The Steam Deck has been the best handheld gaming PC for the past couple of years, but it’s facing strong competition in 2025. Not least from companies using Valve’s own SteamOS on their own hardware for the first time.
Here at CES 2025 in Las Vegas, several companies have announced new handheld gaming PCs that will give the Steam Deck a run for its money. Here are the Steam Deck competitors to look for in the year ahead.
Lenovo Legion Go S
The Lenovo Legion Go S will come in two versions: the white Windows-based version you see pictured at the top of this article, and the dark purple version show above, which is the first third-party hardware to run on the same operating system as the Steam Deck, SteamOS.
SteamOS is an operating system absolutely geared for gaming, with the entire interface optimized for the joystick/touchscreen controls. It’s also a more lightweight, nimble Linux-based OS than Windows 11.
The downside is that it doesn’t have the full breadth of games compatibility that Windows offers. Neither is it as flexible if you want the handheld to double as a desktop PC.
Both the Windows and SteamOS versions of the Legion Go S will share the same internals: an AMD Ryzen Z2 Go or Ryzen Z1 Extreme processor, up to 32GB of 7500MHz DDR5 RAM and various storage options.
In my experience, the Steam Deck offers much better battery life than any of the Windows handhelds I’ve tested, but Lenovo insists battery life will be roughly the same whether you choose Windows or SteamOS here.
In my brief tests at CES 2025, the device felt great in the hand and the 8in 120Hz display looked sharp. Note, however, that it doesn’t have the detachable controllers that Lenovo pioneered with the first version of the Legion Go (see below), so if a joystick/button break you’re going to have to send the entire unit back for repair.
The Windows version of the Legion Go S will start from $729.99 when it goes on sale this month, with a $599.99 version arriving in May. The SteamOS version will start from $499, but it’s not arriving until May either.
Acer Nitro Blaze 11
If you’ve been put off buying a handheld PC because the screen’s just too small, Acer has weighed in with a huge alternative.
The Acer Nitro Blaze 11 has a whopping 10.95in IPS display with a 2,560 x 1,600 resolution. It’s a huge device to hold — think an iPad with controllers strapped to either side — but it’s not crazy heavy, weighing in at a shade over 1kg.
The sheer size of the Blaze 11 obviously affects its portability — this isn’t something you can easily slip into a rucksack — but if you’re using it predominately around the home, the extra screen space could broaden the range of games you’re able to play on your handheld.
It’s a Windows-based device with an AMD Ryzen 7 8840HS processor, an AMD Radeon 780M graphics chip and 16GB of DDR5 RAM. I wasn’t able to play games with it during my brief time with the device at CES 2025, so it’s a matter of wait and see to find out how the hardware copes with the extra screen resolution.
Given the amount of space available on either side of the display, it’s disappointing that Acer hasn’t included a trackpad among the controls, meaning you’re relying on Windows 11’s frustrating touchscreen controls. The controllers aren’t detachable either, making it less attractive to use a desktop PC.
The Blaze 11 goes on sale in North America in Q2, starting at $1,099. There’s an 8in version too, which starts from $899.
Lenovo Legion Go 2
The original Legion Go was the best of the Windows gaming handhelds in my opinion. The detachable controllers, the kickstand on the back of the device and its decent performance elevated it above rivals.
Lenovo is now launching a second generation of the device, although it won’t rock up until later this year.
We weren’t even allowed to turn on the prototype that was on display at CES 2025, but Lenovo hasn’t strayed far from the original formula. It still has those detachable controllers either side of the 8.8in display, although this time the screen is upgraded to an 144Hz OLED with 500 nits of maximum brightness.
It will use the new AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme processor and offer up to 32GB of DDR5 memory, so we should see a performance boost. Various configurations will come with up to 2TB of storage.
Pricing and exact launch date are still under wraps.
Razer PC Remote Play with Razer Kishi Ultra
This isn’t a handheld gaming PC as such, but a way to turn your gaming PC and smartphone into one.
The Razer Kishi Ultra — released in 2024 — provides a snap-on controller for iPhones and Android smartphones. It feels much better in the hand than previous Kishis, helping to avoid the cramp that its smaller predecessors could induce after a few minutes of gameplay.
At CES 2025, Razer announced PC Remote Play, a free app for Windows and your phone, which allows you to stream games hosted on the PC to the mobile device.
Razer claims its software has advantages over other such streaming apps, namely that it automatically adjusts the resolution to suit the phone, avoiding ugly black bars, and that it makes it much simpler to launch games from the smartphone.
In my brief tests using an iPhone 15 Pro Max at CES, streaming performance was acceptable, although there were a few dropped frames and occasional input lag. Bear in mind that this was in a tech-laden room in a hotel suite, however.
The Razer PC Remote Play app will be free for anyone to use. The Razer Kishi Ultra costs around $150, although the app will work with any mobile controller or even from PC to PC.
