The Steam Deck has been the shining beacon in the handheld gaming market for some time now, however, changes to the increasingly popular ROG Ally series have seen ASUS’s latest variant become more popular amongst handheld gamers.
The handheld gaming console marketplace has erupted over the last few years, with almost every big brand trying to get a piece of the handheld pie. From the current crop, the Steam Deck is arguably one of the most sought-after options – featuring excellent in-game performance, a tonne of emulation potential, and a variety of options that span numerous price points.
However, ASUS’s continued efforts within the handheld space have seen several iterations of its ROG Ally series come to life – with the most recent offering up some impressive new features that are making Steam Deck players turn their heads.
That’s right, Valve could be staring at some serious competition in the ROG Ally X – especially if the positive murmurs around the ROG Ally X from Steam Deck users continue to snowball.
Steam Deck users praise the ROG Ally X performance on Reddit
In a recent Reddit post, several converts from Valve’s Steam Deck to the new ROG Ally X share their thoughts on the new console – making claims like “this is a game changer for me” and “it feels so good to be back with the power of the Ally”.
This all comes off the back of a fairly mixed bag of early reviews from tier-1 publications, with some stating the ROG Ally X is the best handheld gaming console on the market – while others still can’t get past the clunky Windows interface.
That said, there seem to be plenty of positives when comparing the Steam Deck to the ROG Ally X, with many converts enjoying some of the new features the X has to offer.
One Redditor that went from the Ally Z1E to the Deck OLED and now to the Ally X says “It feels so good to be back with the power of the Ally and the full control I have over my game catalog and what not with Windows.”.
It’s interesting to see the wider community discuss some of the features that were slated by reviewers – as it gives us a real taste of what real-world consumers prioritize in their gaming experience. Overall, I think it’s safe to say that ASUS’s ROG Ally X is bridging the gap between ASUS and Valve. Whether the recent updates to the latest version are enough for it to compete with the Steam Deck is yet to be seen – but one thing’s for sure, ASUS seems to be inching closer with each passing variation.
