Switch 2 vs Steam Deck vs ROG Xbox Ally: which handheld should you buy in Australia?
How the Switch 2, Steam Deck OLED and ROG Xbox Ally compare in Australia: prices from $699 to $1,799, specs, what you can play and what has gone up.
Three handhelds, three different game libraries. The Switch 2 is the cheapest and plays Nintendo’s games. The Steam Deck OLED plays your Steam library, and Valve’s own store is the cheapest place to buy it. The ROG Xbox Ally runs Windows with an Xbox mode, so it can use Game Pass and other PC stores. Here’s what they cost in Australia, how they compare and what’s gone up.
The short answer
- You want Nintendo’s games, or it’s for the family: the Switch 2. It’s $699 at Target and Officeworks, $71 under its RRP, and $769 at JB Hi-Fi and Big W.
- You already have a Steam library, or want to play PC games without a subscription: the Steam Deck OLED, at A$1,199 for 512GB from Valve.
- You use Game Pass or want Xbox and other PC stores on one device: the ROG Xbox Ally at $989 to $999, or the Ally X at $1,799 if you want more memory and a bigger battery.
What they cost in Australia
| Handheld | Cheapest we found | RRP or official price |
|---|---|---|
| Switch 2 | $699 at Target and Officeworks ($769 at JB Hi-Fi and Big W) | $769.95 |
| Steam Deck OLED 512GB | A$1,199 at Steam ($1,399.95 at Gamesmen) | A$1,199 (Valve) |
| Steam Deck OLED 1TB | A$1,429 at Steam ($1,699 at Gamesmen) | A$1,429 (Valve) |
| ROG Xbox Ally | $989 at Big W and Target (online only), $997 at Officeworks, $999 at JB Hi-Fi and Gamesmen | $999 |
| ROG Xbox Ally X | $1,799 at JB Hi-Fi and Gamesmen | $1,799 |
- The ROG Xbox Ally prices are Microsoft’s estimated retailer prices, and Gamesmen is adding a premium case “valued at $79.95” with the Ally and Ally X while stocks last.
- Valve’s store page lists only the 512GB and 1TB OLED models. Valve’s Steam Deck OLED page still has a 256GB LCD model at A$649 in its comparison table, but we couldn’t confirm it can still be bought.
- Microsoft also lists a ROG Xbox Ally X20 at $2,499 (its estimated retailer price). We didn’t check where it’s in stock.
How they compare
- Switch 2: a 7.9-inch 1080p LCD that runs up to 120Hz, a custom NVIDIA processor, 256GB of storage, a 5220mAh battery (Nintendo estimates about 2 to 6.5 hours) and 401g, or 534g with the Joy-Con 2 attached. Nintendo doesn’t list its memory.
- Steam Deck OLED: a 7.4-inch HDR OLED at 90Hz, an AMD chip with 4 cores and 8 threads, 16GB of memory, 512GB or 1TB of storage, a 50Wh battery and about 640g. It runs SteamOS.
- ROG Xbox Ally: a 7-inch 1080p screen at 120Hz, an AMD Ryzen Z2 A with 4 cores, 16GB of memory, 512GB of storage, a 60Wh battery and 670g. It runs Windows 11 Home with an Xbox mode.
- ROG Xbox Ally X: the same screen, but an AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme with 8 cores, 24GB of memory, 1TB of storage, an 80Wh battery and 715g.
All three take a microSD card for more storage. On Valve’s page the Steam Deck OLED has 30–50% more battery life than the LCD model, which Valve lists at 2 to 8 hours, and it weighs 30g less than the LCD’s 669g. The Switch 2 also plugs into a TV, at up to 4K and 60 frames a second, according to Nintendo.
What you can play
- Switch 2: Nintendo’s games, on Switch 2 and Switch game cards. Games cost extra: our gifts under $100 page has Switch and Switch 2 titles from $30 to $95. Online play and the retro library need a Switch Online membership.
- Steam Deck: your Steam library, on SteamOS rather than Windows. Valve checks games and rates them Verified, Playable, Unsupported or Unknown, and says the review is still going. Valve doesn’t give a count. There’s no subscription to pay.
- ROG Xbox Ally: Windows 11 with an Xbox mode that opens straight into a handheld-friendly screen. Microsoft says you can reach games from Xbox and other PC stores. ASUS says Steam, Epic and Battle.net games can be installed. Game Pass is a separate subscription. ASUS’s feature page says 3 months of Game Pass Premium is included and its spec page says 2 months, so check the offer before you rely on it. It must be claimed within 30 days of activation, needs a payment method, and renews at the regular monthly price unless you cancel. Our subscriptions guide has Game Pass prices.
What has gone up
| Handheld | When | What changed |
|---|---|---|
| Steam Deck OLED | 28 May 2026 | Valve raised both models, to A$1,199 for 512GB and A$1,429 for 1TB, in its Steam Hardware announcement, citing rising memory and storage costs. We found no official record of the earlier Australian prices. |
| Switch 2 | 1 September 2026 (announced 8 May) | $699.95 to $769.95, Nintendo said, citing market conditions. |
We found no official record of a price change for the ROG Xbox Ally or Ally X, so this table doesn’t list them.
Valve’s store page also warns that the Steam Deck OLED may be out of stock intermittently because of memory and storage shortages. That’s the same pressure behind the console price rises we cover in our console guide. As of 3 November we haven’t found a store page that names a Black Friday handheld price, so there’s nothing announced to wait for yet.
Which should you buy?
- Cheapest way in: the Switch 2 at $699, if you can find it at Target or Officeworks. Those two stores haven’t moved to the $769.95 RRP, and could at any time.
- PC games without a subscription: the Steam Deck OLED 512GB at A$1,199, from Valve. Check Valve’s stock before you pay a retailer’s premium.
- Game Pass and PC stores: the ROG Xbox Ally at $989 or $999. The Ally X costs $800 more for 24GB of memory, an 80Wh battery and 1TB of storage.
- Younger kids: the Switch 2 is the one with the Nintendo games, and our kids’ gift guide has ratings and prices.
Prices checked on each store’s own product page, and on Valve’s, ASUS’s, Nintendo’s and Microsoft’s pages, on Tuesday 3 November 2026, between about 6:50pm and 7:15pm AEDT. They don’t include delivery, and stock can change. Specs are from Nintendo’s, Valve’s and ASUS’s own pages. RRPs are Nintendo’s, Valve’s store prices and Microsoft’s “estimated retailer prices”.
