How to Fix Audio Delay When the ASUS ROG Ally Is Docked
Recently, I've been using our household ASUS ROG Ally to play a few games while my wife and I lay in bed and watch a show or movie on the bedroom screen. Since then, however, we've picked up watching other things that aren't particularly part of streaming services or aren't an independent app readily available on the LG TV app store, such as Crunchyroll. To remedy this, we decided to plug in our ROG Ally since it's basically a mini, portable PC, but that came with a hurdle: our audio started delaying.
I went through various fixes, and I'll list all the ones I tried in hopes that it might help others, even though only one worked for me. Starting with...
Update Your Drivers
That's right — it's the dreaded thing every tech person will tell you to do before you actually report an issue, and it's also the same thing that was causing problems for me in my ROG Ally syncing. I list this one first not only because it's what helped me and fixed the problem, but it's also the first one you should try because it's the first free option, and it's never a bad thing to update your drivers to begin with.
"But Artura!" I hear you exclaim, "I don't know how to update drivers!". It's rather simple, really, and it's pretty much a four-step process:
- Go to the ASUS ROG Ally helpdesk section where the DRIVERS & TOOLS option is available (or click this link because I'm not cruel enough to make you go looking for it).
- Scroll down until you see the "Audio" section and press on "Show All", revealing a slew of other drivers aside from the default Realtek Codec Console Application (that's not the one we want).
- Download and install the Realtek Audio Driver.
- Restart your ROG Ally
Once you've restarted, the issue should now be fixed. If it isn't, try this exact same process, but with the driver right below the Realtek Audio Driver, the Cirrus SmartAMP Driver, and it should be fixed if this is your problem. If it isn't...
Connect Your ASUS ROG Ally and Run It in Turbo Mode
Another possible problem that could cause this issue is related to the hardware itself; this will especially be true if you are trying to run it in 4k resolution. Since you have your ROG Ally docked regardless, it's worth making sure that you are running it in Turbo, which is the fastest mode available to the ROG Ally. And if hardware might still be an issue, consider downgrading from the 4k resolution into the recommended 1920x1080, which is Full HD and should look pretty good, still, while running relatively okay on the ROG Ally.
Since the ROG Ally already sports a 1920x1080 resolution screen, it should have the hardware to run things hypothetically. Bear in mind that not every game will be played well with this resolution because of hardware capabilities of the ROG Ally, and you might have to downgrade all the way down to the 1280x720 resolution, but it might be a worthy sacrifice if you want to fix your audio delay. And if that still isn't solving your issue, then...
Consider Switching the Cable
I have my ASUS ROG Ally connected to the NOVOO P6SDK deck for the Steam Deck (whoops), and it gives me access to various ports, such as the HDMI cable I'm using to connect it to my TV. Whether you are or aren't doing this might be relevant depending on what kind of cable you're using to display on your monitor, and it might be worth getting an upgrade if it's too slow.
It wasn't the case for me, but I've encountered it before: a faulty or cheap HDMI cable can lead to many unexpected problems. If this is you, then you might want to consider investing in a higher-quality cable if you've reached this far down the guide and haven't found an answer. It could be as simple as replacing your cable with another one you have lying around, but at the end of the day, the quality of the cable itself might be the thing causing you your problems.
If none of these tricks work and you find another solution, then please do consider leaving a comment below! It could be a great way to contribute to someone else's problem in the future. I hope I was able to help you with your audio syncing issues, and may you have a lot of fun with the ASUS ROG Ally docked!
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