We know that Steam Deck has conquered many, but its price makes users look for the best alternatives . Therefore, we have investigated what possibilities there are in the market.
Steam Deck has been with us for a relatively short time, but it has already aroused the attention of many companies, such as ASUS. If people of this caliber get involved… it’s because they see the market, so we’ve had to go a little deeper than the famous AYANEO. Logitech and Razer have raised their alternatives to Steam Deck, so things get serious.
Index of contents
- The best alternatives to Steam Deck
- Ayn Odin
- Logitech G CLOUD
- AYANEO AIR Plus Mendocino
- ASUS ROG Ally
- ONEXPLAYER 2, more than one of the best alternatives to Steam Deck?
The best alternatives to Steam Deck
We are not conformists, so we have decided to look for Steam Deck’s rivals in the segment of Android and Windows portable consoles ready to play locally or in the cloud gaming.
Ayn Odin
It is an Ayntec brand console , which is from Hong Kong, whose concept is based on Android and cloud gaming. There is an Odin version of 256 GB SSD , but given its hardware we do not recommend it because we do not think it will be useful for you.
It has a price that does not exceed €300 and whose specifications are not bad:
- 98-inch IPStouch screen with FHD resolution , 369 ppi and 16:9.
- SoC Snapdragon SD845with Adreno 630 , like the OnePlus 6T, Galaxy S9+ from the USA, PocoPhone F1 or the Google Pixel 3.
- 4 or 8 GB LPDDR4X.
- Storage from 64 to 128 GB.
- Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth 5.0.
- Double amplified speaker.
- 6600 mAh battery.
- USB 3.1 Type-C, Micro-HDMI and 3.5 mm jack.
- Android 10.0.
- TF cardslot .
The brand recommends this console to play on Xbox Game Pass and Steam Link without problems, even to the PlayStation Now cloud as they say. The distribution of buttons is a mix between PlayStation and Xbox, having additional buttons, such as M1 and M2.
Logitech G CLOUD
Don’t have a big budget? Logitech offers you its G CLOUD , which is designed as a console to play purely through the gaming cloud, as is the case with NVIDIA GeForce Now, Steam and Xbox Game Pass. Of course, you will need to have a subscription to any of these services to enjoy it. In the case of Steam, it will not be necessary.
Say that it is based on Android and we will have the Google Play Store to download the Xbox, NVIDIA or Steam apps.
We have a 100% XBOX style with the left joystick above the D-pad, the mythical 4 buttons and, in my opinion, some triggers too close together. The classic LB or RB buttons (here they are called R1 and R2) are well positioned, but the triggers are positioned so that the position of the 2 fingers changes.
It mounts a 7″ Full HD touch panel with IPS LCD technology, 400 nits and 60 Hz . The SoC is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 720G paired with an Adreno 618 , powering many mid-range smartphones and tablets. To give you an idea, it is the same SoC of the Samsung Galaxy A52, Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 Pro, as well as several realme and Oppo.
Its internal memory is 64 GB, but in enjoyment it is less, is it a problem? Not because it is intended purely to play through the gaming cloud, not requiring local storage.
It comes with 2 stereo speakers and 2 microphones, as well as Bluetooth 5.1 (compatible with Qualcomm’s aptXTM Adaptive), a 3.5mm jack and USB-C port.
The battery is a key point to consider, and here we have only 23.1 Wh (Steam Deck has 40 Wh), but the secret is in the SoC : you get a range of 12 hours. At the power level, the Logitech console is below Steam Deck, but to play in the cloud it is very interesting.
Logitech G Cloud Gaming Handheld, Portable Console with Long Battery Life, 7″ 1080P Touchscreen, Lightweight Design, Xbox Cloud Gaming, NVIDIA GeForce NOW, Google Play, EU Plug, White
€359.00
Last update on 2023-05-19
AYANEO AIR Plus Mendocino
You should know this brand because it is fully specialized in portable consoles based on Windows with retro styles. We have been very impressed with how AYANEO proposes the AIR in 3 versions: Youth Level, Mendocino and Flagship.
Based on the price and specifications, we believe that the Balanced model is the most interesting in value for money. It’s yet to come, but the pre-order for the Youth Level version is $599, so you can expect a console for around €650-750 .
First of all, they boast a 510-gram chassis and a 6-inch Full HD IPS display with 400 nits , 368 PP I, 120% sRGB , and 1000:1 contrast ratio . Everything is powered by the AMD Ryzen TM5 7520U SoC together with RDNA 2 graphics , which give a content TDP of 15W . Likewise, the AYANEO AIR Plus Balanced comes with the AMD Ryzen 3 7320U as an option. Capacity is taken care of by a 128 or 512 GB M.2 2280 SSD .
To say that all this is supported by AYANEO OS , a Linux-based operating system that is very similar to Steam OS. They assure that it is more efficient and consumes less than Windows, as well as having a more elegant and immersive interface, although they do not tell us which version it comes with. Of course, we have “RC”, “LC” and “=” buttons for macro and assign custom commands or functions to them.
Its battery is 46.2 Wh with USB Type-C support for fast charging. Like the Logitech console, it comes with an XBOX configuration with a trigger very close to the LB/RB buttons.
Connectivity has WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2 , although we also have unlocking with a fingerprint sensor and a microSD card. We can duplicate the screen or project it on a television to enjoy more.
Although it is one of the best alternatives to Steam Deck , we must say that it is difficult to buy consoles of this brand in a place with guarantees, especially considering that it is worth more than €600.
If you live in Latin America or the United States, you may have better luck because in the United States it is sold without problems. In Amazon Spain there are some AYANEO for sale, such as this AYANEO AIR flagship , but the vast majority of consoles of this brand are sold by Droix.
AYA NEO AIR PC Polar Black Gaming Handheld with AMD Ryzen 7-5825U ; 38Wh/10050 mAh, 16 GB RAM and 1 TB SSD. Windows AAA Gaming Handheld with 5.5-inch AMOLED Display [AYA-AIR-WHITE-38-16-1]
EUR1,150.00
Last update on 2023-05-19
ASUS ROG Ally
For us, the ASUS ROG Ally is one of the best Steam Deck alternatives , if not the best. We could think of the Nintendo Switch as an alternative, but we consider that it is a very focused console for the Nintendo public and its titles. Here we are looking for a console that runs games from different platforms.
We get into €800 of a portable console, but be careful with what it brings because it improves Steam Deck in everything:
- AMD Ryzen Z1 ExtremeCPU , clocked at almost 5.1 GHz!
- AMD Radeon RDNA 3GPU , with 12 cores at 2.7 GHz.
- 7″touch screen , FHD, 120 Hz , 500 nits and AMD FreeSync Premium .
- 16 GB LPDDR5 at 6400 MHzin dual channel.
- 512GB PCIe 4.0 SSD.
- Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2.
- MicroSD UHS-II slot.
- 5mm jack.
- USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 2 with DisplayPort 1.4.
- 40Whrbattery .
- 2 speakers with Dolby Atmos and Hi-Res, along with a microphone with AI noise cancellation.
- 608 grams.
- Windows 11 Home.
We thought it was amazing, having 2 additional buttons behind “M1 and M2”. Its problems are Windows 11 regarding autonomy and the temperatures that it reaches with everything to the maximum.
Logically, it is a portable mini PC and we can expect a more than acceptable performance in 1080p, as we saw.
And it is that Windows 11 translates into super high configuration possibilities.
ONEXPLAYER 2, more than one of the best alternatives to Steam Deck?
We listed this latest console as one of the best Steam Deck alternatives because it deserves it. This is not a console, but a portable PC to which two controllers are connected (just like the Nintendo Switch); and it weighs 848 grams , almost 1 KG!
The ONEXPLAYER 2 has dimensions of 309.88 x 127 x 22.86 mm . In this very small size, it incorporates the following:
- 4″ IPS touch screenwith 2560 x 1600 pixel resolution , 350 nits and 358 PPI.
- AMD Ryzen 7 6800U.
- Radeon 680M GPU.
- 16 + 512 GB / 1 TB and 2 TB options; like 32GB + 1TB or 2TB.
- The RAM is LPDDR5and storage is via a PCIe 3.02 2280 NVMe SSD.
- WiFi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2.
- Audio by Harman.
- 65Whr battery.
- USB 4port , another USB-A 3.0, 3.5 mm jack, USB-C 3.2 and micro SD 4.0.
- Windows 11 installed.
To say that the controls are removable and have the usual distribution of buttons, being able to be used as a tablet or a laptop. We have the same options as ASUS Ally, but in a much more powerful console.
Pricing starts at $1,099 for the 16 GB + 512 GB version, with the most expensive version costing $1,399 .
We hope this compilation of alternatives has been of interest to you. If you have any questions, comment below and we’ll get back to you shortly.
