The Xbox Ally has finally stepped up as an affordable Steam Deck stand-in, albeit with frame rate caveats

The Xbox Ally just became a light in the darkness that is the best gaming handheld scene right now, as it’s now challenging the Steam Deck OLED on price. That’s thanks to discounts in both the US and UK that mean it’s now at a more palatable price point, but I need to remind you that it’s not the beefier ROG Xbox Ally X everyone normally talks about in terms of Microsoft handheld performance.

Okay, here’s the skinny – you can grab the white ROG Xbox Ally for $539.99 at Best Buy thanks to a $60 discount, while those of you in the UK can pick it up for £396.60 at Amazon. The US discount is a record low that takes more than usual off its $599.99 MSRP, but the United Kingdom’s 21% discount looks more impressive on paper since it adds to over £100 off.

Both deals are refreshing considering every other option out there, including the Xbox Ally’s flagship X sibling, are around $1,000. So picking up the white version for half of that should be a no brainer, right? Well, perhaps, but the issue with this model is that there’s a sizable performance gap between its Z2 chipset and the Z2 Extreme that its expensive rivals are using, and it’s technically less punchy than the last gen Z1 Extreme.

If the original Asus ROG Ally and its first-gen handheld gaming PC kin hadn’t come along and set a frame rate bar, I’d have less beef with Z2 handhelds. The chipset’s capabilities make sense if you exclude those previous attempts, as it’s boosts fps similarly to the Steam Deck, although the Lenovo Legion Go S only just beat Valve’s OLED model during testing.

The part that annoys me more with the Xbox Ally specifically is how similar it is to the OG Asus handheld. Both are rocking the same 1080p 120Hz screen, 16GB RAM, and 512GB storage, so it doesn’t feel entirely like a new device. Physically, it adds controller-style grips that do admittedly enhance comfort, but if given the choice, I’d be tempted to go for the older Z1 Extreme version just for that frame rate edge.

Of course, the reason the Z1E has the advantage comes down to raw specs. It’s packing 8 cores and 16 threats versus 4 and 8 with the Z2. The latter also has a higher 5.1GHz boost clock compared to the latest chip’s 4.3GHz, which can translate to higher frame rates in demanding games like Cyberpunk 2077.

Where the vanilla Z2 can sometimes shine is at lower TDPs, which could be beneficial if you’re trying to prolong battery life when playing lighter indies and older releases. My issue there is that if we’re getting into that, the Steam Deck OLED comes up trumps while offering up a superior screen and a more robust gaming environment in SteamOS.

Here’s the thing, though, the Steam Deck is still out of stock. The 2023 Asus ROG Ally is also discontinued, so when it comes to new handhelds under $500 / £400, the Xbox Ally stands alone on the battlefield. I might be salty about the decisions made with the portable, but that doesn’t stop it being the most affordable portable PC right now thanks to the discounts, and I won’t turn my nose up at the current prices given the situation the gaming hardware scene at large is in.

My advice is either take advantage of the Xbox Ally price drops if you’re hellbent on getting a portable PC right now, or hang tight for X2 Extreme deals. If neither of those options sound too appealing, maybe take a peek at some of the best retro handhelds and bide your time playing some oldies (that’s what I’d personally do).

Already got Valve’s portable? Take a peek at the best Steam Deck accessories and best Steam Deck docks to enhance your portable PC setup.