Asus ROG Xbox Ally X shows noticeable performance boost on Bazzite OS over Windows 11

The ROG Xbox Ally X has recently launched as a proper next-gen gaming handheld with the Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme. As Asus began shipping orders, more and more users have started sharing their reviews. One of them comes from YouTuber Cyber Dopamine, who has compared the performance by running Windows 11 and Bazzite OS on the device.

For those unaware, Bazzite OS is a Fedora-based Linux distribution that aims to offer a SteamOS-like experience. Returning to the comparison video, the YouTuber first tested features such as how the operating systems allow users to jump back into a running game after suspending the system.

As expected, resuming a game after the gaming handheld gets suspended is easy on Bazzite OS. On Windows 11, however, it takes a while for the system to get back into the game. Moving to performance comparison, the YouTuber tested Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 and Hogwarts Legacy in different power modes.

Among the two, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 had an average of 47 FPS in 17 W, while Bazzite OS could pull an average of 62 FPS. At 13 W power mode, the average is 35 FPS for the former and 37 FPS for the latter. So, the ROG Xbox Ally X (non-X available on Amazon) can offer up to 32% better performance on this specific game while running Bazzite OS.

As for the second game, on Windows 11, the gaming handheld could run Hogwarts Legacy with an average of 60 FPS in 35 W mode, 50 FPS in 50 W power mode, and 38 FPS in 13 W mode. While on Bazzite OS, the average frames were 65 FPS, 62 FPS, and 37 FPS, respectively. This time, the performance uplift is up to 24%.

Now, while the performance difference may not seem much, as Cyber Dopamine hints, there are battery life improvements and improved stability on Bazzite OS. Check out the video attached below to learn more.