With the success of Valve’s Steam Deck, many brands have started eyeing a piece of the handheld cake, the latest of which is Microsoft with its ROG Xbox Ally, made in collaboration with Asus. Unlike the Steam Deck, the Xbox Ally uses Windows as its software base, offering a familiar interface for PC users. But, when it comes to performance and optimisation, Microsoft’s OS still has some way to go due to its years of accumulated bloat.
In the meantime, YouTuber Cyber Dopamine decided to try Bazzite to see if there were any gains to be had. Linux-based Bazzite is a compatible OS similar to the one powering the Steam Deck, optimised and maintained by an enthusiastic community. Because of this, bugs and performance problems tend to quickly get fixed, resulting in a better overall experience.
Unsurprisingly, with such an active community behind it, Bazzite mopped the floor with Windows when it came to waking from sleep, with the Xbox Ally returning straight into the game literally in a second after pressing the power button. Windows, on the other hand, took around 30 seconds to load, just to ask for a password. While you may remove the latter, you won’t be able to do anything about the long wakeup time, which needs to be optimised by Microsoft. To be fair, this is the first attempt for Microsoft at a Windows-based gaming handheld, so it will need some time to iron out the experience.
Moving to performance, using the 17W mode on Windows, the Xbox Ally managed to hit 47fps on average while playing Kingdom Come: Deliverance and 50fps in Hogwarts Legacy. On Bazzite, those numbers jumped to around 62fps in both games using the same 17W power envelope and graphics settings. Switching the power target up to the maximum 35W or dropping it to 13W brought both OSes closer, though with a slight advantage for Bazzite, showing that Linux shines brighter using the 17W configuration.
That said, keep in mind that two game tests are hardly a representation of the full performance of a device. They give us an idea of what to expect, for sure, just not the full picture. Windows may be better, or worse, in other titles, not to mention game compatibility and other aspects that we tend to forget until we need them.
Thankfully, the ROG Xbox Ally is more of a PC than a console, meaning you can have both Windows and Bazzite installed at the same time, switching between them as you see fit. This allows you to take advantage of both worlds, playing each game where it offers the best experience. So, if you own an Xbox Ally, don’t shy from trying this at home; you may appreciate it.
