SteamOS 3.8 Reveals Potential ROG Ally X — up to 20% higher performance than Steam Deck
Log out Steam OS 3.8 opened a new chapter for portable pc, which are not Steam Deck. The updated system now officially supports third-party devices, and ROG Ally X became the first example of how alternative solutions can not only catch up with, but also surpass the original.
Popular YouTube reviewer ETA Prime tested ROG Ally X running SteamOS 3.8 and showed that, all things being equal, the Ally X demonstrates up to 20% better performancethan Steam Deck. The result was especially impressive in Cyberpunk 2077 — 53 FPS vs. 44 FPS for the Steam Deck OLED. In other games, like Black Myth: Wukong и Shadow of the Tomb Raider, the advantage was 10-12%.
However, SteamOS does not yet allow the user to adjust TDP range on the Ally X without additional funds. This limitation was circumvented using the SimpleDeckyTDP plugin, which opened up a range from 4 to 40 W. Although the Ally X was limited to 15 W in tests, like the Steam Deck, its architecture and cooling provided a clear advantage. The device also features 80Wh battery, which gives a chance for a stable 60 FPS with proper use of upscaling and frame generation.
Despite its clear advantage in most scenarios, Ally X still loses in a number of games due to insufficient optimization - an example is Monster Hunter Wilds, which is not yet verified for Steam Deck. But the potential of new devices running SteamOS is huge, and it will be especially interesting to see how future portable PCs on APU perform Strix Point and Lunar Lake.
