Finest handheld gaming PC 2025

Regardless of having specs that look considerably weaker than the competitors, the Steam Deck OLED stays the perfect handheld available on the market. That is for a number of causes however the principle one is that it would not use Home windows however as a substitute makes use of Valve’s customized Steam OS. It is simply a lot slicker and simpler to make use of than Home windows, making this handheld PC really really feel like a real transportable video games console.

In follow, this implies you are able to do issues like put the machine in standby mid-game, enabling you to renew your recreation the second you flip the hand held on. Compared, a Home windows handheld wants you to totally exit the sport and restart it once more every time you power-off the machine.

Valve has additionally made it simple to regulate settings and navigate the hand held with its controls. In distinction, many Home windows handhelds nonetheless make you want you simply had a mouse and keyboard handy.

These are simply a number of the causes that the Steam Deck reigns supreme however by way of why you must get the Steam Deck OLED over the unique Steam Deck, that is practically all about its display screen. Valve swapped the unique LCD show of the Steam Deck for an OLED unit that’s tremendous brilliant, vivid, and has superb distinction. Regardless of having a modest decision of simply 1,280 x 800 pixels, it seems to be incredible.

The brand new handheld additionally consists of enhancements to battery life for longer gaming periods, a weight discount for better consolation, plus quicker Wi-Fi for faster downloads. All of it provides as much as making the Steam Deck OLED nonetheless the perfect gaming handheld you should purchase, although there are some caveats to notice.

The place the Steam Deck OLED merely cannot compete with the trendy competitors is for display screen decision and uncooked efficiency. Whereas the Steam Deck OLED has a 7-inch 800p display screen, some rivals have 8-inch or bigger screens with 1080p and even 1440p resolutions. These shows are much better for watching video and customarily getting extra finished – you should utilize these handhelds for internet looking and e mail in a method that the Steam Deck’s low decision show simply cannot replicate.

In the meantime, by way of uncooked energy, the Steam Deck OLED makes use of an outdated customized APU that is lower than half as highly effective because the APUs in competing trendy Home windows handhelds. This implies these handhelds can run video games at larger resolutions and body charges. Nevertheless, the Steam Deck OLED continues to be remarkably succesful, which our intensive listing of the perfect Steam Deck video games demonstrates.

The ultimate foremost downsides to notice are that the Steam Deck can, for probably the most half, solely run Steam video games, so video games corresponding to Fortnite that run by way of the Epic Video games retailer cannot run on this machine. Likewise, fairly a number of aggressive multi-player video games do not work as a result of they use customized anti-cheat software program that does not run on SteamOS. That also leaves hundreds of video games on Steam accessible to play, although.

The ultimate essential side that makes the Steam Deck OLED so compelling is its worth. Whereas many Home windows handhelds are pushing near $1,000, the Steam Deck OLED is simply $549. A few of that lower cost is mirrored in its decrease specs however, finally, it nonetheless provides as much as this being the hand held to get proper now.

Learn our Steam Deck OLED overview.

The Steam Deck wasn’t the primary handheld gaming PC, however it’s definitely been probably the most profitable. It provides you seamless integration with Steam and a console-like expertise meaning it may be as plug-and-play as you want – with the advantage of having a totally user-tweakable OS beneath the hood.

The lower-end 64GB mannequin is now discontinued however you may nonetheless choose it up from retailers like Amazon, broaden its storage, and pair it with the perfect Steam Deck equipment to convey it as much as a usable capability.

Nevertheless, titles corresponding to Starfield, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, and Remnant 2 all trigger the Steam Deck to misstep. We’re nonetheless a while away from all main AAA releases being unplayable on the Steam Deck – and there are literally thousands of different video games nonetheless to play, however the clock is ticking and chances are you’ll really feel you get extra worth in the event you go for a more recent handheld.

The customized APU dubbed Van Gogh continues to be highly effective sufficient for many video games and in the event you primarily need to play retro video games, 2D video games, sidescrollers, or emulated titles then you may be very happy with the efficiency. That is nonetheless a great-value handheld gaming PC.

Learn our Steam Deck overview.

The Asus ROG Xbox Ally X would not fairly stay as much as expectations by way of it providing an Xbox-like console expertise in comparison with different Home windows gaming handhelds. Nevertheless, it is nonetheless clearly the perfect premium possibility accessible proper now.

Packing the model new AMD Ryzen Z2 Excessive processor, it gives top-tier efficiency with the power to play the newest AAA video games at 1080p, medium element, with a little bit of upscaling. That compares to 800p or decrease at low element settings for many first-gen handhelds just like the Steam Deck.

It does have some competitors from the likes of the AOKZOE A1X and Ayaneo 3, however whereas different premium handhelds like these price in extra of $1,300, the ROG Xbox Ally X is simply $999. That also makes it costly, significantly in comparison with the Steam Deck OLED, however it’s really respectable worth for the ability on provide.

As for these Xbox bits, you get a brand new handheld-friendly Xbox app and an Xbox overlay for taking screenshots, connecting with mates, and controlling some options of the machine, all when you’re mid-game. Nevertheless, they’re nothing we have not seen in different handhelds, and Microsoft has fallen properly wanting creating a very well-integrated, full touchscreen and dpad-friendly interface simply but.

Nonetheless, regardless of Home windows being a bit janky at occasions, when you’re gaming you may love the efficiency and luxury this handheld gives.

For those who’re searching for the last word Home windows gaming handheld proper now, the AOKZOE A1X is it. Due to the inclusion of the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370, this handheld is among the many strongest on the market whereas its Home windows interface outclasses all earlier than it.

On the floor, the A1X is not a very outstanding Home windows gaming handheld. Nevertheless, together with the choice to purchase it with AMD’s newest 300-series APU for peak handheld efficiency, it does a number of delicate issues properly.

For a begin, its display screen being eight inches reasonably than seven inches provides you just a bit extra display screen area to play video games, watch video, and benefit from the flexibility of the Home windows OS and all of the apps you may run on it. It is also an amazing high quality display screen, even when it may possibly’t fairly evaluate to the OLED panels on some handhelds.

Subsequent is the inclusion of a kickstand that means that you can sit again and use the hand held both to look at video or to play video games with a controller. It could appear odd to make use of a handheld on this method (the clue’s within the title) however it may be surprisingly helpful.

Battery life is one other massive plus with the A1X. This handheld can final so long as ten hours whereas gaming in its lowest energy mode. Its efficiency is restricted however the likes of Hades are nonetheless playable.

All this and AOKZOE’s app for managing all of the options of this handheld beats any we have used earlier than. The general expertise nonetheless is not fairly as slick as on Steam Decks however it makes switching energy modes and customarily utilizing the machine higher than ever.

The one actual draw back, apart from barely small precise controls is the excessive worth of this handheld. With the decrease spec – however nonetheless the identical efficiency as most different handhelds – it at the moment prices $899 however that is with a 15% low cost, because it’s usually over $1,000. In the meantime, with the extra highly effective processor it is usually $1,459 however is at the moment $1,239.

If these discounted costs show to be the long run worth of this handheld, it begins to look much more aggressive, however at its larger costs, you are undoubtedly paying a premium for its efficiency.

Learn our full AOKZOE A1X overview to search out out extra.

The Asus ROG Ally X had for a good time been our total high choose for Home windows handhelds. Nevertheless, the sheer energy and glorious software program of the AOKZOE A1X has seen is snatch that title. Nevertheless, that machine is much more costly than the ROG Ally X, making Asus’ newest handheld nonetheless your best option for these aware of funds.

Bringing a bunch of welcome updates to the unique ROG Ally, the Ally X  transforms one of many earliest and most profitable Home windows handhelds into an excellent slicker, extra succesful, and fine-tuned machine.

With 8GB further reminiscence, and quicker reminiscence at that, the ROG Ally X stays aggressive for efficiency with many different handhelds nonetheless. Asus’ Armoury Crate software program overlay can also be a lot improved, and whereas not good, its interface is simpler to know and navigate than earlier variations.

The place the ROG Ally X struggles proper now could be that it is arduous to search out at its $799 MSRP. At that worth, it is cheaper than the AOKZOE A1X and the higher purchase for many players due to it. Nevertheless, actual world costs have pushed past $1,000 when it may possibly even be discovered. That is nonetheless somewhat cheaper however it dents the worth of this handheld – be sure you maintain out and solely get it at or near its MSRP.

Learn our Asus ROG Ally X overview.

The Lenovo Legion Go 2 is perhaps proper across the nook however, for now, the unique Lenovo Legion Go continues to be probably the most broadly succesful handhled available on the market.

That versatility is right down to its detachable controllers that slide off the edges of the machine and allow you to play video games at a distance, even permitting for two-player multiplayer experiences. The inbuilt kickstand additionally makes for a handy approach to sit again and calm down whereas gaming or watching video on this handheld.

Serving to to benefit from this broad vary of makes use of, this handheld’s large 8.8-inch decision show actually brings an additional degree of immersion to video games and makes for a a lot better video-watching expertise. It additionally additional enhances that sit again and recreation from a distance expertise.

For extra intense gaming periods the show’s 144Hz most refresh price and pin-sharp 2,560 x 1,600 decision guarantee you do not miss a factor. It is solely an IPS LCD panel, reasonably than OLED, however it nonetheless offers nice picture high quality.

Inside is a few highly effective {hardware} too. The AMD Ryzen Z1 Excessive places the Lenovo Legion Go properly forward of the Steam Deck for uncooked energy and on par with most different high-end Home windows handhelds. A kind of removable controllers additionally lets have interaction ‘FPS Mode’ the place the controller converts to a mouse, similar to the brand new Nintendo Change 2.

The Legion Go does have a number of flaws. It is a lot heavier than its rivals, weighing in at 854g, which might make utilizing it for lengthy durations a bit tiring. It is also not as ergonomic and you will have to tinker with settings and backbone pretty continuously, because the display screen’s native 1600p decision is way too demanding for the Ryzen Z1 Excessive APU, and the software program will be fiddly.

Learn our Lenovo Legion Go overview for the complete image.

On the time of the Asus ROG Ally X launch, the additional $100 for the newer mannequin was a no brainer and the OG ROG Ally’s days appeared numbered. Nevertheless, the gaming handheld market has gone a bit loopy in current months and now availability it low and costs are excessive.

On account of this, the Ally X is now very scarce and much dearer than its MSRP in most shops whereas the unique ROG Ally is available and will be had for an amazing worth. What’s extra, that is nonetheless an amazing handheld total.

The core options right here of an AMD Ryzen Z1 Excessive processor, an amazing high quality 7-inch, 1080p, LCD display screen, and customarily sensible design make for a handheld that is decently simple to make use of and gives strong efficiency. The Ally X did enhance its ergonomics and barely bumped its efficiency however the Ally continues to be very succesful.

One key issue to look out for is the design of the cooler on the unique Ally tends to overheat the microSD slot, which might corrupt your microSD card. As such, you do need to be a bit cautious with how you employ the machine, significantly in hotter areas, however there are methods spherical this.

Finally, in a world the place nearly each different Home windows handheld is pushing in direction of $1,000 the Asus ROG Ally is a good possibility for $649.

Learn our unique Asus ROG Ally overview for a full image of what this handheld can do.

The stand out characteristic of the Ayaneo 3 is its 7-inch, 1080p, OLED display screen. If the Steam Deck OLED proved something, it is {that a} top-quality OLED panel actually is an enormous improve for a gaming handheld over an LCD, because it offers a lot larger distinction, and the Ayaneo’s gives comparable high quality whereas having a a lot larger decision.

Fortunately, there’s extra to this handheld than simply its display screen, although. Ayaneo has labored arduous to create a deep degree of energy customization that means that you can actually dial within the steadiness of pace for a clean body price in your video games and low energy consumption to maximise battery life.  This handheld’s audio system are surprisingly loud and clear too, whereas its total ergonomics are nice as properly.

The pièce de résistance, although, is the Ayaneo 3’s modular controllers. You possibly can swap out the little thumbstick/buttons sections and alter between an Xbox-style format or symmetrical controls or change a thumbstick for all buttons. It feels like a gimmick however it’s really actually helpful.

The one hassle is, all these excessive specs and additional options add price, leading to a complete worth for this handheld that’s simply staggering when set in opposition to the sub-$500 worth of some Steam Deck fashions. The highest-spec fashions price over $2,000, which might be a tough to swallow sum even when this handheld was good, however sadly it does have one further issue that holds it again: Home windows.

Like different Home windows handhelds, the general ease of use of this handheld just isn’t a patch on the Steam Decks, and Ayaneo’s software program is not fairly as slickly built-in as that on the Aokzoe A1X. It is nonetheless an amazing handheld, although, in the event you can stay with its Home windows interface foibles and afford its excessive worth.

Learn our Ayaneo 3 overview.

The Ayaneo Air stands out as among the many smallest handheld gaming PCs round. With only a 5.5-inch OLED display screen, it is a noticeable step down from the Steam Deck OLED and Asus ROG Ally X, not to mention the a lot giant Lenovo Legion Go.

This compactness makes it an amazing possibility for these searching for a handheld appropriate for touring gentle or utilizing one among these units on a daily commute the place you are cramped for area and should have to face. That is very true because it’s a lot lighter than others too, weighing in at simply 398g in comparison with 640g for the Steam Deck OLED.

All that compactness comes with some apparent compromises, although. The AMD Ryzen 5 5560 chip on this handheld is significantly much less highly effective than most different handhelds. It might nonetheless play most video games at low settings and 720p resolutions or decrease however Steam Deck-level energy was already proper on the restrict of what is useable for many video games so the Ayaneo Air feels much more restricted.

Battery life is restricted too and the smaller display screen means this feels much less like a tool you would possibly need to use for different duties corresponding to watching video or looking the net. Nonetheless, with a low asking worth, it is probably an amazing possibility for a lot of consumers, if you will get maintain of 1, as inventory appears to have principally dried up since its launch in 2023.

We predict Sony’s PSP is without doubt one of the best-designed items of tech ever conceived and it is clear GPD has had comparable ideas, as its GPD Win 4 gaming handheld is successfully a Home windows-powered equal. With a slide-up display screen that reveals a full keyboard, it brings a complete new degree of practicality to the gaming handheld area.

This novel building actually units the GPD Win 4 other than the remainder, as regardless of touchscreen keyboards having taken over within the cell phone and pill area, bodily keyboards simply convey a lot utility to units of this dimension. Whether or not it is shortcuts for key Home windows capabilities or simply speedy typing on a tool that is in any other case unwieldy for such use, it is very best. That is to not say it is a keyboard on par with a laptop computer however it’s higher than none in any respect.

Powering the GPD Win 4 is the AMD Ryzen 7 8840U, which is analogous to the Ryzen Z1 Excessive chips of different handhelds with its Radeon 780M GPU. So, this is not a meaningfully quicker unit than most of its rivals.

The sheer quantity of utility led to by the design of the GPD Win 4 is what units it aside, although, even when it solely has a 6-inch 1080p display screen. The actual kicker for this handheld, although, is its worth. At round $1,500 / £1,000 it is a very expensive handheld.

Whereas not a PC gaming handheld within the conventional sense, the Razer Edge provides you entry to your PC library by way of cloud streaming. You possibly can hyperlink your Sport Cross, GeForce Now, and Steam accounts to stream video games from anyplace and the Edge does all of it with a shocking show and loads of energy to again it up.

Cell video games are additionally a breeze because of the Andriod OS, providing you with the choice to run video games natively with its 128GB storage. Once we reviewed the Razer Edge, we discovered the cloud streaming setup to have one notable flaw with its decision output, however past that, it was a incredible machine with loads of room to develop sooner or later.

Nexus is the trick that the Edge has up its sleeve, because it means that you can fully remap the button inputs to the included Razer Kishi V2 controller. You possibly can then make these overlays disappear, leaving your gaming expertise uninterrupted. This software program is just for cell titles although, as PC cloudy streaming helps the Razer Kishi V2 as if it was a typical Xbox controller.

Learn our Razer Edge overview.

The Asus ROG Circulation Z13 is not a traditional handheld gaming PC. Nevertheless, its pill kind issue means you may technically maintain it in the same method to a gaming handheld. Level and click on adventures, metropolis constructing sims, or every other video games that solely require single-digit touchscreen enter can all be performed on this method. Plus, the Circulation Z13 can be used like a traditional laptop computer, because of its keyboard/trackpad cowl.

To get probably the most from it whereas gaming, you do want a mouse or controller. Plus, its battery life whereas gaming solely stretches to a few hours, no less than when gaming at respectable element settings on its giant 13-inch display screen. For non-gaming, although, its battery lasts over ten hours, so in the event you’re pleased to principally watch video and browse the net on lengthy journeys and solely sometimes recreation, it is an attention-grabbing possibility.

Essential to the attraction of this pill is its AMD Ryzen AI Max 390 CPU that homes a really highly effective built-in GPU. It is, much more highly effective than different gaming handhelds, enabling 1080p+ gaming at clean body charges and excessive element settings. Successfully it is only a gaming laptop computer with an odd form however in the event you like the concept of generally simply utilizing a pill for handheld gaming, it delivers the products, for a excessive worth.

Learn our Asus ROG Circulation Z13 overview.