Handheld/ Deck Recommendations 2024

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Looking to pick up a Deck/ Handheld ‘PC’ in the short future, although don’t mind waiting for ‘the right one’.

There appear to be many variants available at the moment;
Steam Deck
Steam Deck OLED
ASUS ROG ALLY
Just to name a few

I’m just wondering what is the best one out there, spec wise? (I’m completely out of the loop when it comes to recent CPUs/ Mobile CPUs).
Looking for best performance/ top spec, no max budget in mind.
Idea is to have this for the long run and don’t mind waiting for any upcoming releases (if any).

I’ve seen some reviews of the ALLY X but I’m honestly unsure if that’s the best (upcoming, in the near future) device on the market?

Would be awesome to have something that is able to handle both modern (ish) titles (like Cyberpunk, maybe even GTA? - if at all possible). But would more than likely keep playing smaller, less demanding/ emulator games

 

[Rroff]

Personally much prefer the Lenovo Legion Go to the others and it is currently (or was) £100 discounted. Though I have to admit mine doesn't see much handheld gaming use and I much more use it with the flip stand out either to watch YT stuff when away from my PC or for some light gaming with a keyboard and mouse connected as a more convenient device than lugging around a laptop.

Most of them perform pretty similar, some exceptions aside, the Asus, Lenovo and some of the lesser known ones all use the same Ryzen Z 1 Extreme chipset and/or the 7000 series laptop SoC it is based on. Though battery life can be quite a bit different between devices.

Personally not an Asus fan but most people I know in person who have an Ally have had to RMA them due to problems like the SD card reader stopping working, etc.

 

[xaldub]

There isn't one handheld that trumps the rest ... they all have their pros and cons. What's your expectations ? Do you currently own a PC, and just want something for travel etc ? Or perhaps you don't have a PC, and think a handheld will be a good substitute ? ( it's not really ... )
If gaming on the go / portability is your prime reason, then I'd recommend the Steam Deck OLED - it has the best display and battery life. If you plan to use the handheld mostly at home ( with access to mains power ) then one of the Windows based handhelds may be a better choice ... because battery life will be less of an issue and they have higher performance than the Steam Deck.

 

[sidimmu]

There isn't one handheld that trumps the rest ... they all have their pros and cons. What's your expectations ? Do you currently own a PC, and just want something for travel etc ? Or perhaps you don't have a PC, and think a handheld will be a good substitute ? ( it's not really ... )
If gaming on the go / portability is your prime reason, then I'd recommend the Steam Deck OLED - it has the best display and battery life. If you plan to use the handheld mostly at home ( with access to mains power ) then one of the Windows based handhelds may be a better choice ... because battery life will be less of an issue and they have higher performance than the Steam Deck.

Glad I came across this thread and your reply, looking to buy one in next couple months for when I'm travelling with work.

 

[Biz.Kid09]

I have the OG SteamDeck but would definitely upgrade to OLED if I am to change rather than go to the others, I think the SteamOS integration etc is just very clean and quick compared to the others.

 

[funguST]

I'm currently looking at the same (trying to justify the price to myself/mainly wife).

I'll either get ab anbernic rg556 for emulation up to PS2. Or pick up a legion go if I can stretch the budget.

 

[Rroff]

I have the OG SteamDeck but would definitely upgrade to OLED if I am to change rather than go to the others, I think the SteamOS integration etc is just very clean and quick compared to the others.

IMO the screen on them is a big thing - none of them though have the perfect screen

The Legion Go the bigger screen is actually a big benefit if you spend much time gaming on it and the resolution is actually useful as you can run 1280x800 on it without scaling distortion being a native 2560x1600 panel which gives a good compromise between performance and resolution. But lacking VRR, HDR or OLED are downsides though it has good image quality, good brightness and good colours.

VRR is definitely a bonus at the kind of frame rates you will be playing games for the most part as it is within the range where it comes into its own.

Personally I'm hoping the next round of these devices improves on where things do an don't work - I was tempted to get another Legion Go with the current discount but think I'd be better holding off for the next generation.