The Nintendo Switch is the most popular modern gaming handheld by a vast margin — and one of the most popular handhelds of all time. It has more competition than ever before in 2023, though, making what used to be an easy purchase decision more nuanced and complicated. So hold off on clicking that little "buy" button on the Nintendo Switch in your cart, because one of its best competitors may end up being the better gaming handheld for you: the Windows-powered ASUS ROG Ally.
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ASUS ROG Ally versus Nintendo Switch
At first glance, it may seem like attempting to compare the ASUS ROG Ally to the Nintendo Switch is a fool's errand, given the obvious (and massive) differences between the two, but the reality is that both of these unique consoles are some of the best gaming handhelds you can buy today. ASUS and Nintendo may have very different ways of building a gaming handheld, but that just makes it more important to ensure you're making the right purchasing decision.
To make this as simple as possible, I'm going to split this comparison into three parts: hardware, software, and games. In all three categories, the ROG Ally and Switch differ in a variety of aspects that may influence which handheld is the best for your needs, and the results here may surprise you. Here's a quick summary of the most important info, but you can keep scrolling for more information.
- Price — The Nintendo Switch starts at $199.99 for the stripped back Lite model with 32GB and storage and goes up to $349.99 for the OLED model with 64GB of storage. The ASUS ROG Ally starts at $599.99 (on sale now for $449.99 at Best Buy) for the AMD Ryzen Z1-powered model with 512GB of storage and goes up to $699.99 (on sale now for $619.99 at Best Buy) for the AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme-powered model with 512GB of storage
- Hardware — The Nintendo Switch is smaller, lighter, and thinner than the ROG Ally, and the removeable Joycons feature advanced motion controls. The ROG Ally is more ergonomic, features more controls, is significantly more powerful, boasts louder speakers, and has a higher resolution and more responsive display
- Battery life — The Nintendo Switch OLED boasts approximately 4-5 hours of battery life when gaming. The ASUS ROG Ally struggles to reach much higher than 2 hours of gaming before tapping out
- Software — The Nintendo Switch runs a custom OS that is very closed down and specific to the Switch hardware, ensuring compatibility and responsiveness. The ROG Ally runs Windows 11 Home 64-bit, giving users far more freedom and control over the experience at the cost of more issues and awkward scenarios
- Games — The Nintendo Switch features a vast library of exclusive Nintendo titles, indie games, and older AAA titles. The ROG Ally dwarfs that library with access to most of PC gaming, including various marketplaces, subscriptions like PC Game Pass, cloud gaming, and emulators
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When it comes to hardware, the ROG Ally and Switch are different in everything but general form factor: a small screen set between split controls. The Switch is sleek and slim, and is the smallest out of the biggest mainstream gaming handhelds you can buy today, while the ROG Ally is much larger, being roughly 30% heavier and 50% thicker. Despite the differences, though, the ROG Ally is actually more comfortable in some respects, thanks to the sizeable grips on either side (versus the totally flat Joycons of the Switch) and more ergonomic placement of the controls. You also get some pretty impressive speakers on the ROG Ally and customizable RGB lighting.
Let's talk about those controls, though: the Switch's Joycons are removeable (and replaceable, giving you a degree of customization), and boast an accelerometer and gyroscope for advanced motion controls, which can be used to great effect in some games. However, the Joycons aren't very comfortable to use attached or unattached to the Switch, and are notorious for developing stick drift issues over time. On the other hand, the ROG Ally's controls are built into the headset, mostly mirroring the layout of a standard Xbox controller. You get deeper triggers and better button actions than the Switch, plus some additional customizable buttons on the back for extra control.
Between those controls is the display. Depending on your model, the Switch may have a 6.2-inch, HD 720p IPS LCD display or a 7-inch, HD 720p OLED display. The former is below average compared to other gaming handhelds, but the OLED display on the most expensive model (which is still cheaper than the ROG Ally) is a fantastic screen with great colors. However, the Switch is always limited to 60Hz, and many of its games don't even reach that. The ROG Ally boasts a crisper 7-inch, FHD 1080p IPS LCD display that looks amazing and boasts a 120Hz refresh rate with variable refresh rate (VRR), helping games take better advantage of the ROG Ally's hardware to look as good and play as smooth as possible.
Finally, let's talk about those internals. The Switch is... Okay. The custom NVIDIA Tegra processor has been a solid platform for Nintendo for years now, but it's really showing its age in 2023 with modern AAA games. The ROG Ally is powered by an AMD Ryzen Z1 (or more powerful Z1 Extreme), which is designed for gaming handhelds and delivers significantly more power to play all the best PC games. The ROG Ally completely blows the Switch out of the water when it comes to sheer power, and is better prepared to play games for years to come without resorting to the cloud streaming that is becoming more common on Switch with more graphically intensive games. It can play more games, with better visuals, higher resolutions, and higher framerates.
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Hardware-wise, the ROG Ally mostly bests the Nintendo Switch on paper, but that's just one part of the experience. The differences in software are going to be more subjective, depending on your desires in a gaming handheld. The Switch runs an entirely custom OS built just for Nintendo's handheld console — it's responsive and easy to use, perfectly tied to the Switch's hardware and capabilities for a reliable and predictable experience. It's also light on features and gives you very little control over it.
The ASUS ROG Ally runs full-blown Windows 11, with all of its features, freedom, and oddities in tow. You can customize basically every aspect of the ROG Ally's software experience, and the Windows foundation opens the door to run practically any game, application, or program you want without much fuss. The user has a lot of control here, but it's not without imperfections. Windows 11 doesn't work the best on this form factor, so you sometimes have to fight the operating system to do what you want, and even when it works it can be awkward.
While the Switch mirrors other consoles in that when you open a game you expect it to work immediately, the ROG Ally suffers from the same affliction that every other gaming PC does — that things sometimes inexplicably break and you're forced to troubleshoot and fix them. If that happens, we have plenty of guides on common problems in Windows 11 and how to fix them, but some people just don't want to deal with those issues in the first place, even if it means giving up a lot of freedom (I personally game a lot more on my Xbox Series X than my more powerful gaming PC for this reason). Of course, you can just rip Windows 11 off the ROG Ally and replace it with your favorite Linux distro, too, which is not an option you have with the Switch.
Finally, let's talk games. The Nintendo Switch and ASUS ROG Ally do share quite a lot of games, but ultimately these platforms are very different. Nintendo develops and publishes a ton of exclusive games only on Switch, such as Mario, Pokémon, Super Smash Bros., Animal Crossing, Zelda, Pikmin, and more. You won't be able to officially buy and play any of these games on the ROG Ally. The Switch is also a fantastic place to play hundreds of amazing indie games, but practically all of those games will be available on the ROG Ally, too.
That's because the ROG Ally has almost unfettered access to all of PC gaming — the largest pool of video games in the world. Sure, downloading Steam, the world's biggest single video games marketplace, is a no-brainer, but you can also download other launchers like GOG, Epic Games, and Battle.net. You can play hundreds of games through the PC Game Pass subscription. You can stream countless games from Xbox Cloud Gaming, NVIDIA GeForce Now, or any other cloud gaming platform. You can even emulate thousands of classic games, including those from Nintendo's older platforms. There's always that caveat, though, that games in the Nintendo Switch store are more or less guaranteed to play and play well on the Switch, but you absolutely don't have that guarantee on the ROG Ally.
When it comes to games, the ROG Ally has the Switch soundly beat overall. Of course, that depends on how important Nintendo's exclusive franchises are to you. If you need your gaming handheld to be able to play the latest Mario or Zelda games, the ROG Ally simply won't be able to do that for you (legally). That's the power of exclusivity in the gaming world.
So, which is the better handheld? Well, both the ASUS ROG Ally and Nintendo Switch are brilliant in their own ways, and cater to different crowds. I'll finish off by summarizing the main points here to help you make your final decision, and you can keep scrolling for additional information and context.
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Which gaming handheld should I get?
Right now, there are essentially four major gaming handhelds on the market: the Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck, ASUS ROG Ally, and Lenovo Legion Go. The above compares the ROG Ally and Switch at depth, but I'll briefly break down all four devices below.
Steam Deck is for the Linux fans, those on a budget, and gamers who primarily use Steam
Nintendo Switch is great for kids, Nintendo fans, or people on a budget
ROG Ally is the most balanced gaming handheld for those who want to play every game they want
Legion Go is ideal for people who want a versatile entertainment device
Gaming handheld FAQ
When is the best time to buy a gaming handheld?
Black Friday and Cyber Monday is absolutely one of the best times to buy a gaming handheld, at least if you're interested in the Nintendo Switch (with brand-new bundles) or the ASUS ROG Ally (which is currently enjoying its first major sale). Many awesome accessories for these handhelds are also on sale right now, so you can put together a full gaming setup and save a ton of cash.
What is the best gaming handheld?
This really depends on what you're looking for in a gaming device. Nintendo Switch is the best-seller and is ideal for Nintendo fans, kids, and people on a budget. ROG Ally is an excellent PC gaming device that acts like a gaming laptop with controllers attached and offers the freedom to play any game service. Steam Deck is explicitly intended for accessing Steam Deck-compatible games and is ideal for people who primarily play Steam. Meanwhile, the Legion Go offers a fantastic screen with a slightly lower performance than the ROG Ally. Thanks to the picture quality and tabletop mode, it's ideal for people who want the best viewing experience from their handhelds.
What is the best-selling gaming handheld?
Nintendo Switch is the best-selling gaming handheld by far at over 132 million units sold. This is thanks to its lower price and extensive library of exclusive games, many of which are appropriate for all ages. Steam Deck comes next, having sold close to 3 million units. Then ROG Ally has sold over 500,000 units. It's unclear how many Legion Go devices have sold, as it's still relatively new. It's worth noting that the devices that have been out the longest have seen the most sales.
What are the pros and cons of a gaming handheld?
Gaming handhelds allow you to play games anywhere, so you don't have to be stuck at your desk or couch. However, they don't tend to have the best battery life, and performance isn't nearly as good as a gaming laptop or full console. Additionally, each gaming handheld has pros and cons, so you need to look into each device specifically to see if it meets your desires.
Is the ROG Ally better than the Nintendo Switch?
That depends on what you want in a gaming handheld. If you want the most affordable, smallest, and easy-to-use gaming handheld, that'd be the Switch. If you want the most powerful gaming handheld with one of the best, most responsive screens, that'd be the ROG Ally. If you want to play Nintendo's exclusive games, that'd be the Switch. If you want to play basically any PC game, that'd be the ROG Ally.
Can I use ROG Ally as a PC?
Yes. Basically, anything you can do on a computer, you can do on ROG Ally, thanks to the fact that it runs Windows 11. You can browse the internet, open any gaming service, download apps, and more. If you connect the proper accessories to it, you can even type up documents or access other programs.
Can you browse the internet on ROG Ally?
Yes. ROG Ally comes with Windows 11 installed on it, so it comes with the Microsoft Edge web browser already installed. Of course, you can download other browsers like Google Chrome, Firefox, and Opera, and use them instead.
What games are compatible with ROG Ally?
Any PC games you can run on a Windows gaming laptop can run on ROG Ally. However, you must adjust settings in each game to get the best performance out of your titles.
