I’ve always had a thing for gaming handhelds. Whether it was the original Game Boy when I was a kid or, more recently, a retro revival device like the Analogue Pocket orChromatic, gaming on-the-go has been my preferred way to play video games. Naturally, this means I’ve been a big Switch fan for years (where’s the Switch 2, Nintendo?), alongside the far more capable and modernSteam Deck. This new era of powerful gaming handhelds is wild and something I really didn’t see coming.
While I’m a big fan of Valve’s Steam Deck andSteam Deck OLED, there are some games Valve’s handheld either straight up just can’t play or struggle to run smoothly. I’m also often frustrated with SteamOS' limitations as an operating system because it often makes simple tasks more complicated than they need to be. With that in mind, I recently got my hands on theROG Ally X, a Windows 11-powered handheld from Asus.
At $799, Asus' handheld is more expensive than the Steam Deck OLED (which starts at $549), but after spending the last few months with the ROG Ally X, I understand entirely why it’s pricier. Both portables have unique advantages and individual issues, but if you’re looking for a powerful handheld that can also work as an entry-level gaming PC replacement, the ROG Ally X just can’t be beat. In fact, I’ve enjoyed my time with the ROG Ally X so much that I find myself rarely using my Steam Deck OLED.
ROG Ally X
Asus' ROG Ally X is a powerful Windows-based handheld with a 1080p screen that’s capable of a 120Hz refresh rate.
Steam Deck OLED
Valve’s Steam Deck OLED feature an ergonomic design and an impressive OLED screen with HDR.
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1Windows 11 offers the versatility I crave in a handheld
If a game runs on your Windows PC, it’ll probably play great on the ROG Ally X
One of the first things I did with the Steam Deck back when it launched in 2022 was install emulators and ROMs on it. While I initially assumed this process would be straightforward, it was an absolute nightmare thatinvolved countless steps, hunting down root folders on my trusty micro SD card, and more (I think I spent nearly an entire weekend setting it up the first time, but playingThe Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HDwas a blast). Sure, it may have been an easy process for some people, but I really struggled to get everything up and running. That said, the situation has improved drastically since then, andEmuDeckreally streamlines the process.
You can also easily install other game launchers and stores on the ROG Ally X.
Still, I’ve come to appreciate that the ROG Ally X is Windows 11-based. This means anything that runs on Windows can also be easily installed on the handheld like any Windows PC, including more ROMS, emulators, and niche gaming experiences.
For example, I was able to getShip of Harkinian (SoH) (a PC port ofZelda: Ocarina of Time) running on the ROG Ally X in just a few minutes, and installing a couple of 4K texture mods was just as straightforward. Yes, you may also getSoH to play on the Steam Deck, but the process is convoluted and confusing. You can also easily install other game launchers and stores on the ROG Ally X, including the EA app, the Epic Game Store, and, of course, the Xbox app (more on this next), opening up Asus' handheld to far more gaming experiences.
Windows 11 can also sometimes make things more complicated, especially when it comes to updating the ROG Ally X and using it in Docked mode. Valve’s Deck Verified program is stellar, and the company’s effort with Proton to make the Steam Deck work great with countless titles is commendable. Still, I prefer Windows 11’s versatility over SteamOS' simplicity and ease of use.
Asus ROG Ally X’s new features aren’t convincing me to upgrade
There’s a fresh model of the Asus ROG Ally handheld gaming console on the way, but is there enough here to justify an upgrade? I’m not convinced.
2PC Game Pass is so good it feels like a cheat code
Instant access to a library of 100 games feels too good to be true
I’ve tried Xbox Cloud Gaming on my Steam Deck OLED through a browser and also several third-party apps. While the experience is best described as “fine,” running a game natively on an actual device is still almost always superior to streaming it over the internet. This is wherePC Game Passon the ROG Ally X comes in. $12 a month gets you access to a library of over 100 PC games, including Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Halo Infinite, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl, and more – all games I’ve played on the ROG Ally X after tweaking graphics settings.
For the most part, nearly every PC Game Pass title runs reasonably well on the ROG Ally X.
There are a few lesser-known hidden gems in the Game Pass library, too, like the chilled-outLonely Mountain: Snow Ridersand the oddly addictiveExpeditions: A MudRunner Game, two PC Game Pass titles I recently uncovered on a recent lazy weekend that I otherwise wouldn’t have checked out if they weren’t part of Microsoft’s game subscription platform. I’ve even spent time playing Age of Empires IV with my ROG Ally X connected to my monitor and a mouse and keyboard connected to the handheld, just like I would on a gaming PC.
Getting these titles to play on the ROG Ally X is as simple as installing the Xbox app, signing in to your Microsoft account, and installing whatever PC Game Pass title you want. And, for the most part, nearly every PC Game Pass title runs reasonably well on the ROG Ally X as long as you spend some time tweaking the graphics settings (ROG Ally Lifeis a great resource for optimizing your games' settings for the handheld).
If you’re wondering what the skin is on the front of my ROG Ally X, it’s dbrand’s X-Ray (Dark) skin that’spart of the accessory maker’s Killswitch case.
This insanely powerful gaming handheld is way better than a Steam Deck
The ROG Ally X is the best handheld gaming device on the market, but is it totally worth its high price tag.
3Any way you look at it, the ROG Ally X has better specs than the Steam Deck OLED
I appreciate the 1080p screen, faster chip, and extra RAM
The Steam Deck OLED is a powerful handheld, but the ROG Ally X surpasses Valve’s portable in nearly every category. As a result, there are several recent games that the Steam Deck just can’t run well that play smoothly on the ROG Ally X, especially when it comes to recently released, big-budget titles. One of the first games I encountered like this wasFinal Fantasy XVI, which I was able to get running on the ROG Ally X at between 30fps and 40fps on mostly medium graphics settings. On the other hand, getting FF XVI to play on the Steam Deck required turning the visuals into a muddy mess, and even then, the frame rate wasn’t consistent.
Key hardware advantages the ROG Ally X offers over the Steam Deck include its 7-inch 1080p IPS 120Hz refresh rate display, compared to the Steam Deck OLED’s 1280 x 800 HDR OLED 90Hz refresh rate screen. I really thought I’d miss the Steam Deck’s brighter OLED display, but at 523 nits vs 597 nits, the ROG Ally X’s IPS screen is still plenty bright. The ability to hit 120Hz with less intensive indie titles (like Tunic, for example), has also been a welcome addition (the Steam Deck OLED’s 90Hz screen is still impressive, though).
Other upgrades include 24GB of LPDDR5X RAM vs the Steam Deck OLED’s 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM, offering more memory headroom, which really helps for more recent games. Lastly, the AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme is more powerful than the Steam Deck OLED’s custom AMD Zen 2 APU, giving the ROG Ally X overall more graphics power compared to Valve’s handheld. This ensures games play better at higher graphics settings and run at smoother frame rates, especially if you lower the ROG Ally X’s to a more Steam Deck-like 720p from its standard 1080p resolution.
Should you get an LCD or OLED Steam Deck?
It’s mostly a question of budget and how diehard you want to be.
It’s important to note that the ROG Ally X isn’t perfect and that there are a few things the Steam Deck OLED does better. First, I generally get better battery life from the Steam Deck OLED, even when playing resource-intensive games. Valve’s handheld seems far more power-efficient despite its brighter OLED screen.
I also prefer the simplicity of SteamOS over Windows 11 in some situations, especially when I know I’ll be gaming in short bursts. The Steam Deck OLED offers a Switch-like experience where you can quickly put the handheld in sleep mode while gaming and not worry about the battery draining. Unfortunately, the ROG Ally X seems to drain its battery rapidly when in sleep mode, and in some cases, games just outright crash. This makes it difficult to use as a pick-up-and-play device. However, there are ways tosort of solve this issuethat I still need to test out.
Lastly, I prefer the overall hardware design of the Steam Deck OLED. It’s a solid-feeling handheld that’s more difficult to scratch, and I like its more substantial grips on its back compared to the ROG Ally X’s. I got my hands ondbrand’s $75 Killswitch Casefor the ROG Ally X that somewhat solves this issue. It adds a bit of much-needed protection to the Ally X while also offering more grip (the Ally X’s plastic is soft and easily scratches).
