From Newsgroup: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action

On Tue, 11 Mar 2025 12:38:46 -0400, Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote:

Well, no, not really, but they _are_ getting into the handheld gaming
device market, and their device is reported to look a lot like Valve's >machine. It won't, obviously, be running SteamOS but despite being
advertised as an "XBox Handheld", it's likely to be running Windows,

So the first of these devices --the ASUS ROG Xbox Ally-- is starting
to make an appearance. It's not really wowing people.*

Oh, it's an okay machine but its specs are pretty much the same as the
original SteamDeck. Which isn't, of itself, a bad thing... except the
SteamDeck sells for $300USD and the XBox Ally is $600.

Well, the Ally does better the Steamdeck in a few ways, but its minor;
the screen is better (1080p@120Hz vs 720p@60Hz) and you get a bigger
storage drive (512GB vs 256GB). Still, none of these upgrades are
worth paying twice the price for the device.

But it's running Windows 11 (with an XBox skin and some tweaks) so if
you'd rather that than SteamOS, I guess its an option.

Still, it just shows how Microsoft is misjudging its market. But
Microsoft want to make the next Switch (and price them accordingly)
but studies show that's not what PC gamers want from these devices.
For many, these handhelds are supplementary machines to their main
gaming PCs. You'd think that Microsoft and ASUS might have understood
that (given the name of the device, "XBox Ally") but they're pricing
them out of the market for most gamers.

SteamDecks --even if I'm not a fan-- have found themselves a proven
niche. I don't think its competitors will do the same.





* these guys weren't wowed. https://www.pcgamer.com/hardware/handheld-gaming-pcs/microsoft-wants-to-sell-you-a-steam-deck-in-2025-for-usd600-as-xbox-ally-pricing-unveiled/

--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2