Steam Deck vs ROG Ally: Which handheld should you pick?

The biggest competition in the handheld gaming market is Steam Deck vs ROG Ally. Both offer powerful hardware and a portable form factor but vary in their features, performance, and experience. The former focuses on affordability and a curated user experience built around Valve's Steam library, while the ROG Ally promises superior performance and a more traditional Windows PC approach.

So, in the battle of Steam Deck vs ROG Ally, which one should you pick?

Note: This article is subjective and reflects the author’s opinions.

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Steam Deck vs ROG Ally: Which one should you get?

Steam Deck vs ROG Ally: Similarities and differences (Image via Valve || Asus)

Steam Deck vs ROG Ally: Major similarities

• Both the Steam Deck and ROG Ally are designed for portable gaming. They feature a built-in screen, controls, and sufficient processing power to run a wide variety of PC games on the go.
• These devices utilize AMD Ryzen processors that are known for their balance of performance and power efficiency.
• The consoles offer expandable storage via a microSD card slot. This is crucial factor considering the ever-increasing size of video games.
• Both come equipped with a headphone jack for a high-quality wired audio experience.
• The devices support USB-C port for charging and connectivity. This allows you to charge the device, connect external peripherals like controllers or storage drives, and even output video to an external display with a USB-C to HDMI cable.
• These handhelds feature a similar control layout that offers dual joysticks, a directional pad, shoulder buttons, and a touchscreen.
• Both the Steam Deck and ROG Ally have optional accessories that allow you to connect the handheld to a TV for a more traditional console experience.

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Steam Deck vs ROG Ally: Major differences

• The Steam Deck utilizes Valve's custom SteamOS while the ROG Ally runs traditional Windows 11.
• The base Steam Deck features a 7-inch LCD 1280x800 display clocked at 60Hz. On the other hand, ROG Ally features a 7-inch OLED display with a sharper 1920x1080 resolution and a smoother 120Hz refresh rate.
• Steam Deck comes equipped with a Ryzen 4-core, 8-thread processor while ROG Ally features a more powerful AMD Z1 chipset that offers a 6-core, 12-thread processor. This makes ROG Ally considerably more powerful than the Steam Deck.
• Steam Deck offers three storage options. The 64GB is priced at $399, the 256GB model is priced at $529 and the 512GB model is priced at $529. ROG Ally comes in two variants, the 256GB variant costs $600 while 512GB is priced at $700.

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Steam Deck vs ROG Ally: Gaming experience

The Steam Deck provides a great experience that revolves around SteamOS (Image via Valve)

Both the Steam Deck and ROG Ally offer great portable PC gaming but the experience itself varies slightly on both devices.

The Steam Deck prioritizes its SteamOS and seamless access to your Steam library. The supported games are marked as “Playable on Steam Deck” on the Steam store. These supported titles run smoothly after a quick installation. The 60Hz refresh rate and LCD display on the base Steam Deck might not be the most cutting-edge but it delivers a consistent gaming experience and decent battery life.

On the other hand, the ROG Ally is more performance-oriented with a focus on raw power and visual quality. ROG runs a full Windows 11 operating system that grants access to a wider range of games and game launchers like Epic Games, GOG, and even Steam. The sharper OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate produces smoother visuals and potentially higher frame rates. However, this power is not as efficient on the battery. Windows is also a resource-intensive operating system that can drain the battery faster.

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Verdict

The ROG Ally provides a better processor and high refresh rate display but costs more than the Steam Deck (Image via Asus)

The outcome of the Steam Deck vs ROG Ally battle depends on your priorities and what your gaming library looks like. If you mainly own games on Steam and Valve’s ecosystem, the Steam Deck provides a great gaming experience for a cheaper price.

The ROG Ally caters to those who prioritize graphical performance and the freedom that comes with a full Windows PC environment. You can install and access multiple game launchers and experience better performance over a wider range of titles than the Steam Deck.

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Check out more handheld comparisons here:

MSI Claw vs. Steam Deck || MSI Claw vs ROG Ally || Legion Go vs ROG Ally || Nintendo Switch vs Steam Deck