IGN’s Jackie Thomas has reviewed every major handheld gaming PC, from the Steam Deck to the ROG Xbox Ally, playing games, running benchmarks, and testing their gaming performance, battery life, ergonomics, and more. After 100+ hours of testing, these are the 4 best gaming handhelds in 2026 – and why we don’t recommend the Steam Deck anymore.
Where to buy:
Asus ROG Xbox Ally –
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X –
Lenovo Legion Go S –
MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ –
For more, check out our full guide to the best handheld gaming PCs in 2026:
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Lenovo legion go S with Z1E is the best option! Steam os, 32gb of ram, 8in best LCD I have seen and much more. Xbox ally x is good but 7 in screen is unacceptable!
Steam Deck was solid, but it’s not even in the top 5 best handhelds anymore. Ally X is just insane.
My rog ally z1 extreme can’t even run Samson. It’s pathetic machine