ASUS’ new cheaper ROG Ally lags behind Steam Deck in performance

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Valve literally reached new heights with the launch of its Linux-based handheld gaming console, the Steam Deck. While it was powerful, ASUS returned the favor with its more capable ROG Ally, launched early this year. 

ASUS’s ROG Ally features the powerful AMD Z1 Extreme chip and runs Windows. The Taiwanese brand had also promised to launch a cheaper version of the ROG Ally with a toned-down standard Z1 chip, which is now official.

Digital Trends has reviewed this cheaper ROG Ally model, and according to the outlet, its performance is nowhere near the original ROG Ally.

Z1 and Z1 Extreme ROG Ally models feature similar battery life 

Digital Trends reports a disappointing performance with this cheaper ROG Ally that even lags behind the Steam Deck. 

The outlet even cited benchmarks for popular games like Cyberpunk 2077, Horizon Zero Dawn, Strange Brigade, and Dying Light 2. The outlet ran the test at 15W using 720p or 800p resolution. 

While the new ROG Ally with the standard AMD Z1 chip should outperform the Steam Deck, Ally’s Z1 chip’s four RDNA 3 cores are going up against Steam Deck’s semi-custom Aerith processor with eight RDNA 2 graphics cores.

The GPU disparity is at least partly to blame for Ally’s lagging performance. 

However, at 15W, the performance between the Ally and the Deck isn’t that significant. Also, the Steam Deck gets pushed to the max while running recent demanding titles like Starfield and Baldur’s Gate 3. 

On the other hand, the Ally may be slightly lagging behind Valve’s console, but it still has the 30W option, where it outperforms the Steam Deck in every possible way at the expense of battery life. 

Unfortunately, the Z1 chip doesn’t fare better than the Z1 Extreme chip in terms of the battery life. So, expect the same four hours with lightweight use, two with high-performing AAA titles at 30fps, and about an hour in Turbo Mode.

So, if you want performance, go for the ROG Ally Z1 Extreme variant, as it provides the best performance possible. On the other hand, Steam Deck would be a better choice if you are on a tight budget due to its better performance and battery life.

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