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Whoa, okay, so here’s the thing. If you’re all jazzed up about gaming on the go but the Steam Deck’s game launcher limitations give you a headache, the Asus ROG Ally might just be your new buddy. No need for Linux kung-fu here since it’s like a real, bonafide portable PC. You get to stick with your favorite apps. Sort of a “plug and play” deal—minus the plug, I guess.
Right, so the Steam Deck is no longer running its little marathon alone. Asus decided to crash the party with the ROG Ally, high-fiving its way as a true rival in the land of handheld gaming PCs. Unlike the Deck, which insists on doing everything via Steam, the Ally rolls with Windows 11. Kinda gives it a leg up if you ask me. Your game library throws a dance party here—Epic, Xbox Game Pass, EA Origin, you name it. No need to do any fancy footwork.
And oh wow, the Ally kinda flexes when it comes to power. The AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme processor, along with this Shakespearean AMD Radeon graphics card, makes it sound super smart, right? It tackles demanding games with ease, staying sneaky quiet and not getting all hot-headed during intense play. Sure, a hiccup here and there, but the Ally ran more games than the Deck for us—especially after tweaking the settings. The display? Full HD glory. And it’s lightweight, sort of like gaming on a fluffy cloud compared to the clunkier Deck. Less hand cramping, more playtime.
But hey, it’s not all rainbows and butterflies. That light build feels a bit too plasticky—like, did someone slap some value store plastic on it? The table stand? Flimsy. Felt like an afterthought or maybe someone was just in a rush. Oh, and battery life, you ask? Meh. Just around a couple of hours in game mode. The Deck clocks more hours there, no contest. Suggestion? Keep it plugged in if you can—one eye on the outlet, one eye on the game.
Also, tiny nags here—no carry case included at $699.99? Really? Especially when the Deck throws one in for free. The back buttons felt awkward too, but maybe that’s just me nitpicking.
So what now? Steam Deck or ROG Ally? It’s kinda like picking between chocolate or vanilla. Depends on your taste. If you want accessibility and muscle, Ally’s your guy. Prefer something more premium, streamlined, and travel-friendly? The Deck’s calling your name. In the end, both are pretty darn cool gadgets—take your pick and game on.
