I’m a rare tech enthusiast who isn’t much of a gamer. Traditional gaming PCs and consoles never grabbed my intention. I sought ways to improve my productivity, streamline my smart home, and fix problems I didn’t even know I had by using the latest gadgets — instead of pouring money into higher frame rates and sharper resolutions. That all changed when PC gaming handhelds emerged. Devices like the Steam Deck, Asus ROG Ally, and Lenovo Legion Go brought the performance of a modest gaming PC to a simple and easy-to-use form factor.
The sensible thing to do would’ve been to decide on the best PC gaming handheld for my needs and stick to it. That’s what I did, at least in the beginning. I bought the Asus ROG Ally for its performance, game compatibility, and upgradeability. Then, a deal on a refurbished Steam Deck came along, so I grabbed one. I just couldn’t resist the detachable controllers and inbuilt stand on the Lenovo Legion Go, so I bought one of those too. Eventually, I had all the most popular gaming handhelds — but only two stayed in my regular rotation while one started collecting dust.
I found the key to gaming on desktop Linux
Bazzite for most games, and a dual-boot of Windows for games that won’t typically work
The Steam Deck has a problem
It’s not suited for multiplayer gaming — if you can even find one
The Steam Deck is arguably the device that really kicked off the PC gaming handheld trend, and that’s why I felt obligated to try one. It’s easy to see how the Steam Deck became an immediate trendsetter by looking at the hardware. The chassis feels compact and polished with excellent controls. There’s a great screen regardless of whether you go with an LCD or OLED model. Plus, there’s a microSD card slot without the overheating issues that plagued competitors like my ROG Ally.
The experience started to fall apart when I moved beyond the hardware. Powering on the Steam Deck revealed Steam OS for the first time — the Linux-based operating system that is said to be one of the handheld’s best features. It’s true that the console-like user interface and game launcher are unmatched by anything Windows 11 offers. While Microsoft is trying to fix things with the full-screen Xbox mode in Windows 11, it’s not quite there yet. However, the stylish and intuitive SteamOS game launcher felt like it was simply a facade, covering the flaws hidden underneath.
I have minor nitpicks about SteamOS, like how the desktop interface isn’t as reliable or easy to access as I’d like. If you want to install games from Steam, it’s a breeze, but loading titles from third-party sources is often trickier than it should be. The big issue, though, is the fault of Linux. Or, how anti-cheat software interacts with it. The most popular multiplayer games use kernel-level anti-cheat like Easy Anti-Cheat or BattlEye. Without this software, certain competitive multiplayer modes won’t work, and SteamOS can’t run it.
I don’t think Valve or the Steam Deck are particularly responsible for these shortcomings. But as a consumer, when your favorite game doesn’t run on your brand-new PC gaming handheld, you don’t care who is responsible. All you care about is the real-world impact, like not being able to play games with your friends.
To make matters worse, the Steam Deck is completely sold out due to the ongoing storage and RAM crisis, and its future is unclear.
I use Asus and Lenovo handhelds more
The Steam Deck is a fan favorite, but it collects dust on my shelf
The Steam Deck is built around the Steam Store and runs the Linux-based SteamOS, and this adds up to create frustrating limitations. If your game requires anti-cheat or isn’t available on Steam, it’ll be difficult or impossible to install on the device you already own. There’s no reason the average user should need a tutorial to install Minecraft on any gaming PC in 2026, for example. Instead of fighting with my Steam Deck to run the games I like, I ended up favoring the ROG Ally and Lenovo Legion Go instead.
PC gaming handhelds that use Windows 11 are typically viewed as less than those that use custom operating systems or in-house Linux distros. I don’t see it that way. To me, Windows 11 on the ROG Ally and Legion Go is a feature, not a bug. It allows me to use the familiar Windows desktop environment to install PC games from any source. Yes, I can download Steam, but I can also download games directly from the Microsoft Store or Epic Games Store with zero hoops to jump through. Since Windows supports kernel-level anti-cheat, all my games run on the ROG Ally or Legion Go with no problems.
The ROG Ally also dwarfs my Steam Deck LCD in key specs, namely the display. It offers a higher resolution than the Steam Deck while also providing higher refresh rates. The Lenovo Legion Go is even better, sporting a 1600p display panel with 144Hz refresh rate. Plus, Lenovo gives you an 8.8-inch screen on the Legion Go for the most immersive handheld gaming experience. Throw in the detachable controllers, and there’s plenty of reason for me to pick up the Legion Go over the Steam Deck.
In case you need more of a reason to go with Asus or Lenovo, it’s possible to swap Windows 11 for SteamOS if you prefer the software experience of a Steam Deck.
I made the switch to Steam OS on my ROG Ally X and haven’t looked back
Being reunited with SteamOS has never felt better, especially on the ROG Ally X
This is the handheld I’d recommend
Surprisingly, it’s none of the ones I own — grab the ROG Xbox Ally
The handheld I reach for when I want a PC gaming handheld experience that “just works” is the Asus ROG Ally. It can run any game I throw at it without the hardware quirks of the Lenovo Legion Go. When I want to use bleeding-edge hardware, and I’m willing to deal with bugs and issues, I go for the Legion Go. The Steam Deck is my last choice, and frankly, I barely use it.
If you’re in the market for a PC gaming handheld, my pick is the Asus ROG Xbox Ally. It’s a half-successor to the ROG Ally I own with an ergonomic Xbox-like controller and a newer AMD Ryzen Z2 chip. I can’t justify the upgrade since I have the original model, but for newcomers to PC gaming handhelds, the ROG Xbox Ally is the one you want.
- Chipset
-
AMD Ryzen Z2
- RAM
-
16GB RAM
- Storage
-
512GB SSD
- Operating System
-
Windows 11
The Asus ROG Xbox Ally is a Windows 11 gaming handheld with an ergonomic controller design. While not the fastest handheld on the market, the Xbox Ally nails game compatibility and in-hand feel at an attractive price point. It’s a worthy successor to the original ROG Ally I own. If I was in the market for a gaming handheld today, this is the one I’d buy.
