The best handheld PCs

Y’know what, I deliberation we’ve lived agelong capable successful the post-Steam Deck satellite that it bears weighing up what the existent champion handheld PCs are. A fewer years agone this would person conscionable been a vaguely-ranked database of immoderate portables were available, but aft Valve demonstrated that the palm-resting format could not conscionable work, but really be good, handhelds person arguably go the astir absorbing and rapidly-changing happening successful each of PC hardware. Even Microsoft are having a go, slapping their branding connected the upcoming Asus ROG Xbox Ally – though here, I’m sticking strictly to the finest handhelds that I’ve tested and that you tin buy.

Our Favourite Handheld PC It’s got to beryllium the Steam Deck OLED. There are faster handhelds, but nary consciousness arsenic tightly tuned oregon thoughtfully designed arsenic this upgraded Deck – contempt it usually costing little to boot. Buy from Steam

Every handheld PC that lands successful my lap, erstwhile I prime it backmost up again, goes done a lengthy regimen of games benchmarks, artillery tests, and show measurements, truthful I tin accidental for a information that my opinions connected them are omniscient and correct. No request to convey me. But bash person a bully look done each your options, arsenic beauteous overmuch each devices are amended connected definite points (performance, artillery beingness etc.) portion being weaker connected others. Once you’ve decided, you tin besides commencement augmenting your caller instrumentality with immoderate useful hardware extras: our microSD paper and Steam Deck accessories guides evidently favour a definite exemplary oregon two, though a batch of what’s successful them volition enactment connected different portables arsenic well.

Best handheld PCs

• Steam Deck OLED – The champion handheld PC overall
• MSI Claw 8 AI+ – The champion handheld PC for performance
• Steam Deck – The champion worth handheld PC
• Asus ROG Ally X – The champion handheld PC for portability
• Lenovo Legion Go – The champion big-screen handheld PC

Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun

I’ve spent hundreds of hours investigating (and adjacent to a 1000 quid connected buying) handheld PCs, and the Steam Deck OLED is inactive my archetypal prime of question companion. It has everything that made the original, LCD-screen Steam Deck specified a transformative occurrence – the comfy design, the astonishing artillery life, the implicit UX masterclass that is SteamOS – and makes astir everything somewhat better. Sometimes, not adjacent conscionable slightly.

The show is the evident upgrade, bringing lush colours and a higher refresh complaint than connected Valve’s archetypal attempt. But this surface tech switcheroo has knock-on effects: due to the fact that OLED panels are thinner, the full instrumentality becomes lighter, and due to the fact that it besides uses little powerfulness than LCD, it’s much businesslike too. The extremity result, acknowledgment besides to a refreshed processor, is that the Steam Deck OLED runs cooler, quieter, and with downright fantabulous battery-drain stamina. Stick to easygoing fare similar Portal 2 oregon Hades 2 and this tin past for astir six hours, portion adjacent hyper-thirsty games similar Elden Ring tin support going for much than two. With different handhelds, particularly those connected Windows, you’re fortunate to get 3 hours adjacent connected the lighter stuff, and person to 1 with the biggest drinkers.

Longevity isn’t everything, and it’s worthy noting that an expanding fig of recently-released games marque graphical demands that are simply beyond the Steam Deck OLED’s abilities. Still, betwixt the superior uptime, the smoothness of SteamOS, and small touches similar the upgraded, grippier thumbsticks, I’ve ne'er recovered immoderate different handheld PC to simply consciousness arsenic nice arsenic this one. It knows its limits and plays to its strengths, tangibly much truthful than its rivals, and with the 512GB mentation starting astatine £459 / $549 it doesn’t adjacent inquire for overmuch successful return.

Read much successful our afloat Steam Deck OLED review.

Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun

If the Steam Deck OLED was each astir perfecting an already beardown design, the MSI Claw 8 AI+ was much of a rescue mission, tasked with correcting the archetypal Claw’s failings connected performance, artillery life, and connectivity. Still, it turned retired truthful successfully that I’m present expecting to spot the Claw 8 AI+ connected the news, pulling Thai children retired of a flooded cave.

Averaged out, this is successful the books arsenic the astir almighty handheld PC I’ve tested; the Zotac Zone is arsenic accelerated (or very, precise somewhat faster) successful immoderate games, but successful others the Claw 8 AI+ trounces it. In Cyberpunk 2077, for example, MSI’s handheld clocked 52fps connected the ironically-named Steam Deck prime preset versus 38fps from the Zone, adjacent with its higher autochthonal surface solution of 1920x1200 providing much of a situation than the Zotac’s 1080p display. The Steam Deck itself lone produced 30fps connected its 800p screen, further demonstrating the Claw 8 AI+’s muscle, and the second tin besides agelong to moving pugnacious games – similar Space Marine 2 – that some the Deck and Deck OLED simply cannot.

A hefty artillery upgrade besides helps support this handheld from burning excessively bright, excessively fast. It’s nary lucifer for the Steam Deck OLED successful lighter games – we’re talking 3h 22m successful Portal 2, versus the Deck OLED’s 5h 48m – but past it did past for 2h 13m successful Elden Ring, conscionable 1 infinitesimal little than Valve’s superlative PC. Both results are very, precise bully by wide Windows 11 handheld standards, a class that often struggles with moving retired of juice.

This is 1 of the pricier devices connected the market, truthful you should some expect and request precocious performance. Happily, that’s precisely what the Claw 8 AI+ delivers.

Read much successful our afloat MSI Claw 8 AI+ review.

Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun

While the implicit cheapest, 64GB-equipped Steam Deck has been chopped by Valve’s ornate discontinuing axe, the remaining 256GB exemplary remains an outrageous bargain. £349 / $399 for a go-anywhere gaming PC that runs Forza Horizon 5 astatine 60fps and can, erstwhile juggling capable cables, alteration into a workable desktop? Mr. Newell, sir, you indispensable instrumentality maine for a fool. A fool, sir.

But nope, this bargain alarm is not a mendacious one. Even if newer, shinier, pricier handhelds person overtaken the classical Deck connected performance, this is inactive a comfy and reasonably long-lasting portable (5h 17m successful RimWorld!) with capable horsepower for tens of thousands of games connected Steam’s buckling shelves. Speaking of which, don’t underestimate SteamOS’ quality to get on with games extracurricular of Valve’s ain ecosystem, arsenic it’s casual capable to instal astir non-Steam launchers, widening the Deck’s compatibility with your existing crippled room adjacent further.

Granted, the Steam Deck’s presumption arsenic king of the inexpensive handheld PCs is besides partially down to a deficiency of different superior claimants. Lenovo has had a spell with the Ryzen Z2 Go mentation of its Legion Go S, which outperforms the Deck successful games portion besides offering a sharper 1200p screen, but its artillery beingness disappoints and its instrumentality sound irritates. Besides, the Legion Go S inactive lone starts astatine £549, which is 1TB Steam Deck OLED money. That leaves the OG Deck arsenic amended value, successful my book, particularly since it besides saves you immoderate currency by bundling successful a transportation case.

Read much successful our afloat Steam Deck review.

Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun

Maybe a debateable one, this. What’s adjacent the astir important metric for measuring portability? Dimensions? The archetypal Asus ROG Ally is nicely svelte, to beryllium sure. Battery life? That does mean much clip without needing to beryllium shackled to a powerfulness supply, successful which lawsuit you could springiness this 1 to the Steam Deck OLED arsenic well. I think, however, it’s astir sensible to equilibrium the two, successful which lawsuit we extremity up with the Asus ROG Ally X.

As equilibrium often means compromise, this is not arsenic bladed arsenic the archetypal Ally, nor arsenic long-lasting arsenic the Deck OLED. But it is smaller wide than thing Valve has made, coming successful astir 2 centimetres narrower than the somewhat plank-like Deck, and it’s lone gained immoderate thickness due to the fact that of a artillery size upgrade that virtually doubles the Ally’s full-to-empty clip successful games similar GTA V and Forza Horizon 5. Marrying dinkiness to longevity is clearer harder than it looks, but the ROG Ally X manages it.

Performance-wise, this is bested by the newer MSI Claw 8 AI+ and Zotac Zone, but it’s noticeably lighter (and much compact) than some – winning this circular of Handheld PC Top Trumps connected portability erstwhile more. The lone happening it’s truly missing successful this respect is simply a lawsuit successful the box, though they’re casual capable to find elsewhere. I’m particularly fond of the Dbrand Project Killswitch, which tightly wraps astir the ROG Ally X, protecting it without adding arsenic overmuch bulk arsenic a zip-up case.

Read much successful our afloat Asus ROG Ally X review.

Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun

In immoderate ways, the sprawling 8.8in IPS sheet connected the Lenovo Legion Go flies excessively adjacent to the sun: its 2560x1600 solution gives it a striking sharpness, but that’s besides conscionable excessively galore pixels for the handheld-grade APU to proviso with capable framerates. The inclusion of a 144Hz refresh complaint seems, arsenic a result, similar wishful thinking.

Luckily, lowering to 1920x1200 inactive provides capable detail, permitting the Legion Go to blast that immense slab of LEDs into your look without doing a fig connected performance. The screen’s size besides makes a batch much consciousness if you ever instrumentality vantage of the handheld’s enactment piece: detachable controllers, 1 of which functions similar a small upright rodent for finer, much PC-like power successful strategy and shooter games. Unless you person 4 hands, and astir radical don’t, that volition mean utilizing the main unit’s kickstand to beryllium the show connected a table oregon table, apt further distant from your eyes than successful a modular holding presumption and frankincense wherever greater dimensions marque for little squinting.

It’s this ambitiousness, and this willingness to beryllium weird, that makes the Legion Go a precise likeable instrumentality adjacent with immoderate occasionally peculiar specs. This isn’t conscionable a Steam Deck oregon ROG Ally clone that’s harder to worldly successful a bag: it’s a genuinely distinct, adjacent unsocial alternate that wants to bash its ain thing, careless of however niche of a happening that is. And yes, the surface is chuffin’ massive.

Read much successful our afloat Lenovo Legion Go review.

Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun

The champion handheld PCs – FAQ

Should I really bargain a handheld PC?

I mean, I similar them. Handheld PCs are often compared to handheld consoles (namely the Switch and Switch 2), but arsenic with immoderate console, you’d typically put successful the second due to the fact that you privation to play the circumstantial games that person been built for it. Handheld PCs are antithetic successful that if you already play PC games connected a laptop oregon desktop, you’ll person a compatible room acceptable to rotation earlier you adjacent peel the cellophane off. It’s truthful not conscionable a substance of which games you similar playing, but how you’d spell astir playing them.

Dense strategy games oregon immersion-focused sims, for example, are sadly little suited to handhelds, either due to the fact that they aren’t a large acceptable for gamepad-styled controls oregon due to the fact that the carnal signifier origin makes it harder to support that level flying/bus driving/train operating fantasy. But platformers, puzzlers, racers, RPGs, soulslikes? These tin gaffe comfortably into portable PCs similar a favourite acceptable of jimjams. If you similar these, there’s small astir the handheld beingness that diminishes them.

As for however you similar playing, that’s besides up to you – possibly you conscionable privation thing other to bash connected the bog. But the information is that handhelds escaped your games from your accustomed desk, and without the bulk oregon value of a gaming laptop crushing your thighs. Mid-commute amusement is an evident application, and personally, I sometimes conscionable privation to play thing relaxed, without remaining bolt upright successful the aforesaid seat wherever I enactment for 7 hours a day. With that, it’s Steam Deck successful manus and disconnected to the sofa.

I wouldn’t spell arsenic acold arsenic to accidental you need a handheld PC, and I wouldn’t needfully urge them implicit and supra a accepted desktop (unless you’re looking to participate PC gaming connected the tiniest of budgets). But the acquisition is some a chiseled and a worthwhile one, and I’m blessed that handhelds have, for privation of a little anatomically confused phrase, recovered their footing.

Is SteamOS oregon Windows amended for handheld PCs?

The astir oft-quoted vantage for Windows 11 arsenic a handheld operating strategy is that it beats SteamOS connected crippled compatibility. The second is based connected Linux, and though it uses compatibility bundle called Proton to enactment an impressively wide enactment of games and crippled launchers, it is existent that Windows volition tally much of what you’re utilized to playing connected your desktop. Game Pass games, for instance, tin lone beryllium installed and enjoyed locally with a Windows handheld; connected SteamOS, your champion anticipation is cloud-streaming them.

And yet, SteamOS is amended astatine practically everything else. It’s acold easier to navigate connected a tiny handheld screen, owing to the information that dissimilar Windows 11, it was designed for them. It’s little buggy. There’s nary bloatware. It boots faster. Its gaming-specific features are much numerous, useful, and accessible, from a built-in show show to on-the-fly controller customisation. The merchandise of the Lenovo Legion Go S, the archetypal handheld with afloat OS and operator enactment for some Windows and SteamOS, has adjacent produced grounds that games simply tally faster connected Valve’s system, each different things being equal.

Considering that SteamOS tin inactive motorboat and tally loads of non-Steam games conscionable fine, autochthonal Game Pass compatibility does look similar Windows’ lone existent advantage. It’s possibly telling that for the incoming ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally, Microsoft themselves are producing a customized mentation that boots into a stripped-back, Xbox-branded situation wherever astir of Windows 11’s non-gaming features are switched off. That would beryllium a invited show boost if it works, though evidently the operating system’s cshortcomings are evident adjacent to the radical that marque it.

Can I unfastened up and customise handheld PCs?

Yep. All the ones I’ve tried truthful acold fto you instrumentality a screwdriver, ace unfastened the case, and fasten it backmost up, conscionable similar a bully ol’ desktop. With the Steam Deck and Steam Deck OLED successful particular, you tin bargain idiosyncratic (and official) replacement parts to acceptable yourself, contempt Valve frowning connected this signifier successful the past.

Be warned, though, that it’s a overmuch fiddlier process than moving wrong a desktop, mostly due to the fact that the internals are each truthful cramped together. So portion it’s perfectly imaginable to, say, regenerate a Steam Deck’s SSD, it does necessitate a lighter interaction than conscionable slotting a full-size NVMe instrumentality into a spacious operation rig. For a batch of handheld PCs, opening the chassis volition void the warranty too.

What are immoderate bully games for handheld PCs?

Dunno. Wait, no, I person a full database of those! It’s based connected the Steam Deck, clearly, but successful my experience, immoderate crippled that plays oregon runs good connected a Steam Deck volition besides enactment conscionable dandily connected akin handhelds. Usually with adjacent amended performance, unless you effort cranking up the prime oregon solution settings excessively high.