Asus ROG Xbox Ally with Bazzite hits 38.8 FPS in Cyberpunk 2077, outperforming the Windows 11 version it ships with
According to the latest testing of the recently released Asus Xbox ROG Ally conducted by popular YouTube channel The Phawx, the handheld runs better on Bazzite 43, a Fedora-based SteamOS-like distro, compared to the Windows 11 it comes with by default.
In the test, the YouTuber tested the ROG Ally, which is the more affordable Xbox-branded handheld currently available for $599 on Amazon, by installing Windows 11 on it and then installing Bazzite 43 on it, and also compared it with the Steam Deck OLED running SteamOS 3.8.
In Cyberpunk 2077 testing at 720p using the Steam Deck preset, The Phawx found that Linux performed much better than Windows. When running the game on Bazzite 43 with a 20 W power limit, the ROG Ally reached an average of 38.8 FPS, with stable frame times, 1% lows at 31 FPS and 0.2% lows at 30 FPS. Even after lowering the power limit to 15 W, it still managed 36.2 FPS on average, showing that Linux handles power very efficiently. On the same hardware, Windows 11 achieved 32.1 FPS at 20 W and 29.3 FPS at 15 W, with more noticeable frame drops down to 22.7 and 17.7 FPS.
The Steam Deck OLED running SteamOS 3.8 at 15 W performed slightly below Bazzite 43 but still ran smoother than Windows, averaging 34.9 FPS with better frame stability.
In DOOM: The Dark Ages testing at 720p on low settings, The Phawx compared how the game ran on Bazzite 43, SteamOS 3.8, and Windows 11 using the AMD Ryzen Z2 A chip inside the Asus ROG Ally. The results again showed that Linux performed better. On Bazzite 43 with a 20 W power limit, the game ran at an average of 24 FPS, with 1% lows near 21 FPS and 0.2% lows around 20 FPS, showing smooth and steady gameplay. When the power limit was lowered to 15 W, performance barely changed, it still averaged 23.8 FPS, proving that Bazzite manages power very efficiently.
The Steam Deck OLED running SteamOS 3.8 at 15 W gave similar results, averaging 24.3 FPS, just slightly ahead of Bazzite at that power level. On Windows 11, however, the ROG Ally was slower, reaching 21.5 FPS at 20 W and 20.8 FPS at 15 W. The 1% lows dropped to 17 FPS and the 0.2% lows went down to 14 FPS, which caused more stuttering and uneven frame pacing.
The Phawx said that the biggest difference between Windows and Linux on handhelds like the ROG Ally is how they handle power, not performance. In their Celeste test, they showed that on Bazzite 43, the handheld could automatically adjust power use to stay at a smooth 60 FPS while drawing just over 7 watts, no setup needed.
On Windows, however, they had to manually tweak CPU speeds and power limits to get similar results, and even then, it was only about 5% better. The Phawx explained that Linux systems like Bazzite 43 manage power and balance performance much smarter, while Windows wastes more energy and shows less stable frame rates. They said Microsoft needs to improve Windows for handheld gaming because Linux still gives a smoother and more efficient experience out of the box.
Do watch the full video below for more in-depth testing and a detailed explanation from The Phawx.
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