A big win for the Ally, now worth it over the Steam Deck? Updated: Mar 15, 2024 1:31 pm WePC is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Prices subject to change. Learn more Table of Contents Table of Contents We recently spotted a fantastic deal on the ASUS ROG Ally at Best Buy. Perhaps in response to the MSI Claw launch, but we now have to compare it to the Steam Deck. The Deck got a pricing overhaul just a few months back, but the Ally now offers even better value for money with a Best Buy deal – especially if you take full advantage of Best Buy’s Open-Box options. The Steam Deck more or less kicked off an influx of new gaming PC handhelds on its own. It’s widely popular for good reason, but now we see multiple other manufacturers such as ASUS, Lenovo, and recently MSI joining in with their own equivalents. Save $200 now! ASUS ROG Ally – AMD Ryzen Z1 Processor – 512GB Load more ASUS ROG Ally deal on Best Buy The Ryzen Z1 512GB model has been dropped by $200 to just $399. That matches the price of the LCD Steam Deck 256GB, so the Ally is much better value for money. However, you can now get one even cheaper than the prices above if you opt for an open-box buying option. Reddit user u/Chiaki_Ronpa made this suggestion, pointing out that some people return the Ally in excellent condition. See the prices of the Ryzen Z1 512GB model below: Open-Box Excellent – $339.99 Open-Box Good – $319.99 Open-Box Fair – $299.99 To access the Open-Box buying option, simply click the option located just beneath the price tag. Steam Deck pricing Valve recently updated the original Deck pricing around to accommodate the launch of the newer Steam Deck OLED model, the 256GB LCD dropped down to just $399, or £349 in the UK. They have now phased out the 64GB and 512GB LCD models as you can see below. Phased-out LCD Steam Decks are no longer being stocked in the UK The cheapest 64GB model costs $349 (if you can even find one in stock), and the ‘new’ cheapest model still being regularly stocked is the 256GB at $399. Which should you get? The Ally offers better performance than the Steam Deck and it does so for cheaper at the time of writing. However, many people agree that Steam’s device works better as a handheld thanks to its better battery life. The Ally is more draining due to its higher 120Hz refresh rate, FHD display, and generally beefier specs overall. At this price, we think that the Ally is the better choice. However, the more energy-efficient design of the Deck (especially its newer OLED model) would be better if you plan on using it much more often while out and about. See our Steam Deck vs ASUS ROG Ally comparison to learn more about the differences. The OLED model does bring some improvements such as a 7.4″ screen, 90Hz refresh rate, 50Whr battery, and Wi-Fi 6E. Still, the Ally is the more powerful option.
