Valve’s SteamOS Gamescope compositor recently got an exciting update on GitHub with the integration of a script to enhance display configuration for the Asus ROG Ally and ROG Ally X. This upgrade primarily enables Gamescope to fully utilize the impressive 48-120 Hz Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) range on these flagship gaming handhelds from Asus. The broader implication here is twofold: firstly, it suggests that we’re edging closer to a more extensive rollout of SteamOS on various PCs, especially given Valve’s prior indications of prioritizing handheld compatibility. Secondly, it’s a significant highlight of the ROG Ally’s capabilities in the handheld gaming market.
For those who might not be deeply familiar with VRR technology, terms like G-Sync from Nvidia and FreeSync from AMD might ring a bell. VRR essentially allows a display’s refresh rate to align with the current frame rate of a game or 3D application in real-time, eliminating annoying visual tears and ensuring smooth visuals within the supported VRR spectrum. While most displays cut off at around 40 Hz in terms of VRR, achieving a seamless 120 Hz on a handheld is quite an achievement, thus giving the ROG Ally an edge with its flexible VRR range.
This isn’t the sole update from Steam in recent times that hints at gearing up for SteamOS on the ROG Ally. In August, a SteamOS input layer update introduced button support for both the Asus ROG Ally and ROG Ally X, coming eight months after Valve’s initial announcement about a more widespread SteamOS rollout focused on handhelds. Of course, with the ever-ambiguous Valve Time, predicting exactly when all this anticipation and groundwork will culminate in a full-fledged launch is anybody’s guess. Nonetheless, with community-driven SteamOS options like Bazzite and HoloISO already in circulation, there’s no urgent rush on Valve’s part to push out its version hastily.
Interestingly, the update also brings attention to a gap in Valve’s own Steam Deck line, even the premium Steam Deck OLED, which supports HDR with brightness levels of up to 1000 nits but lacks VRR. Seeing VRR capabilities integrated with the SteamOS Gamescope for external and competing handheld displays might just spark inspiration within Valve to incorporate VRR in the upcoming Steam Deck 2—though exactly when that might occur remains an open question.
