So you want to buy a gaming handheld PC

Gaming handhelds are amazing. They marque it truthful overmuch easier to acceptable each kinds of games into my day. Sadly, they’re little affordable than they’ve ever been — owed to an unprecedented, AI-fueled shortage of representation chips, an unforced lipid crisis, rampant inflation, fallout from tariffs, and more.

But that’s not going to halt you. You’ve decided now’s the clip to bargain one, earlier the adjacent footwear drops.

I won’t speech you retired of it! I genuinely don’t cognize when oregon if prices mightiness travel backmost down. So instead of telling you to clasp off, I’ll effort to assistance you navigate this “new normal” I support proceeding truthful overmuch about.

We’ll bash this 4 ways:

• First, if you conscionable privation maine to archer you what to buy and beryllium done with it, drawback an Xbox Ally X if it’s inactive $999 astatine the clip you work these words. It’s the handheld I’d bargain for myself if I were buying today. It’s the lone top-tier handheld that hasn’t hiked its price, and it has a bully premix of performance, comfort, and artillery life. 

• Second, let’s speech bargains. There are a fewer refurbished and open-box handhelds worthy nabbing connected closeout — if you tin find them astatine all.

• Third, I’ll inquire you immoderate questions. Assuming you’re buying new, are you looking for the astir almighty handheld? The 1 with the astir artillery life? The astir affordable? The champion screen? The easiest to prime up and play? Because each of those are different handhelds, and none are the Xbox Ally X. Click the links successful this paragraph to find retired which.

• Fourth, I’ll database each other handheld PC you’re apt to find erstwhile you store around, and wherefore you should astir apt skip them. I privation you to cognize whether that seemingly bully closeout woody is really worthy your money.

But earlier I spell down the list, let’s speech Windows and Linux.

While I’ve dinged galore of the handhelds I’ve reviewed for The Verge for Windows woes, that’s not arsenic large a woody contiguous — due to the fact that you tin instal Bazzite oregon adjacent SteamOS connected galore of them for a amended pick-up-and-play experience. The aforesaid nonstop handheld is often much unchangeable and performant with Linux, and you often get instant slumber and resume that’s hit-or-miss connected the operating strategy they shipped with. 

It’s inactive existent galore competitory online multiplayer games don’t enactment connected Linux due to the fact that of anti-cheat fears, though others do. It’s besides existent that Windows has gotten amended astatine slumber and resume with definite handhelds similar the Xbox Ally X. But it’s a misconception that Linux can’t play arsenic galore games arsenic Windows. The world is that Linux tin play more — decades of Windows games enactment amended connected Linux acknowledgment to Proton patches and assemblage profiles that construe aged rodent and keyboard controls to your gamepad. 

Ready? Let’s spell down each list, from slightest to astir expensive.

Open container and refurb bargains

Refurbished Valve Steam Deck LCD (typically $279-$359)

If you ever see it successful stock, bash not hesitate: bargain a refurbished Steam Deck LCD. Valve discontinued the archetypal in December 2025, but Valve refurbs are present the champion woody successful town. The Steam Deck OLED meaningfully improved connected the LCD model successful galore ways, but it is perfectly not worthy $400 more than a certified refurbished LCD model.

Reddit is flooded with examples of Valve’s fantabulous lawsuit support, truthful I wouldn’t beryllium disquieted astir getting a lemon, and the Steam Deck LCD is 1 of the easier handhelds to prime up and play acknowledgment to preloaded SteamOS and well-placed controls. It has capable show for games arsenic intensive arsenic Elden Ring, but expect to play higher-end titles astatine debased settings, with tons of upscaling, for little than 2 hours connected battery. Light fare tin past longer.

Open-box Asus ROG Ally Z1 Extreme (typically $500-$550)

At $500, if you’re consenting to instal Bazzite, and if you don’t play acold from a cord, I tin genuinely urge the ROG Ally Z1E successful today’s economy. It’s 1 of the weaker devices to transportation that chip, with 1 of the smallest batteries astatine 40 watt-hours, but it’s besides got the aforesaid benignant of creaseless (if not colorful) 7-inch 120Hz VRR surface you’ll find successful the Xbox Ally X. When plugged into the wall, oregon successful abbreviated sessions connected battery, its turbo mode gives you Steam Deck-beating performance. 

Open-box Lenovo Legion Go (sometimes $600 unfastened box, usually $850) 

The archetypal Legion Go is an acquired sensation I’m ne'er going to acquire: big, bulky, with other buttons weirdly squishing nether my hands erstwhile I grip. The battery’s lone a small bigger than successful the archetypal ROG Ally, it doesn’t person a adaptable refresh complaint screen, and the 2560×1600 solution is acold much than the spot tin powerfulness successful modern games. (Lightweight worldly tin look good.) 

But Bazzite works great, you get a large 8.8-inch surface for those who request it, detachable controllers with a rodent mode; a built-in kickstand; you tin usage it arsenic a tablet successful a pinch. I’d prime a Steam Deck implicit it immoderate day, but the Z1 Extreme’s turbo mode makes it acold faster for abbreviated sessions oregon plugged into the wall. Twin USB4 ports too. And you tin adhd the Legion Go 2’s much ergonomic controllers for astir $100. (Don’t hide you request left and right ones.)  

As a $600 open-box deal, it’s worthy it. But I wouldn’t wage overmuch more. 

Closeout Lenovo Legion Go S Z2 Go with Windows ($550 closeout, usually $1600)

Almost the polar other of the archetypal Legion Go, with no detachable controls, a creaseless adaptable refresh complaint surface astatine a much sensible 1920×1200 resolution, comfy grips — and a overmuch slower AMD Z2 Go spot that couldn’t meaningfully vie with the Steam Deck successful my Windows tests. 

At $550 closeout like we saw the different day, sure, enactment Bazzite connected it. It should somewhat bushed the Steam Deck successful show utilizing its turbo modes aft that. Please don’t wage overmuch more. Also delight don’t expect its tiny trackpad to beryllium useful. 

Refurbished Valve Steam Deck OLED 512GB ($629)

I hatred to admit it, but if you ever spot a refurbished Steam Deck OLED for $629, you mightiness privation to walk the money. Yes, Valve is charging $190 much for the refurb exemplary than it did earlier RAMageddon, but it’s inactive a discount of $160 compared to what a Deck OLED costs brand-new contiguous and “only” $80 much than what a caller 1 outgo earlier the terms hikes. As I’ll explicate a fewer paragraphs below, the Deck OLED is inactive 1 of the champion handhelds you tin buy.

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So those are the closeouts. Here’s what I’d suggest if you’re buying brand-new:

The astir affordable handheld you tin really find: Asus Xbox Ally 

($600 MSRP, sometimes $500 connected sale)

When the Steam Deck OLED could beryllium had for $549, determination was nary mode I’d person ever recommended a vanilla achromatic Xbox Ally instead. Now that the Deck starts astatine $789, I person to reconsider. The Xbox Ally has very comfy prong-shaped grips and efficaciously the aforesaid spot arsenic the Steam Deck, lone you tin crank it up to 20 watts alternatively of 15 watts for much power, you get a smoother 120Hz VRR screen, and a somewhat larger battery. 

I’ve never been able to get the Windows mentation to slumber reliably — I retested this period — and the surface feels cramped and dull by comparison. But Bazzite fixes slumber and performance, making it much than a lucifer for the Deck. The physique feels a small inexpensive (I broke the apical disconnected an analog instrumentality and had to superglue it backmost on) and it’s obscurity adjacent arsenic almighty arsenic immoderate handheld with a Z1 Extreme oregon better. The Xbox Ally X and MSI Claw 8 person larger batteries, too, and you don’t get the Steam Deck’s duplicate touchpads, 4 backmost buttons, and assemblage controller profiles. 

But I’d bargain it if I didn’t privation to walk much than $600. 

The easiest to prime up and play: Steam Deck OLED

($789 for 512GB, $949 for 1TB, $629 oregon $759 refurbished)

When it comes to portable PC gaming, thing “just works” similar a Steam Deck OLED. You powerfulness it on, you scan a QR codification to link your Steam account, you download, you play, you get a coagulated 2 to 8 hours of artillery beingness connected a fantastic surface without having to deliberation astir what show mode to enactment your handheld in. The controls are infinitely customizable successful ways the contention hasn’t adjacent tried to match, and you tin conscionable browse assemblage controller profiles alternatively of needing to rotation your own.

At $789, it’s a mode harder merchantability than astatine $549, due to the fact that if your fund stretches to $1,000, the Xbox Ally X’s show and artillery beingness are overmuch amended — and you tin enactment Bazzite oregon SteamOS connected that one, too. But I’d inactive bargain a refurb Steam Deck OLED astatine $629, and I could spot immoderate paying $789 for its easiness of usage and unprecedented support: nary institution ships updates like Valve ships updates, regularly making the Deck better.

The handheld I’d bargain for myself: Xbox Ally X

($999)

Like the Steam Deck, the Xbox Ally X primitively shipped half-baked. Now, it’s abruptly the champion woody successful handheld gaming. While the 7-inch IPS surface feels a lil claustrophobic and muted compared to 8-inch rivals, it’s present the astir almighty handheld nether $1,000 with its Z2 Extreme chip, 1 of the longest-lived with an 80 watt-hour battery, and (IMO) the astir comfy to clasp with its huge prong grips. 

It’s besides the best-supported extracurricular of Valve’s Steam Deck; Asus and Microsoft support shipping a flurry of updates. I tin yet spot the Xbox Ally X to slumber and aftermath reliably, picking up my crippled close wherever I near off, and I tin power the virtual keyboard by joystick alternatively of smudging a touchscreen. I tin present pat the triggers to scroll the agelong clickwrap agreements that popular up earlier immoderate games, too.

Just cognize it’s not much much almighty than a Z1 Extreme oregon Z2 handheld, and the controls permission a fewer things to beryllium desired. There’s nary touchpad (and the joystick rodent mode is inactive finicky to enable), the ABXY buttons are precise clacky, my triggers developed a noisy squeak, and I hate accidentally pressing the Library fastener reasoning it’s Start and getting yanked retired of a game. A aboriginal Ally fixes tons of these things, but it’ll beryllium pricey. 

The longest artillery life: MSI Claw 8 AI Plus*

($1,300, often $1,120 connected sale)

Frankly, I’m astonished however bully the MSI Claw 8 tin be. It’s got a bigger, amended surface than the Xbox Ally X, and I find its Intel spot faster successful the games I privation to play — it gives maine a smoother acquisition successful 007: First Light and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. And, it lasts precise somewhat longer connected the aforesaid capableness (80 watt-hour) battery, the longest I’ve tested truthful far. 

There are lone 4 reasons it’s not the 1 I’d bargain for myself. The scalloped grips aren’t arsenic comfortable, the controls aren’t arsenic customizable (and gyro doesn’t enactment arsenic well), MSI conscionable isn’t offering the aforesaid level of enactment (I’ve had to manually download drivers respective times, for example), and it present costs a bully spot more. I’d prime it if it were $900.

*The newer EX mentation of the Claw 8 volition travel retired this period with adjacent amended life, performance, and comfort, it seems — but it could outgo much more. Read my preview.

The Best Screen: Legion Go 2 Z2 

($1500)

If your eyes are the priority, the Legion Go 2 has the champion handheld surface wealth tin bargain contiguous — not lone is it the uncommon handheld with an OLED panel, with the inky blacks and gorgeous colors that tin afford, it’s an HDR sheet with 500-nit brightness and 1,000 nit peaks, positive adaptable refresh complaint that goes each the mode down to 30Hz and up to 144Hz for smoother gameplay. It’s a joyousness successful person.  

The grips are far much comfy than the archetypal Legion Go, you inactive get the unsocial kickstand and detachable gamepads with optical rodent mode, the controls are competent, it has apical and bottommost USB-C ports, and the 74 watt-hour battery’s lone a small smaller than different flagships.

The things holding backmost Legion Go 2 astatine motorboat were a precocious terms and Windows. And portion the terms has gone up, the Z2 variant’s terms hike isn’t rather arsenic ridiculous arsenic that of the Z2 Extreme. And the Z2 Legion Go 2 is beauteous adjacent to the Z2 Extreme mentation successful show — you should ticker ETA Prime’s full examination video to spot conscionable however close. As for Windows, Bazzite seems to enactment good connected my reappraisal portion of the Z2 Extreme model, though the gyro and immoderate of Lenovo’s unsocial buttons tin beryllium a chore to configure there.

The astir powerful: GPD Win 5 oregon OneXPlayer Apex 

(roughly $2,500 and up)

I can’t spend a $2,500 handheld, but for those who privation the eventual successful performance, AMD’s Strix Halo is the astir almighty spot that fits betwixt 2 hands. When I tested the GPD Win 5, it felt similar a portable PS5, comfortably playing intensive games astatine 1080p solution with ultra levels of detail. 

But beyond price, you should see conscionable however “portable” the Win 5 and the rival OneXPlayer Apex genuinely are: to cram successful that power, they trust connected either bulky outer artillery backpacks that won’t past an hr astatine afloat power, oregon a large powerfulness cord plugged into the wall. 

I besides haven’t been offered afloat reappraisal units yet, truthful I don’t cognize whether GPD oregon OneXPlayer person nailed different fundamentals oregon are offering due support. Proceed with caution. 

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What if you’re not uncovering any of those handhelds? Be cautious earlier you bargain these alternatives instead: 

The handhelds you astir apt shouldn’t wage for

Open-box Asus ROG Ally Z1 (typically $380-$450)

Don’t beryllium fooled: the Asus ROG Ally with a weaker AMD Z1 spot whitethorn look identical to the 1 with the Z1 Extreme, but this one’s little susceptible than a Steam Deck and little businesslike past I checked. With 1 of the smallest batteries successful a handheld (40 watt-hour, tied with the Steam Deck LCD) it’ll dice quick, and it’s not arsenic potent plugged successful arsenic the Z1E version. Unless you tin find it for nether $250 like ETA Prime did, permission it be. 

MSI Claw 7 ($650 to $750)

Somehow, Target inactive has banal of the archetypal MSI Claw for $100 little than its archetypal asking price, portion Best Buy inactive has it astatine MSRP. Here is what I wrote successful 2024:

• “No 1 should bargain an MSI Claw.”
• “[T[he $750 MSI Claw feels similar an inferior clone of the Asus ROG Ally.”
• “The little costly Steam Deck OLED each but wholly wiped the level with the MSI Claw successful powerfulness and performance. “ 

I perceive Bazzite doesn’t hole this one, either. Just skip it. 

Lenovo Legion Go S Z2 Go with SteamOS ($990) 

Another lawsuit of “don’t get fooled.” The Legion Go S with AMD’s Z2 Go is acold weaker than the mentation with the older Z1 Extreme processor — oregon immoderate different Z1 Extreme handheld. It tin person a flimsy show and artillery vantage implicit the Steam Deck successful much intensive games, but autumn down connected artillery successful little demanding ones. 

Nice ample creaseless adaptable refresh complaint screen, comfy grips, comes with SteamOS, but it wasn’t a bully prime adjacent erstwhile it outgo $50 much than a Steam Deck OLED — present that it costs $200 more, hide astir it.

Ayaneo 3 ($1,183)

I person ne'er been capable to urge an Ayaneo handheld PC, due to the fact that the institution tends to vessel them earlier they’re acceptable and rapidly determination connected to the adjacent thing. As breathtaking arsenic it sounded, the Ayaneo 3 seems nary different; I ne'er got its awesome-sounding swappable controls to enactment connected reliably, and the institution didn’t person a solution for me. $900 for an fancy OLED handheld sounded enticing successful 2025, but I wouldn’t urge my acquisition astatine $400 fto unsocial the $1,183 asking terms now. 

MSI Claw A8 ($1,300, often $1,200 connected sale)

I haven’t utilized this 1 myself, but it costs substantially much than an Xbox Ally X for fundamentally aforesaid internals. Even utilized ones volition outgo you astir $1K. Bigger grips and screen, though.

GPD Win Mini 2025 ($1317)

Haven’t utilized this 1 either, and I’m intrigued by the thought of a tiny handheld cyberdeck aft my bully experiences with the GPD Win Max 2 below. It’s got a 1080p VRR surface that should beryllium amended for gaming than the Win Max 2. But it besides changeable up successful terms from astir $900 to implicit $1,300, and its Ryzen 7 8840U laptop spot volition chew close done the tiny 44Wh artillery successful much than light-lift games. 

GPD Win Max 2 ($1494)

The Win Max 2 is not a comfy gaming acquisition with weird grip and a fixed 60Hz 1600p screen, and the astir $1,500 pricetag hurts for thing that outgo $1,000 past year. But bash you privation possibly the tiniest laptop to ever person a keyboard this excellent, 1 that tin treble arsenic an awkward gaming handheld successful a pinch? I wouldn’t wage for it, but I volition proceed to anticipation a aboriginal mentation adds the bigger battery, VRR, vibration dampening, amended mousing and amended webcam it needs.

Lenovo Legion Go S Z1 Extreme with SteamOS ($1580) oregon Windows ($1680)

$1,600 for a handheld with little show and smaller artillery than the Xbox Ally X and MSI Claw 8? Get outta here. It’s a legitimately bully handheld, but adjacent backmost erstwhile it outgo $830 I’d person picked a Steam Deck instead. Now it costs astir treble – adjacent much than the Legion Go 2 with a acold amended screen. 

Abxylute 3D One ($1899)

This elephantine honking 11-inch rebranded Tencent handheld theoretically has the aforesaid Intel guts arsenic the MSI Claw 8 AI Plus, but it surely doesn’t consciousness that way. The autostereoscopic 3D surface is unspeakable for gaming successful my tests. It’s not precise creaseless adjacent astatine its fixed 60Hz refresh rate, and gets ridiculously choppy successful 3D mode without adjacent providing a convincing 3D effect, adjacent successful 3D autochthonal games similar Trine 2. I saw each kinds of crosstalk that amended 3D screens cracked ages ago. I’d alternatively play Nintendo 3DS. 

Lenovo Legion Go 2 Z2 Extreme ($2,000 to $2,350)

Pretty overmuch identical to the Legion Go Z2, prevention you’re paying $425 much for doubly the RAM (32GB alternatively of 16GB) and somewhat amended artillery beingness owed to the much businesslike chip. I wouldn’t.