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The Nintendo Switch 2 was unveiled on April 2, 2025, at the Nintendo Direct event as the company's next-gen handheld device. It is a direct successor to the original Switch, which sold over 150 million units as of December 2024, making it the third-highest-selling console ever.
With the reveal of the Switch 2, Nintendo is eyeing the AAA handheld gaming market, currently dominated by the likes of the ROG Ally and Steam Deck. The company even showcased the graphically demanding Cyberpunk 2077 running on the Switch 2, effectively demonstrating the power of the new handheld. This led to many fans calling it the better handheld for gaming than the ROG Ally.
In this article, we compare the Nintendo Switch 2 and ROG Ally to find out which is better for gaming.
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Note: Some aspects of this article are subjective and reflect the writer's opinions.
Nintendo Switch 2 vs ROG Ally: Detailed comparison
The Nintendo Switch 2 is powered by an Nvidia chip and can run games at up to 1080p in handheld mode and 4K in docked mode. On the other hand, the ROG Ally is powered by the AMD Ryzen Z1 series APU and can play every PC game, including AAA titles.
Before comparing the two handheld devices, let's look at their specs.
Specs comparison
Here are the specs of the Nintendo Switch 2 and ROG Ally:
Display comparison
The display of the new Nintendo Switch 2 is larger than that on the ROG Ally, but that's about it. The rest of the display specs remain the same for the two handhelds. They both feature FHD resolution with a 120 FPS refresh rate. The larger display size, however, does favor the Switch 2. Both handheld devices can be hooked up to a TV.
Performance and battery comparison
The Nintendo Switch 2 is powered by a custom ARM chip by Nvidia, while the ROG Ally features an x86 Ryzen Z1 processor from AMD. Since ARM and x86 are two distinct architectures and run on different operating systems, a direct performance comparison is out of the question. However, we do have a general idea of how they perform.
Nintendo showcased a few AAA games — including Elden Ring — running on the Switch 2 during the Nintendo Direct event. According to a digital analysis done by the professionals at Digital Foundry, the game was reportedly running at 1080p with 30 FPS on the Switch 2.
On the ROG Ally, Elden Ring can run at 1080p Low settings with around 60 FPS. If you choose higher graphical settings, the ROG Ally will run the game at 1080p with 30 FPS, similar to what the Switch 2 delivers. The two handhelds have a similar performance level, so there's no direct winner here.
However, there's one thing you should know. The ROG Ally can connect to external GPU modules to significantly increase performance, but such modules are extremely expensive and bulky, which makes the device more of a gaming laptop than a handheld. Therefore, we will not consider it an advantage over the Switch 2.
As for battery life, both the Nintendo Switch 2 and ROG Ally should deliver a similar battery life when running AAA games due to similar battery capacity. However, when running lighter games like Mario Kart, the Switch 2 may edge the Ally, but we can only confirm this once the former officially ships to the market.
However, the Nintendo Switch 2 should receive special optimizations from developers since it is a proper console with dev kits for them to test their games. The ROG Ally is a PC-like handheld that exclusively runs PC games, and it may not receive the same level of optimizations as consoles. Therefore, the Switch 2 could be better in the long run.
Game library comparison
Since the Nintendo Switch 2 is backward-compatible with the original Switch, the former should have access to almost all of the latter's game library. Therefore, the Switch 2 will have access to around 5,000 titles.
On the other hand, the ROG Ally plays PC games exclusively, so it can essentially play tens of thousands of titles. In fact, Steam alone has over 120,000 games, so there's no real limit to how many the ROG Ally can play. Not to mention, it can also play old console titles via emulation. This is where the ROG Ally has a real advantage.
However, the ROG Ally cannot play Switch games, and if you are a Nintendo fan, you will likely choose the Switch 2. Therefore, we will have to call it a tie when it comes to game library comparison.
Price comparison
The price of the Nintendo Switch 2 (256 GB) starts at $499, which many consider expensive since it costs $150 more than the original Switch. Not to mention, Switch 2 games may cost as much as $80, making them expensive.
Meanwhile, the ROG Ally (512GB) starts at $599. While the Switch 2 is cheaper, it has half the storage of the ROG Ally. Then, there's the factor of game pricing. Nintendo games are usually quite expensive and are rarely on sale. In comparison, the ROG Ally can run games from both Steam and Epic Games Store.
Steam games are almost always on sale and are cheaper, while Epic Games gives away one or two games for free every month. The Nintendo Switch 2 may win in pricing, but the ROG Ally wins with regard to game cost. It is essentially a tie, but we will leave it to you to consider which is more important.
Also read: Will Cyberpunk 2077 support ray tracing on the Nintendo Switch 2? Possibilities explored
Is Nintendo Switch 2 better than ROG Ally?
The Nintendo Switch 2 is better than the ROG Ally in many ways. It has a larger display, access to exclusive Nintendo titles, and more optimized third-party games. It also costs less than the ROG Ally and has a slightly longer battery life, depending on the games played.
However, the ROG Ally is also a worthy handheld. It has access to a large collection of PC titles and older console games via emulation. It has more storage by default, and its compatible games are significantly cheaper.
Whether to buy the Nintendo Switch 2 or the ROG Ally will come down to your preference. If you prefer playing Nintendo-exclusive games like Mario Kart, Zelda, and Pokemon, then the former is a clear choice, irrespective of its pros and cons.
However, if you enjoy titles like Batman: Arkham Knight, Apex Legends, CS 2, Watch Dogs Legions, DOTA 2, or other PC-esque games, then the ROG Ally should serve as the better choice.
