Black Ops 6 is the first game to really make me want to drop my Steam Deck for an ROG Ally for Black Friday

A hand holding ROG Ally while it displays STALKER 2.
STALKER 2 on Game Pass is another reason to get an ROG Ally while it's heavily discounted. (Image credit: Rebecca Spear / Windows Central)

I love the Steam Deck. I reserved one the day it was first revealed and was fortunate enough to have mine shipped fairly early on. I've had it for two and a half years now, and it's still the handheld I would recommend to most people. It's just so easy to use, but it has limitations. One of those is that I can't play Black Ops 6 on it. With the ROG Ally at its lowest ever price on both sides of the Atlantic, I'm getting close to pulling the trigger.

ASUS ROG Ally (Ryzen Z1 Extreme, 512GB)Was: $649.99Now: $499.99 at Best Buy ($449.99 w/ My Best Buy Plus)
The Overall Best 💪

ASUS ROG Ally (Ryzen Z1 Extreme, 512GB)
Was:
$649.99
Now:
$499.99 at Best Buy ($449.99 w/ My Best Buy Plus)

"I personally like the ROG Ally quite a lot and find myself wanting to play with it every day. It gives me plenty of freedom to get the Ally doing exactly what I want and access any gaming service I want. I love how light and balanced it feels in my hands, and the fact that it's the only modern gaming handheld that doesn't make my hands cramp up is enormous. Plus, it can run my best PC games rather easily."

Windows Central review ⭐⭐⭐⭐½

✅Perfect for: Those who want the best overall PC gaming handheld without breaking the bank, as this ROG Ally has all the power and features you need at the best price we've ever seen (you also save more with a My Best Buy Plus membership, and everyone gets a free case and Game Pass Ultimate subscription).

❌Avoid if: You want to save as much money as possible or you want the absolute best in every category (the entry-level ASUS ROG Ally and flagship ROG Ally X are both at their best prices ever right now, too).

Display: 7-inch IPS LCD, 16:9 aspect ratio, FHD (1,920 x 1,080) resolution, 120Hz refresh rate, 500nits brightness, multi-touch support. Processor: AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme w/ Radeon graphics. Memory: 16GB LPDDR5 RAM. Storage: 512GB M.2 2230 PCIe Gen 4.0 SSD. OS: Windows 11 w/ ASUS Armoury Crate. Weight: 608g (1.34lbs). Included freebies: Official ASUS ROG Ally Travel Case, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate (3-months), Crunchyroll Premium (60-days). Warranty: 2-year Standard. Launch date: 2023.

👉See at: BestBuy.com

Return period: 15 days. Price match? Yes (Also applies within return period). Free shipping: $35 minimum. Membership: My Best Buy w/ free shipping, exclusive deals, 60-day return period, & expanded support.

💰Price check: $549.99 at antonline

🤩Alternative deal: ASUS ROG Ally (Ryzen Z1, 512GB) for $499.99 $349.99 at Best Buy

I prefer Steam OS, but it can't play Black Ops 6 (or Game Pass titles)

As much as I love the Steam Deck, I can't deny it's just easier to play all my games, especially Game Pass ones like Black Ops 6 on the ROG Ally. (Image credit: Windows Central | Jez Corden)

I flat out prefer Steam OS. The UI is just so much better on a handheld than the current implementation of Windows 11 with custom apps from the likes of ASUS or Lenovo layered over the top. Most of my games are in Steam, too, and it's not a massive issue getting other launchers such as Battle.net or Epic Games on there, either. Linux is almost never the roadblock.

Until it is. And it's usually down to anticheat software, like Ricochet, used in Black Ops 6. Not all anticheat is blocked on Linux, but it's hardly something good, and it's only getting worse. Call of Duty flat out doesn't work on Steam Deck, neither does Fortnite, Destiny 2, and now Apex Legends, a game which had previously been Deck Verified. Mostly I've told myself I don't care, and until Black Ops 6 landed, I honestly didn't.

Black Ops 6 might be what's currently eating up all my gaming time, but it's also re-opened my eyes to how much I use Xbox Game Pass, both on PC and console. Something else I can't do on the Steam Deck unless I either install Windows, or use the cloud. The reason I'm playing Black Ops 6 at all is because it's in Game Pass. I didn't need to drop $70 to then not enjoy it. Maybe I'm getting tight-fisted in my old age, but if a new release isn't on Game Pass, I'm immediately less interested of late.

By all accounts, Black Ops 6 on the ROG Ally seems to be a pretty decent experience, too. It'll run at 60 FPS well enough, thanks to the performance offered by the AMD Z1 Extreme inside, which we already know is a step up from the AMD hardware the Steam Deck uses. It's unlikely to be my go-to for ranked play, but for a chilled out session in Zombies on the couch, I think it'd be ideal.

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The Windows 11 price premium has now gone away

Windows handhelds have always been too pricey for me to consider over my Steam Deck, and now that's all changed. (Image credit: Rebecca Spear / Windows Central)

Even for someone in this business, the ROG Ally, and Lenovo Legion Go, have been hard to justify on price alone. That Windows 11 tax priced them both way above what I paid for my Steam Deck. Black Friday has equalized that, though, meaning I'm now close to pulling the trigger.

That makes the ROG Ally extremely tempting, because it'll be more powerful, have a better display, and have more storage out of the box than my current Steam Deck. I also prefer the stick layout on the ROG Ally, with the offset design used on Xbox controllers something I've come to absolutely need in my life whenever possible. I do with the Ally had touchpads, though, because they'd be more useful there than they are (to me) on the Steam Deck. Windows 11 isn't built for tiny touch displays at all.

I was all but convinced after my time with the ROG Ally X, but the price tag of the newer version was never something I'd be submitting to. Now I can get the original version for 399 in the UK, I don't think I'll be able to hold out for much longer.

My love for the Steam Deck will never go away, but at this price, I'd find it impossible not to recommend the ROG Ally instead. While Windows 11 is more frustrating to use on a handheld, the fact it'll support all the games without workarounds or anticheat related walls makes it a no-brainer.

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Richard Devine
Managing Editor - Tech, Reviews

Richard Devine is a Managing Editor at Windows Central with over a decade of experience. A former Project Manager and long-term tech addict, he joined Mobile Nations in 2011 and has been found on Android Central and iMore as well as Windows Central. Currently, you'll find him steering the site's coverage of all manner of PC hardware and reviews. Find him on Mastodon at mstdn.social/@richdevine

  • simonxliu
    The rog Ally is not worth the switch. I had an OG steam deck and sold it to switch to the rog Ally and was so disappointed by the poor performance at low tdp, overall poor battery life, and lack of the instant sleep/wake function from the steam deck. I recently got the white steam deck oled and see almost no need to use my Ally now.
    Reply