The Steam Deck revolutionized mobile PC gaming, but competition is heating up. The Asus ROG Ally X now leads the pack, surpassing the Steam Deck with superior performance, faster memory, and extended battery life. The Lenovo Legion Go S and Acer Nitro Blaze 11, unveiled at CES 2025, further expand your on-the-go gaming options. Whether you're considering the Steam Deck or its best alternatives, we've curated a selection of top-tier handheld gaming PCs capable of handling demanding AAA titles.
Top Handheld Gaming PCs at a Glance
Our Top Pick: ### Asus ROG Ally X
20See it at AsusSee it at Best Buy
### Valve Steam Deck
5See it at SteamSee it at Amazon
### Lenovo Legion Go
7See it at AmazonSee it at Best Buy
### Asus ROG Ally Z1 Extreme
3See it at AmazonSee it at Best Buy
### GPD Win 4
3See it at Amazon
### Ayaneo Ayaneo Air
3See it at AmazonSee it at Ayaneo 
### Asus ROG Ally Z1
1See it at AmazonSee it at Best Buy
Handheld gaming PCs offer a compact alternative to bulky gaming laptops, delivering impressive performance in a portable form factor. These devices are capable of running AAA titles like Cyberpunk 2077 and Ghost of Tsushima. Compatibility with docking stations allows for connection to larger displays.
Our experts have reviewed several high-performance handhelds. The following seven stand out, ranging from the powerful Lenovo Legion Go to the more budget-friendly Asus ROG Ally Z1, ideal for indie games.
Contributions by Danielle Abraham, Ural Garrett, Georgie Peru
Detailed Reviews:
1. Asus ROG Ally X: The Best Handheld Gaming PC
7 Images
The Asus ROG Ally X boasts significantly improved RAM (24GB LPDDR5 @ 7,400MHz), a larger battery (80Wh), and enhanced cooling, resulting in a substantial performance boost and longer playtime. The updated design includes a second Thunderbolt 4 compatible USB-C port and an improved microSD card slot.
2. Valve Steam Deck: The Best Steam Deck
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Running SteamOS with Proton compatibility for a wide range of games, the Steam Deck offers excellent control but suffers from relatively short battery life. An OLED version with improved battery life, higher refresh rate and increased storage is also available.
(Reviews for Lenovo Legion Go, Asus ROG Ally Z1 Extreme, GPD Win 4, Ayaneo Air, and Asus ROG Ally Z1 follow a similar structure, highlighting key features, pros, and cons, and are omitted for brevity. The original text contains these details.)
Upcoming Handhelds:
The Lenovo Legion Go S (SteamOS and Windows 11 versions) and Acer Nitro Blaze 11 (with an 11-inch screen) are anticipated releases. The Nintendo Switch 2 is also on the horizon, though not a PC gaming device.
FAQ:
Handheld PC vs. Gaming Laptop: Handhelds excel in portability, battery life (though this varies greatly between models), and thermal management, but gaming laptops offer superior specs and broader functionality.
Best Steam Deck Alternative: The Asus ROG Ally X is our top recommendation.
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