Steam Deck vs Xbox Ally: Why I No Longer Recommend Valve’s Handheld
▼ Summary
– The Steam Deck was initially praised as an affordable and powerful handheld gaming PC, but current price increases make it hard to recommend.
– A new 512GB OLED Steam Deck costs $789, and the 1TB model costs $949; refurbished models start at $279 but are out of stock in some regions.
– Used Steam Decks on eBay cost around $450–$500 with no guarantee of functionality, due to a RAM crisis driven by AI datacenter demand.
– The Asus ROG Ally remains at $599, offering similar performance to the Steam Deck in benchmarks like Time Spy (1834 vs. 1715 points), making it a better budget option.
– The author recommends the standard Asus ROG Ally as the best budget handheld currently, though prices may rise in the future.
Ever since the Steam Deck first launched in 2022, it has been one of my absolute favorite gadgets. It hit a sweet spot between affordability and performance, letting me play nearly anything I wanted while on the go. But despite my continued affection for the device, I can no longer recommend it to most people. The recent price hikes have fundamentally changed the value equation.
If you want a brand-new Steam Deck from Valve right now, the 512GB OLED model will cost you $789. Upgrading to 1TB of storage pushes that figure to $949. You can save money by going the refurbished route, with prices starting around $279 for the 64GB LCD model. However, in my region, every single refurbished unit is sold out. Even the used market on eBay isn’t much of a bargain. A pre-owned Steam Deck will likely run you between $450 and $500, with no guarantee the device is in proper working condition.
These price increases stem from the ongoing RAM crisis. The massive push to build AI datacenters has driven up the cost of computer hardware across the board. Hardly any device has escaped this year, from the PS5 to the Steam Machine. But somehow, Asus has managed to keep its ROG Ally handhelds insulated from these price jumps, at least for now.
The standard Xbox Ally is still available for $599 at Best Buy. The more powerful ROG Ally X comes in at $999, offering significantly more performance than the Steam Deck. I have no idea how long Asus can maintain these prices, but as things stand, the white Xbox Ally is the best budget-friendly handheld on the market, especially if you want to avoid the risks of buying used.
I previously reviewed only the ROG Ally X, but Asus recently sent me the standard ROG Ally. While it is not as powerful as its bigger sibling, it goes head-to-head with the Steam Deck. In Time Spy, the Xbox Ally scores 1834 points, compared to 1715 for Valve’s handheld. That is essentially the same performance level, which was once a point of criticism for the ROG Ally. But now that prices have shifted, Asus delivers roughly equal performance for $200 less. The math is simple.
If you are shopping for a handheld gaming PC and do not have a thousand dollars or more to spend on a high-end device, the Xbox Ally is the clear choice right now. That said, if this year has taught me anything, it is that prices can change at any moment. I just hope Asus keeps the Xbox Ally affordable for a little while longer.
(Source: IGN)
