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For gaming on the go, there is more than Nintendo Switch and Steam Deck. We show the latest handheld PCs in 2025.
Portable PCs are becoming increasingly popular. The king among them so far has been the Steam Deck, which is characterized not least by its highly optimized operating system. But now developers haveannounced that “SteamOS” would also be released for third parties. So we have a lot to look forward to in the new year-Deck alternatives, some of which even have the same UI as the original. We have summarized the 4 most interesting handheld PCs for 2025 here:
The new high-end handheld: Lenovo Legion Go 2
With the Lenovo Legion Go 2 we can expect the successor to one of the most powerful handheld PCs. Just like its predecessor, the Go 2 is in the high-end range in terms of price and performance. A prototype was presented for the first time at CES. In addition to major improvements in hardware performance, the handheld should also offer improved ergonomics and significantly longer battery life. This would probably make the biggest criticisms of the old Legion Go a thing of the past. However, if you don't want to wait any longer, you cantake another look at the first Lenovo Legion Go(promotional link).
The first with SteamOS: Lenovo Legion Go S
For anyone who thinks the Legion Go 2 is too expensive, Lenovo still has an ace up its sleeve. The Legion Go S is basically the little brother of the high-end handheld and is scheduled to appear in January. You can initially only buy the device in a white Windows version. The black “Legion Go S Powered by SteamOS” will come onto the market at a later date. When exactly is not yet clear, but it looks like we should expect it as early as spring. This will probably make it the first third-party device with Steam's own operating system. While the Windows version costs €630, the device with SteamOS is said to be even cheaper. At least in the USA you will be able to buy the handheld PC for $499. We are currently still waiting for a price for the German market.
Gaming im XXL-Format: Acer Nitro Blaze 11
If the screen of handheld PCs is always too small for you, Acer has a suitable offer, because the new Acer Nitro Blaze 11 is simply huge. With the eponymous 11-inch display, even adults look like a toddler with an oversized tablet. So far only a Windows variant of the $1,100 device has been announced. But we're wondering what the battery life will be like with this screen anyway. Maybe the smaller versions, Nitro Blaze 8 and Nitro Blaze 7, are more suitable for everyday use and will ultimately turn out to be a real alternative. In any case, the pure hardware performance is impressive..
The price-performance hit: ASUS ROG Ally
The Asus ROG Ally has been on the market for a long time. If you are looking for a powerful but inexpensive alternative to the Steam Deck, the 7-inch mini PC with its AMD architecture and 16GB RAM is still a good choice in 2025. You can get this on saleHandheld for around €500 on Amazon(promotional link) and there is now also a decent used market for the Steam Deck Killer. For everyone who hasn't had this price-performance tip on their radar, we have one here.
