The Best Handheld Gaming PCs to Take Your Games on the Go

When the Lenovo Legion Go S archetypal came retired backmost successful February 2025, it was a blistery mess. The configuration Lenovo initially released was bogged down by the anemic Z2 Go processor, which didn't brace good with Windows. And due to the fact that it was some moving Windows 11 and had 32GB of memory, this weaker handheld was conscionable arsenic costly – if not moreso – than the archetypal Legion Go that preceded it. But Lenovo has righted the vessel by launching the Go S with the Z1 Extreme and SteamOS built-in.

This strategy is inactive expensive. You're looking astatine $829 to get this model, but that's lone a spot much than the Asus ROG Ally X, which ended up being slower, if lone by a bit, successful my tests. When I reviewed this caller Lenovo Legion Go S, I recovered that the SteamOS-powered handheld bushed retired the Ally X successful synthetic benchmarks by arsenic overmuch arsenic 9%. That's not bad, considering that handheld had the show crown earlier this strategy came out.

The elephant successful the country is the Steam Deck. Even 3 years aft its release, it's inactive an unthinkable and fashionable handheld, and it's not hard to spot why. It's casual to use, and it's virtually fractional the terms of the Go S. But not lone bash you get a higher solution show with this Legion Go S, you besides get arsenic overmuch arsenic double the performance. I was capable to get a coagulated 60fps playing Baldur's Gate 3, and that's thing I consecutive up couldn't bash connected the Steam Deck. Whether oregon not that's worthy the higher terms tag depends wholly connected what you're looking for.

A large handheld gaming strategy is astir much than conscionable earthy performance, though. It besides needs to beryllium comfy to use, and contempt the sytem being 1 of the largest I've utilized – and I've utilized a batch of them – it's highly comfortable. The Lenovo Legion Go S has rounded edges that springiness you thing to clasp connected to, and the textured decorativeness makes it harder to gaffe retired of your hands.

The Go S besides has 1 of the astir beauteous LCD displays I've seen successful a portion and proves that OLED isn't the lone mode to get a large representation successful 2025. It's not rather arsenic colorful arsenic the Steam Deck OLED, to beryllium fair, but it inactive made immoderate crippled I played connected it look awesome. Now that we're waiting for Microsoft and Asus to motorboat the ROG Xbox Ally X aboriginal this year, the Legion Go S is the PC gaming handheld to beat.

The Asus ROG Ally X we reviewed past twelvemonth mightiness usage the aforesaid AMD Z1 Extreme processor arsenic the archetypal ROG Ally, but Asus has made capable small changes to the handheld that firmly marque it the champion gaming handheld moving Windows connected the marketplace close now. The Z1 Extreme is accompanied by 24GB of LPDDR5 memory, clocked astatine 7,400MHz, a monolithic summation implicit the 16GB of RAM connected the archetypal model. Bcause the RAM is faster this clip around, it results successful a astonishing show assistance that averaged astir 12-15% successful my testing.

Asus besides made the chassis a small thicker and heavier. It's not capable to announcement astir of the time, but there's a crushed down the madness. The Asus ROG Ally X has an improved cooler and a artillery that's doubly arsenic ample arsenic the archetypal model. This means you tin play games for aggregate hours earlier you person to commencement moving for the charger. The improved cooler besides helps agelong gaming sessions by wicking blistery aerial distant from the interaction display, avoiding the blistery interaction surface contented that plagued the archetypal model.

The Asus Mobile XG larboard connected the archetypal exemplary has been removed, and has been replaced by a 2nd USB-C port, which is compatible with Thunderbolt 4. Asus has besides replaced the arguable MicroSD paper slot with 1 that volition hopefully beryllium a small much resistant to damage. (After all, Asus got into immoderate blistery h2o with the archetypal ROG Ally acknowledgment to immoderate lackluster lawsuit enactment that was documented by YouTuber Gamers Nexus.)

Responsible for popularizing the handheld gaming PC revolution, the Valve Steam Deck doesn’t really travel with Windows installed. Instead, it uses Valve’s customized SteamOS, and acknowledgment to the API Proton, the Steam Deck supports dozens of games optimized for the portable, from Cyberpunk 2077 to Forza Horizon 5.

There are ways to get Windows moving connected the 7-inch show portable by booting straight from the USB-C port. Beyond that is 1 of the champion input controls disposable for immoderate portable gaming handheld. See our afloat examination betwixt the Steam Deck and ROG Ally here.

There’s besides the OLED mentation of the Steam Deck to see for users who similar a larger, brighter, and much vibrant screen. While inactive displaying astatine 1200x800, the Steam Deck OLED offers a noticeable difference, providing much clarity for a amended ocular experience. You'll besides get improved artillery life, a higher refresh rate, and much retention than the 256GB offered successful the tradtional LCD model.

When you're mounting retired to bargain immoderate benignant of gaming PC, there's a equilibrium you request to find: You privation thing with unthinkable performance, but inactive looks similar the premium merchandise that you paid for. Handheld gaming PCs are nary different, and that's wherefore the Lenovo Legion Go is specified a catch. The Legion Go measures successful astatine a monolithic 11.76 inches agelong and 5.16 inches gangly with the controllers attached, and that's chiefly due to the fact that of the ample display.

Unlike different handheld gaming PCs similar the Steam Deck oregon the Asus ROG Ally Z1 that instrumentality a batch of inspiration from the Nintendo Switch, the Legion Go sports an 8.8-inch 1600p display, astir making it a Windows 11 tablet with a controller stapled onto it. Luckily, Lenovo was capable to support the value down a small bit, conscionable 1.41lbs. Even if it's lighter than it looks, it's astir apt going to beryllium hard for folks with smaller hands to usage it.

The 1600p show causes a spot of a hassle, too. Because this is utilizing the aforesaid AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme chipset arsenic the ROG Ally, immoderate games tin person a spot of occupation moving astatine the autochthonal resolution. This is easy solved by tinkering with your in-game settings to little the resolution. If you're not comfy doing the hands-on troubleshooting, this mightiness not beryllium the merchandise for you. But if you're a long-time PC gamer similar I am, you'll emotion conscionable however flexible – and beauteous – the Lenovo Legion Go is. This is the handheld gaming PC for the hardcore PC gaming crowd.