The ROG Ally X is great, but the Steam Deck OLED easily beats it in 4 key ways

Summary

The Steam Deck OLED is user-friendly and straightforward compared to ROG Ally X.
Windows 11 makes ROG Ally X versatile but the OS isn’t optimized for a handheld.
The lack of a proper sleep mode and shorter battery life are major drawbacks of the ROG Ally X.

I’m a big fan of the ROG Ally X. It’s a premium-feeling, powerful, Windows-powered handheld that gives me access to all of my Xbox Game Pass titles on the go. However, it’s far from perfect. The lack of a real sleep mode, complicated updates, and confusion caused by Windows 11 just not being made for a handheld, are just a few of my key issues with Asus’ portable.

This is where the Steam Deck OLED comes in. The ROG Ally X might beat the Steam Deck in terms of raw power and versatility, but Valve’s handle surpasses it handily when it comes to being a straightforward, Switch-like handheld console that nearly always works when you need it to. When I know I’m going to be waiting around at an appointment or have a brief, but still lengthy flight or train ride, I almost always reach for the Steam Deck OLED over the ROG Ally X.

Steam Deck OLED

Valve’s Steam Deck OLED feature an ergonomic design and an impressive OLED screen with HDR.
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.

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1 The Steam Deck OLED just works

Windows 11’s versatility is great, but it can also get annoying

Windows 11 is both the ROG Ally X’s key strength and also its weakness. While it makes running pretty much anything on Asus’ handheld a possibility, Windows 11 just isn’t built with a touch-screen gaming handheld in mind. This can lead to odd on-screen keyboard issues, games crashing, and an updating process that feels needlessly complicated. Asus tries to solve this issue by using its Armory Crate SE to keep everything in one location with an intuitive UI, but it just doesn’t compare to the swift responsiveness and straightforward nature of the Steam Deck OLED and SteamOS.

For example, if you want to update your ROG Ally X, first you need to navigate to the update screen within Asus’ Armory Crate SE app. Next, switch over to the standard Windows 11 desktop mode and update the handheld that way, too. Then finally, make sure you open up the Microsoft Store and update your apps from there. Oh, and don’t forget to launch Steam and update your games there. With the Steam Deck, this process is streamlined. The console is updated directly from the the handheld’s settings and games are updated from their location in the menu.

SteamOS just feels like it was designed to work with the Steam Deck. I have issues with the handheld’s Desktop Mode, but even its trackpads and onscreen keyboard make the admittedly unwieldy OS easier to navigate than Windows 11 on the ROG Ally X (unless you plug in a mouse and keyboard, of course). Games don’t crash as often and glitches occur far less frequently on the Steam Deck. It feels like the super-powered Switch of my dreams. Also, why is there a Windows 11 lock screen on the ROG Ally X that you can’t turn off? It doesn’t make any sense.

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2 Sleep mode is incredibly useful for on-the-go gaming

Properly shutting down the ROG Ally X can be a chore

While I do most of my handheld gaming at home, sometimes I take my portables with me when I’m out and about. This is where one of my key issues with the ROG Ally X appears — there just isn’t a real sleep mode. When I tap the console’s power button, it goes into hibernation, but there’s no guarantee I’ll still be able to resume my game. In a lot of cases, whatever game I’m playing crashes or glitches out by the time I pick the console up again. Sometimes the ROG Ally X’s battery is also nearly depleted.

While this isn’t a deal-breaker, it makes it difficult to use the handheld in situations where I might need to quickly flip the portable into sleep mode. I’ve read there are third-party apps that solve this issue, however. Still, sleep mode should work out of the box, just like it does with the Steam Deck. When Valve’s console, all I need to do is tap the sleep button and the console’s screen snaps off. When I’m able to start gaming again, I just tap the button, and I’m back in action.

It’s a very Nintendo Switch-like experience and is likely what most people expect from a portable console. When it comes to quick gaming sessions, the Steam Deck and Steam Deck OLED are far superior.

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3 The Steam Deck OLED’s battery life is great

The ROG Ally X may have a big cell, but it doesn’t last long

When you’re gaming on-the-go, battery life is integral. While the ROG Ally X has a bigger battery than the Steam Deck and its more powerful Ryzen Z1 Extreme processorbeats out the Custom AMD Zen 2 APU Valve opted for, it’s also more power-hungry, even when playing older, less resource-intensive games.

Of course, battery life fluctuates based on what game you’re playing, the handheld’s power setting, frame rate, resolution and more. You can improve the ROG Ally X’s battery life by lowering its resolution and refresh rate. Still, in pretty much every case, I was able to get more battery life out of the Steam Deck OLED despite its brighter panel, typically amounting to at least an hour or so depending on the game. When you’re on a lengthy flight without a plug easily available, that extra battery life can be vital.

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4 Valve’s handheld is overall more comfortable and feels higher-quality

Asus needs to step its build-quality game up

The ROG Ally X might feature better hardware specs, but its build-quality isn’t up to par with the Steam Deck OLED. Asus’ handheld is constructed of soft, easy-to-scratch plastic, compared to the Steam Deck’s harder, more durable plastic shell. Adding to this, the Steam Deck OLED’s buttons have a satisfying pop to them compared to the ROG Ally X’s mushy buttons.

I’m also not fond of the ROG Ally X’s rear grips (the dbrand Killswitch case I use helps a bit). They’re fine, but are a bit recessed, making the weighty handheld difficult to hold for longer periods. On the other hand, while the Steam Deck OLED is roughly just as heavy, it has more traditional gamepad-like rear grips that make it easier to use portable for longer periods. Overall, the Steam Deck OLED feels like a better-made device. Hopefully, Asus improves the ROG Ally X 2’s build when it inevitably releases.

The Steam Deck OLED and ROG Ally X were provided to Pocket-lint by Valve and Asus, respectively.