News Steam Deck vs. Asus ROG Ally: Gaming Handheld Faceoff

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I think I am going with the Ally. Although I really like my Steam Deck, I do want it to be smaller and lighter and more compatible with my game library. I have a huge library on Epic Games (all free), Microsoft Store, Ubisoft, and Rockstar. Just getting RDR2 to run on my Steam Deck required me watching YouTube videos of all the steps to get it to work, I haven't even bothered with the other launchers. I don't see the SteamOS as a win, it needs a lot of work in its desktop mode and besides being less bloated than Windows, it's not really any better.
 
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colossusrage said:
I think I am going with the Ally. Although I really like my Steam Deck, I do want it to be smaller and lighter and more compatible with my game library. I have a huge library on Epic Games (all free), Microsoft Store, Ubisoft, and Rockstar. Just getting RDR2 to run on my Steam Deck required me watching YouTube videos of all the steps to get it to work, I haven't even bothered with the other launchers. I don't see the SteamOS as a win, it needs a lot of work in its desktop mode and besides being less bloated than Windows, it's not really any better.
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I returned my steam deck for it being underpowered and while the Steam OS was great for the games it supports, it ultimately doesn't support enough of my Steam library while feeling a little beta (july '22). Anyways Steam OS is great for things like it's game suspend/start feature but its lack of support for other launchers is also an issue for me. I would love to see a system launched with an eight core CPU with 12 CUs, VRR that has dual boot of Steam OS and Windows 11. You give me that and I'd likely be sold as there wouldn't be a game I couldn't play and I could use Steam OS when ever possible (game suspend is their killer feature after being mobile IMHO).
 
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My experience with Steam Deck has been horrible.

-The Steam Deck device is loud and big. I thought I would be able to use this device on the train, but the size of the device and noise the fans make is too attention grabbing. I don't want to advertise to everyone around me that I'm holding a big $700 gaming device.

-A significant number of games from Steam do not work on the Steam Deck. I'm sure one could get some to work with a lot of tinkering, but I don't want to tinker on a mobile device. I want stuff to work out of the box.

-GoG and Epic Games are not natively supported on Steam Deck, and while you can install a 3rd party launcher, the games would not work for me. The Steam Deck feels like an Apple device that tries to lock you into the Steam Store, I did not like this feeling of being so locked into the Steam ecosystem at all.

So I am definitely on the look-out for a Windows device that will work with all the games I have (not just some), and that is smaller, lighter, and makes less noise than the Steam Deck.

Either I will get a Switch Light, or some device like this Rog Ally.
 
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Thanks @AndrewFreedman for the comparison. You pretty much covered everything and I agree with your observations and conclusion. I'd add that if one is torn between a high-end Deck and the Z1 Extreme Ally, the clear option is the Ally.
PS: I have to bring up Asus' latest scummy moves in regards to the overvolting of CPUs and their warranty voiding BIOS release etc as something that soured me on buying anything from them in the future.
 
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My grandson has a steam deck and bought a razor chroma keyboard to pair with it. The keyboard works okay with it, but there are some major features that cannot be used because the steam deck does not support the drivers needed to fully utilize a chroma keyboard. I think there are likely to be many other peripheral/driver issues like this, which should have factored into the assessment of the best operating system.
 
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I'd be interested in finding out if there's a performance increase in installing a Tiny11 version of Windows. On regular PC's there is, so I'd think that it would be even more noticeable on something like this. I also don't think the battery life is an issue, you can easily buy an external battery power bar since both use USB-C for power.
 
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This review makes me happy I already have a steam deck, and makes me think if you haven't taken the plunge yet waiting for the Deck 2 makes more sense than going for the ROG. Screens are cool and all but the resolution seems like it is overkill right now. If they went lower res with the extra power and efficiency and didn't go crazy on the screen I think it would have been a killer. Really I just wish we had screens that could adjust better to odd resolutions...but that is a big ask.
 
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I have steam deck 64GB + 200GB mSD + cheap antiglare from amazon. Very happy with it:
Around the house, I stream (instead of local play), from desktop (3090 + 5950) it works very well.
emulators (this is a major 2nd benefit, https://www.emudeck.com/) also works very well.
Streaming the LCD to samsung 8K TV (that is driven by the 3090 normally) using steamlink also works very well.
2nd player on Bluetooth while streaming also works well.
notice the trend?

streaming emulated NES/SNES to the 8K, playing 2 players with my kid.... priceless. And it's only 2 minutes to fire up. and literally 45 minutes to setup when I got the deck. Great ROI on your setup time investment.

For me, SteamDeck is a new frontier: it enables new scenarios with polish that windows simply can't touch. It just works. This review captures it well, but maybe in more objective manner, if you're still reading, it's clear I am a fan of the deck.

I am at a point I just want my portables: phone, steam deck, and laptop to just work. Even if it means the experience is little more limited. Happy to tinker at my desktop, but don't want to do every day, at the bus, or the train, etc.

I am sure Tom's reader can fix any issues on Ally with Windows, with the help of google and reddit, and gobs of free time, only to do all over again after an update or two. An obscure Z1 processor that ASUS / AMD makes very little money on? that's a recipe for engineered obsolesce.

Valve on the other hand, wants to sell their ecosystem, even if that means taking a loss on hardware.

With steam deck, someone else is fixing these issues. For free, every time... all for ~ $450 and very little time on your end.
 
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With Asus customer service and quality control; quantified by their recent blatant dishonesty in screwing customers out of their warranty to fix a detonating motherboard situation that Asus themselves created...definitely look at this as a polished turd. Would go with Steam any day of the week rather than risk Asus again.

2 dead Asus boards, 1 glitchy as hell surviving motherboard, and 1 dead asus laptop board is enough of a lesson for me me to never touch their products again. Meanwhile I got 15 year old XFX and EVGA boards that still work flawlessly.
 
bohemond1099 said:
That's why only Asus boards die, only the Asus ones have ever had motherboard issues like this on a recurring basis.
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Asus is a reliable brand and that's why it has been able to ask a premium for their products.

So when you say you killed 4 Asus boards and they die on "a recurring basis". Either 1, you are making stuff up. Or 2, you might not be sharpest tool in the shed when it comes to building PC.
 
PlaneInTheSky said:
Asus is a reliable brand and that's why it has been able to ask a premium for their products.

So when you say you killed 4 Asus boards and they die on "a recurring basis". Either 1, you are making stuff up. Or 2, you might not be sharpest tool in the shed when it comes to building PC.
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sorry; quantifiably proven false; watch the video. go on shilling won't change reality; here's more supporting evidence:

www.kitguru.net

ASUS UK PR believes it is ‘legal to buy positive reviews’ - KitGuru

Now in our 14th year as an independent technology publication, KitGuru has never been more shocked t
www.kitguru.net www.kitguru.net
 
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PlaneInTheSky said:
So I am definitely on the look-out for a Windows device that will work with all the games I have (not just some), and that is smaller, lighter, and makes less noise than the Steam Deck.

Either I will get a Switch Light, or some device like this Rog Ally.
Click to expand...

Ah, it's hard to take your criticisms seriously, though, because you're always moving the goal posts. One day you want a hand held that has, "long battery life, low weight and portability, no noise or loud fans," and the next you're saying the ROG Ally fits the bill perfectly! I dunno what Valve did to hurt you, but it may be time to forgive them and move on.
 
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It’s a no brainer for me. I have a ton of games for my pc and Xbox on game pass and maybe 5 on steam. Yeah I’ll go with the one that’s compatible with pretty much everything. They will update the crate app and it’ll be good to go. I hate streaming via cloud crap up here in VT there isn’t enough bandwidth to reliably use that anywhere mobile, kind of the main function of the devices, and broadband in a lot of places I go is limited to DSL.
 
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