this post was submitted on 14 May 2024
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Why would anyone buy this instead of a steamdeck?
Because some gamers think windows would be better for this. And maybe a little bit of gamer brand loyalty
Yeah, some folks don't want to tinker and do like to play games with DRM that won't work on Linux. It's also a little more powerful than the Deck.
I love my deck so much that I broke my tinkering with computers outside of work hours rule in order to set up some Steam remote play boxes (HoloISO based) on mini PCs scattered throughout the house so I don't have to be next to my gaming rig to play. I don't really play anything online that has the Windows only DRM so Linux is great for me. But I get it when people have things they want to do and don't have the time, know how, or desire to fuck with their systems.
What's the advantage of the mini PCs over a relatively cheap Android TV with the Steam Link app or even an old Steam Link hardware?
What's the hardware you're using?
I have been doing local streaming from my gaming PC to devices around tbe house (using mostly Steam and Moonlight) for nearly a decade.
I just find the steam stuff maddeningly buggy (setups that worked a month ago suddenly start having some new issue, usually Steam Input or otherwise controller-related). But when things work, it's fantastic. Especially for living room gaming with friends (or my kid)
I've had exactly one problem using the built in remote play with Steam, and that was a bad update that was put out just a few months ago. I've got a few Bee Links with the 680m iGPU (I'm not home to check the model right now) so they were a few hundred bucks apiece which is a huge con for some folks. But that also allows me to play a variety of emulated games and games that aren't graphically intensive locally if someone is streaming from another room.
So if I have a friend with kids over, we can play BG3 couch co-op in the bedroom or garage while the kids play Mario Kart or Hollow Knight in the living room. That's worth it for me.
However, cheap Android TV devices work for a lot of people and I'll never knock them.
OK, that's true for a few places, but why is it true in the majority of casss where people are buying the ROG?
I bought it because I was able to go to Best Buy and trade in my Mac Book for a gift card and walk out with one.
It's got better specs on paper but in practice, my Steam Deck just just about everything without issue, even new games and most games that are "unsupported" (at least as far as I've tried).
Some people might also like the layout better or just be fond of Asus as a company from the good old days when they were actually decent.
Isn't the Ally a lot more expensive than the Deck?
I'd also question this, obviously everyone's familiar with windows but the handheld experience is pretty rough when compared with SteamOS.
Walmart prices:
512 GB Ally: $399
512 GB Steam Deck: $499
To be fair, that's the low power Ally with a pretty significant 20% off sale.
I'm not well educated on the power difference, but a quick google search shows the cheaper Ally gets about 60% the benchmarked performance of the more expensive Ally when plugged in. There's also a significant drop when not plugged in, but less severe (only about a 20% drop in fps). Source
I suppose the real question is how does it compare to a Steam Deck at that price, and if the drop in power is worth the price difference.
iirc they're all similar amd chips but the steam deck has the lowest performance by a small margin. But the steam deck uses less overhead with Linux.
Yeah, those two are debatable at best, but the other points sure make a lot of sense, and definitely have value. I say this as a SteamDeck user who never even considered the Ally for myself.
Because they don't need touchpads and like an asymmetrical layout
Online gaming for certain games. Proton doesn't work with some online DRMs.
As a Steam Deck Expensive Edition owner, I will say the Ally is atleast prettier..
Not that that would be a deciding factor for me, but some people care about that..
Because it's better?
On paper. In practice, meh.
Own both
Ease of use - Ally Graphical capabilities - Ally Battery usage - Steam Deck (because less graphical capabilities) Gaming platforms/launcher availability - Ally Customization and layout - Steam Deck, and it ain't even close.
I love my Ally and my wife loves my Steam Deck. But the Ally is better in all the ways above. I will say the Steam deck is easier to open up for repairs, but not by much
The Steam Deck also isn't made by a shitty company with a shitty warranty. Which puts the Ally on the blacklist.
There's a lot of options in this space, and more coming out. I wouldn't even glance in the Ally's direction right now.
I was just refuting the bit that it's not better off the paper. By all the measures above, it's not "meh" better. The steamdeck could drastically improve by taking some notes in what the Ally does well.
I agree though that Asus isn't a company I choose to do business with first, they just had the best product for what I was looking for.