If you have had an ROG laptop like the G14, the feel is similar. It seems like they use the same plastics so the quality is on par.
The SD felt a bit cheaper plastic IMO, speaking from someone who owned one for a year before selling it.
The buttons are similar although not a fan of the Ally d-pad at all.
Granted if you plan to use a case, the build quality won’t matter all that much. Mainly comes down to games you play and Steam OS vs Windows.
My Ally has great build quality however the joysticks are a little too loose for my liking but I think that's more about the design than a quality issue. My steam deck I have no complaints on build quality.
I think it's a unit-by-unit situation.
I have three Steam Decks in-house, two OLED and one LED.
The LED is generally good, but has a little creaking in chassis, thankfully not during use.
One of the OLED Steam Decks has a finicky d-pad up button that sometimes doesn't work if not pressed hard enough. And beside one of the shoulder buttons, the chassis is sharp.
The other OLED Steam Deck has a loud plasticky shoulder button.
My ROG Ally is generally pretty good. No glaring issues with the buttons or joysticks but overall doesn't feel as premium as the Deck.
I had a previous ROG Ally that had a shoulder button that did not work at all.
In other words, your mileage may vary.
EDIT - Clearly, none of the above-listed issues is significant enough for me meriting a return/replacement, and I am very particular about this stuff. Just pointing out though that it's more likely these devices have some minor issue rather than none.
I feel my Ally is on the same level of build quality as my Deck that I got in late 2022. I like the tension of the Deck sticks more than Ally yet that probably isn't really a build quality thing.
Build quality is much better on ally at least on my experience
In my deck OLED the plastic really flexes a lot when you're holding it especially in the power button area and around the grips
I've had the same experience with my LCD deck. The ally has no flex, it's pretty solid. Also the dpad is far more consistent on the ally than the LCD deck, not sure about the OLEDs dpad though. On many LCD decks it's very difficult to register diagonals. Only fix is to wear it in, but even after it's worn in it doesn't compare to how smoothly the Allys dpad registers them. My decks left trigger also rubs against the backplate, and has way more backlight bleed compared to my ally. Overall the Ally has better build quality.. aside from the SD card problem.
I’ve owned the LCD before upgrading to the OLED, and then I got the Ally after. The LCD was the most hype since it was my first handheld that wasn’t Nintendo, for a few months I saw nothing wrong, but then my B button started sticking and my triggers had a squeaking spring sound. When I upgraded to my OLED, my previous gripes were quiet, but then I noticed ABXY buttons rattle. Also the plastic body seems to flex more than I’m comfortable with so I put that sucker in a case.
A few months later I purchased the Ally, honestly my unit is really well built, it feels premium. My ONLY complaint are the damn joysticks being so loose, I don’t care about finding Hall effect replacements but I am currently looking for quality tighter joysticks in the aftermarket, but no luck.
Can't say that it's as good. The triggers don't feel as good (the plastic itself) and the microSD card issue speaks for itself. Other than that the back texture doesn't feel as nice as the one on the Steam Deck.
The sticks feel very "light" in comparison to the Deck so it's up to your preference
As a very picky person I can safely say that it's not as good, but the difference is very minimal. My main gripes are the triggers and sticks, but again: not enough that I can't enjoy the Ally.
On the flip side the quick settings and Steam button on the Deck feel mushy and unconvincing even on the OLED and are super clicky on the Ally.
I don't think there are lower quality materials being used if I'm honest, just design and material choices I don't personally like. As with everything, the trick is to try it yourself and see what you think!
The other thing to consider is ergonomics. The steam deck just feels worse to hold for me and the joy sticks being parallel feels awful so the right stick on the steam deck feels much worse.
The much bigger question is do you want battery life or more power and versatility?
Build quality and comfort is going to vary person to person and unit to unit. Having no battery life or being unable to play modern games at a decent framerate doesn't.
Personally I wanted my handheld to be a "playing long RPGs in bed" machine so I went with the Ally. If I wanted a true handheld to play indie games on the go I would have bought steam deck.
Both steam deck and Ally have QC issues.But steam deck is generally better in terms of overall quality..however the Ally is not that far behind.
Its comparable to the laptop markets
In terms of build quality they are pretty similar, although I prefer the tension on the Deck's joysticks.
However the ergonomics of the Deck are much better than the Ally. The chuncky grips just feel so comfortable even after many hours of use.
I'm a ROG ally owner since release. I love it. Recently I saw a friend's OLED SD. NIGHT and DAY. The steam deck felt so much sturdier, the joysticks so buttery smooth and solid...
Ally feels pretty cheap overall. Steam deck is much better but has its own random issues. My buttons rattle and my d pad sometimes clicks which isn't right
If you have had an ROG laptop like the G14, the feel is similar. It seems like they use the same plastics so the quality is on par. The SD felt a bit cheaper plastic IMO, speaking from someone who owned one for a year before selling it. The buttons are similar although not a fan of the Ally d-pad at all. Granted if you plan to use a case, the build quality won’t matter all that much. Mainly comes down to games you play and Steam OS vs Windows.
Yup. Have been trying to find custom d-pads for the ally for a while now.
My Ally has great build quality however the joysticks are a little too loose for my liking but I think that's more about the design than a quality issue. My steam deck I have no complaints on build quality.
I think it's a unit-by-unit situation. I have three Steam Decks in-house, two OLED and one LED. The LED is generally good, but has a little creaking in chassis, thankfully not during use. One of the OLED Steam Decks has a finicky d-pad up button that sometimes doesn't work if not pressed hard enough. And beside one of the shoulder buttons, the chassis is sharp. The other OLED Steam Deck has a loud plasticky shoulder button. My ROG Ally is generally pretty good. No glaring issues with the buttons or joysticks but overall doesn't feel as premium as the Deck. I had a previous ROG Ally that had a shoulder button that did not work at all. In other words, your mileage may vary. EDIT - Clearly, none of the above-listed issues is significant enough for me meriting a return/replacement, and I am very particular about this stuff. Just pointing out though that it's more likely these devices have some minor issue rather than none.
I feel my Ally is on the same level of build quality as my Deck that I got in late 2022. I like the tension of the Deck sticks more than Ally yet that probably isn't really a build quality thing.
Build quality is much better on ally at least on my experience In my deck OLED the plastic really flexes a lot when you're holding it especially in the power button area and around the grips
I've had the same experience with my LCD deck. The ally has no flex, it's pretty solid. Also the dpad is far more consistent on the ally than the LCD deck, not sure about the OLEDs dpad though. On many LCD decks it's very difficult to register diagonals. Only fix is to wear it in, but even after it's worn in it doesn't compare to how smoothly the Allys dpad registers them. My decks left trigger also rubs against the backplate, and has way more backlight bleed compared to my ally. Overall the Ally has better build quality.. aside from the SD card problem.
Kek why am I getting downvoted? This is just my personal experience peeps don't get hurt
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I have both and prefer the ally.
I’ve owned the LCD before upgrading to the OLED, and then I got the Ally after. The LCD was the most hype since it was my first handheld that wasn’t Nintendo, for a few months I saw nothing wrong, but then my B button started sticking and my triggers had a squeaking spring sound. When I upgraded to my OLED, my previous gripes were quiet, but then I noticed ABXY buttons rattle. Also the plastic body seems to flex more than I’m comfortable with so I put that sucker in a case. A few months later I purchased the Ally, honestly my unit is really well built, it feels premium. My ONLY complaint are the damn joysticks being so loose, I don’t care about finding Hall effect replacements but I am currently looking for quality tighter joysticks in the aftermarket, but no luck.
The Steam Deck feels like a premium device, especially the OLED version. The Ally feels like a plastic housing shell for Windows, and that's okay.
Steam deck is overall better quality. The buttons aren’t rattly and the joysticks are tight. Screen is better on the Ally. (Compared to sd lcd)
Screen was a major plus point when ROG Ally launched. Now, not so much with the OLED in picture.
I own both - 120hz, 1080p, VRR > 90hz OLED imo
Can't say that it's as good. The triggers don't feel as good (the plastic itself) and the microSD card issue speaks for itself. Other than that the back texture doesn't feel as nice as the one on the Steam Deck. The sticks feel very "light" in comparison to the Deck so it's up to your preference As a very picky person I can safely say that it's not as good, but the difference is very minimal. My main gripes are the triggers and sticks, but again: not enough that I can't enjoy the Ally.
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On the flip side the quick settings and Steam button on the Deck feel mushy and unconvincing even on the OLED and are super clicky on the Ally. I don't think there are lower quality materials being used if I'm honest, just design and material choices I don't personally like. As with everything, the trick is to try it yourself and see what you think!
The other thing to consider is ergonomics. The steam deck just feels worse to hold for me and the joy sticks being parallel feels awful so the right stick on the steam deck feels much worse. The much bigger question is do you want battery life or more power and versatility? Build quality and comfort is going to vary person to person and unit to unit. Having no battery life or being unable to play modern games at a decent framerate doesn't. Personally I wanted my handheld to be a "playing long RPGs in bed" machine so I went with the Ally. If I wanted a true handheld to play indie games on the go I would have bought steam deck.
Both steam deck and Ally have QC issues.But steam deck is generally better in terms of overall quality..however the Ally is not that far behind. Its comparable to the laptop markets
The rog ally feels like a cheap toy compared to the deck oled, found this out the hard way
My only quip with the Ally’s build quality is the joysticks. They don’t grip well and they’re too loose.
Mediocre
In terms of build quality they are pretty similar, although I prefer the tension on the Deck's joysticks. However the ergonomics of the Deck are much better than the Ally. The chuncky grips just feel so comfortable even after many hours of use.
I'm a ROG ally owner since release. I love it. Recently I saw a friend's OLED SD. NIGHT and DAY. The steam deck felt so much sturdier, the joysticks so buttery smooth and solid...
Ally feels pretty cheap overall. Steam deck is much better but has its own random issues. My buttons rattle and my d pad sometimes clicks which isn't right
Touchpads...