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Portable gaming is all the rage right now.
Keep your games running while on the go with these perfectly portable power banks for your Steam Deck.
Design And Build
The Ally and Deck take distinctly different design approaches.
Asus has crafted the Ally with a minimalist, futuristic aesthetic in mind.
Despite weighing just 608 grams, the Ally feels solidly built.
The polymer rear plate features a unique triangular pattern for extra grip.
With 16GB memory, a fast 512GB NVMe SSD, and features like a 120Hz refresh rate and AI noise-canceling, experience gaming like never before with the Asus ROG Ally.
Its thicker bezels accommodate side grips that your thumbs can rest on.
The Deck’s layout focuses on ergonomics.
Display
The Ally packs a touch-supported seven-inch FHD+ panel with a 120Hz refresh rate.
Having a high refresh rate translates into smoother animations and enhanced gameplay response.
However, it does use a 16:10 aspect ratio which is undoubtedly more suitable for gaming.
In terms of quality, both screens use IPS technology for wide viewing angles and color accuracy.
And yes, the Steam Deck screen is also a touchscreen.
Performance And Gaming Benchmarks
This is where things get really interesting.
The ROG Ally packs the cutting-edge AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme processor.
Built on an optimized 4nm process, it combines Zen 4 CPU cores and next-gen RDNA 3 graphics.
It absolutely blazes through benchmarks.
The processor recorded over 140 fps in GFXBench’s Manhattan test.
For context, the Steam Deck scores around 45 fps on this benchmark.
The Steam Deck isn’t slow by any means though.
It uses a semi-custom APU co-developed with AMD, combining Zen 2 processing power with RDNA 2 graphics.
Basically, this advantage translates directly into games.
You could very easily run modern titles like Cyberpunk 2077 at max controls at 40+ fps.
Valve has also done extensive optimization on the SteamOS side to maximize performance.
Controls
Portable gaming relies heavily on intuitive and responsive controls.
Both Asus and Valve have done an excellent job creating versatile, gamer-friendly input schemes.
The standard buttons and dual analog sticks you would expect are present on both devices.
The clickable joysticks provide excellent tactile feedback.
Ergonomics are also excellent across the board.
Long play sessions are comfortable thanks to the smartly sculpted grips and balanced weight distribution.
At the same time, textured rear surfaces help keep things anchored in your hands.
Either unit can easily be used for three-hour gaming marathons without any issue.
Now, the Steam Deck does add its signature dual trackpads into the mix.
The plus point here is that they work exactly like the trackpads on the Steam Controller.
The Ally skips the trackpads but integrates two rear paddle buttons for key bindings.
Both units support motion controls and gyro aiming as well.
And this is where some key differences emerge.
The ROG Ally runs Windows 11, giving it access to the complete XboxandPC gaming ecosystems.
Any game you own on PC can be installed on the Ally.
Conversely, the Steam Deck uses a Linux-based OS called SteamOS.
This compatibility layer translates Windows games to run remarkably well on Linux.
Battery Life
Both the ROG Ally and Steam Deck are equipped with 40Wh batteries.
That’s roughly 10Wh more capacity than the Nintendo Switch OLED model to give you some perspective.
That’s some seriously fast memory well suited for mobile gaming and multitasking.
Storage is covered by a speedy PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD.
The Steam Deck isn’t quite as bleeding edge spec-wise, but still highly capable.
It also packs 16GB of LPDDR5 RAM, though only clocked at 5500MHz modules.
Internal storage options range from 64GB eMMC, to 256GB, or 512GB PCIe NVMe SSDs.
Both devices also feature microSD card slots for external storage expansion.
The Ally wins out here overall thanks to its super speedy DDR5 memory and PCIe 4.0 SSD.
We got ten affordable Steam games for under $10.
Many are playable on the Steam Deck!
Software
Software experience can make or break a gaming equipment.
Thankfully, both Asus and Valve have crafted streamlined interfaces perfect for handheld play.
The ROG Ally runs Windows 11 out of the box.
The full capabilities of Windows are at your fingertips, perfect for content creation and productivity on the go.
Windows 11 also introduces Auto HDR for enhanced visuals in supported games.
Asus includes Armoury Crate SE, a specialized app for managing your game library.
It automatically scans your system and pulls in games from all sources into one unified interface.
You get handy tools like the ability to monitor system stats and FPS while gaming.
Since it runs SteamOS, the gaming experience on the Steam Deck is more console-like.
The Steam library is front and center.
Valve has optimized the Steam client for handheld play with larger text and controls.
The SteamOS 3.0 is more stable and game compatible as well, all thanks to Proton.
However, for those who want a truly open ecosystem, the Ally would be a wise choice.
Cooling And Thermals
The Steam Deck uses a very clever air cooling system.
There’s minimal throttling even after hours of gaming thanks to the beefy vapor chamber cooler.
Asus equipped the ROG Ally with a similar heatsink and fan cooling array they call “Zero Gravity”.
By orienting the heat pipes vertically, the system can maintain effective cooling whether held horizontally or vertically.
Intelligent power limits also prevent excessive thermal ramp up when gaming unplugged.
Both devices do an admirable job dispelling heat given their compact size.
CPU and GPU speeds stay stable over extended play sessions resulting in consistent performance.
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Verdict
Asus and Valve have delivered two remarkably capable handhelds that redefine mobile gaming.
The ROG Ally pushes performance to the bleeding edge thanks to its Ryzen Z1 Extreme chip.
Triple digit frame rates and max options in the latest AAA games impress.
Meanwhile, the Steam Deck brings desktop-class PC gaming to an affordable and portable form factor.
Its controls and industrial design set new standards for handheld ergonomics.
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of performance can I expect when connecting to external displays?
The Ally can even handle displays up to 8K resolution at 60Hz.
Precision controls like gyro aiming also translate well to the big screen.
Do these handhelds support game modding and customization?
Mods can be downloaded and applied to games with just a few clicks.
Windows 11 on the ROG Ally also allows modding of supported titles, but lacks the seamless Steam integration.
However, the Ally gives you more options for advanced game customization via Windows tools like Hex editors.
For quick mod downloads though, the Steam Deck is king.
Can I use emulators and access my game ROM library on these devices?
ROM libraries and ISO files are accessible on both, although the Ally makes organizing these collections easier.
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