With the official SteamOS 3.8, non-Steam Deck handhelds show their true potential. This time, it's the ROG Ally X, which manages to crush Steam Deck easily.
ETA Prime Demonstrates Significant Uplifts in Performance on ROG Ally X with Latest SteamOS 3.8; Unlocks TDP Range of up to 40W Using a Plugin
Valve's SteamOS could do wonders if it gets to the traditional WindowsOS-based handhelds. With the official announcement of SteamOS 3.8 on non-Steam Deck handhelds, many have been waiting for the newer performance results of popular handhelds like Lenovo Legion S and ROG Ally X. Very recently, we shared how a YouTuber was able to outperform the Steam Deck with his ROG Ally using SteamOS 3.8, but ETA Prime showcases a bigger uplift.
Here we aren't seeing a 4-5% performance uplift over the Steam Deck, but up to a whopping 20% when comparing ROG Ally X to Steam Deck at the same TDP. By default, the SteamOS 3.8 offers no control over the TDP range on the ROG Ally X and while we are yet to get this fixed, ETA Prime used a plugin called "SimpleDeckyTDP" that unlocked the TDP range from 4W-40W. However, out of the box, the ROG Ally X is able to run at 18W.
Since the Steam Deck can only run in up to a max 15W mode, ETA Prime also limits the ROG Ally X to 15W. Many game comparisons show that the ROG Ally X can deliver at least around a 10% boost over the Steam Deck. However, in games like Cyberpunk 2077, the ROG Ally X was able to deliver 53 Fps vs 44 Fps on the Steam Deck, amounting to a staggering 20% difference.
In Black Myth: Wukong, the ROG Ally X beats the latter by a 12% margin and by about a 10% margin in Shadow of the Tomb Raider. There are surely scenarios where the ROG Ally can't match the Steam Deck, like in Monster Hunter Wilds, which isn't Steam Deck verified yet. More optimizations have to be delivered in order to maximize the potential of non-Deck handhelds using SteamOS, but the start is terrific.
As far as the performance on higher TDP goes, ETA Prime didn't show how much of a boost one can get on ROG Ally X using the 40W mode, but it will definitely be much higher than what we saw at 15W. 60 FPS gaming is surely possible on ROG Ally X with upscaling and frame generation techniques while enjoying a higher 80Wh battery life. Now, we would like to see SteamOS 3.8 on faster handhelds that deploy the Strix Point and Lunar Lake APUs.
