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In the evolving landscape of handheld gaming, two devices have garnered significant attention: Valve's Steam Deck and ASUS's ROG Ally. Both aim to deliver a premium portable gaming experience, but they differ in design, performance, and user experience.
The Steam Deck comes with a 7-inch screen that has a 1280 x 800 resolution and 16:10 aspect ratio. It has ergonomic design with trackpads and back buttons that support a wide variety of gaming styles. It is 298mm x 177mm x 49mm in size and weighs around 669 grams.
Conversely, the ASUS ROG Ally features a 7-inch FHD (1920 x 1080) screen with a 120Hz refresh rate, providing crisper graphics and more fluid gameplay. It is smaller, at 280mm x 111mm x 32.4mm and weighing 608 grams, so it is lighter and possibly more portable.
Under the hood, the Steam Deck is fueled by a proprietary AMD Zen 2 APU that has 4 cores and 8 threads and clock rates that go between 2.4 and 3.5GHz. It also has 16GB of LPDDR5 memory and comes in storage variants of up to 1TB with an M.2 2242 SSD. The platform accommodates connectivity support up to Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.0.
The ROG Ally comes with AMD's Ryzen Z1 Extreme processor, 16GB of LPDDR5 RAM, and a 512GB PCIe SSD. It has Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity. It also has a USB-C port, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a microSD card slot for storage expansion.
The Steam Deck runs on SteamOS 3.0, a Linux-based system tailored for gaming. This provides a user-friendly interface and smooth integration with the Steam platform. However, playing games or using apps outside of Steam might need extra setup.
In contrast, the ROG Ally operates on Windows 11, allowing it to run a wide range of games and applications beyond just Steam. This means users can access various game stores and productivity apps directly. But, Windows 11 might not be as optimized for handheld gaming, which could affect the user experience.
Battery life is an essential consideration for handheld devices. The Steam Deck contains a 40Whr battery, providing about 2 to 8 hours of playtime, depending on the game's requirements.
The ROG Ally features a 65Whr battery, which, although bigger in capacity, provides about 3 hours of playtime under normal circumstances. The more powerful display and 120Hz refresh rate are the reasons for the higher power consumption.
The Steam Deck hardware and software are designed to be optimized for the Steam library, which provides a reliable and consistent gaming experience for gamers on the platform. Compatibility with games from other stores can differ and might need extra configuration.
The ROG Ally's Windows 11 environment natively supports a wider selection of games from multiple platforms, such as Epic Games Store, GOG, and others. This means that gamers can play a greater selection of titles with no compatibility issues.
Price is an important factor for most buyers. The Steam Deck comes in several configurations, with the entry-level model priced at $399 and the 1TB variant priced at $649.
The ROG Ally is priced at $699 for the model with the Ryzen Z1 Extreme processor. While it's more expensive, the Ally offers enhanced performance and a superior display.
Choosing between the Steam Deck and the ASUS ROG Ally depends on what you value most. The Steam Deck provides a more affordable option with an interface designed for Steam users. In contrast, the ROG Ally offers better performance, a higher-quality display, and the flexibility of a Windows environment, though at a higher price.
Gamers looking for a straightforward, Steam-focused experience prefer the Steam Deck, while those seeking versatility and higher performance find the ROG Ally more appealing.
