to "fix" it. If the reader is faulty, each format and reinstall puts more data on a connection that keeps failing, and you can end up blaming one card after another.
Protecting your saves and games
Games themselves can be downloaded again, so losing an install is annoying rather than serious. Saves are the part to look after.
- Most Steam games use Steam Cloud, and Xbox app games sync saves through your Microsoft account. Check a game's cloud sync status before you remove, reformat or replace a card.
- Some games, emulators and older titles keep saves only on the device. If yours are stored on the microSD card, copy them off in a PC card reader while the card still reads.
- If a card holds files you cannot replace, such as screenshots or clips, copy them off first. Do not run repair tools on it until you have.
Workarounds while you decide
If the card reader is unreliable but everything else is fine, you have a few options. You can keep the games you play most on the internal SSD and use the card only for things that are easy to reinstall. Many owners make the problem go away by swapping the internal SSD for a larger one, so they no longer need the card at all. The original ROG Ally uses a short M.2 2230 drive, and an upgrade means reinstalling Windows or restoring a system image, so it is worth having it done properly if you are not comfortable with that.
When the card reader needs a repair
It is time to have the reader looked at when a card that reads normally in other devices keeps disappearing in the Ally, when two different cards fail the same way, or when the slot is physically damaged. A cracked card or debris can bend the contacts inside. A failed reader is a hardware fault on the board, and software updates will not bring it back.
Our ROG Ally repair service covers card reader faults, along with charging ports, stick drift, fans and SSD upgrades, for the original ROG Ally, the ROG Ally X and the ROG Xbox Ally range. If you also own a Steam Deck with a similar problem, see our Steam Deck repair page, or browse all handheld PC repairs.
Bring it in
You can walk in to Creative IT Console Repairs at 80 Willow Walk, London SE1 5SY, Monday to Saturday from 9am to 6pm, with no appointment needed, or call 020 7237 6805. We test the reader and the card, tell you which one is at fault, and agree the price with you before any work starts. Repairs come with a 90-day warranty. Bring the card with you if you can, and tell us if anything on it needs saving.