Should you get an ROG Ally X if you already have a Steam Deck?

The launch of Valve's Steam Deck has shaken things up a little in the gaming market for handheld devices. The sudden expansion of this market saw the arrival of numerous Windows-based competitors, the most prominent of which was the ASUS ROG Ally. With the announcement of a successor to this device, readers may be curious whether they should upgrade to the ROG Ally X.

Unfortunately, the answer is rather complicated since several things have to be taken into account, like multiple use-case scenarios and other factors, which will be discussed in detail below.

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

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The ROG Ally X is a substantial upgrade over the Steam Deck

The ROG Ally X improves upon the ROG Ally (Image via ASUS)

Here is a table detailing the two handheld devices' specifications:

Specification	Steam Deck OLED	ROG Ally X
Display	7.4-inch HDR, OLED 90 Hz	7-inch 1080p, IPS 120Hz
CPU	Custom AMD Van Gogh (4c/8t)	AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme (8c/16t)
RAM	16 GB LPDDR5@6400 MT/s	16 GB LPDDR5@6400 MT/s
GPU	RDNA 2, 8 CUs	RDNA 3, 12 CUs
Battery	50 Whr	80 Whr

The ROG Ally X is a much faster machine than the Steam Deck OLED. With its mighty Ryzen Z1 Extreme and faster integrated RDNA 3 GPU, this should really not come as a surprise, as it was the same case with the current-gen ROG Ally.

However, there is more to overall usability than just raw horsepower. The Ally’s APU requires a substantial amount of power to reach its peak potential and can wear down the battery quickly. While ASUS has attempted to make up for this with the use of doubling in battery capacity, its actual effectiveness remains to be seen.

The Steam Deck (Image via Valve)

Another major point of concern is in the displays of the Steam Deck and Ally X. The former's 90 Hz, HDR-capable OLED panel makes visuals pop and is a definite upgrade over the Ally’s (still admittedly capable) IPS display.

Finally, Windows and Armory Crate SE fall incredibly short compared to Valve’s SteamOS. Windows is admittedly clunky, but not without its advantages. Certain games absolutely require this OS to run properly, thanks to the use of kernel-level anti-cheat solutions.

For raw horsepower, the ROG Ally X trumps over the Deck. The Steam Deck OLED still remains the efficiency king, thanks to both its custom AMD APU as well as some SteamOS magic. The OLED display is also a plus.

As such, readers who wish to play the latest and greatest AAA titles are undoubtedly better off upgrading to an ROG Ally X, while those who have no such requirement can stick to their Steam Deck.