Handheld Gaming PCs
For the longest time, Nintendo dominated the handheld gaming space with its DS series of consoles and the Nintendo Switch. Although handheld PCs were being made, they were often low on battery, low performance, and were quite expensive.
The release of the SteamDeck back in February of 2022 made waves in the tech and gaming communities. Although handheld PC devices have been around for quite some time, the SteamDeck from Valve was the first to make it affordable starting at $399. Most handheld PCs at the time were more than $1000, and the technology for portable gaming was not great.
Since the release of the SteamDeck, other companies have released their own handheld PCs to compete, including ASUS’ ROG Ally and Lenovo’s Legion Go, priced at $599.99 and $699.99 for their base models, respectively. These newer machines sport AMD’s new Ryzen Z1 Chip that is actually tuned for portable, handheld gaming. The SteamDeck was released with an earlier iteration of AMD’s Zen 2 chip, and limited to a Linux-based OS and Steam OS while the ROG Ally and Legion Go top models have the much more updated and tuned AMD Z1 Extreme chip and is capable of running full fledged Windows 11.
With the advent of these three handheld PCs, this can mark the spark of an affordable, practical resurgence of the handheld gaming market.
Without further ado, let us delve a little bit more into these devices and find out which may be best for you!
Valve’s SteamDeck
|
Processor |
AMD Custom 6nm APU, |
|
Memory |
16GB LPDDR5 6400MT/s |
|
Native Resolution |
1280 x 800 16:10 aspect ratio |
|
Refresh Rate |
90Hz Refresh Rate |
|
Screen Size |
7.4” diagonal; HDR OLED display with anti-glare etched glass up to 1000 nits |
|
Storage |
1TB MVMe SSD |
|
Battery |
50Whr battery (3-12 hours run time) |
|
Maximum Power Setting |
15W TDP |
|
OS |
Steam OS |
The SteamDeck is the oldest of three most popular handheld PC’s today. At release, the base model was $399 at 64GB of storage and with the 512GB storage model being the most premium option at $649. With the recent release of the OLED model, the 256GB model, which was $449, has dropped to $399, and the 512GB OLED version is $549 and now there is a 1TB option for the OLED model at $649. We will consider the SteamDeck OLED for this comparison against the other two handhelds.
The SteamDeck has the best display with its updated OLED panel running at a whopping 1000 nits on HDR and 600 nits on SDR. In terms of the beauty of the display, SteamDeck certainly outclasses its competitors. It also sports the largest battery capacity of the three handheld devices, so SteamDeck wins in that arena as well. The OS is tuned and created just for SteamDeck, so the user has a flawless experience with launching games, apps, installing, or tuning the SteamDeck.
Overall, the SteamDeck beats its competition in regards to playtime, display, and ease of use. Also, its hardware is almost perfect for what it does. With a resolution of 1280 x 800 and a 7 inch screen, not much else is left to be desired and is the best bang for buck device in the handheld market.
Its shortcomings can be seen in application compatibility. SteamOS is Linux based, so games outside of the Steam Library are more of a hassle to install and run, though it is still possible. SteamDeck caters to those who run mostly video games or applications from Steam.
ASUS ROG Ally
|
Processor |
AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme 4nm CPU: Zen 4 8core/16thread up to 5.10GHz boost GPU: RDNA 3 12 CUs, up to 2.7GHz |
|
Memory |
16GB LPDDR5 64000MT/s |
|
Native Resolution |
1920 x 1080 16:9 Aspect Ratio |
|
Refresh Rate |
120Hz Refresh Rate |
|
Screen Size |
7-inch IPS Glossy Touch Screen, AMD FreeSync 500 nits |
|
Storage |
512GB NVMe SSD |
|
Battery |
40WHrs, up to 2 hours maximum with low TDP setting |
|
Maximum Power Setting |
30W TDP |
|
OS |
Windows 11 |
Next up is the ASUS ROG Ally. There are two models, one with the downgraded Z1 chip at $649, and the other sports the new Z1 Extreme chip at $699. At this time, Best Buy does have a sale for $599. For merely $50 more, you get a whole lot of power compared to the SteamDeck.
The ROG Ally sits comfortably between two extremes. The SteamDeck is great for portable gaming on the go, but lacks in power. The Legion Go has the biggest screen and more gimmicks with a slightly longer battery life than that of the ROG Ally, but ultimately it is currently plagued with bugs that the ROG Ally has, since its release, remedied with patch after patch. There is also some testing online that shows that the ROG Ally actually beats the Legion GO on several game titles at the same TDP setting.
What the ROG Ally has going for it is it is sleek, it is light, and its resolution, refresh rate, and screen size are pretty much perfect for the processor it sports. The Z1 Extreme is AMD’s solution to handheld devices for gaming, and it currently outperforms other handhelds in price for performance. The ROG Ally is also much lighter than its competitors. Its operating system is Windows 11, so in terms of games and applications compatibility, it certainly beats the SteamDeck.
However, it is not without its caveats. Windows 11 is horrible when used for handheld applications. ASUS has provided a remedy to it by using ArmouryCrate, however, even that software is more or less a cover-up to Windows’ horrendous support for handheld devices. It does cover things like TDP settings, control stick settings, and application launching, and it makes it all a little easier, but Steam OS certainly has this beaten out. ASUS has worked hard to patch their software so users have an easier time navigating and playing the ROG Ally, and there is definitely progress, but Steam OS is just so polished, there really is no competition in this arena. Unless Microsoft decides to give more handheld support to its Windows OS, this is ultimately what Windows handheld PCs are stuck with. However, because it is Windows, we can install and download games from most libraries outside of steam like games from EA, Ubisoft, or Blizzard.]
Another issue that should be addressed is that it has expandable storage just like its competitors, but there have been known issues of SD cards dying due to overheating due to the design of the device. If SD storage is important to you, it may be better to steer clear of the ROG Ally, despite its advantages.
Lenovo’s Legion Go
|
Processor |
AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme 4nm CPU: Zen 4 8core/16thread up to 5.10GHz boost GPU: RDNA 3 12 CUs, up to 2.7GHz |
|
Memory |
16GB LPDDR5X 7500Mhz |
|
Native Resolution |
2560 x 1600 16:10 Aspect Ratio |
|
Refresh Rate |
144Hz Refresh Rate |
|
Screen Size |
8.8 inch diagonal IPS touchscreen, 500 nits |
|
Storage |
1TB NVMe SSD |
|
Battery |
49.2WHr, about ~2.5 hour run time |
|
Maximum Power Setting |
30W TDP |
|
OS |
Windows 11 |
Finally, we have Lenovo’s Legion Go, the newest kid on the chopping block. There are two versions; a 512GB option for $699.99 and 1TB option for $749.99. The specs are the same between both versions.
The Legion has a much larger screen than the other two at 8.8 inches diagonally and its specs are also higher at 2560 x 1600 resolution and 144Hz refresh rate. However, just because its panel has higher specs does not mean this machine outperforms the other two. Some initial testing has shown that Lenovo has some room to grow with its Legion Space software. Even though it has the same processor as the ROG Ally, it actually gets outperformed by its competitor in real world scenarios. Though, to give ASUS credit, their device has been out longer and they have been heavily patching it since release. The specs of the panel are actually quite overkill as the processor isn’t really powerful enough to run with that resolution or refresh rate comfortably.
That being said, the coolest thing about the Legion Go is its versatility for gaming. There is a gimmick to this handheld in that it borrows ideas from Nintendo’s Switch gaming console. The controls of the device can detach from its core, allowing the user to place the core unit on a table and keep it upright with a kickstand. This means that although it is the heaviest device, fatigue can be remedied by just setting the handheld on a table. Not only that, but the right control stick has a really cool gimmick; there is a way for the user to set the stick up as a mouse when using the Legion Go in this way. With a flip of the “FPS” switch and attaching the circular base,, the user can change their right controller into an upright mouse that will help gamers with their FPS aiming as opposed to dealing with the control stick.
The Legion Go also uses Windows 11 as its operating system, and just as we discussed with the ROG Ally, its advantage with application compatibility comes at the cost of ease of use and can detract from the user experience.
In Conclusion…
One handheld isn’t necessarily the best of 3. There are many use-cases that can make one handheld better than the other.
The SteamDeck is best for prolonged, portable gaming at a low cost and is great for titles that do not rely too heavily on performance. The SteamOS ensures the best user experience and with Steam being the most popular gaming library on PC anyway, it is hard to beat the SteamDeck.
The ROG Ally is best when gaming with an extended battery or by keeping a charger close by as its battery life is short, but thanks to its superior processor, it can play a lot of titles well at 720 or even 1080p at higher frame rates than both competitors. This does not mean its performance loses without an external battery or power source, as it can still outperform the other machines even at 15W TDP, which is the SteamDeck’s highest setting. The ROG Ally is probably the best option when it can reach its maximum 30W TDP in terms of performance, and Windows 11 allows the user unlimited access to PC titles.
The Legion Go has the biggest screen with the highest specs and its gimmick sets it apart from the rest with its detachable, convertible controller. Also, with Windows 11 the user is not limited to just the Steam library or a list of SteamDeck compatible games.
TL;DR…
If portability, ease of use, and playtime are most important to you, get a Steam Deck
If you do not want the OS to be limiting your game library and want to use something light with amazing performance, get a ROG Ally.
If gaming Versatility with high resolution and refresh rate are important to you, get the Legion Go
In the end, any of these choices are great choices, and ultimately, we are glad to see larger companies tackle the handheld gaming market, especially since it was dominated by Nintendo for so long. We’ve always wanted a more affordable way to play PC games on the go, and Valve, ASUS, and Lenovo, and we hope more companies, provided the itch to our scratch. Hopefully, this will spark the PC handheld revolution, and this technology will develop more and just become more affordable.
Work Hard. Game Harder.
