Gaming handhelds

Gaming handhelds Is that a Witcher in your pocket, or are you just pleased to see us?

Words: Max Freeman-Mills

Photography: Neil Godwin

Gaming handhelds are having a bit of a golden moment – one that’s primed to last for years, if trends are to be believed. What Nintendo kicked off with its portable Switch console came to PC gaming in a huge way when Valve launched the superb Steam Deck in 2022. Now, though, the competition has caught up, and those looking for a high-end PC gaming handheld are swamped by options like never before.

Most of these handhelds tend to be pricier than a console, but if you buy the right one you could have a portable gaming machine with flexibility that console gamers can only dream of. On that note, though, Xbox has just waded into the market in a big way with rebranded versions of Asus devices, as part of its push to make the Xbox brand less dependent on ailing console sales.

Asus still has its own devices, and the likes of Lenovo and MSI have major contenders too, while Valve continues to offer superb value with the various versions of the Steam Deck available. That all makes it as competitive a part of the tech world as you could care to name.

So it’s a fascinating time to check out the most impressive new PC gaming handhelds available, which is what we’ve done this month, running three of the best machines you can get your hands on through their paces.

WHAT’S ON TEST…

ROG Xbox Ally X

A partnership with Asus, building on the ROG Ally X but with much more prominent grips and buttons, and when you turn it on it feels a lot more like a console. Underneath, you’ll still find it running Windows, with a powerful CPU that’s the envy of many other handhelds, albeit at a stonking price. £799.99, Xbox.com