If you're a handheld gaming enthusiast, you know the debate: Steam Deck versus everyone else. The ROG Ally, Lenovo Legion Go, and MSI Claw may be contenders, but for many, the Steam Deck has reigned supreme. It’s the Tesla of handheld gaming PCs—sleek, powerful, and utterly beloved. And yet, one die-hard Steam Deck fan has boldly declared their allegiance is shifting. Why? Two apps have transformed the ROG Ally from "interesting Windows handheld" into something that, dare I say, rivals the Deck. Let’s dive into what these tweaks mean for Windows 11-based handhelds and why gamers might want to give the ROG Ally another chance.
When a Steam Deck or even a Nintendo Switch goes to sleep, it locks your game session into stasis. One click of the power button later, and you’re immediately playing right where you left off. Magic, right? But the ROG Ally, running on the Swiss Army knife that is Windows 11, interacts with Sleep much like shutting your laptop lid—you’re hoping everything is still there when you return. And more often than not…it isn’t. Crashes? Check. Battery drainage even when "asleep"? Double-check. Killed by the tree sentinel in Elden Ring because you paused mid-fight and your session gave up? Unforgivable.
Windows’ Sleep mode works by keeping your last session in memory while dropping the system into a low-power state. Sounds great… until games like Elden Ring or Ghost of Tsushima just don’t play along nicely when you hop back in. And let’s not even talk about the battery-draining issues if you leave it "asleep" for a few hours too long. No gaming session deserves this chaos.
This is where "debloating" comes in.
A "debloat" tool strips unnecessary apps, ads, and background functions from Windows 11, which can otherwise make performance feel clunky. The most recommended tool here is BloatyNosy, an ever-evolving app that gives you complete control over which features and bloatware stay or go. With proper pruning, the ROG Ally feels less like a weird touchscreen laptop and more like a gaming-first device.
Still…it’s not perfect. Configuring the ROG Ally to mimic the Steam Deck requires effort, and there will always be the occasional hiccup. If you live for simplicity, the Steam Deck remains king. But for those willing to fine-tune their hardware, the ROG Ally offers unparalleled performance and flexibility.
Source: Yahoo I’m a Steam Deck apologist. Here’s why I’ve been using the ROG Ally instead
The Big Handheld Headache: Sleeping Like a Baby (Or Not)
The number one pain point with the ROG Ally—or really any Windows handheld—is the dreaded Sleep mode. Why is something as simple as putting your device to sleep such a sticking point? Well, it turns out "sleeping" isn’t as peaceful as it sounds in Windows-land.When a Steam Deck or even a Nintendo Switch goes to sleep, it locks your game session into stasis. One click of the power button later, and you’re immediately playing right where you left off. Magic, right? But the ROG Ally, running on the Swiss Army knife that is Windows 11, interacts with Sleep much like shutting your laptop lid—you’re hoping everything is still there when you return. And more often than not…it isn’t. Crashes? Check. Battery drainage even when "asleep"? Double-check. Killed by the tree sentinel in Elden Ring because you paused mid-fight and your session gave up? Unforgivable.
Windows’ Sleep mode works by keeping your last session in memory while dropping the system into a low-power state. Sounds great… until games like Elden Ring or Ghost of Tsushima just don’t play along nicely when you hop back in. And let’s not even talk about the battery-draining issues if you leave it "asleep" for a few hours too long. No gaming session deserves this chaos.
Enter the Fixers: Nyrna and Hibernate
Let’s get to the fixes. According to the author, two magical tools have made life with the ROG Ally not just tolerable but enjoyable.- Nyrna: A Godsend for Game Suspension
- This nifty, open-source app lets you suspend active applications, essentially pausing your game exactly where you left it. Think of it as a system-wide "pause button" for any application, but designed with gaming in mind.
- For games like Elden Ring that don’t inherently support pausing, Nyrna works overtime. It freezes game activity, freeing up resources temporarily and letting you pick things up hours or days later with zero hiccups.
- Hibernate Mode: A Real Sleep Alternative
- Hibernate saves your entire system state into storage, unlike Sleep, which only stores it in memory. This means you can leave your handheld untouched for days or even weeks and return to find it just as you left it.
- Setting Hibernate as your default power-down mode requires a little digging in the Control Panel, but the payoff? Massive. No random crashes, no battery drain, no frustration.
- Head to Control Panel > Power Options.
- Look for "Choose what the power button does" and set the power button to trigger Hibernate for both plugged-in and unplugged scenarios.
Turning Windows 11 From a Laptop OS to a Console Operating System
There’s another elephant in the room when it comes to Windows handhelds: the operating system. While SteamOS on the Steam Deck is purpose-built around gaming, Windows 11 bogs down devices like the ROG Ally with unnecessary apps and features you’re unlikely to use during a gaming session.This is where "debloating" comes in.
A "debloat" tool strips unnecessary apps, ads, and background functions from Windows 11, which can otherwise make performance feel clunky. The most recommended tool here is BloatyNosy, an ever-evolving app that gives you complete control over which features and bloatware stay or go. With proper pruning, the ROG Ally feels less like a weird touchscreen laptop and more like a gaming-first device.
- The tool provides two main settings:
- Experience: Offers easy-to-understand toggles for removing ads (OneDrive reminders, anyone?), telemetry, and other annoyances.
- Dumputer: More advanced and potentially dangerous. Want screen icons uncluttered? Remove platforms like Copilot or even OneNote. But tread carefully here: disable the wrong app and breaking your system becomes a very real possibility.
Building the Dream Setup
After following the Nyrna-Hibernate-debloating trifecta, the author saw a marked improvement in usability. Game sessions loaded in seconds, battery life no longer suffered random dips, and navigating the system felt smoother. While these optimizations don’t unlock the Steam Deck’s mythical "pick-up-and-play simplicity," they go a long way toward closing the gap.Why There’s Room For Both
Does this mean the war is over? Is the Steam Deck officially dethroned? Hardly. The ROG Ally does have its advantages, though. The Z1 Extreme chip significantly outpaces the Steam Deck’s hardware, allowing for higher performance ceilings and support for games (like Marvel Rivals) that stumble on the Steam Deck due to anti-cheat incompatibility. Even AMD’s AFMF (fluid motion frame tech) makes newer games playable at smoother frame rates.Still…it’s not perfect. Configuring the ROG Ally to mimic the Steam Deck requires effort, and there will always be the occasional hiccup. If you live for simplicity, the Steam Deck remains king. But for those willing to fine-tune their hardware, the ROG Ally offers unparalleled performance and flexibility.
TL;DR: Can Windows Handhelds Win?
Steam Deck loyalists take note: the ROG Ally, once an ambitious but flawed competitor, is finally stepping up its game. Thanks to apps like Nyrna and tweaks like Hibernate and debloating, the platform is more user-friendly, portable, and dynamic than ever before. It won’t be usurping the Steam Deck’s crown anytime soon, but it just might convince you to start splitting your gaming hours between the two. For Windows handhelds, this might be the start of a revolution—one tweak at a time!Source: Yahoo I’m a Steam Deck apologist. Here’s why I’ve been using the ROG Ally instead
