The Asus ROG Xbox Ally represents Microsoft's partial response to Valve's popular Steam Deck, positioning the pair as key competitors in the handheld gaming space. Typically, the Steam Deck holds the edge in affordability, but the discontinuation of its entry-level variant combined with a $100 price cut on the Ally—bringing it to $499.99—makes the Windows-based device the more budget-friendly option at present.
This deal applies to the white edition of the Asus ROG Xbox Ally, powered by AMD's Ryzen Z2 processor. The black counterpart, featuring an 'X' designation for enhanced Xbox integration, includes a more powerful processor, additional memory and storage, plus other upgrades, yet it remains at $1,000 without any reduction.
Priced at $500, the white Ally undercuts the mid-tier Steam Deck OLED by $50, while boasting a more recent APU, a display with higher refresh rate and resolution, a larger battery, and quicker charging capabilities. It matches the Steam Deck in areas such as 16GB RAM, 512GB internal storage, and support for MicroSD expansion.
Although the Steam Deck's components are aging, its $550 configuration delivers a marginally bigger OLED panel, dual touchpads for precise input, and SteamOS—a customized Linux system that handles Windows titles effectively via emulation software—rather than Windows 11. Despite Microsoft's efforts to optimize a controller-friendly interface for handhelds, most experts agree SteamOS provides a better gaming experience overall, even accounting for occasional compatibility hurdles.
For accessing a broader range of Windows-exclusive titles, particularly online multiplayer experiences requiring deep system-level security measures, the Xbox Ally stands out as the preferable choice.
The $100 savings on the ROG Xbox Ally is available through Best Buy, with no details on its duration. Those considering a purchase should act promptly to take advantage.