Battle of Titans: ROG Ally X VS Steam Deck - And The Winner Is...

Summary

In this video, ETA Prime compares the Steam Deck OLED and the Asus ROG Ally X, focusing on performance, battery life, ergonomics, and display quality. He highlights the Steam Deck's 90Hz OLED display and the Ally X's 120Hz IPS display, both with their unique appeal. The Ally X's superior IO and the Steam Deck's Linux OS are discussed, along with performance tests at a 15W TDP, revealing the Ally X's edge in FPS. Battery life tests show the Ally X's 80Wh battery outperforming the Steam Deck's 50Wh, with considerations given to power management and user preference for the ideal handheld gaming device.

Takeaways

• 🎮 The video is a comparison between the Steam Deck OLED and the Asus ROG Ally X, focusing on performance, battery life, and ergonomics.
• 📱 The Steam Deck OLED is said to be more comfortable for long-term use and features a 7.4-inch 90Hz OLED screen, which is preferred by the reviewer for its quality.
• 🖥 The Asus ROG Ally X has a 7-inch 120Hz IPS display and improved ergonomics over its predecessor, offering a good alternative for those who prefer a 120Hz refresh rate.
• 🔌 The ROG Ally X has more I/O options with two USB Type-C ports, including one with USB 4 protocol, and additional features like a fingerprint scanner and Micro SD card slot.
• 💻 Both devices have powerful specs, with the Steam Deck OLED having a custom AMD APU and the ROG Ally X featuring a Ryzen Z1 Extreme CPU and a more advanced iGPU based on RDNA 3.
• 💾 Storage options vary, with the Steam Deck OLED offering 512GB or 1TB SSDs, while the ROG Ally X is available in a 1TB variant and can be upgraded to 8TB.
• 🔋 The Steam Deck OLED has a 50Wh battery with 45W fast charging, while the ROG Ally X has an 80Wh battery capable of 100W fast charging.
• 🔋 In terms of battery life, the Asus ROG Ally X outperforms the Steam Deck OLED, especially when considering its larger battery capacity and power management optimizations.
• 💰 The Steam Deck OLED is the more affordable option, with a significant price difference compared to the ROG Ally X.
• 🛒 The choice between the two devices ultimately depends on personal preference, whether it's the operating system, display type, or price point.
• 📊 Performance tests conducted at a 15W TDP show the ROG Ally X generally achieving higher average FPS across tested games, though the Steam Deck OLED offers better frame pacing in some titles.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the video by ETA Prime?

The main focus of the video is a comparison between the Steam Deck OLED and the Asus ROG Ally X, covering aspects such as performance, battery life, ergonomics, and personal preferences.

Which handheld device does ETA Prime find more comfortable to hold for longer periods?

ETA Prime finds the Steam Deck OLED more comfortable to hold for longer periods due to its design and screen.

What is the refresh rate of the Steam Deck OLED's screen?

The Steam Deck OLED has a 90 Hz refresh rate.

What are the main differences in screen technology between the Steam Deck OLED and the Asus ROG Ally X?

The Steam Deck OLED features a 7.4-inch OLED screen with a 90 Hz refresh rate, while the Asus ROG Ally X has a 7-inch 120 Hz IPS display.

What is the significance of the IO (Input/Output) ports in the comparison between the two devices?

The Asus ROG Ally X has more IO options, including two USB Type-C ports, one of which is a USB 4 port, providing flexibility for connecting peripherals like an eGPU.

What are the main specifications of the Steam Deck OLED's AMD APU?

The Steam Deck OLED's custom AMD APU has four cores, eight threads, and can run up to 3.5 GHz.

How does the Asus ROG Ally X's Ryzen Z1 Extreme processor compare to the Steam Deck OLED's AMD APU in terms of cores and threads?

The Asus ROG Ally X's Ryzen Z1 Extreme processor has eight cores and 16 threads, with a higher clock speed of up to 5.1 GHz compared to the Steam Deck OLED's 3.5 GHz.

What are the storage options available for the Steam Deck OLED?

The Steam Deck OLED is available with either a 512 GB SSD or a 1 terabyte SSD, but it uses the more expensive 2230 M.2 SSD form factor.

How does the battery life of the Asus ROG Ally X compare to the Steam Deck OLED in terms of capacity and charging capabilities?

The Asus ROG Ally X has an 80 watt-hour battery with support for up to 100 Watts charging, while the Steam Deck OLED has a 50 watt-hour battery with up to 45 W quick charging.

What is the difference in weight between the Steam Deck OLED and the Asus ROG Ally X?

The Steam Deck OLED is lighter, weighing 640 grams, compared to the Asus ROG Ally X, which weighs 678 grams.

How does the pricing of the Steam Deck OLED compare to the Asus ROG Ally X, and what is the potential savings?

The Steam Deck OLED is cheaper, with a 512 GB unit priced at $549 and a 1 TB unit at $649, while the Asus ROG Ally X with a 1 TB drive starts at $799. Choosing the 512 GB Steam Deck OLED over the Ally X could save $250.

What is the performance difference between the two devices when tested with games like Shadow of the Tomb Raider and Horizon Zero Dawn?

In the benchmarks for Shadow of the Tomb Raider, the Asus ROG Ally X had an average of 57 FPS, while the Steam Deck OLED had 45 FPS. In Horizon Zero Dawn, the Ally X achieved an average of 79 FPS, and the Steam Deck OLED had 60 FPS.

How does the frame pacing in Red Dead Redemption 2 compare between the Asus ROG Ally X and the Steam Deck OLED at a 15 watt TDP?

The Asus ROG Ally X experienced some stuttering with a minimum of 8 FPS in the benchmark, while the Steam Deck OLED had a minimum of 24 FPS, indicating better frame pacing.

What are the average power draw and estimated runtime for the Steam Deck OLED and Asus ROG Ally X when playing Hades 2 at 720p High settings?

The Steam Deck OLED, with a 50 watt-hour battery, drew 7.3 watts for an estimated runtime of 6 hours and 50 minutes. The Asus ROG Ally X, with an 80 watt-hour battery, drew 8.2 watts for an estimated runtime of 9 hours and 45 minutes.

Which device performed better in terms of battery life during the higher TDP usage test with Cyberpunk 2077?

The Asus ROG Ally X performed better with an average power draw of 22.1 watts compared to the Steam Deck OLED's 23 watts, indicating a more efficient battery usage.

What is the conclusion of the video regarding the choice between the Steam Deck OLED and the Asus ROG Ally X?

The conclusion is that the choice depends on personal preference. If one prefers a higher price point with Windows, a 120 Hz display, and an 80 watt-hour battery, the Asus ROG Ally X is recommended. For those who prefer an OLED display, a Linux operating system, and a lower price point, the Steam Deck OLED is a great choice.

Outlines

00:00

🕹️ Showdown: Steam Deck OLED vs. Asus ROG Ally X

In this video, ETA Prime compares the Steam Deck OLED and the Asus ROG Ally X, focusing on performance, ergonomics, and personal preference. The presenter finds the Steam Deck OLED more comfortable for extended use and prefers its 7.4-inch 90Hz OLED screen over the ROG Ally X's 7-inch 120Hz IPS display. The video also covers input/output options, with the ROG Ally X having more ports, including a USB 4 port for connecting an eGPU. Both devices have powerful specs, but the ROG Ally X has a higher-end Ryzen Z1 Extreme CPU and more RAM. The Steam Deck OLED offers options for 512GB or 1TB SSDs, while the ROG Ally X is available with only a 1TB SSD but can be upgraded to 8TB. The video discusses the pricing, with the Steam Deck OLED being the cheaper option, and the potential for Valve to make up the difference through game sales.

05:01

🔋 Performance & Battery Life Benchmarks

ETA Prime conducts performance tests on both the Steam Deck OLED and the Asus ROG Ally X at a 15W TDP to ensure a fair comparison. The games tested include Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Horizon Zero Dawn, Forza Horizon 5, Red Dead Redemption 2, and Cyberpunk 2077, all at 720p resolution. The ROG Ally X generally outperforms the Steam Deck OLED in terms of average FPS, although the difference in performance is not drastic. The video also compares the battery life of both devices, with the Steam Deck OLED having a 50Wh battery and the ROG Ally X an 80Wh battery. The Steam Deck OLED shows impressive power management with lower wattage draw during gameplay, resulting in longer runtimes for less intensive games like Hades 2.

10:03

🏆 Battery King & Final Verdict

The final part of the video focuses on battery life tests for more intensive games like Cyberpunk 2077 and the overall verdict on which handheld to choose. The Asus ROG Ally X is crowned the new 'battery king' due to its larger 80Wh battery and efficient hardware optimizations, offering longer runtimes even at higher TDP settings. The video concludes by reiterating that the choice between the Steam Deck OLED and the ROG Ally X depends on personal preferences, such as the desire for a Windows OS, a 120Hz display, or a more affordable option with a beautiful OLED screen and Linux OS support.

Keywords

💡Steam Deck OLED

The Steam Deck OLED is a handheld gaming device developed by Valve Corporation. It features a 7.4-inch OLED screen with a 90 Hz refresh rate, which is considered superior in terms of display quality compared to the ROG Ally X. In the video, the presenter compares the Steam Deck OLED's performance, battery life, and ergonomics with the ROG Ally X, highlighting the device's comfort for extended use and its impressive screen technology.

💡ROG Ally X

ROG Ally X is a gaming handheld developed by ASUS, which is compared against the Steam Deck OLED in the video. It has a 7-inch 120 Hz IPS display and has been improved in terms of ergonomics from its predecessor. The video discusses its performance capabilities, I/O options, and battery life, positioning it as a competitor to the Steam Deck OLED in the handheld gaming market.

💡Performance

Performance in this context refers to the capability of the handheld devices to run games smoothly, which is measured by frame rates (FPS) and overall system responsiveness. The video script includes performance tests for several games, comparing the FPS of the Steam Deck OLED and the ROG Ally X at a set TDP (Thermal Design Power) to ensure a fair comparison.

💡Battery Life

Battery life is a critical aspect of handheld devices, indicating how long they can operate without needing to be charged. The video discusses the battery capacities of both devices, with the Steam Deck OLED having a 50Wh battery and the ROG Ally X having an 80Wh battery, and provides insights into their respective runtimes based on power draw during gameplay.

💡Ergonomics

Ergonomics refers to the design of a product to ensure it is comfortable and efficient to use. The video mentions that the ROG Ally X has improved ergonomics over its predecessor, which is an important factor for handheld gaming devices that are used for extended periods.

💡I/O Ports

I/O ports are the physical interfaces on a device that allow for the connection of external peripherals or accessories. The video highlights the ROG Ally X's I/O options, which include two USB Type-C ports and other connectivity features, giving it an advantage in terms of expandability and versatility compared to the Steam Deck OLED.

💡Custom AMD APU

The custom AMD APU (Accelerated Processing Unit) in the Steam Deck OLED is a combination of CPU and GPU on a single chip, designed to provide sufficient processing power for gaming. The script discusses its specifications, including the number of cores, threads, and clock speed, which are key to understanding its performance capabilities.

💡RDNA 2 and RDNA 3

RDNA 2 and RDNA 3 are AMD's graphics architectures used in their integrated GPUs. The video compares the Steam Deck OLED's RDNA 2-based iGPU with the ROG Ally X's RDNA 3-based iGPU, noting the differences in compute units and clock speeds, which affect the graphical performance of the devices.

💡LPDDR5 Memory

LPDDR5 is a type of low-power, high-speed memory used in mobile devices. The video script mentions the different capacities and speeds of LPDDR5 memory in both devices, which is crucial for their overall performance, especially in gaming where quick data access is important.

💡Storage

Storage refers to the physical or virtual space available on a device for saving data, applications, and games. The video discusses the storage options for both devices, including the types of SSDs used and their capacities, which is an important consideration for users who want to carry a large library of games on their handheld.

💡Frame Pacing

Frame pacing is the consistency of frame rates in a video or game, which affects the smoothness of motion. The video script notes the differences in frame pacing between the Steam Deck OLED and the ROG Ally X when playing certain games, indicating how one device might offer a smoother gaming experience over the other.

Highlights

The Steam Deck OLED has a 7.4-inch, 90 Hz OLED display, which is praised for its comfort and visual quality.

The ASUS ROG Ally X features a 7-inch, 120 Hz IPS display and enhanced ergonomics over the original ROG Ally.

The ROG Ally X offers more I/O options, including two USB Type-C ports, a fingerprint sensor, and a Micro SD card slot.

The Steam Deck OLED uses a custom AMD APU with four cores and eight threads, while the ROG Ally X features the Ryzen Z1 Extreme with eight cores and 16 threads.

The Steam Deck OLED includes a 1280x800 resolution screen with VRR and HDR support, while the ROG Ally X has a 1080p display.

Battery life comparisons show the Steam Deck OLED's 50W hour battery is more efficient for lower wattage games, but the ROG Ally X's 80W hour battery excels at higher power usage.

The ROG Ally X generally outperforms the Steam Deck OLED in gaming benchmarks, especially at higher TDP settings.

The ROG Ally X supports USB 4 protocol and eGPU connections, providing additional versatility.

The Steam Deck OLED is lighter at 640g compared to the ROG Ally X's 678g.

Price comparison: The Steam Deck OLED starts at $549 for 512GB, while the ROG Ally X starts at $799 for a 1TB model.

In performance tests, the ROG Ally X averaged higher FPS in games like Shadow of the Tomb Raider and Horizon Zero Dawn.

Despite having a larger battery, the ROG Ally X showed slightly better power management in high TDP games like Cyberpunk 2077.

The Steam Deck OLED offers better frame pacing in some games, such as Red Dead Redemption 2, compared to the ROG Ally X.

Both devices provide different benefits: the Steam Deck OLED has a superior display and lower price, while the ROG Ally X offers better performance and more features.

The choice between the two handhelds depends on personal preference for display quality, operating system, and performance needs.

Transcripts

what's going on everybody it's ETA Prime

back here again today we've got a nice

little showdown between the Steam deck

OLED and the allnew Asus R

allyx in this video we're going to be

taking a look at performance between

these two devices we're also going to be

taking a look at battery life here and

you know when it comes down to it if you

like the feel of one over the other I

mean it's really up to you it is a bit

subjective but I'll tell you right off

the bat I personally think that the

steam deck OLED is more comfortable to

hang on to for longer periods of time

and I do like the screen better because

we've got that 90 HZ OLED and it is a

bit bigger coming in at 7.4 in now it's

not to say that the Rog Ally X is an

uncomfortable handheld they've really

upgraded the ergonomics here over the

original Rog Ally and the screen has

stayed the same which is been one of my

favorites for an IPS display and it's a

great display 7 in 120 HZ IPS but you

know as soon as valve release the steam

deck OLED with that beautiful 90 hzz

OLED display it's really hard to go back

it's just an absolutely beautiful

display but you know that's my opinion

and other people might feel differently

about this some people may want that 120

HZ IPs over the OLED I mean it's really

subjective and it's really going to come

down to personal preference but when it

comes to Performance and battery life

this is something that we can actually

really measure here next thing I wanted

to talk about was IO and with the Rog

iix we do have two USB type-c ports one

is a USB 4 port with 40 gig protocol so

we can connect an egpu quite easily

we've got another USB type-c 3.2 and

both of those will do video out 3.5 mm

audio jack fingerprint SL power button

and a Micro SD card in my opinion Rog

Alx wins in this department love having

a little extra io on my handh

house taking a look at the overall specs

between the two for the uh steam deck

OLED we've got that custom AMD Apu with

four course eight threads up to 3.5 GHz

and of course in the Rog Alx we've got

that ryzen Z1 extreme eight cores 16

threads up to 5.1 the igpu and the OLED

is based on rdna 2 it's got eight

compute units and runs at 1.6 GHz when

we take a look at the X we've got an

rdna 3 igpu basically the 78m with 12

compute units up to 2700 MHz 16 GB of LP

ddr5 at 6400 MHz in the OLED they've

upgraded the X to 24 gigs of LP ddr5 X

at 7500 MHz when it comes to storage the

OLED can be picked up with either a 512

GB SSD or a 1 terabyte from the factory

but this does utilize the 2230 m.2 SSD

which are a bit more expensive than the

2280 used in the Lix we can only get

that in a single variant right now one

tbte but you can upgrade to 8 tabt in

this unit again I personally do like the

OLED screen better than the Rog Ally

It's a 90 HZ 7 7.4 in OLED that looks

really good it's got a lower resolution

coming in at 1280 by 800 but with what

they've done here vrr and HDR it's

definitely one of the best displays on

the market for a handheld right now X

has that 7in 120 HZ IPS with prync Wi-Fi

6 and Bluetooth 5.3 on the olad Wi-Fi 6E

and Bluetooth 5.2 on the X the olad has

a 50w hour battery with up to 45 W quick

charging the new Lix has an 80 wat

battery and this can actually be charged

at up to 100 Watts if you have the

correct charger the OLED is coming in

lighter than the X at 640 G versus at

678 and of course pricing so the olad is

going to come in cheaper than the Rog

Alx you can get a 512 GB unit for 5.49

or the 1 tbte for $6.49 the Ally base

price on this with a 1 tby Drive

$7.99 so let's just say between these

two you were looking for the cheapest

option you would go with the 512 GB

steam deck OLED and in this case instead

of buying the alliax you would actually

save

$250 if you bought the 1 TB OLED it's

$150 difference once you pick up the

steam deck you're going to be on their

platform buying games from them so they

can make it up on the back end it's kind

of like getting a you know a free razor

you get the first one for free but then

you got to buy those $15 refill

packs now I want to jump into some

performance testing and again I'm going

to keep this fair I have set the Rog Alx

at a 15 wat TDP just to be exactly the

same as the steam deck OLED if I was to

run the Alx at let's say a 25 watt TDP

it would outperform the steam deck OLED

and all of the games were going to test

so I wanted to keep this as Fair as

possible again for all of these games we

went down to 720p just to make it fair

for both of these units here as you know

steam deck got an 800p display it's a 16

by10 aspect ratio Rog has a 1080p

display at a 16x9 aspect ratio so I

figured we'd meet right there 720p

built-in Benchmark for shadow of the

Tomb Raider medium settings no Fidelity

cast so we're not using any kind of

scaling here it is native 720 at the end

of this Benchmark the Rog Ally did come

ahead with an average of 57 and the

steam deck is right there with an

average of 45

FPS next up we've got Horizon zero Dawn

720p medium FSR is set to balance and

we've got a 15w TDP set on the Rog allyx

we can go up from there and get better

performance but I wanted to keep this

Fair because after all the steam deck

OLED can only go up to 15 watts and at

the end of this Benchmark on the Rog Alx

we had an average of 79 FPS and on the

steam deck OLED we had an average of 60

and if you take a look down the list for

that CPU FPS and the GPU FPS you can see

that the Alx is well ahead of that steam

deck

olad Che checking out for of horizon 5

720p medium with no scaling I really do

think that it actually renders at a

lower resolution than 720p on the steam

deck if you take a look at the menus and

everything like that you know the text

is barely legible in this game it's a

really odd thing going on and I've

noticed it since launch of the original

steam dag but either way we're set up

the exact same way and at the end here

the Alx came ahead with an average of 64

and the steam deck OLED sitting at

54 Red Dead Redemption 2 was another one

I wanted to test here where at 720p low

FSR is set to balance and I do notice a

lot of stuttering at a 15 wat TDP on the

Rog Alx with this game not in gameplay

but with the Benchmark itself and you'll

see exactly what I'm talking about frame

pacing here with the steam deck OLED is

definitely much better at least with

this game here the r allyx had a minimum

of 8 FPS and if you take a look at the

steam deck OLED minimum of 24 maximum of

101 one on the X maximum of 67 on the

steam deck and across the board our

average over on the Alli X was 53

average on the OLED steam deck

51 which would mean while playing this

game at a 15 watt TDP on the allix you

would probably experience a few stutters

here and there versus what the steam

deck can put out with that really good

frame

pacing and the final one we have here is

cyberpunk 2077 720p Steam deck preset

and I believe at that preset it does set

FSR to balance I'd have to double check

but yeah I mean we've got the same exact

settings here looking pretty decent on

both of these given the wattage that

we're running at and it looks like with

that Rog Alx we had an average of 46. 38

on the steam deck OLED

41.3 and the minimum here on the allix

was a bit better than the steam deck

OLED but you know you see that maximum

there was just one FPS higher overall I

mean at a 15 watt TDP between both of

these devices you could definitely play

your favorite games and have a pretty

good time with it but of course with

what I've tested here the Lix did come

ahead at least when we're talking about

average FPS across the

board when it comes to battery light the

steam deck OLED has definitely been on

top we've got a 50w hour battery very

low draw especially when you consider

these indie games right now I've got

Hades 2 running at 720p High settings

50% screen brightness wide Wi-Fi

Bluetooth on 60 HZ refresh rate on

average we've got a total draw from that

battery of 7.3 wats and remember we've

got a 50w hour battery here so yeah I

mean we can expect some really good

runtime out of a game like this valve's

power management with the steam deck

OLED has been absolutely amazing but

let's go ahead and check out what the

Rog allyx is

doing same game Hades 2 50% screen

brightness Wi-Fi Bluetooth on 60 HZ

refresh rate I've also got the RGB off

so we're using the same settings that we

had on the olad and we're pulling on

average 8.2 Watts so a little under one

watt difference between the OLED and

this and I'm sure if we went through

tweaked a few things here and there we

could probably see less wattage on both

of these devices but these are just kind

of basic settings that we're using right

now and I got to say through my testing

with the new Alx Asus has really come

through with power management I do have

a feeling we'll see a little better

performance down the road when it comes

to battery draw but this is actually

really good especially given that we've

got an 80w hour battery

here the next thing I wanted to take a

look at was just a higher TDP usage

cyberpunk 2077 720p steam deck preset

same settings so we're at 50% screen

brightness Wi-Fi Bluetooth on 60 HZ

refresh rate on the steam deck OLED

we're pulling an average of 23 Watts

from that battery on the Rog Lix

22.1 watts in total so it's actually one

watt less for the Ally this time around

so getting a feel for battery life with

these tests is actually pretty easy

Hades 2 720p High 50% screen brightness

on both of these steam deck OLED with

that 50w hour battery drawn 7.3 watts in

total looking at about 6 hours and 50

minutes of runtime and when it comes to

that Rog Alx even though it's pulling

just a bit more wattage with Hades 2

we've got an 80 Wat hour battery 9 hours

and 45 minutes as we saw I also tested

out cyberpunk 2077 720p steam deck

preset on the OLED with the 50w hour

battery it's drawn 23 Watts on average

so we can get around 2 hours and 10

minutes out of it and on the Rog Alx

22.1 Watts looking at about 3 hours and

35 minutes so at that 15w TDP it

definitely looks like we've got a new

battery King and it really comes down to

just having that much larger battery in

this device plus Asus has done a lot of

Hardware optimizations to the new Rog

Lix so the winner is the handheld you

choose to buy in the end it's really up

to you do you want to spend a little

more money on the Alx have Windows that

120 HZ display 80w hour battery and the

ability to up that TDP and get even

better performance than we saw in this

video then I would go with the Rog Alx

or if you want a beautiful OLED display

Linux operating system great support

from valve and coming in at a lower

price point than the steam deck OLED

would be a great choice for you but

that's going to wrap it up for this

video I really appreciate you watching

just kind of wanted to give you an idea

of what both of these things can do at

that 15 wat TDP uh Asus has definitely

come a long way with the new Rog Alx

yeah it is a bit pricier and it runs

windows out of the box you could always

install Linux if you want to or you

could just go with the steam deck and

you know be rest sure that you're going

to get great support out of this device

if you've got any questions or you want

to see anything else running on either

one of these handhelds just let me know

in the comments below like always thanks

for watching