Jason Evangelho 🐧🎒
So I bought a ROG Ally (the Z1 Extreme model).
This will be a thread sharing my ongoing opinions and experiences through the lens of someone who’s owned and loved the #SteamDeck since launch day.
And through the lens of someone who’s always loved handheld #gaming.
This is not meant to provoke a “Windows vs Linux” flame war.
Marcus Grenängen
@killyourfm I love mine. Had it since release. Hope you have a nice time with it as well 👌👍😊
Jason Evangelho 🐧🎒
@grenangen Thanks! Did you stick with Windows or have you tinkered with Linux?
Jason Evangelho 🐧🎒
The first few hours with my ROG Ally were rough, and that's being kind.
By the numbers:
10 to 12 screens of Windows setup steps.
3 screens trying to sell me Office 365/Onedrive/GamePass.
4 reboots for Windows updates.
2 reboots for Armory Crate/firmware/BIOS updates.
Jason Evangelho 🐧🎒
I kinda love the Command Center shortcuts here. Especially the ability to quickly switch refresh rate (120hz and 60hz) and resolution (720p, 900p, 1080p).
The grid is customizable, which is appreciated
Jason Evangelho 🐧🎒
I figured a good first game to test would be DOOM (2016), and I ended up sinking two hours into it right off the bat. Absolutely a SUBLIME experience playing that game on a portable 1080p/120hz display. I got 90+ FPS on Ultra quality which blew my mind.
Also, VRR is a game-changer for me. This was by far the smoothest I've ever seen DOOM (your mileage may vary of course).
Jason Evangelho 🐧🎒
@wildrikku Heh. You expect too much. MAYBE it was slightly modified (to be even longer?) but I don't recall seeing any ASUS branding during the entire process, and definitely no Ally-specific stuff. There wasn't even a "Welcome/Tour" screen after Windows was done being set up. For that you have to open up Armory Crate, and it was a super minimal guide.
WildRikku
@killyourfm Interesting - I would have expected they somehow modified the installer, as has Valve for the Deck.
Jason Evangelho 🐧🎒
Also, I quite like the offset thumbsticks and appreciate that they have a LITTLE BIT less resistance than the Deck's sticks. Although the Ally in general doesn't feel as comfortable in my hands as Steam Deck.
manuti
@killyourfm you are going to miss #SteamOS every time Windows decide to take a nap to updated something.
Jason Evangelho 🐧🎒
Jason Evangelho 🐧🎒
Armory Crate is effectively your universal game launcher, but some of the defaults are baffling. Like, why is the actual Steam launcher under "Other" but Steam games are under "Steam?"
Jason Evangelho 🐧🎒
And I think ASUS does an admirable job trying to put a layer of usability on top of Windows 11 since it's not remotely user-friends on handheld devices. However, I frequently get the feeling of "one hand not talking to the other."
It's not a harmonious user experience. It's one that feels brute-forced in as a patchwork of band-aids.
Jason Evangelho 🐧🎒
Also, this has mostly been my experience when connected to an external monitor.
Jason Evangelho 🐧🎒
Overall, I love the performance based on what I've played. I love the aesthetic of the hardware. I like the colorful face buttons. It's a promising device, but it's not living up to its potential because Windows makes it cumbersome.
Cumbersome AND broken. As I type this, the gamepad controls have stopped working across the board. One minute they were, then they weren't. Multiple reboots haven't solved it and not sure I have patience to solve it.
For all intents and purposes, it is bricked.
Jason Evangelho 🐧🎒
And so, after less than a day, the next phase of my #ROGAlly journey begins.
Let's see if a #Linux alternative OS can fulfill this device's potential, because I really do think it has great potential. . .
Jason Evangelho 🐧🎒
So, now the unexpectedly arduous task of getting to a point where I can even install Bazzite on the ROG Ally...
Despite turning off Bitlocker, disabling the virtual page file, disabling system restore, cleaning all temp files, and defragging the drive, Windows will only let me shrink 70GB of the 350GB that are free.
(╯°□°)╯︵ ┻━┻
Jason Evangelho 🐧🎒
Progress! This is exciting!
(I used a free third party app called AIMEI Partition Assistant to shrink the Windows partition).
Liam Proven
@killyourfm Turned off hibernation?
Admin CMD prompt:
POWERCFG /H OFF
Reboot. Run Disk Cleanup, tick all the boxes, let er rip. Then run it again, click "system files" and do the same again. It'll take much longer.
Run CHKDSK /F. Reboot again.
If that doesn't do it, then resize using Gparted from a Linux live medium, e.g. SystemRescue. Use Ventoy to format a multi boot key the easy way.
Jason Evangelho 🐧🎒
@lproven ah, I skipped CHKDSK. I got it sorted, but I appreciate the knowledge and I'm taking note of it in case others ask!
Jason Evangelho 🐧🎒
@thrickles If it works, I'm absolutely donating to the Bazzite project!
Rob :linux:
@killyourfm I find myself conflicted as I am eagerly awaiting updates to see where this adventure goes while also thinking to myself "that is way too much effort for that much money."
Jason Evangelho 🐧🎒
Holy crap! I feel like a wizard!
Now for some configuration…
(I’m donating to the Bazzite team after this. They’re the real wizards)
Jason Evangelho 🐧🎒
Yesssssssss!!!!
Linux is amazing.
Fedora and Bazzite devs are amazing.
Long live open source.
I need a break now 😜
I’ll be back later with hands on gaming updates.
Jason Evangelho 🐧🎒
Well this is interesting...
I ran Shadow of the Tomb Raider benchmarks.
1) "Original" ROG Ally w/ Windows: 1080p, High Quality
Average FPS: 30
2) "Deckified" ROG Ally w/ Bazzite: 1080p, High Quality
Average FPS: 39
Additionally, at 800p, the "Deckified" ROG Ally runs the game 32% faster.
Jason Evangelho 🐧🎒
@ReverseModule It uses an AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme
Cosmic Kokiri
@killyourfm Oh wow! This is SERIOUSLY interesting! The Ally has an Nvidia GPU right? A 30% increase is not joke on an Nvidia machine. I'm dumbfounded, seriously.
necrophcodr
@killyourfm this has been very interesting to read. I really would've thought that the performance on Windows would be better, as has historically been the case. But the entire experience you've been though mirrors much of what I've read about Windows-based Steam Deck-like experiences. Valve put a tremendous amount of effort into making the experience work for THEIR handheld device, as opposed to shoehorning it back in.
Jason Evangelho 🐧🎒
@Tau Well, I can tell you the benchmarks ran with "out of box" settings, while plugged in. Given the collective work Fedora, Valve, Bazzite devs, and people like Glorious Eggroll have done, this doesn't really surprise me.
Tau 🏳️🌈
@killyourfm At the same TDP?
Jason Evangelho 🐧🎒
トミー
@killyourfm @Tau The plugged-in part is the big difference here. From Phoronix's various benchmarking articles, the Ally allows a much higher TDP only when the it's plugged in, whereas the Deck remains the same regardless. The Ally doesn't seem to allow/work using the higher TDP when it's on the battery.
The 30% difference also seems to correlate with their benchmarks given this.
Jason Evangelho 🐧🎒
@UniversalBlue Thank you!
Universal Blue
@killyourfm glad that Bazzite is working for you!
Jason Evangelho 🐧🎒
@xemafuentes @UniversalBlue Same! I don't remember how it appeared on my radar, but I've had such a smooth experience with it on my ASUS Rog G15 laptop. It's also quieter and more performant than with Windows on it. Someone over there really understood power management, fan curves, and more. Super happy.
Xema Fuentes 🎮🐧🇪🇺
@killyourfm yes, Bazzite rocks. I installed it on my laptop (MSI Alpha 15 B5EEK) "just to try" and... not changing it anytime soon. @UniversalBlue
Brandon Conway
@killyourfm seems you benchmarking days are not yet behind you. Thanks for the info!
Jason Evangelho 🐧🎒
@bcon I don't what is so compelling about it, but apparently you're right. Not quite behind me yet...
Jason Evangelho 🐧🎒
@mdiluz I always test the Windows/Proton version because it's way more performant than Feral's port.
Marc
@killyourfm is 2 Feral's port or the DXVK version?
Jason Evangelho 🐧🎒
@necrophcodr Even if performance was identical, I'd give the nod to Bazzite. It's *cohesive*, you know? Right now Windows on handhelds feels like one hand isn't talking properly to the other. Or in this case, a thoughtfully designed UI overlay isn't talking properly to the OS.
It's just remarkable what all these developers have accomplished. I think back to where Linux gaming was only a few years ago....
Jason Evangelho 🐧🎒
OK.
Those of you know me, know that I'm pragmatic. I will give anything a fair try.
Which is why I've spent 48 hours with the ROG Ally in Windows mode... but I don't know how anyone tolerates this.
It's buggy, cumbersome, less responsive than Steam Deck (despite a faster processor), and I'm not enjoying it. This painful user experience is not worth Game Pass access or games like Call of Duty. It just isn't.
So, Bazzite going forward. If an option like that didn't exist, I'd get a refund.
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