Recently I haven’t been able to play Pc only games because Roblox recognizes my device as a console despite me configuring it to use it like a PC. I have a keyboard, wireless mouse, and monitor plugged into a dock for the ally. Forcefully recognizing the device as a console also makes some multiplatform games unplayable because it forces me to use console key binds while I’m using a keyboard. This is making Roblox kind of unplayable for me right now and I really need it to be fixed.
The expected behavior is that it should be recognized as a console when the control mode is set to controller and the embedded controller is enabled. If I set the mode to desktop and disable the controller, it should be recognized as a windows PC. The current behavior dwarves the potential of the handheld and just took away a lot of my game library.
Hi there!! Thanks for the report! Sorry to hear that you’re not able to play some of your favorite games because of the new categorization.
We decided to categorize the Ally as a “console” because the primary way to use it is through the gamepad. I understand that this totally misses how you use your ROG Ally - which is more akin to a desktop PC, using it docked with keyboard, mouse and external monitor.
Unfortunately, there are no plans to change the categorization of the ROG Ally away from “console”. Currently the best way to be able to play these games is to encourage developers to publish their games to Console.
That doesn’t really solve my main issue which is the messed up keybinds. Since it forcefully makes games recognize console input over keyboard input it makes some games unplayable unless I disconnect my keyboard and play with the controller. Do you know if there is any plans on improving how games recognize the input even if it says the device is a console?
Is there at least some sort of “do as I say” type way around this for those using the Ally as a desktop (ex: a feature flag that can be set and automated through Bloxstrap)? I have a friend who I unironically had to tell, “I don’t have an answer other than getting a whole different computer just for Roblox”, because despite docking and using the desktop being supported by ASUS and Microsoft, this software limitation unexpected took away this use case. Said friend (who has no disposable income to resolve this), so no can’t play most Roblox games now because they are #2 in line in the family for a new system, and the person #1 in line is far from getting a new system.
While making Ultimate Mining Tycoon have gamepad support, everything else is out of my control. I basically control VR on Roblox, and I can’t even get games to test it once after turning on VR; I highly doubt the few players with ROG Allys (only 2 reports for Ultimate Mining Tycoon) will have any leverage.
Edit: Also, is there a way to force this to actually happen? I want to test this mode with the Steam Deck but couldn’t get it to work a week ago.
What’s up with the “do as I say, not as I do” from Roblox? Just a few weeks ago, a feature request to get user device information got shut down by staff because they don’t want developers making device specific changes, and want us to only listen to the type of input the user is using.
If Roblox really cares so much about this point and being cross-platform, they should just let the player know what input types are supported as explained by the developer and play however they like. We know people who have keyboards and mice connected to Xbox and their phones and play Roblox just fine through that.
If Roblox really cares so much about this point and being cross-platform, they should just let the player know what input types are supported as explained by the developer and play however they like. We know people who have keyboards and mice connected to Xbox and their phones and play Roblox just fine through that.
I also share this frustration with the how the Console categorization prevents players from playing experiences. It misses the fact that PlayStation and Xbox players might have peripherals attached. Completely agree that there’s a disjoint between our publishing categorizations and advice on using the input modalities instead of checking device information. I can assure you we’re aware of this problem, and am extra vocal about it internally, but don’t personally have information about how or when it will be addressed unfortunately.
With regards to the reported issue of categorization of ROG Ally changing based on Ally firmware settings (e.g. Desktop mode vs Gamepad mode), or changing it more broadly we unfortunately won’t be making these changes.
Asus has released updates recently to prepare for the ROG Xbox Ally launch, one of which updated the DeviceForm Windows registry value to Gaming Handheld. I can’t recommend editing the Windows registry, as it can cause system instability, but this Asus update may have caused the differences you’re seeing.
Hey I tried the thing they didn’t recommend with changing the DeviceForm registry key to desktop (0x3) and it looks like it actually fixed it. I haven’t tested if it will let me join PC only games yet but games recognize me as a desktop user again. I just wanted to let you know.
Also since it’s changing a registry key idk if it will cause issues with other things so just a warning.
This works (at least on my desktop; I don’t have a working Windows install on my Steam Deck to test it)! Thanks for providing this detail.
For those looking to do this unrecommendable process (probably fine, but you won’t know the bigger impacts), I created 2 Registry files to enter and exit this. Obviously, use at your own risk. SwitchToDesktop.reg
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\OEM]
"DeviceForm"=dword:00000003
SwitchToGamingHandheld.reg
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\OEM]
"DeviceForm"=dword:0000002e
I obtained the locations from this guide since my install didn’t have this. It looks like this registry key will at least allow turning on and off the new Windows game mode currently part of the Insiders builds. Seeing that Roblox uses this pre-launch, I would not be surprised if more games or platforms used this post-launch.
