The recent update to a key SteamOS component has brought it significantly closer to fully supporting the Asus ROG Ally X, a crucial step in its development. The addition of Gamescope, a tool managing recreation show settings, suggests the possibility of imminent official support for third-party gaming handhelds on SteamOS, potentially including variable refresh rate (VRR) features.
Currently, SteamOS is solely compatible with devices like the Steam Deck; however, Valve has committed to expanding its handheld operating system to other top-tier handheld gaming laptops from manufacturers such as Asus and others. With this latest update, users can fully harness the capabilities of their ROG Ally and ROG Ally X displays, with the IPS technology now functioning properly even when utilizing early access to SteamOS features.
The new update enables variable refresh rate (VRR) support for SteamOS on the Asus ROG Ally and Asus ROG Ally X devices. VRR expertise enables real-time synchronization of your show’s refresh rate with the native frame rate of the sports event, ensuring a seamless and immersive viewing experience. These devices enable video games to fully utilize their 48-120Hz refresh rate range, resulting in significantly smoother gameplay, especially at frame rates below 50-60fps.
If you’re currently captivated by the prospect of Nvidia’s G-Sync or AMD’s FreeSync technology, then you’re likely on the right path to exploring the world of adaptive sync solutions. These technologies employ variable refresh rate algorithms aimed at minimizing stuttering and display tearing when gaming.
The ability to extend a display to an external monitor was indeed available on SteamOS, but solely for external displays. SteamOS takes a significant leap forward in supporting the Asus ROG Clans’ proprietary devices with the addition of VRR compatibility for inner shows used on competitor handhelds, effectively bridging the gap to fully support the Asus ROG Ally and ROG Ally X, even without formal recognition from SteamOS.
While Asus’ handheld devices boast variable refresh rate capabilities, it’s striking to note that current Steam Deck models – including the Steam Deck OLED – lack this feature. While there’s no indication Valve intends to add variable refresh rate (VRR) to the Steam Deck 2, if it chooses to use a VRR-capable display for a future Steam Deck, the work required to enable the feature on SteamOS should theoretically become less complex with this update.
With VRR’s addition, Valve demonstrates a commitment to accommodating rival handheld makers’ devices, hinting at an imminent official release; now may be the ideal moment to consider purchasing one. Read our comprehensive review of the Asus ROG Ally for an in-depth analysis of this innovative Steam Deck rival, or explore our comparison piece that pits the latest Asus ROG Ally X against its predecessor to discover which model reigns supreme.
