Choosing between Steam Deck OLED, ROG Ally, ROG Ally X or Legion GO

[Lucyline]

I have the original Steam Deck LCD, but it broke last week. I need a replacement but I cannot decide. Here are my options:

Steam Deck OLED 512GB for 569€

ROG Ally 512GB Z1E for 479€

ROG Ally X for 899€

Legion GO for 699€

Other options?

I play Souls games and JRPGs, sometimes indie games and emulation.

[Drag88]

Ally X, if you can afford it, it's the best handheld for the money, especially if you install Bazzite. The steam deck oled can't play the new gen AAA games

[Dray hand]

Ally X. The battery life is the best in class. After that I’d choose the steam deck OLED

[Harley90]

I love, love, love my Legion Go.

 

The detachable controllers mean you can pack this thing down into an iPad mini neoprene sleeve to take it somewhere.

Because it fully runs windows, as much as I loathe windows (I’m a Mac girl), it’s easy to troubleshoot or figure out how to adjust your software, drivers, etc.

The screen is huge and gorgeous. Can honestly say I don’t really feel like I’m playing a handheld after I’m on it awhile. Gives me the same visual/spatial feeling as a laptop.

The kickstand is an ergonomic masterpiece. For me anyway. I can prop it up just right and enjoy hours of playing. And zero neck or back pain.

Another detachable controller benefit — you can prop the screen up with the kickstand and give yourself the featherweight light controllers for a comfier and less-heavy / non grippy setup.

The SD card a lot is easy to get to.

Runs Steam AND Xbox game pass perfectly with zero hiccups.

 

I play with mine plugged in and don’t mind that at all. It doesn’t bother me. I’m not someone who would ever take this on, like, a bus or something. I play on the couch or in bed so I’m not monopolizing the TV for my wife lol.

I can honestly say that I was very torn amongst handhelds before getting the LeGo and it took me awhile to realize that most of these subs are filled with VERY passionate and opinionated people who may or may not be far pickier than you would be or may have different priorities than you do. Once I realized that myself, I was able to focus on what mattered most to me: steam AND Xbox capability, portability, and a nice screen. Those detachable controllers mean I never will have to lug around or waste half a suitcase on the huge-ass travel bag that most handhelds require. For me, that’s the win.

Folks have already given a lot of great advice on here so I’ll just emphasize again: the best handheld is the one that does what YOU want it to do. The granularity about various specs and power etc may not even matter for more casual gamers.

[Lucyline]

Simple

The Steam Deck OLED is an excellent choice if you don’t plan on playing games with anti-cheat, rely on PC Game Pass, or want a gaming experience that closely mirrors a console. It’s the perfect companion device to complement your existing console or PC.

The ROG Ally X, on the other hand, is a fantastic option if this will be your primary gaming machine, as it offers access to a broader library of games beyond what Steam currently provides. The same applies to the Legion Go, with your choice largely depending on your priorities.

The Ally X boasts more RAM, superior battery life, vastly better software support, and better portability. Meanwhile, the Legion Go stands out with its gorgeous 8.8-inch screen, detachable controllers (if that feature matters to you), and more affordable pricing, often with great bargain deals.

[Jane Moore]

I personally see the best value in the legion go - working microSD card slot, 2 usb c slots, windows level compatibility, good performance Steam deck oled is good value but it has worse performance and linux can limit you in compatibility. Ally X is the best but expensive. Ally Z1E has a problem with microSD slot.

[Polly Ranton]

I absolutely love my LeGo for the reasons you cite plus the ability to pack that bad boy down to about the size of an iPad mini neoprene sleeve for times I wanna travel. Unhook controllers and put a rubber band around ‘em; put the screen in a sleeve, and bam — no wasting half a suitcase on the absolutely GINORMOUS travel cases most of the bigger handhelds require.

[Snowflake]

I was having this very same dilemma but mine was just between SD Oled and Ally X, I eventually chose the SD Oled because of the way I’ll be using it ie the ability to suspend and resume minutes, hours or days later and just carry on where you’ve left off is more valuable to me than processing power, also I’ve bought the XBPlay app on the deck so I can remote play my Series X through it for the most demanding games.

[Pollypocket]

I'd give ROG Ally X a go bestbuy has a very good return policy. Worst case you hate it return it and get steam deck oled.

That way you can at least get a taste of what windows handhelds offer and if you like them or not.

[JasonLucia]

Steam Deck OLED

Try comparing the pros and cons of all the devices. Until now, I still think the Steam Deck OLED is the superior device.