There's just something about Handheld gaming, that for me the portability is key, but also the ability to be very close and personal with the games too. It's like reading a book if you ask me. I don't mind being plugged in to the wall.

I love the touchpads on the Steam Deck. It’s like an Apple Pencil to the iPad….. great addition for when you need it.

The popping sound on the ROG is due to insufficient power for Dolby Surround at lower power profiles. You either have to pump up the wattage, or turn off dolby surround.

Great comparison analysis. Unbiased, highlighting objective points for different users needs/wants. Really helped me to make a confident and informed buying decision. Thank you!

Having owned both, I think the ROG Ally is generally the better gaming experience just given the better internals and screen, but the Steam Deck is the far superior overall user experience. It's so solid and SteamOS is fantastic. The Ally with Windows 11 can be just a buggy mess with tons of annoying quirks.

That intro of combining the ROG and the Steam Deck looked so sick

I have duel boot steam deck and I absolutely love it, it's a great device for the money and I can do anything I want with it, having access to windows as well as steam os makes huge different to me. The best part is that I got 1tb ssd and 512 SD card + the steam deck all for around 365€ and it was absolutely worth it every penny

The image grain looks nice! I like the vibe of the color grading

Just picked up the ROG Ally....the VRR is amazing. The one unique feature on any handheld that was a huge upsell for me to make the decision. The speakers are some of the best I've ever heard. Dolby Atmos was such a nice touch.

Creating different control profiles for each game, creating your own configuration of a weapon wheel, as well as 1 button = long combo with the steam deck it makes it like a great and flexible console. And you get the benefit of emulation in it.

The game gear/game boy comparison is apt, though back then we didnt have the luxury of portable power banks, which i believe is an essential accessory for either device, especially if you regularly travel.

I haven’t tried the steam deck yet but I really like the ROG Ally that I bought so far. Yes I have had some issues with it but the ROG is truly a handheld gaming computer so you’re gonna have weird issues with it like any gaming computer. What I like about the Ally is since it’s a computer you have a lot of flexibility to basically modify it anyway you want.

Just a note to point out i learned from Jayz2cents' video on the ROG. The popping sound comes from the Dolby app. If you disable it that popping goes away. Hope that helps anyone here trying to figure out what's causing that!

I am glad I found your videos. Bought the Steam Deck OLED and am already returning it after having it for 24hrs because it just doesn't do what I want it to do. Plus tried my buddies Asus and find it to be significantly better since I want to play game I like and bought. The SD library is severely hindering and frankly while I am a ComSci major I hate working with Linux based OS for long periods of time since it's just shitty.

The exact video I was looking for. Posted exactly when I needed it. 🎉

Great comparison. The fact that we are at this point in video gaming is not lost on me. Love the Game Gear and Gameboy comparison and something I thought of as well. I am loving my Steam Deck. The fact it is more of a console experience in PC mobile gaming is perfect for me and since I already have a large collection of games on Steam made it a no brainer for me and Valve priced it right. With that said, I just picked up an OLED Switch and I love that as well. Just recently Nintendo had an AMAZING E-shop sale and when you buy a game on the E-shop you just know it will work on the Switch with no problems and and ease of use is a big plus for some. Combine that with the beautiful OLED screen, great battery life, the various modes of play on the Switch not to mention it is one of the few if not only game consoles that comes with 2 controllers and you really appreciate Nintendo's focus on couch, co-op play and I have to say Nintendo Labo is some of the most creative uses of a video game system and cardboard I have ever seen. With that said and for the money. Steam Deck and Switch is the winning combo for me and my family. Thanks again and enjoy those games.

I run windeckos (a modified version of windows) and those touchpads are quite useful. Also running windows can remove not being able to run non-steam games.

A little minor correction I wanted to point out, multiplayer games tend to have trouble running on the steam deck due to their anti-cheat implementations flagging Linux (which SteamOS is built on) and it’s up to the game and anti cheat developers to fix this as valve has no control over this. Other than that I’d say it’s a great comparison

I thought about both of them a lot, and eventually ended up getting the Ally. However, I will say as an avid switch user the battery life of the Ally makes it definitely not a Mobile gaming handheld. What I learned is, it’s primarily meant to be plugged in and disconnected for the short times that you have to be away from power. I feel like the steam deck would have been much more of a switch replacement. As an example, I carry my switch whenever I have to go somewhere and not really worry about battery life I don’t think I can do that for the Ally mostly because the battery life is extremely inconsistent, which is a hallmark of windows.

I own all three as well and they all complement each other. I love my OLED switch as a physical collector but had to get a Steam Deck since I have been using Steam since the release of Half-Life 2, so I have a large digital collection on there. The ROG is great as a handheld PC. Actually watching and typing this out on it right now. I like it for all the games the Steam Deck can't play, and just for doing PC stuff on it. I use all three quite frequently.

Best detailed review yet thanks🧔🏽‍♂️👍🏽

Thank you for this excellent review and analysis. I was a bit on the fence about the Steam but then you mentioned that it leans more toward a traditional console experience. That sold me. I was concerned it was going to be more like how you described the ROG.

For me it's the switch! Family friendly, nintendo software, flexibility by having joy cons that detach, ease of use, battery life. I'm sure those other two are great but still not tempted in getting them.

Dude! Your film look looks awesome!!!

For me I couldn't go without the track pads, since they are absolute life savers when I'm doing stuff in desktop mode and when I'm playing strategy games. Also the ROG ally is a handheld PC with the upsides and downsides of it being a pc, whereas the steam deck is an extremely modifiable console.

The steam deck keeps all the hot air off of the handles. It’s quite hot on certain spots you typically won’t touch

For me I got the 64gb Steam Deck and upgraded it as in total it was $550 Cad for getting a dock, half tb ssd and 256 sd card. The rog ally starts at 900 cad which is way more and while the performance and screen is better it's a great jump in price. The steam deck also has its desktop mode on it which is nice and it just works and as a student who does not have the most time to play videogames having to not deal with problems is nice.

Thanks for the video! Can't wait to see the comparison, been wondering whether to get an Ally myself!

Thank you for this video. I've been in between buying either the ROG Ally or the Steam Deck. You've helped make up my mind. Thank you again.

Wait does that mean with the E GPU setup, I could use the ROG Ally when it’s docked as a 2nd GPU for my PC?

Does the ally have the system level fsr as well? Because that's a life saver when it comes to AAA games.

This is it, after owning both for more than a month this review is the one that articulates what I feel about them both the best.

I have a Sony Playstation 5 I am not getting the portable Playstation Q but I am interested in the steam deck or the Rog Ally . What one would you recommend for a beginner like me. Thank you so much.

is it possible to send a link for the stands holding up the ROG ally and the deck

I usually have my fully charged portable power station with my steam deck 😊 it helps with boosting the setting while I am waiting in the car. Works so well for me

The interesting thing is The New Lenovo Legion Go handheld seems to be a combination of the 3 (Deck. Ally and Switch).

Thanks for the info? I'm confused, other videos said Linux has good compatibility with non steam lunchers. 😅

Excellent comparison video. Also I really love my Steam Deck. Even stock I find it the most attractive handheld on the market. I love my Switch too BUT it's a whole different ball game on the Deck as far as game selection. My next tech purchase is going to the Xreal Air glasses with the Beam adapter. I have an Hawaiian trip in January that it'll be perfect for!

I'm so glad I got the asus rog ally . I haven't boot up my ps5,or xbox for a while .when you have kids it's hard to find time to game . dont get me wrong my daughter is amazing and wouldn't trade her for anything. But now I can get more playing time . Sometimes i take it to work and play during lunch . Or even before go to bed laying down . I was debating getting the steam deck. I'm so glad I went with the asus plays most of the games super smooth and having gamepass games download native was a win factor for me .

Forgot which reviewer figured out the popping with the speakers but it is related to the power allotment in the settings and the dolbe program not working well without enough juice.

Why you don't use tpuchpad on SD? Have you tried adding unlimited radial menu using touchpad? This is what set it apart from other handheld. I play Skyrim, Withcer 3 and some games that requires a lot of shortcut with no hassle.

Im running ps3 and wii u games on steam deck how is that for playing non steam games on steam deck

Honestly think getting the nitro deck for the switch will drastically improve the handled/grip experience. Still not released

Great review!

While I love my Steam Deck, I have had my first issue. The left bumper button isn't clicking and has stopped working. Digging around online I have found many people are starting to have this problem. So much so ifixit now sells the button. But, a major problem is with the bumper button's daughter boards having solder joint problems and breaking. No boards are currently available to purchase. Some say the daughter boards have to be factory calibrated if replaced. RMAing now we will see what happens.

Switch for me, I’ll trade of some performance and graphics for something that is more comfortable, lighter, has longer battery life and simply no issues. Plug and play.

The colors and light in your video look amazing man, but I would tone down the grain a bit. It's a little much😅

At 3:02, gotta say i respect the music choice if thats yours

Dual boot a deck and you blur the lines a lot. I'll upgrade eventually, sure. But the deck + gamepass is a freaking magical combination for some of us.

I have noticed the static on the speakers comes on when I'm playing a AAA game at 10watts once I would go to 15 watts or higher it goes away

Researching for a long time, finally got my Asus ally, hope I made the right decision

Gameboy Vs Game Gear.... Those were the days. Currently in holiday for 3 weeks and have brought my Steam Deck with me, no regrets at all, playing through Borderlands 3 and it's been perfect so far. 2-3 hours play, charge overnight so it's ready for tomorrow.

I wanted to love ROG Ally but after it fried my SD card AFTER all the BIOS updates, I had to return it and get a steam deck, which I'm loving so far. I still sometimes miss the extra power that Ally offered

Each console is best suited for for someone and their preferences. Before the Steam Deck came out, I thought it'd be "the one", but even it has it's couple of drawbacks. In the end I still find myself using my Switch out of most consoles and I plan to buy a Deck with it's upgraded capabilities it had missing on launch. For the time being, I think I'm make use of my Mini PC a bit much longer ☺️

Do both of these devices have access to the steam store?

With the Ally, can I still mod my games as if I was on a desktop?

Anyone know the brand/name of the stand used in the intro?

For me I’d say the ROG ally is the best for me as I have lots of PC games across different stores. Steam Deck is in a close second and Switch very close behind the deck. All of these devices are great

the weird audio pop is the spacial audio thing thats turned on in windows, turning it off and it goes away

Steam Deck push the market where it is now, Allys is nice but if steam deck was not around looking at easy 1200+ system ally system, but Ally force too did push other handheld to match them is like a chain event.

For me the best hand held combo is my rog ally and my switch oled. I sold my steam deck after getting my ally settled in. Its just better all around for me. I dont have to dual boot or mess around with any of that, all of my launchers just work.

I really want rog ally. Is the problem with sd card really that bad?

I'd argue that with just a little bit of tinkering the steam deck gets a lot closer compatibility wise. I've been using the heroic launcher to play GOG and epic games with little to no issues.

I’ll be honest I hooked up my Sony camcorder as an external monitor plus my graphic calculator as my controller and that setup is 10x better than those 2 products and I get way more compliments for how cool it is!

What is the stands used in the video

intro was nutty!

Game Pass is the killer app for me on the ROG Ally. As well as the library of Xbox Play Anywhere titles that give you access to both console and PC versions with cross-progression. Playing on my living room Xbox and then seamlessly transitioning to the ROG Ally really does make it feel like a Switch Pro. But yes, Windows on a handheld is pure jank and an external battery back is highly recommended 😅

I use Steam deck- Emulation Rog Ally- Triple A games / Gamepass machine Switch- Nintendo games(duh but mainly Fire emblem) I love all of them tho I must say the Ally has a lot of work to do to make it feel like not just a small laptop. If the rumors of Microsoft working on a handheld compatible windows then the Ally will be true competition

You can play non-steam games on the steam deck. I just downloaded Minecraft java edition today and added it to my steam library and it runs great!

No mention of how good using trackpads or optical mouse sensors is for god /RTS games. Which console is best for RTS games?

I play a lot of simulator games! I am torn on weather to get a steam deck or a Rog. Does the steam deck play farming simulator 22? I did look at the list of games that plays on the steam deck but farming simulator 22 wasn’t on the list. Also I hear the the Rog will play all games even sims 4 which I loved on my Xbox. Im so confused on which handheld to get. At least I have a couple months to make up my mind😂

For me the Switch is the overall winner here, but it may not be fair to compare the Switch with Theses 2 PC handhelds. I recently got a Steam Deck, and it’s my first time purchasing and playing games from Steam. Overall I’m enjoying the experience. Lastly it seems like you really can’t go wrong with any of these systems. Thanks for the video

as old as the tech is. there is still something about the Switch that I love. every version of the switch feels amazing in the hands and the OLED version just feels like quality in your hands. It has been the console I have played the most in the past year. Mainly for my in between big AAA games each year. The battery life is amazing as well. But when I need a break from or finish games like BG3 or soon to be starfield. I'll for sure be gaming on my Switch.

Can I play online with the ally with a friend if they have a ps5 and I want to game with them

It's amazing how switch can be emulated now. Been playing Diablo 3, SRW 30 and Mario kart 8 deluxe.

I have the Steam Deck. Just having one of these PC handhelds is surreal.

Love the subtle Polyphia hints throughout the video.

Idk but I’m still finding myself using the deck more still

I'm waiting on a Ally 2, as I had nothing but problems with mine, and had to return it. Asus QA on these isn't great with as many of these end up being returned right now. It sucks cause I really wanted to like the Ally.

Ayn Odin 2 needs to be on this list. Let me check this video anyway real quick though.

I see you watching that Polyphia music video at 2:59 Good shit! EDIT: And at 5:32!

I want to buy a steam deck or rog ally I don’t know which one to get

Why include the last-gen switch with the current gen handheld pcs?

Love my Ally aside from the slow download speeds. Seems like I’ve done everything to try and fix it to no avail 😢anyone got any tips?

And on the steamdeck can you use alternative gaming stores like epic

I just got an Ally on the weekend.. My take.. It takes some getting used to. There is room for Asus to tidy up the Armory Crate and handle some of the Windows stuff. 100% recommend a docking station to setup games/system.. Plug in, install games and test using monitor and KB/Mouse then its ready to use as a handheld.. Everything runs great but setup is a hassle. I would say a docking station is so much of a necessity it should come with a basic one. Dont expect to be playing games straight away.

True about the battery I get maybe 4hrs. So I’m going to get a battery pack that good for it.

Not throwing shade, just curious, isn't an "indicative example" redundant?

I'm kind of glad the Ally didn't exist when I was buying a Steam Deck because it would have made the decision so much harder. I am absolutely a bit of a fanboy, but I do think I'd like my Deck either way and the extra stress and potentially cost would have been a lot

Bro why is there film grain in your dawn KZfaq video? I didn't pay for 4k to see grainy content

Out for over a year still no official release in Australia

If I had to pick one, rog ally hands down, even with the minor issues it has(which the SD also had at launch that for some reason everyone has forgotten about). It's more versatile than the SD, I use it as a guest PC for gaming and it works AMAZING. My switch? It collects dust for the most part, I take it out when my friends with kids come over and want to play Mario kart. 🤷

I own both Switch v2 and steam deck. I find myself play Switch much more than SD, like 90:10.

The battery life just isn’t there yet. In a few years when performance and battery is optimised in future revisions of these models I think that’s when they will have mass appeal.

like the grain effect but not the white stuff on the screen

Will you please check this out it sounds crazy for a handheld and I want one [EB]7840U ONEXFLY 64GB + 4TB

I have the ROG Ally + Switch OLED

Anyone had any issues with dead pixels on the steam deck?

What about the Logitech G Cloud?

Well, with the Ally I can install other things as well. Like Netflix, Plex and Game Pass. The freedom of doing that is why I will probably choose the Rog Ally.