Switch 2 vs Steam Deck OLED vs ROG Xbox Ally X: the official specs side by side
Screen, processor, memory, storage, battery and weight of the three big handhelds, straight from Nintendo, Valve and ASUS.
Side by side
| Spec | Nintendo Switch 2 | Steam Deck OLED | ROG Xbox Ally X |
|---|---|---|---|
| Screen | 7.9-inch LCD (wide colour gamut), touch | 7.4-inch HDR OLED | 7-inch IPS-level, touch |
| Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1280 x 800 | 1920 x 1080 |
| Refresh rate | VRR, up to 120 Hz | Up to 90 Hz | 120 Hz |
| Processor | Custom processor made by NVIDIA | 6nm AMD APU: Zen 2, 4 cores / 8 threads; RDNA 2 GPU, 8 CUs | AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme, 8 cores / 16 threads, up to 5.0 GHz |
| Memory | Not stated by Nintendo | 16 GB LPDDR5 | 24 GB LPDDR5X |
| Storage | 256 GB; microSD Express up to 2 TB | 512 GB or 1 TB NVMe SSD; microSD | 1 TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD |
| Battery | 5220 mAh | 50 Wh | 80 Wh |
| Weight | Approx. 0.88 lb (1.18 lb with Joy-Con 2) | Approx. 640 g | 715 g (1.58 lb) |
| US price (official page) | $449.99 at launch; $499.99 since Sept 1, 2026 | Not listed on Valve's spec page | $999.99 on the ASUS Store |
Three handhelds, three makers, three different ideas of portable play. Every number below comes from the manufacturers' own spec pages, linked in the sources — we have not run our own battery or performance tests for this comparison.
Screens
The Switch 2 has the biggest screen (7.9 inches) and pairs 1080p with variable refresh up to 120 Hz. The Steam Deck OLED has a lower resolution (1280 x 800) but the only OLED HDR panel of the three. The ROG Xbox Ally X matches the Switch 2's 1080p and 120 Hz on a 7-inch screen.
Power and memory
ASUS uses AMD's Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme with 24 GB of LPDDR5X. Valve's custom 6nm AMD APU has 16 GB of LPDDR5. Nintendo describes a custom NVIDIA processor and does not list the RAM.
Price
Nintendo raised the Switch 2's US price from $449.99 to $499.99 on September 1, 2026. ASUS lists the ROG Xbox Ally X at $999.99 on its store. Valve's spec page does not show a price, so check Steam for the current one.
Which one should you buy?
If you want Nintendo's games, the choice is made for you. If you want your PC library, compare the Steam Deck OLED's OLED screen with the ROG Xbox Ally X's higher resolution, bigger battery and more memory.
The good
- Switch 2 and ROG Xbox Ally X both offer 1080p screens up to 120 Hz
- Steam Deck OLED is the only one of the three with an OLED HDR panel
- ROG Xbox Ally X has the largest battery (80 Wh) and the most memory (24 GB)
The bad
- Nintendo does not publish the Switch 2's RAM
- Battery figures are given in different units (mAh vs Wh), so they cannot be compared directly
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