Asus has released a new handheld gaming PC that has been making waves in the gaming community. The Asus ROG Ally is the most powerful handheld gaming PC in the market right now. It is also impressive that Asus has managed to make Windows 11 an eminently usable operating system for a device with a 7-inch screen. The gaming performance of the ROG Ally is the most gratifying part of the device. It delivers a fantastic gaming experience, running most games easily at 1080p, and those that don’t will likely be fixed once we start getting regular driver updates from either Asus or AMD for its impressive Z1 Extreme APU.
Valve Steam Deck
Valve has also released its handheld gaming PC, the Steam Deck. The Valve Steam Deck has been making headlines since its announcement. Valve has played it smart by releasing three different SKUs of the Deck, with only storage being the differentiating factor between them.
Pricing and Specs
The top-end 512GB Valve Steam Deck is priced at $649, while the 512GB ROG Ally is priced at $699. The price gap makes it practically impossible to recommend the Valve device. However, the other two Deck options are still worth a look. At $529, the 256GB Deck still feels pretty close to the ROG Ally in pricing, but it comes with a carry case that Asus is not providing for its own handheld.
The 64GB eMMC Steam Deck
The 64GB eMMC Steam Deck is still calling out to buyers. You still get a carry case with it, and it’s still the exact same performance hardware inside the machine. Third party 2230 SSDs are super cheap right now, and a 256GB Sabrent Rocket 2230 drive comes in at just $50. So, for $449 all in, you can have yourself a 256GB Deck with an $80 saving.
The Asus ROG Ally is still in pre-order and isn’t actually on sale until June 13. The Valve Steam Deck is still relevant even in the face of this new generation of more powerful devices. The Deck also has a better battery life with that weaker APU, and SteamOS is built specifically for the hardware, which makes it better integrated. Sure, you have to rely on Proton to support all your games, but it’s seriously good value. The Steam Deck is not finished, not by a long shot.
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