Asus ROG Xbox Ally X: YouTuber installs Bazzite Linux to recreate a SteamOS-like experience, but it may not be a good idea
We recently received the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X for review, and it feels like a significant improvement over its predecessor, the ROG Ally X. Although the latest Xbox-branded handheld from Asus comes pre-installed with Windows 11, or rather a more optimised version of it for gaming, some users still prefer Linux-based systems like SteamOS for their smoother, more console-like experience.
One could argue that SteamOS served as a wake-up call for Microsoft. It might even be part of the reason why Windows 11 received such a gaming-focused overhaul, as SteamOS has been gaining traction among OEMs. Lenovo, for instance, recently partnered with Valve to offer the officially certified Lenovo Legion Go S featuring SteamOS.
To see whether the ROG Xbox Ally X could replicate that experience, YouTuber Dawid Does Tech Stuff decided to install Bazzite, a Linux distribution based on Fedora and closely modelled after SteamOS. Their goal was to find out if Asus’s latest handheld could deliver a smoother interface and better performance without relying on Windows.
They downloaded the Bazzite image for the Ally series from the official website and created a bootable USB using Rufus. The first installation failed with an “unknown error.” After some troubleshooting, they discovered that BitLocker encryption was blocking the SSD from being formatted. They disabled encryption, split the SSD into two partitions for dual-booting, and proceeded to install Bazzite.
When the ROG Xbox Ally X booted into Bazzite for the first time, none of the controller inputs worked. After a few minutes, the system began recognising them, though several buttons, including menu keys, remained unresponsive. They manually rebound inputs via Steam’s interface, which restored partial control.
Despite these issues, the YouTuber immediately noticed a significant improvement in responsiveness. “It almost feels like I’ve decalcified its brain,” they said, describing how menus opened instantly, inputs felt immediate, and navigation was far smoother than under Windows 11. However, some core hardware features—such as the RGB lighting around the thumbsticks, power mode controls, and Armoury Crate integration—stopped working entirely.
Dawid then ran performance tests in Cyberpunk 2077 and Shadow of Mordor. In Cyberpunk, he faced difficulties getting the performance overlay to appear until installing MangoHUD, later switching to Steam’s own tool. The game initially showed a blank resolution field, though he assumed it was running at 1080p. Gameplay seemed smoother overall, with slightly higher frame rates and lower input latency compared to Windows 11.
Shadow of Mordor provided a more reliable benchmark, correctly detecting the display resolution. Frame rates were nearly identical across both operating systems, suggesting that while Linux improved interface fluidity, it didn’t deliver a significant advantage in raw performance.
After switching back to Windows and rebooting into Bazzite again, Dawid found that the controls had once more stopped working, only to function normally the next day, with RGB lighting inexplicably restored.
At this point, installing a Linux gaming distro like Bazzite on the ROG Xbox Ally X doesn’t seem like a good idea based on the YouTuber’s experience. The video clearly shows that Bazzite still needs significant optimisation for the latest Xbox-branded handheld to run properly. And if you’re thinking of trying it yourself, it’s better to wait a while, considering these new handheld devices have only just launched.
You can check out how Bazzite performs on the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X in the full testing video linked below, along with our review of the device.
Source(s)
