The ASUS ROG Ally has a Windows problem

Timo Schmidt writing for overkill highlights the 'Windows problem' that's holding the ASUS handheld back.

[Jingsing]

Windows has been a problem on portable devices all the way back to Windows CE. Tiny11 is probably a better option for ASUS Rog Ally users.

[brandrick]

Yeah, I tried an AYANEO handheld and didn't love the Windows integration there either. Coming from a Steam Deck or Switch though, it's quite the different beast.

[just_looken]

I remember windows 8 designed for tablets on the surface they tossed them to the nfl oh boy was that whole os and tablet a failure

[notachance]

I’d say battery is more of a problem to portable PC than the OS itself. I have a rog ally and it can be played less than 2 hours on some of the more graphically intensive games.

The battery (and cooling) technology just isn’t quite there yet for a truly portable high end gaming

[crazyCoconuts]

Windows is bloated and all around sucks even more now with all the tracking and advertising. Anything that's gonna be more than just a niche product for enthusiasts is gonna need to do something like the Steam Deck

[SPEAKxTHExTRUTH]

Yes Windows suck on the Ally but I’ve learned to deal with it and it’s my favorite gaming handheld by far.

[RiseNShine]

I have had both Deck and now Rog Ally, and i have to agree windows is a real pita, it has some sleep / resume issues from times to time, crashes, updates, you name it. Steam Deck is truly a PC console, it just works, perfect interface, near instant sleep / resume, if you want to move from Switch to PC gaming, Steam Deck is an amazing alternative.

However, at the end of the day, Rog Ally ridiculously powerful SOC makes the effort to makes games work worth it, you get an emulation beasts that can play almost anything PS3 or Switch that you throw at it if you don't mind it devouring your battery with the most demanding games, and it can run almost any PC game with solid performance. So in the end, if you're a PC gamer used to tinkering your system, you'll do fine with the Rog Ally, if you're a console gamer, go for Steam Deck instead for the same kind of accesibility and simplicity with still pretty solid performance.

[crazyCoconuts]

Steam Deck is probably only a year away from an updated model that will leap frog Ally, so there will always be that cycle. I definitely prefer the Deck

[VincentVanBro]

I disagree completely, the Steam Deck is the perfect compliment to a powerful PC. I own a pc w/ rtx 4090, 7800x3d, and 32gb ram with an ultrawide OLED for my monitor. I would ALWAYS prefer to play AAA titles on that instead of a handheld, and in the off chance I don’t, I can just stream over Moonlight to my Steam Deck. All other titles that don’t require a powerful PC are perfect for Steam Deck. Titles like Mass Effect Trilogy run perfect on Deck and the screen is superior to the Ally in nearly every way. I prefer 90 fps on an OLED any day of the week.

[UltimateOwnage]

This is pretty much the same desktop I have, and I share the same sentiment. I end up using my deck for 70-80% of my gaming and my desktop for the other 30% AAA gaming when I really want or need the extra beef. Otherwise Deck is just about my favorite way to play games, period.

[RiseNShine]

If you only play AAA games sure, but if you want emulation, Steam Deck is terrible, it would only run the least demanding games in terms of wiiu / ps3 / switch games. Rog Ally can run at playable speeds even god of war on rpcs3, where steam deck is a slideshow.

The beauty of Rog Ally is that in can run everything that Steam Deck plays + fantastic emulation performance + old PC games that Steam OS is hell on earth to make them work with wine etc + fan games on itch io and others that aren't directly supported by Steam + mods not available on Workshop + all kind of apps optimized for windows.

Add also that you can connect an external GPU using external XG Mobile GPU and add even a 4090 with an external monitor for a full desktop experience without any compromise anywhere.

So yeah you have a good PC, i have it too, but why would i prefer a device that does less that one that does the same plus a lot more, and even for a similar price?

[Inverno]

PCs in general have a Windows problem. It's hilarious to me just how much smoother the experience has been on Decks desktop mode than my laptop. Windows seems to always have an update and then struggles to download and install every time. I'm about to make the switch to Linux all together.

[just_looken]

Go with win 10 til the end

[ocelot07]

Think pc in general has a windows issue. I like the work valve are doing with proton and the steam deck. I hope we get to the point where all games will run on steam os without issues.

[jwillj2k4]

Imagine how much more money Microshit could make if they did to windows what they did to .net core. Streamlined the software and tailor made it so that core functionality could be separated from the unnecessary bloat and sell that core as the standard for handheld gaming. This is why their windows phone went the way of the dodo. They actually had the cellphone market DOMINATED at one point in its infancy. Sitting on their laurels and lack of innovation made them lose it.

[just_looken]

But doing nothing m$ is selling alot of data from 11 got the ford contract with there incar systems and every prebuilt is tossing them cash then the military.

[franwex]

It sucks that so many games require Windows as the OS. I basically use very few applications for windows, and all are online anyway. Meaning that if it wasn’t for games I would be fine with a chrome book.