Alright, look, I’m just gonna dive in here. So, you’re fed up with the Steam Deck being kinda… limited, right? Enter the Asus ROG Ally. This thing’s like your new best friend if you can’t stand fiddling with game launchers or messing with Linux—which, honestly, who even has the time?
The Steam Deck used to be King of the Hill, the lone warrior in the world of handheld gaming PCs. But the Asus ROG Ally? It’s here to crash the party. This baby runs on Windows 11—hooray for accessibility! The Deck? It’s chained to Steam’s ecosystem unless you’re some genius with Linux. The Ally just works with everything: Epic, Xbox Game Pass, all your favorites. Ain’t nobody got time for hoop-jumping.
Here’s the kicker: the Ally’s got this snazzy AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme processor paired with AMD Radeon graphics. Pretty slick, huh? It’s like putting a rocket engine in a go-kart. Sure, there were a few bumps here and there, but we got it cruising smoother than the Deck, mostly after fiddling with game settings. And speaking of looks, that display is just… chef’s kiss. Full HD LCD, light as a feather too. My hands didn’t cramp, which is like a miracle.
But, plot twist. That feather-light feel? Comes with a catch. It feels kinda, I dunno, plasticky? Like, less shiny-apple-store and more, well, toy section vibes. And, oh boy, that tabletop stand—did they design it during lunch break? Not what I’d call sturdy.
Battery life? Now we’re hitting a sore spot. Two hours, maybe three at best, unless you’re on a zen desktop mode. The Deck does better, but eh, just keep it plugged in. Problem solved, sorta.
Oh, and for $699.99, you’d think they’d toss in a carrying case. But nope. Also, those back buttons? A bit low, but maybe that’s just me nitpicking.
So, bottom line: Ally or Deck? It’s not black and white. If you’re craving access to more games and juicy power, grab the Ally. But if premium feel and a longer unplugged life sing to you, the Deck’s your buddy.
Either way, both are technological wonders, and you’ll have a blast. Now, where’s my charger?
