As we move through 2025, the handheld gaming PC landscape is more competitive than ever, thanks in large part to innovations from two tech giants: Valve and ASUS. Valve’s updated Steam Deck OLED has reinvigorated interest in its platform, while ASUS continues to make waves with its powerful and sleek ROG Ally handheld. Both devices push the boundaries of what portable gaming can be, but they take notably different approaches to performance, design, and user experience. In this detailed comparison, we’ll explore how Valve’s refined handheld stacks up against ASUS’s high-performance contender in the current generation of portable gaming PCs.
Design and Ergonomics
Starting with physical design and comfort, both the Steam Deck OLED and ROG Ally are engineered specifically with handheld gaming in mind. Valve has retained the distinctive form factor and control layout of the original Deck, known for its comfortable grip and user-friendly button placement. The OLED version refines this even further by shedding 29 grams, bringing the total weight down to 640 grams, making extended play sessions just a bit more comfortable.
Meanwhile, ASUS has clearly designed the ROG Ally with competitive gaming in mind. It incorporates rear paddle buttons and ergonomic refinements that cater to players who demand more nuanced control in handheld mode. The grips are sculpted for comfort, though slightly slimmer than Valve’s approach, appealing to players who prefer a lighter feel.
Aesthetically, both devices embrace different kinds of flair. The Steam Deck OLED now comes in a sleek translucent black finish, offering a nostalgic yet modern vibe. ASUS takes a flashier route with customizable RGB-lit logos, allowing users to inject a touch of personality into their gaming rig. While both are visually appealing and thoughtfully designed, Valve’s Steam Deck edges slightly ahead in pure ergonomic comfort, while the ROG Ally excels in customizable controls and futuristic styling.
Display Technology
In 2025, display quality is a crucial battleground for handhelds, and both the Steam Deck OLED and the ROG Ally deliver stunning visual experiences, albeit through different strengths.
The Steam Deck OLED introduces a vibrant 7-inch OLED display with a resolution of 1280×800, offering slightly more visual clarity than its LCD predecessor. The OLED panel delivers true blacks, 100% DCI-P3 color gamut, and up to a 90Hz refresh rate for buttery smooth gameplay. It’s a significant leap over the original Steam Deck and ideal for gamers who prioritize vivid colors and pixel-perfect motion response.
ASUS, on the other hand, opted for a different display philosophy. The ROG Ally features a 7-inch Full HD (1920×1080) IPS panel with a dynamic refresh rate of up to 120Hz. This panel also supports variable refresh rate (VRR) between 48Hz and 120Hz, minimizing screen tearing and improving input responsiveness. While it’s not OLED, the higher pixel density combined with VRR gives the ROG Ally an upper hand in overall clarity and performance consistency, especially during fast-paced titles.
Though both screens are a joy to behold, the ROG Ally holds a clear advantage in raw display specs, especially for players who prioritize resolution and refresh rate above OLED contrast. Still, for fans of OLED technology, Valve’s latest Deck offers one of the best implementations in the handheld market.
Performance and Hardware Benchmarks
When it comes to performance in 2025, the Steam Deck OLED and ROG Ally diverge significantly due to their internal hardware.
Valve’s Steam Deck OLED sticks with a custom AMD APU, codenamed Aerith, built around a blend of Zen 2 CPU cores and RDNA 2 GPU architecture. While it doesn’t match the bleeding edge in chip design, it’s a balanced performer, optimized for 800p gaming with minimal heat and power draw. It provides an efficient and consistent experience for the majority of current PC games, especially when paired with Valve’s software optimizations and scaling techniques.
ASUS went all-in on performance with the AMD Ryzen Z1 and Z1 Extreme APUs, based on Zen 4 architecture and RDNA 3 graphics. Zen 4 delivers a more than 15% increase in instructions per clock (IPC) over Zen 2, resulting in noticeable improvements in processing speed and multitasking. Meanwhile, RDNA 3 boosts graphical performance per watt by up to 50%, enabling the Ally to handle more graphically intensive titles at higher frame rates, even at 1080p.
Backing this is ASUS’s inclusion of 7500 MHz LPDDR5 RAM, which delivers significantly more memory bandwidth than the Steam Deck’s 6400 MHz RAM. This ensures faster asset loading and improved performance in demanding scenarios.
In terms of raw horsepower, the ROG Ally clearly outpaces the Steam Deck OLED, making it the go-to device for gamers who want to push handheld gaming to its limits. While Valve’s APU remains capable and efficient, ASUS’s hardware is simply more future-proof for AAA titles and advanced graphical features.
Features and Software Experience
Software ecosystem and usability are where these two handhelds start to offer unique user paths.
The Steam Deck OLED runs SteamOS, a Linux-based operating system tailored for gaming, with tight integration into the Steam ecosystem. However, Valve has kept it open, allowing users to dual-boot or entirely replace the OS with Windows or any other Linux distro. This makes the Deck an incredibly versatile machine capable of emulating classic consoles, browsing the web, or running non-Steam games and apps.
ASUS’s ROG Ally, on the other hand, ships with Windows 11 out of the box, delivering a traditional PC gaming experience. Players can access titles from Steam, Xbox Game Pass, Epic Games Store, and more without the need for workarounds. For those who prefer the streamlined feel of SteamOS, tools like ChimeraOS now allow the Ally to run a similar experience effortlessly.
Where ASUS truly innovates is in the inclusion of ultrasonic Air Triggers and programmable rear paddles, features that offer an edge in competitive or action-heavy games. These hardware controls expand gameplay possibilities in a way that Valve’s device doesn’t currently match.
Both devices offer Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2 for modern connectivity. However, the Steam Deck OLED supports USB-C video output, making it slightly more versatile for docking scenarios and external display support a feature that’s not as seamlessly integrated on the ROG Ally, depending on the configuration.
Pricing and Market Positioning
In terms of pricing as of mid-2025, Valve continues to offer aggressive pricing for the Steam Deck OLED. The base model with 512GB storage starts at $399, while the higher-tier 1TB variant comes in at $649 — the closest competitor to the higher-end ROG Ally.
The ROG Ally, meanwhile, starts at $599 for the base model and can reach around $699 for configurations featuring the Z1 Extreme APU and higher storage. While this places it in a higher price bracket, ASUS is banking on the Ally’s premium specs and gaming performance to justify the extra cost.
While the Steam Deck OLED delivers exceptional value, especially for those who prioritize openness and broad software flexibility, the ROG Ally commands its premium through raw performance and display advantages. For budget-conscious gamers, the Steam Deck is still a phenomenal deal. For those willing to spend more for top-tier handheld performance, the ROG Ally might just be worth the investment.
Final Verdict
Heading into late 2025, both the Steam Deck OLED and ASUS ROG Ally represent the pinnacle of handheld gaming PCs, each excelling in different areas. The Steam Deck OLED refines an already beloved platform with better visuals, lighter design, and unmatched software flexibility, all at a compelling price.
In contrast, the ROG Ally pushes the limits of what handheld gaming can achieve, delivering next-gen AMD performance, an ultra-smooth 120Hz display, and advanced control options. It’s a clear winner in terms of hardware capability, making it ideal for gamers who demand the best in portable performance.
Ultimately, the choice between these two powerhouses depends on your priorities. If you’re after maximum value, versatility, and comfort, the Steam Deck OLED continues to shine. But if your goal is to squeeze every ounce of power from your handheld and you’re ready to pay a premium for the experience, the ROG Ally is poised to lead the charge into the future of mobile gaming.
Either way, 2025 is shaping up to be the most exciting year yet for portable PC gaming and both Valve and ASUS are setting the bar high.
