Better without Windows: ASUS ROG Xbox Ally tested with Bazzite

The ASUS ROG Ally Xbox and ROG Xbox Ally X are Microsoft’s Windows answer to the Valve Steam Deck and its streamlined, touch-optimized SteamOS based on Arch Linux. Even though Microsoft claims to have done a lot of work to optimize Windows for handhelds, and that seems to be true in many cases, it appears that Linux is still the better choice, at least in some cases. YouTube’s Cyber ​​Dopamine tested the ASUS ROG Xbox Ally

As the YouTuber demonstrated, the Xbox Ally But more importantly, frame rate testing reveals that even when running games through Steam’s Proton compatibility layer, there is a noticeable improvement in frame rate and efficiency. Running at 17W TDP, the Xbox Ally The same thing happens with lower TDP settings. At 13W, Windows manages 35 FPS, while Bazzite gets around 37 FPS. Hogwarts Legacy also saw a jump from 50 FPS on Windows to 62 FSP on Bazzite at 17 W. Moving to 35 W, the gap narrows to just 5 FPS, with Bazzite remaining in the lead. He also mentions that the frame rate was more consistent on Bazzite, with frequent noticeable frame rate drops on Windows that were not present on the Linux distro. It’s worth noting that Bazzite is not yet fully implemented on Xbox Ally devices, with support for features like LED control on joysticks still missing. The developers behind the project have promised that “you will receive full support in a few days” regarding the currently missing hardware features.

Check out the full YouTube video below