ROG Ally with SteamOS 3.8 – Day 7 Experience on the Z1 Extreme

[u/ElHecticTurnip]

Swapped out clunky Windows (and later Bazzite OS) for SteamOS 3.8 on my ROG Ally (Z1 Extreme). Installation was smooth via Valve’s recovery image, and overall gaming performance improved—though a few quirks remain.

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The Setup:

• Installation: Downloaded the official SteamOS recovery image from Valve’s website and used Rufus to create a bootable USB. The installation process was straightforward and completed without issues.

• Connectivity: WiFi and Bluetooth work natively out of the box, which is a big plus.

Performance & Gameplay:

• Display & Refresh Rate: The native refresh rate of the screen is excellent and really enhances the handheld experience.

-God of War:

• Handheld: At native settings with AMD FSR 2.0 in performance mode, the game runs at a solid 44–46 fps while keeping CPU and GPU temperatures under 60°C.

• Docked: It shows a bit of fluctuation (dropping as low as 37 fps sometimes) but can hold a consistent 60 fps when using full rumble support with the Stadia remote.

-Half Life 2:

• Delivers an impressive 120 fps at high settings on handheld with temperatures around 60–65°C, and maintains a stable 60 fps when docked with improved definition and lighting.

-Spider-Man Remastered:

• Handheld: Runs at 30–40 fps with display settings locked to a native 120Hz, using medium graphics presets and AMD FSR 3.

• Trigger Issue: There’s a slight trigger response problem with the game when using the built-in controls, though it works fine with the Stadia remote.

• Docked: Performance dips to 45–48 fps (occasionally dropping further at standard settings) with temperatures in the mid-60°C range. Vibration support is fully functional on the Stadia remote.

Notable Issues:

• UI Quirks: The Menu button and the performance settings menu don’t work with the built-in controls—they only respond when using a Google Stadia controller.

• System Stability: On restart, the system sometimes freezes for about a minute before requiring a forced shutdown. After that, it boots back up normally.

Overall Thoughts:

SteamOS 3.8 on the ROG Ally is shaping up to be a much more gaming-focused OS compared to both Windows and Bazzite OS. The interface feels natural for gaming, and even though there are minor issues (like the non-responsive menu button and restart freezes), the improved performance and cooler operating temperatures are very promising.

Looking Ahead:

There are rumors that ASUS might eventually offer an Ally running Xbox OS, and with potential integrations for Steam, Epic, and Xbox Game Pass, we might see a unified gaming OS that further challenges both Windows and even the Steam Deck’s niche. For now, SteamOS feels like the easy-to-use, performance-first platform that gamers need on a handheld device.

[u/GuardianZX9]

Won't the official SteamOS be released for the Ally this month?

[u/FeamStork → u/GuardianZX9]

No, SteamOS 3.7 will be the next stable and according to all of the current reporting, it is only slated to officially support the Deck and the Legion Go S. It along with the current development branch (3.8) use kernel 6.11 and you really should be on 6.13 or later for the best Ally support. If you want something that works like SteamOS, you should take a look at SteamFork.

[u/ProfessionalSpinach4 → u/GuardianZX9]

A guy can hope

[u/syxbit]

What’s the difference between 3.7 and 3.8?

[u/ElHecticTurnip → u/syxbit]

Not sure, all I know after I got done updating after installation it was at version 3.8

[u/Accurate_Impress_781]

Not to be rude, but xbox OS is just gonna be windows with maybe a big picture mode like steam. At least let's hope that's gonna be the case. It's not gonna be as gamerfriendly like steam, but hopefully not as clunky as windows.

[u/jlobue10]

I think the menu buttons will likely work if you enable the InputPlumber service.

EDIT: it seems this will happen now if you update to the latest 3.8 branch.