Guides

Here's every handheld gaming PC hitting the market right now

Valve isn't the only purveyor of portable gaming PCs. These indie upstarts might just be your Steam Deck sit-in.

Handheld game consoles are back in a big way, and for once, it’s not all about Nintendo and Sony.

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Valve, for example, recently opened up reservations for its upcoming handheld gaming PC, the Steam Deck, and the response was (to say the least) pretty positive. In fact, it might’ve been a little too positive...

Reservations to buy the Steam Deck were snatched up almost immediately, and even those who managed to break through and secure a spot still aren’t guaranteed to get their hands on a console.

2022

Steam Deck won't ship until early 2022 and July for those who missed the first reservations.

Luckily, if you couldn’t reserve a spot to buy a Steam Deck, or if you’re just curious about what else is out there, there’s a small but growing niche market for handheld gaming PCs already developing.

Prior to the release of Valve’s Steam Deck, handheld gaming PCs were more of an indie effort, so existing devices are usually crowd-funded and sold in batches. If you’re willing to traverse a more obscure territory with your handheld purchase, these are the options you should look out for...

Aya Neo

The Aya Neo is one of the most desirable of all the current handheld gaming PC offerings. It runs Windows and has a similar, but not identical CPU and GPU to the Steam Deck, making it capable of handling most AAA titles, though not always at 60fps. You can actually buy an Aya Neo right now with expected shipping in August.

Spec sheet:

- CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 4500U

- GPU: Integrated Radeon Vega 6

- Memory: 16 GB of LPDDR4x 4266 RAM

- Battery life: 5-6 hours (lower TDP settings)

- Display: 720p

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$1,015

You can purchase an Aya Neo on the official store right now.

Aya Neo

GPD Win 3

The GPD Win 3 parallel’s a lot of what’s attractive about the Steam Deck. This Crowdfunded handheld comes with an Intel CPU with Xe graphics, which are actually pretty powerful. There are some titles that aren’t fully compatible with Xe graphics, but that could change with updated drivers.

It also has a pretty amazing form factor. The handhelds 5.5-inch screen slides up to reveal a keyboard, though various reviewers seem to hate it.

Spec sheet:

- CPU: Intel’s 1165G7 or (for more money) a 1135G7 processor

- Memory: 16GB LPDDR4x 4266

- GPU: Intel Gen12 Iris Xe Graphics

- Battery life: about 2 to 3 hours of battery life with intensive use, around 6 to 8 hours for moderate use, and 11 hours for light use

- Display: 720p

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GPD also has several other handhelds in its arsenal, including the GPD Win Max and the Win 2 which are both available on their official store. They’re not as new as the Win 3, but still have lots of perks, including a clamshell design and full-on keypad.

$999

You can buy the GPD Win 3 for $1,000 on Indiegogo. Shipping expected this summer.

Indiegogo

OneGX1

The OneGX1 is a Windows-based device that toes the line between gaming laptop and handheld and comes with two detachable controllers that can be slotted onto either side. The D-Pad looks quite bad, but the rest of the layout looks pretty standard. The OneGX1 is pricey, so it seems like it’s only really an option for people who absolutely must have a mini laptop.

Spec sheet:

- CPU: Intel 10th Core i5 10210Y CPU

- GPU: Intel UHD 617 (24 EU)

- Memory: 16GB DDR3 RAM

- Battery life: about 3 hours while gaming

- Display: 1080p

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$1,500

The OneGx1 doesn't come cheap.

GeekBuying

OnexPlayer

The OnexPlayer is a powerful handheld gaming PC with a 2,560 x 1,600p resolution display (which is probably overkill). Like the rest of the field, it’s the product of a crowdfunding campaign and a comes in two tiers. It’s also quite a bit larger than other handhelds, weighing 1.8 lbs, though with that extra weight, you get a lot of power. Unfortunately, these aren’t easy to get your hands on right now, as the Indiegogo campaign recently ended, though given the popularity, they may be available again at some point.

Spec sheet:

- CPU: Lower spec model comes with Intel Core i5 1135G7 and the higher spec model uses an Intel Core i7 1165G7

- GPU: Intel Iris Xe (96 EU)

- Memory: 16GB of DDR4-4266 RAM

- Battery life: 7 to 10 hours

- Display: 1,600p

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$1,060

The OnexPlayer starts at $1,059 for the base model and goes as high as $1,600.

Indiegogo

Honorable mention: Ayn Odin

Okay, this isn’t a handheld gaming PC, but the Ayn Odin is an Android-based handheld that might be an emulation slam dunk for anyone not looking to spend $1,000 or more on a high-end portable gaming PC. It’s difficult to give the Ayn Odin a complete rundown since it’s still very much a work in progress, but might be something worth having on your radar.

Preliminary specs:

- CPU: Octa-Core Snapdragon 855+ SoC

- GPU: Adreno 640

- Memory: 4-8GB of RAM

- Battery life: TBD

- Display: 1080p

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$200

The Ayn Odin will cost $199 for early backers of its Indiegogo campaign.