BIRMINGHAM, March 27, 2026, 16:10 GMT. 1
ASUS Republic of Gamers kicked off its DreamHack Birmingham presence Friday, rolling out AMD-powered demos and the ROG XREAL R1 gaming glasses, giving the public their first chance to try them out. Gamers also had access to a free-play zone and a slate of competitions, with giveaways tied in. The booth expands the company’s 20th-anniversary festivities across the entire three-day festival at Birmingham’s NEC. 2
There’s a reason for the timing: DreamHack Birmingham is set for March 27–29, and ASUS plans to ramp up its booth presence right ahead of March 29—the cutoff for fan video entries in its worldwide Dare-to-ROG campaign. The anniversary push, ASUS noted, remains active until April 13. 1
On March 3, ROG rolled out a campaign calling for fans to submit stories, photos, or quick videos, dangling a prize pool topping $20,000. According to ASUS, the two best video submissions get a trip to Taipei—ROG HQ plus Computex on the itinerary. Other winners land gear: controllers, mice, keyboards. 3
The main attraction at DreamHack is the ROG XREAL R1—a set of augmented-reality glasses that essentially create a virtual display in front of your eyes. ASUS says users get a projected 171-inch screen, refresh rates up to 240Hz, and a light 91-gram build. The device supports PCs, gaming consoles, and the ROG Ally handheld, according to the company. 2
ASUS is rolling out both the ROG Flow Z13 KOJIMA Edition gaming tablet and the ROG Xbox Ally X handheld, each powered by AMD silicon. The Flow Z13-KJP packs AMD’s Ryzen AI Max+ 395 alongside Radeon 8060S graphics. The Ally X, meanwhile, includes the Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme, runs Windows 11, and layers on Xbox’s full-screen interface plus Game Pass support. When ASUS pulled the curtain back on the Ally line last year, Shawn Yen, who heads the consumer product team, called it an effort to “take our handheld to the next level.” 2
AMD isn’t just putting its name on the event in Birmingham. ASUS has confirmed the booth features a Vesaro I Pro Formula sim racing setup running on AMD Radeon, with the fastest lap across the weekend getting an ROG Swift OLED PG34WCDN monitor. There’s also a free-play area set up with AMD/Radeon rigs paired to ROG OLED displays—a panel type favored for deep blacks and quick pixel response. 2
There’s also a two-on-two Wingman tournament at the booth, plus prize machines and a range of giveaways. ASUS mentioned that some unrevealed products are set to make an appearance at the stand as well. 2
ROG is doubling down in a handheld market still defined by Valve’s Steam Deck, while rivals like Lenovo’s Legion Go and MSI’s Claw also target portable PC gamers. Omdia projected in August that sales of PC gaming handhelds will climb to 2.3 million units in 2025, marking a 32% jump over 2024. 4
Still, converting festival buzz into lasting sales looks tough. James McWhirter, senior analyst at Omdia, put it bluntly: Windows 11 is “currently poorly suited to handheld gaming.” On top of that, he noted, new devices so far haven’t shown “a generational leap in performance” compared to the Steam Deck. Software improvements and Xbox-branded handhelds might change that picture, he added, potentially bringing in a broader crowd. 4
DreamHack’s festival opened its doors at noon Friday, kicking off a run through Sunday night at the NEC. ASUS is using the Birmingham leg to mark a milestone anniversary, roll out new AMD-powered gear, and push for more fan submissions before the weekend wraps. 1
