The summary of ‘Mass Effect Legendary Edition on ROG Ally – VRR Saves the Day! – Best Way to Play the Franchise?’

00:00:00

In this segment of the video, the host, Santiago, tests the performance of Mass Effect Legendary Edition on the ROG Ally. He suggests installing mods using the Mass Effect 3 Twix mods manager to improve gameplay, including mods for adjusting the field of view (FOV) and skipping the game intro. He provides links to these mods in the video description. The game requires an internet connection to launch, even on Steam.

Santiago sets the game resolution to 1080p and caps the frame rate at 120 FPS for optimal performance within the Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) window of 48-120 FPS. He recommends using 25 watts when the device is plugged in and 20 watts when on battery to avoid unnecessary heat and battery drain for minimal FPS gains. In higher-stress areas of the game, the frame rate can drop below 60 FPS due to effects like heavy depth of field and dense foliage. Despite these drops, the game still maintains sharp visuals on the smaller screen. Mass Effect 1 sees the most significant graphical improvements but experiences performance hits in certain sections, occasionally dropping into the 40s FPS range.

00:03:00

In this segment of the video, the speaker provides advice on handling demanding levels in a game by suggesting a reduction in resolution to 900p, although this change still results in frame drops due to the game’s inherent issues. Even maximizing the clock to 30 watts doesn’t resolve the frame drops. When unplugged and running on battery, the system uses about 30 watts with an estimated battery life of one hour and 20 minutes. The game generally performs well at 1080p and 60 FPS, staying mostly within the VRR window. For “Mass Effect 2,” despite the less significant graphical upgrades in the Legendary Edition, it runs better than the first game, maintaining stability above 60 FPS except for some performance drops in specific areas like the Citadel due to single-threaded performance issues.

00:06:00

In this part of the video, the speaker discusses optimizing battery life and performance in a game by locking the frame rate to 60 FPS. They explain that lowering the resolution is unnecessary since the game is CPU-bound and doesn’t utilize multiple cores effectively in high frame rate scenarios. The performance issues, including stutters, are attributed to the game engine’s limitations, particularly in CPU-limited areas like The Citadel. When unplugging the charger, they observe the system’s wattage usage and how it impacts battery life. Locking the frame rate at 60 FPS can help conserve power. Despite some drops in frame rate due to engine limitations, these issues typically occur in specific areas and not usually during combat. The video suggests that the game could achieve around 1 to 1.5 hours of battery life in these conditions.

00:09:00

In this part of the video, the speaker discusses the battery life and power consumption issues of the Rug Ally device, highlighting that it consumes 18 watts for the APU and around 28-29 watts when the full system is in use. They advise maintaining the resolution at 1080p for optimal sharpness on the smaller screen. They then transition to gameplay analysis of Mass Effect 3, noting the game’s frame rates, stutters, and performance drops in high-combat situations and areas with heavy geometry or numerous characters. Comparisons are made to the Steam Deck, mentioning that similar performance drops occur on that device as well.

00:12:00

In this part of the video, the creator discusses the performance of a GPU in a demanding game environment, focusing on areas with complex geometry and multiple enemies. They note that while the GPU performs well in less demanding scenes, it struggles significantly in more complex ones. The optimal power setting for better performance and battery life on the Steam Deck is suggested to be 20 watts when on battery and 25 watts when plugged in. They also show real-life footage of the device drawing around 30 watts overall with the APU at 20 watts and mention that this setup provides approximately an hour and 20 minutes of battery life. The challenges with Unreal Engine 3 and high-resolution settings are also highlighted.

00:15:00

In this part of the video, the presenter addresses performance issues related to the game engine rather than the GPU, emphasizing the importance of CPU performance. They showcase a fun combat encounter within the game, highlighting how complex geometry and multiple enemies impact performance. Even at lower resolutions like 720p, frame rates can drop significantly during intense moments, causing inconsistencies. The presenter recommends 1080p resolution for its sharpness and more consistent frame rates, despite occasional drops into the 70s and 80s. To maintain stability, they suggest locking the frame rate to 60 FPS at any resolution, which can also optimize battery life.

00:18:00

In this part of the video, the reviewer discusses the performance of the Mass Effect franchise on the RCK Ally, specifically highlighting Mass Effect 2 and 3 as impressive in terms of frame rate consistency, typically between 80 to 100 FPS. However, they note that Mass Effect 1 struggles with frame drops due to its older engine, especially in graphically demanding areas. Battery life remains a limitation, staying below the 2-hour mark due to the device’s 30-watt power consumption. The reviewer also expresses frustration with the need for an internet connection to launch the game through EA’s launcher and hopes for its removal to enable offline play.