Sorry Steam Deck, but power wins over battery life.
As a 90’s “child,” life happens. I cannot complain about the lack of free time, even though I push towards 34 years old and my software development job is not always a mindfulness person’s dream (sometimes I crunch, even though with each year, it’s less, but still not reaching 0). I don’t have children yet, so truly I can say that I still have free time.
A Gaming Shift
The PC experience is losing its appeal, and even consoles feel limiting. I love the convenience of docking, but portability wins the day. My Switch OLED is now my go-to device, even with my decent Asus ROG laptop (and its Nvidia 4060 RTX) collecting dust. Sure, I write blogs on the laptop, but for gaming Switch took the front seat.
The ROG Zephyrus G16 surprised me. It delivered a great 4K gaming experience, even with Diablo IV, Metro Exodus (with ray tracing!), and Witcher 3 on Ultra. The 4060 RTX might technically be a 1080p card, but it didn’t stop me from enjoying 4K gaming.
Sitting all day in meetings and coding means I need to move when I’m off work. That’s where the Nintendo Switch, and lately the Asus ROG Ally, have become my best friends.
I nearly finished act I of Baldur’s Gate 3 in December, but then I just took a pause. Now it’s May, and overall, I rarely fire up the PC for games anymore.
Handheld Brings Hope (Consumerism at Best)
Ever since I got my hands on the ROG Ally Z1 Extreme, especially for Baldur’s Gate 3, my gaming needs feel perfectly met. The Steam Deck’s performance underwhelmed me, barely 30fps in low-poly areas with downgraded graphics isn’t my idea of fun. I needed something better, and the ROG Ally delivered.
Alright, I admit, the only winning handheld was the one that played Baldur’s Gate 3 best. Because otherwise, the Steam Deck Oled was looking too good, and was winning overall in the other aspects of portability: Battery life & great performance in low wattage.
Power Meets Portability
I might have been hesitant before, but dammit, the ROG Ally Z1 Extreme was the right decision. This thing packs serious power. I’m getting 40+ fps in Baldur’s Gate 3’s Act 2 without any crazy tweaking.
Smooth as butter. It might not be 4K, but it’s almost close enough (1080p), and the graphics are still stunning. That’s essential for Baldur’s Gate 3! The display’s fantastic… OLED would be incredible, but the colors are already super vibrant. This is how Baldur’s Gate 3 was meant to be played on the go.
Resuming BG3 On The Handheld, At The Very End of Act I
Honestly, it took some getting used to, not with the controls, but the world shrinking down to a 7″ display. Baldur’s Gate 3 is undeniably meant to be enjoyed with a big 4K screen, but I’ll gladly take this portable 1080p powerhouse any day.
There’s a saying in astronomy, “apreture is king”, the biggest telescope the better. But the best telescope is the one you actually use! Sometimes, settling for a little less means you’ll get a lot more enjoyment in the long run. And I actually apply the same logic to my good old telescope. Too bad today is raining, well, settling for gaming is not a worst case scenario.
Like Riding a Bike
I tried to capture it in a dimly lit room, so pardon the blurriness and my amateur photography skills. Still learning the new camera.
You’ll have to take my word for it until I can snag some better photos or screenshots from the rog ally. (#BoomerMoment)
Back to the game, the controls work great once you get the hang of them. Switching between touchscreen ‘desktop mode’ for Windows-like UI and controller mode for better in-game shortcuts takes a bit of practice, but feels smooth now.
I tell you, the game plays amazingly well. Even with tons of actions and items, the controls are smartly mapped.
The best part? Turn-based combat is perfect on a handheld. The opponents can wait all day while I go for a cup of coffee. Well, that’s the theory… in reality, I’m as focused as a kid with a new tablet.
Overall, Baldur’s Gate 3 is a polished experience on handheld. I’m not disappointed and will be back with another update after I’ve added even more hours in.
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