SteamOS on the ROG Ally X is so good I stopped using my Steam Deck

At a glance:

• SteamOS now fully supports every AMD-based handheld, and the writer has barely touched their Steam Deck since installing it on the ROG Ally X.
• The ROG Ally X offers 24GB of RAM, an 80Whr battery, a 1080p screen with VRR, and an upgradeable SSD — specs the Steam Deck can't match.
• Missing features like native TDP control, Variable Refresh Rate, and rear-button support have all been added to SteamOS on the Ally X, though the fingerprint sensor remains non-functional.

A Steam Deck convert switches to the ROG Ally X

Joe, a longtime technology writer who joined XDA Developers in the spring of 2023 after stints at KnowTechie and SlashGear, has been an early adopter of the Steam Deck since its launch. He credits the device with fundamentally changing how he approaches his Steam library — not just by untethering him from his desk, but by making the SteamOS experience feel fluid enough to rival the integrated feel of a Nintendo Switch. Over time he installed tweaks, add-ons, emulators for retro games, and researched ways to run non-native titles like Minecraft on the handheld.

When Windows-based handhelds flooded the market, Joe experimented with those too, drawn by Game Pass and the large library of non-Steam games he already owned. He kept Steam on one device and Windows on another to separate his gaming workflows, but the Windows experience always left him wishing for less friction — he found himself spending more time updating programs than actually playing. That changed when SteamOS became available for other handhelds. As soon as he installed it on the ROG Ally X, he was hooked again: games that had barely run before now played smoothly thanks to the 24GB of RAM, and the 1080p screen delivered noticeably better visuals.

Why the ROG Ally X edges out the Steam Deck

The Steam Deck was designed to thread the needle between usability and affordability, and it succeeded — but every PC gaming handheld since has shipped with considerably more power and battery capacity. The ROG Ally X beats the Steam Deck across nearly every spec. It carries a larger 80Whr battery (offsetting its less power-sipping APU), a 2TB SSD that can be upgraded to 4TB — something the Steam Deck cannot do because of its smaller SSD format — and a Wi-Fi chip that Joe describes as "much better" than what the Deck offers.

The joysticks on the ROG Ally X also feel better to him, likely because he has been "welded to Xbox-style controllers for years." SteamOS in desktop mode feels snappier on the more capable hardware, and games run better overall. The thicker design of the Ally X, at 290.8 x 121.5 x 50.7 mm and 715 g, is actually preferable for long gaming sessions, even with the added weight. The 1080p screen includes Variable Refresh Rate for smooth frames even when the refresh rate dips below its 120Hz ceiling — a feature that has been added to SteamOS support on the device.

Recent updates have also closed several gaps that previously held the experience back. Native TDP control, Variable Refresh Rate, and the ability to use the rear buttons and the two extra face buttons are now all functional on SteamOS for the ROG Ally X. The few remaining annoyances are mostly cosmetic: the fingerprint sensor in the power button, which was a convenient unlock method under Windows, does not work under SteamOS — though Joe notes that SteamOS boots straight into gaming mode, so the friction it removed is largely irrelevant anyway.

What this means for Valve's hardware strategy

With SteamOS now fully supporting every AMD-based handheld, Joe raises a pointed question for Valve: does the company even need to make a Steam Deck 2? If the operating system runs well on third-party hardware, Valve could instead focus on broadening compatibility — potentially adding support for Intel and Nvidia-based devices in the future, letting users choose their preferred hardware while running the OS they want. The cloud install from the BIOS back to Windows works "like a charm" if he ever wants to switch back, but he suspects he won't.

For now, Joe is content with his renewed ROG Ally X setup, working through what he estimates to be around 1,200 games in his backlog. The combination of SteamOS's polish on more powerful AMD hardware appears to have resolved the compromises that previously pushed him back to Windows on other handhelds — and it has made his Steam Deck collect dust.

Tags

• steam deck
• steamos
• rog ally x
• asus rog
• handheld pc gaming
• amd handhelds