{"id":10550,"date":"2025-08-22T17:42:00","date_gmt":"2025-08-22T17:42:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nextlevelnews.co.uk\/blog\/2025\/08\/22\/the-best-handheld-gaming-pcs-to-take-your-games-on-the-go\/"},"modified":"2025-08-22T17:42:00","modified_gmt":"2025-08-22T17:42:00","slug":"the-best-handheld-gaming-pcs-to-take-your-games-on-the-go","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nextlevelnews.co.uk\/blog\/2025\/08\/22\/the-best-handheld-gaming-pcs-to-take-your-games-on-the-go\/","title":{"rendered":"The Best Handheld Gaming PCs to Take Your Games on the Go"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
<\/section>\n

Valve may have revolutionized mobile PC gaming with the Steam Deck<\/u><\/a>, but more and more handheld gaming PCs are coming to market, giving it some stiff competition. Formerly, the Asus ROG Ally X<\/a> knocked Steam\u2019s offering from our top spot thanks to its impressive performance, fast memory, and long-lasting battery, but we’ve got a brand-new favorite: the Lenovo Legion Go S (Z1 Extreme, SteamOS)<\/a>. With the Xbox Ally X announced at the Xbox Games Showcase<\/a>, you’ll have plenty of options for gaming on the go in the future. Whether you\u2019re after the Steam Deck itself or one of the best Steam Deck alternatives<\/u><\/a>, we\u2019ve selected excellent handheld gaming PCs ready to chew through the top PC games<\/u><\/a> \u2013 as long as you don’t try to run Doom: The Dark Ages<\/a>. <\/p>\n

TL;DR \u2013 These Are the Best Handheld Gaming PCs:<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n
<\/section>\n\n

Rather than dealing with the bulk a gaming laptop<\/u><\/a>, handheld gaming PCs keep far more compact dimensions, making it easier to play from just about anywhere. Even though these devices are obviously significantly smaller than a gaming PC<\/u><\/a>, it doesn\u2019t mean they\u2019re underpowered. Many handheld gaming PCs are packing the performance prowess to cruise through AAA games like Cyberpunk 2077. If you get sick of playing on a smaller screen, a great Steam Deck dock<\/u><\/a> works seamlessly with most handheld gaming PCs so you can hook up to your gaming TV<\/u><\/a>.<\/p>\n

While we\u2019re on the cusp of a handheld gaming PC revolution, we’ve gotten our hands on a good chunk of these highly-capable devices. Below are the current four we deem worthy of consideration. <\/p>\n

<\/section>\n

1. Lenovo Legion Go S (Z1 Extreme, SteamOS)<\/h2>\n

The Best Handheld Gaming PC<\/h3>\n
\n
<\/section>\n\n
<\/section>\n
<\/section>\n

When the Lenovo Legion Go S first came out back in February 2025<\/a>, it was a hot mess. The configuration Lenovo initially released was bogged down by the weak Z2 Go processor, which didn’t pair well with Windows. And because it was both running Windows 11 and had 32GB of memory, this weaker handheld was just as expensive \u2013 if not moreso \u2013 than the original Legion Go that preceded it. But Lenovo has righted the ship by launching the Go S with the Z1 Extreme and SteamOS built-in. <\/p>\n

This system is still expensive. You’re looking at $829 to get this model, but that’s only a bit more than the Asus ROG Ally X, which ended up being slower, if only by a bit, in my tests. When I reviewed this new Lenovo Legion Go S<\/a>, I found that the SteamOS-powered handheld beat out the Ally X in synthetic benchmarks by as much as 9%. That’s not bad, considering that handheld had the performance crown before this system came out. <\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

The elephant in the room is the Steam Deck. Even three years after its release, it’s still an incredible and popular handheld, and it’s not hard to see why. It’s easy to use, and it’s literally half the price of the Go S. But not only do you get a higher resolution display with this Legion Go S, you also get as much as double <\/em>the performance. I was able to get a solid 60fps playing Baldur’s Gate 3, and that’s something I straight up couldn’t do on the Steam Deck<\/a>. Whether or not that’s worth the higher price tag depends entirely on what you’re looking for. <\/p>\n

A great handheld gaming system is about more than just raw performance, though. It also needs to be comfortable to use, and despite the sytem being one of the largest I’ve used \u2013 and I’ve used a lot of them \u2013 it’s extremely comfortable. The Lenovo Legion Go S has rounded edges that give you something to hold on to, and the textured finish makes it harder to slip out of your hands. <\/p>\n

The Go S also has one of the most beautiful LCD displays I’ve seen in a while and proves that OLED isn’t the only way to get a great picture in 2025. It’s not quite as colorful as the Steam Deck OLED, to be fair, but it still made any game I played on it look awesome. Now that we’re waiting for Microsoft and Asus to launch the ROG Xbox Ally X later this year<\/a>, the Legion Go S is the PC gaming handheld to beat. <\/p>\n\n

<\/section>\n<\/section>\n

2. Asus ROG Ally X<\/h2>\n

The Best Windows Handheld Gaming PC<\/h3>\n
\n
<\/section>\n\n
<\/section>\n
<\/section>\n

The Asus ROG Ally X we reviewed last year<\/a> might use the same AMD Z1 Extreme processor as the original ROG Ally, but Asus has made enough little changes to the handheld that firmly make it the best gaming handheld running Windows on the market right now. The Z1 Extreme is accompanied by 24GB of LPDDR5 memory, clocked at 7,400MHz, a massive increase over the 16GB of RAM on the original model. Bcause the RAM is faster this time around, it results in a surprising performance lift that averaged around 12-15% in my testing. <\/p>\n

Asus also made the chassis a little thicker and heavier. It’s not enough to notice most of the time, but there’s a reason behind the madness. The Asus ROG Ally X has an improved cooler and a battery that’s twice as large as the original model. This means you can play games for multiple hours before you have to start running for the charger. The improved cooler also helps long gaming sessions by wicking hot air away from the touch display, avoiding the hot touch screen issue that plagued the original model. Plus, if you pair it with a gaming pillow like I did<\/a>, you won’t even notice the increased heft.<\/p>\n

The Asus Mobile XG port on the original model has been removed, and has been replaced by a second USB-C port, which is compatible with Thunderbolt 4. Asus has also replaced the controversial MicroSD card slot with one that will hopefully be a little more resistant to damage. (After all, Asus got into some hot water with the original ROG Ally thanks to some lackluster customer support that was documented by YouTuber Gamers Nexus<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

<\/section>\n<\/section>\n

3. Valve Steam Deck<\/h2>\n

The Best Budget Handheld Gaming PC <\/h3>\n
\n
<\/section>\n\n
<\/section>\n
<\/section>\n

Responsible for popularizing the handheld gaming PC revolution, the Valve Steam Deck<\/a> doesn\u2019t actually come with Windows installed. Instead, it uses Valve\u2019s custom SteamOS, and thanks to the API Proton, the Steam Deck supports dozens of games<\/a> optimized for the portable, from Cyberpunk 2077<\/a> to Forza Horizon 5<\/a>. <\/p>\n

There are ways to get Windows running on the 7-inch display portable by booting directly from the USB-C port. Beyond that is one of the best input controls available for any portable gaming handheld. See our full comparison between the Steam Deck and ROG Ally here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s also the OLED version of the Steam Deck to consider for users who prefer a larger, brighter, and more vibrant screen. While still displaying at 1200×800, the Steam Deck OLED<\/u><\/a> offers a noticeable difference, providing more clarity for a better visual experience. You’ll also get improved battery life, a higher refresh rate, and more storage than the 256GB offered in the tradtional LCD model. <\/p>\n