14 May 2023 , 06:00
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The handheld PC gaming market is slowly growing, and is already bristling with a handful of devices that could give the Steam Deck a run for its money, which has been relatively devoid of competition since it released last year.
The Asus ROG Ally is the latest challenger to the Steam Deck's crown and now that the incredibly appealing leaked price was confirmed during the device's reveal livestream, Valve has really got something to worry about. Asus ROG Ally pre-orders are open ahead of the June release (for the Z1 Extreme version at least) and it'll be interesting to see how many Stream Deck owners are contemplating selling their devices to switch over to the Asus ROG Ally instead.
I was considering the Steam Deck myself for a while, but when the Asus ROG Ally was announced, I was pretty sure I'd be picking it up over the Steam Deck. And now that I've had some hands-on time with the Asus ROG Ally, I'm even more convinced that I'd bought a Steam Deck, I'd be kicking myself right now.
Here's are five reasons the Asus ROG Ally made me glad I never bought a Steam Deck.
1. It's uncomfortable to hold
The Steam Deck for me feels way too big and uncomfortable for my tastes. It's clunky and hard to use, whether that be for long or short periods of time; not due to lack of ergonomic design but because my hands just aren't suited to it.
Steam Deck could be done for with new Asus ROG handheld PC coming soon
I know this isn't the case for everyone, and that many people do find the Steam Deck comfortable, but I am not one of them. The Asus ROG Ally feels perfect in my hands, and I don't find myself having to shift my grip to avoid getting a cramp. It's not even as if you can detach the controller portion like the Nintendo Switch, which also has a bit of an awkward shape. The Joy-Cons are the saving grace. The Steam Deck makes no such compromise and gets a thumbs down from me.
2. No real docked mode
I'm a home body, through and through. I won't be whipping a Nintendo Switch out at a roof terrace party, or whiling away a commute playing the Steam Deck. I like the option of playing handheld for the sheer convenience of it, within the confines of my very cosy house. The Switch is a hydrib-handheld that lets you take the action to the TV, and similarly, the Asus ROG Ally has a feature for when you're playing at home.
Turbo Mode can only be used when the device is plugged in to a 65W charger and it brings a whole new level of performance to the table. So far in our benchmarks, it's has completely blown my expectations out of the park. Obviously, you need to be tethered to a charger as Turbo Mode can eat up to 45W of power.
That's just fine with me, because I'm not inclined to game on the go. The Steam Deck can be docked, but unlike the Nintendo Switch or Asus ROG Ally, it doesn't get imbued with more processing power.
3. SteamOS sucks
Now I don't mean to be fussy, but I am a big fan of familiarit; my first week on Windows after swapping from MacOS was filled with a lot of tears. Being able to pick up the Asus ROG Ally and be met with the same interface as my PC is stress free and eliminates the learning curve that comes with switching operating systems that is, frankly, a huge turnoff.
I don't have any particular issues with SteamOS, other than not being able to seamlessly run any game library. Okay, maybe I do have an issue... But just being able to pick up a new device and not feel like you now have to get used to a new interface is great. Yes, I know this sounds like an old man yells at cloud moment, but it's another strike against the Steam Deck for me.
4. Terrible touchscreen
This might be a controversial take, but in my opinion the only reason people love the trackpads so much on the Steam Deck is because the touchscreen just doesn't work as well as it should. There, I said it. Compare that to the Asus ROG Ally, and we have a touchscreen that just... works! And the Nintendo Switch's touchscreen works like a dream as well.
Being able to get my hands on the Asus ROG Ally, which its functional touchscreen and external interface that isn't marred by having two massive trackpads jammed onto the front is such a nice breath of fresh air. The Steam Deck is uncomfortable and ugly, and the Asus ROG Ally has just highlighted that.
5. It's LOUD
Gaming on the go is already an awkward thing to do for me; it's intimidating pulling a giant Steam Deck out when you're on the train. And to add insult to injury. Valve has also made the Steam Deck as loud as it possibly can when it's running, apparently .
Everyone in the vicinity will be looking over and wondering why on earth your weird laptop with one screen is making more noise than the train. You're there with your headphones on, completely oblivious to the noise, wondering why on earth people won't stop looking at you. Sound familiar?
Asus ROG Ally is a game changer and the Steam Deck can't compete
Even in Performance Mode, the Asus ROG Ally just doesn't get very loud. On top of that, the device also features a Silent Mode, which actually fulfils the promise of being silent.
I will wholeheartedly admit that the Asus ROG Ally isn't the perfect device, and my own testing lines up with other reviews surfacing, in that it doesn't seem like the performance promised by Asus is really there, despite still bringing some particularly smooth and crispy gameplay to the table.
However, in my personal opinion and based on what my needs are, the clear winner here is the Asus ROG Ally. And I'm so glad I didn't buy a Steam Deck!