Steam Deck vs Rog Ally: My One Year Experience
If you travel, space is a big deal. A 13-inch laptop is small and can be very powerful. But what if you're a gamer? Finding a small computer powerful enough to play on is tough, and very expensive. That's where handheld computers come into play. They are small, powerful, and the best part: affordable.
Here's my take after using a Steam Deck and a Rog Ally as my main computers for more than a year.
Portability and Convenience
That's the main reason for using these handhelds as your main computer, and they deliver.
Very portable, they easily pair with Bluetooth keyboards and mouse. If you want to use accessories through USB, you can use the only USB-C port available on both the Rog Ally and the Steam Deck. Or invest in a connector to get more ports.
You can get work done anywhere as long as you have enough space for a mouse/keyboard and a dock. You can also use the great trackpad of the Steam Deck to navigate. It's good enough to do some basic tasks, but it can't replace a mouse. For the Rog Ally, there isn't the trackpad alternative, but using the joystick isn't that bad as a mouse substitute and the touchscreen is much better than the Steam Deck's.
Both machines are great to use when you are on the move. The Rog Ally is smaller, so if it's just about portability, it wins this one.
It doesn’t seem much, but there is a real difference when you have them on hand.
Screen Quality and Performance
Both devices can play most games, even recent ones, in decent quality. The Steam Deck has a resolution of 1280x800, which is close to 720p. The Rog Ally has a higher resolution of 1920x1080, making it better for visuals.
I played the last Harry Potter game on the Steam Deck, and it worked well. I've also seen people play Spider-Man 2 on it. All in all, the Steam Deck offers solid performance if you're okay not playing at ultra graphics.
The Rog Ally is a bit more powerful than the Steam Deck, making it the better choice if you're looking for power. It's also the quieter machine.
I played Starfield on the Rog Ally without any issues. The last Elden Ring DLC ran well at 15 watts by lowering the settings, and I got a bit less than 2 hours of playtime, which is very nice.
I also play games at 10 watts like Slay the Spire or Stardew Valley, and they run very well, though the battery dies quicker on those small games than if I played on the Steam Deck.
It's important to note there are two back buttons less on the Rog Ally. If you are crazy about personalization, this could make you choose the Steam Deck.
If you want to play Small Games or Emulated ones, take the Steam Deck, otherwise go with the Rog Ally.
How is it to Work on Steam Deck or Rog Ally?
You need to take into account the small size of the screens and the need to buy a mouse/keyboard/dock if you are serious about working on them.
Apart from that, you really get a full-fledged computer. The Rog Ally is running Windows 11, and that makes it the better choice if you need to be able to use all the apps only available there.
The Steam Deck runs SteamOS, a variant of Debian that is very good. I managed to set up fairly easily their version of Clipboard. The catalogue of apps on their distribution is good enough to be able to work.
I don't remember having a single issue while using both of these handhelds as my primary workstation. The biggest issue I had with the Steam Deck was the WiFi disconnecting itself or being very slow for no reason. This only happened on Desktop Mode though. I didn't have that issue with the Rog Ally.
Because of Windows 11 and the better screen quality, the Rog Ally is the better choice here.
Are These Gaming Handhelds Reliable?
I've had an issue with my Rog Ally, a blue screen that forced me to reset it completely. Thankfully Asus built in a cloud recovery where I could download Windows without needing a bootable USB. I've had the Rog Ally for a year already and I worked on it most days, or gamed on it, and I've never had issues apart from my left stick starting to turn on itself sometimes. But I guess that's the nature of joysticks nowadays.
The Steam Deck is bulkier and that makes it a more resistant object. It feels like it could fall from a five-story building and survive.
Both devices are reliable but the Steam Deck feels like the most reliable of the two.
Drawbacks of the Rog Ally and Steam Deck
The main downside of both the Steam Deck and Rog Ally is the small screen, which can strain your eyes over time.
I've heard good things about AR glasses that project a larger screen, but I've never tried them myself. If screen size is a big concern, this might be a solution worth exploring.
Otherwise, with both the Deck and the Ally, you get a reliable and powerful computer without any drawbacks that aren't part of their charm (the screen size).
Price Comparison
One of the best things about the Steam Deck and Rog Ally is their affordability. Compared to traditional gaming laptops, they're a steal. You get a powerful gaming and work machine without breaking the bank.
If you take the Rog Ally Z1 Extreme and the 512GB Steam Deck, they have a similar price point. At that price, you won't find a better deal with a gaming laptop. You can also find refurbished Steam Decks, which are a very good option as the device is very sturdy.
I'd say it's to be avoided more in the case of the Rog Ally as it feels a bit more prone to breaking from that I’ve seen on forums. Used Steam Decks are also a solid choice.
If you find a refurbished 64go Steam Deck, you can get a great and powerful computer that can game for less than $300. Nothing beats that.
Battery Life Rog Ally Vs Steam Deck
Battery life is decent. You can get a few hours of use from each on a non-demanding title or doing simple desk tasks.
If you play a demanding game, you'll be able to play around an hour if you push the wattage. In the case of the Rog Ally, you need to have it charging to be able to use turbo mode, which is the most powerful mode. It's not a machine made to last very long on battery.
The Steam Deck holds much better, it's not as powerful being capped at 15 watts (compared to 30 for the Rog Ally). But its performance is better than the Ally at low wattage.
So the Steam Deck has better battery and gets better performance at low wattage, but it's more limited than the Ally, whose battery doesn't last as much.
The Steam Deck wins this one still.
Best Accessories for Handhelds
The Steam Deck charger is weaker than the Rog Ally's as it doesn't need as much power. The plus side is that you can use a portable charger with both, but you’ll get more out of it from the Steam Deck thanks to its lower consumption.
The Steam Deck case that comes with it is great. For the Rog Ally, I use the Iofeiwak carrying case, which is cheap and very good.
The best Steam Deck dock I use is the Jsaux Docking Station 6 in 1, which is great and works with both devices.
For the keyboard, I use the Logitech K380. It's a classic and it works great. I've had it for more than a year and a half and I never changed the battery of the mouse (Logitech M350 Pebble) nor the keyboard.
Both the Steam Deck and Rog Ally have an easy way to change the SSD for storage upgrades.
Or if you want to change the joysticks, it also seems easy on both devices.
If I had to choose a winner I’d say it’s the Steam Deck because of the free case and the wider choice of accessories available.
Software, Compatibility and Emulation on Steam Deck/Rog Ally
The Steam Deck runs on SteamOS, and the Rog Ally uses Windows. Both have their pros and cons.
SteamOS is great for gaming, but Windows offers more versatility for work tasks.
SteamOS has two modes: one mode is Steam Big Picture that is perfect for gaming. You'll feel like you are not using a computer but a console. Very easy to use and intuitive interface. And then there is desktop mode where you can surf the internet and do all sorts of tasks like any other Linux computer.
SteamOS has a built-in catalogue that is pretty complete. You'll be able to easily download almost everything you need to work. I emulated GameCube and PSP games without any difficulty. It was even easier to emulate on Steam Deck than on Rog Ally thanks to EmuDeck. Take into account a version exists for the Ally but it’s only available for Paterons at the moment.
Using SteamOS makes the Steam Deck great at running Steam games, the OS being small and not asking for much power, it makes the best out of the processor it has. The obvious downside is that it's difficult to play games that you may have on other platforms: Uplay, GOG, Epic, GamePass…
The upside is that some older games will have less compatibility issues on SteamOS than on Windows.
Then we have the Rog Ally that is a Windows 11 computer. It's good, it works as it should. It's definitely an experience not as smooth as SteamOS when it comes to playing games (Windows being Windows) but it's not that bad.
I almost never had trouble with it. I'd just advise you to be careful with Windows and their updates that can mess with the drivers. I've had trouble with my WiFi driver being deactivated for some reason.
No winner on this one, the best choice depends on your needs.
Connectivity
Just one USB-C port, for both handhelds. That's not much and that's why you should invest in a dock that gives you all the ports you'd need like USB, HDMI… But just in case, make sure to have a USB-C key with enough space on it to reinstall the OS in case of trouble.
WiFi, Bluetooth, SD card slot, everything works fine. Well, for the SD card slot on the original Rog Ally, take into account many people have had issues with it. I would advise against using it as it can fry the SD you put in it. The one on the Steam Deck works perfectly.
The games I put on the SD card of my Steam Deck were loading almost as fast as games on the Hard Drive.
Because of the SD card issue on Rog Ally, Steam Deck wins this one.
Steam Deck Specs Vs Asus Rog Ally Specs
Resolution: The Steam Deck has a resolution of 1280x800, which is close to 720p, while the Rog Ally has a higher resolution of 1920x1080, making it better for visuals.
Processor: The Rog Ally's AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme is more powerful than the Steam Deck's custom AMD APU, so the Ally is better for demanding tasks and games.
Battery Life: The Steam Deck tends to last longer on battery, especially for less demanding tasks, while the Rog Ally needs charging more often, especially in turbo mode.
Weight: The Rog Ally is lighter at around 608 grams, making it more portable. The Steam Deck is a bit heavier at around 669 grams but feels sturdier and more resistant to physical impacts.
Operating Systems: Steam Deck runs SteamOS, which is great for gaming and some work tasks but limited compared to Windows 11, which the Rog Ally uses, making it better for a broader range of applications.
Ports: Both devices have one USB-C port and a microSD slot, but using a dock is recommended for more connectivity options.
Dave the Diver plays super well on the Rog Ally or the Steam Deck
Which One Is Worth It, SteamDeck or Rog Ally?
I've used the Steam Deck for a year and a half, and the Rog Ally for a year. I worked and played on both a lot and they are still great devices till now.
If I had to choose only one, for my needs, it would be the Rog Ally Z1 Extreme. The reason is simple: Windows.
I have games on several platforms and I use Game Pass. It's things you can't easily do on Steam Deck.
But this answer might not be yours. In my opinion, here are things that the Steam Deck does better:
- Emulation is easier to set up and with how good the Deck is at low voltage, you'll be able to play much longer on it than with the Ally.
- Strategy games can be played on it without a mouse thanks to the trackpad. I used to play a lot of 4X and RTS on Steam Deck and stopped since I'm on the Ally. Using the stick as a mouse is a much harder experience.
- Same as strategy games, playing The Sims 4 is impossible on the Ally without a mouse, but pretty decent on the Deck.
- If you have all your games on Steam and don't care about playing the latest triple-A's on it.
- If the work you want to do is better done on Linux than Windows, then the Steam Deck is worth it. Linux has that edge over Windows to take less RAM and to not update random drivers. It's also easier to debug when you have an issue.
It's important to also take into account the space that each device takes. The Ally is smaller and lighter than the Deck, but the Deck is a bit cheaper and has a free case that comes with it.
If you want to game a lot and don’t care much about working on it, plus if your games are on steam, take the Steam Deck.
If you want something portable and very flexible on the tasks you give it, take the Rog Ally.
Choices are tough and I can't make it for you, but I at least hope I managed to make it easier for you!
Both the Steam Deck and Rog Ally are excellent devices that offer incredible value as portable gaming and work machines. It all comes down to your specific needs and preferences.