I’m eager to see where the handheld gaming PC market is heading, and I’d love to see a proper challenger to the Steam Deck sooner or later. And it would be awesome if the game launcher on the ROG Ally is able to provide all your gaming-related needs without having to hop outside to the regular Windows UI each time you need to tweak something.
And yet it moves steam software#
On the software side, AYANEO is trying to emulate Valve with the company’s Linux-based AYANEO OS, and I hope the final product comes close to the SteamOS level of quality. That tiny trackpad on GPD Win 4 also is great to see. And while offering a similarly-priced device is nigh impossible, the latter parts aren’t.Ī move in the right direction regarding hardware is the inclusion of back paddles on most newer devices. One that’s built around the device and not the other way around. It must also include a software solution that’s more than a slightly tweaked Windows OS. But a device aiming to overtake the handheld PC throne should at least sport a competitive price -$700-$750 for a 512GB model seems fair- and have decent warranty support. I’m not talking about checking all of the aforementioned boxes. What I’m trying to say is that if any manufacturer wants to genuinely challenge the Deck, they have to offer more than superior gaming performance. The combination of the mouse cursor on the right trackpad and the “scroll wheel” on the left is almost as good as using a mouse.Īnd then you have the endless barrage of SteamOS updates, iFixit collaboration that gives owners an easy way to procure spare parts, fantastic work regarding control customization, regular Proton compatibility improvements, Valve’s open-source philosophy that encourages the community to create stuff like the Decky loader, EmuDeck, CryoUtilities, and the ever-increasing number of 3rd party Steam Deck accessories. But then I thought, “You know, there are two massive trackpads on each side try using them, dummy,” and I never went back. Naturally, I tried using the right analog stick to navigate the desktop, and yeah, it wasn’t great. The first hint of their handiness was when I switched to Desktop Mode for the first time. But after using the console, PC, or whatever you want to call it on a daily basis for almost half a year, I can say that the trackpads are an essential Deck feature that elevates the user experience to a new level. And I completely understand that sentiment because I shared it until I got my Deck. Now, if you don’t own a Deck, you might think its trackpads are a gimmick no Steam Deck owner is using or cares about. The ROG Ally from ASUS announced in April 2023 looks like a great handheld gaming PC, but disappointingly, the Ally is yet another Steam Deck competitor lacking a major Steam Deck feature that is super important to me.
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