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For months now, we've been tracking the impact of the RAMpocalypse memory crisis on the handheld market. Ongoing stock shortages have made getting your hands on a Steam Deck OLED incredibly difficult, and I've long been touting the plucky Xbox Ally as a viable alternative.
For playing lower-powered indie games or clearing out your backlog, the two handhelds stand on pretty even footing. The Xbox Ally, however, lets you switch between Steam and Xbox PC natively without requiring hours of tinkering or workarounds. Crucially, it was actually available to buy.
Yesterday, Valve dropped the bombshell that the Steam Deck OLED price has been raised by up to 46% due to skyrocketing component costs. All of a sudden, the value comparison between these two devices is pretty stark. The gaming community is largely now realizing what we've been saying all along. With Valve's hardware now pricing itself out of reach for most budget-conscious gamers, the Xbox ROG Ally has officially become a no-brainer.
Before I dive into the whys and wherefores, here are the best prices right now in the US and UK for the Xbox Ally. Unfortunately for my American friends, it's not currently discounted on your side of the pond; however, its base price alone of $599.99 makes it considerably cheaper than the $789.99 Steam Deck 512GB OLED.
Xbox Ally vs Steam Deck OLED: How do they actually stack up?
Without even looking at the price tag, these two gaming handhelds are much closer rivals than you may think. Under the hood, at least, they target the same tier of performance.
The white Xbox Ally uses the AMD Ryzen Z2 A processor, a chip that mirrors the custom APU architecture in both the LCD and OLED Steam Decks. When it comes to raw processing performance in mid-tier or lighter indie titles, these two handhelds run neck and neck.
However, the displays on both are significantly different. It would be remiss of me to ignore how beautiful the OLED panel is on the Steam Deck OLED. Aside from looks, however, the standard 7-inch screen of the Xbox device does boast a sharper 1080 resolution and 120Hz refresh rate. It also includes Variable Refresh Rate (VRR), which is completely missing on the Steam Deck.
VRR can be a deal-breaker for many handhelds because it irons out screen tearing and smooths out stutters when your frame rate fluctuates. Added to this, the Xbox Ally is the most comfortable and ergonomically formed of the two units, with its textured grips that mimic the Xbox controller.
Here's a clearer side-by-side spec table for you to weigh up the two options yourself.
| Header Cell - Column 0 | Xbox Ally | Steam Deck OLED |
|---|---|---|
Price | $599.99 | $789.00 (512 GB OLED) |
Release date | Oct 16, 2025 | Nov. 16, 2023 |
OS | Windows 11 Home | SteamOS |
Processor | AMD Ryzen Z2 A | AMD Zen 2 CPU 4c/8t 6nm process (OLED) |
Storage | 512GB M.2 2280 SSD | 512GB, 1TB |
Memory | 16GB LPDDR5X-6400 | 16GB LPDDR5 6400MHz |
Display | 7-inch FHD (1920 x 1080) 16:9 IPS touchscreen, 120Hz, 500 nits | 7.4-inch 1280 x 800 OLED touch, 90Hz |
VRR | Yes | No |
Touchpads | No | Yes |
Ports | 2x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2, 1x UHS-II microSD card reader, 1x 3.5mm headphone jack | 1x USB-C, 1x microSD card reader, 1x audio jack |
Connectivity | Wi-Fi 6E + Bluetooth 5.4 | Wi-Fi 6E + Bluetooth 5.3 |
Dimensions | 11.44 x 4.78 x 1.98 (290.8 x 121.5 x 50.4mm) | 11.7 x 4.6 x 1.9 in (298mm x 117 x 49mm) |
Weight | 1.47 lbs (670g) | 1.41 lbs (640g) |
Battery life | 60Whr | 50Whr |
My comparison here simply weighs up the Xbox Ally vs the Steam Deck OLED. If money is no object, and you want to compare to the significantly more expensive Xbox Ally X, we have a full rundown of both: Steam Deck vs Xbox Ally, which is better?
Hate Windows? You can just turn it into a Steam Deck anyway
The main battle between these two devices has arguably always been the software. The Steam Deck runs the more streamlined and console-like SteamOS.
Windows 11 brings massive advantages out of the box, too, especially with the new Xbox Full Screen Experience (XBOX FSE). You get a dedicated Xbox button that launches a full-screen, controller-friendly gaming environment, and you can download games natively from Xbox Game Pass, the Epic Games Store, GOG, and EA Play without jumping through hoops.
However, there’s no denying that Windows can occasionally feel clunky on a 7-inch screen (and you don't have the handy touchpads of the Steam Deck here).
If the Windows interface is the only thing holding you back from buying an Xbox Ally over a Steam Deck, you aren't actually trapped. Valve has officially expanded its SteamOS installer to support third-party AMD handhelds, meaning you can install the real, official SteamOS directly onto the Xbox Ally.
Alternatively, many people install Bazzite. This is designed to mimic SteamOS but comes with built-in optimizations tailored for ASUS hardware (like easy RGB light control), making it much simpler to dual-boot if you still want to keep Windows around for Xbox Game Pass.
Valve have handed Xbox free marketing with this price hike
Before the Steam Deck's price hike, comparing it to other handhelds on the market was much more nuanced, with various factors to consider. Right now in this economy, though, price is king, and while I don't doubt the same increases will come to Xbox handhelds at some point, for now, they are racing ahead in the value department.
We've constantly agreed on the fact that the Steam Deck is a true, hassle-free, out-of-the-box handheld console experience, but now it's commanding a staggering premium. Do you really want to pay extra for that convenience?
Whether you use the Xbox Ally, Windows, and all for seamless access to Steam and Xbox Game Pass, or flash it with SteamOS to create a Steam Deck clone is up to you. Either way, you will be getting a vastly superior value proposition for your money. Now let's just hope Xbox can keep their prices down for a little bit longer!
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