The best Steam Deck alternatives in 2024: top options for handheld play
Steam Deck alternatives tested and ranked
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The bestSteamDeck alternatives offer plenty of good reasons to pick them above the Steam Deck and Steam DeckOLED. This could be because you’re on a tight budget and need something much more affordable than what Valve currently offers. There’s also the fact that some of the competition is much better suited to playing certain types of games.
If you’re a big fan of Nintendo titles, then something manufactured by that company is going to be your best option. If you prefer mobile games or streaming titles, then a dedicated Android handheld or even a mobile controller might very well be a better choice. There are also lots of great options for those who want a handheld PC similar to the Steam Deck but with higher powered specs and better compatibility with Windows for playing your library of games from platforms like Steam and theEpic GamesStore.
That’s not to say that many of thebest gaming consolesandbest handheld games consolesaren’t great Steam Deck alternatives either. While they may offer an experience that is a little different from many of much more immediately comparable entries on this list, they’re still worth bearing in mind before you make your final purchasing decision.
The Quick List
Best overall
Best overall
The Lenovo Legion Go is the best Steam Deck alternative overall, thanks in no small part to its superior performance, competitive pricing, and excellent design.
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Best budget
Best budget
If you’re shopping on a budget, you can’t go wrong with the Nintendo Switch Lite. This handheld console is not only much cheaper than a Steam Deck but far more portable too.
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Best premium
Best premium
The Asus Rog Ally X is pricier than a Steam Deck, but is a great premium alternative due to its vastly superior specs, better battery life, and hugely boosted performance.
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Best for streaming
Best for streaming
The Logitech G Cloud isn’t the perfect solution for everyone, but it’s a great Steam Deck alternative if you’re after dedicated streaming handheld.
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Best mobile
Best mobile
A controller that lends your mobile gaming a more console-like feel, the Backbone One 2nd Gen is a superb Steam Deck alternative.
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Best for PS5 owners
Best for PS5 owners
If you already own a PlayStation 5, then the PlayStation Portal is a seriously capable Steam Deck alternative. This remote play device lets you play your favorite PS5 games on the go.
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The best Steam Deck alternatives in 2024
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The best Steam Deck alternative overall
1. Lenovo Legion Go
Our expert review:
✅You crave higher specs:If want something similar to the Steam Deck, but offering higher specs without completely breaking the bank, then the Lenovo Legion Go is for you.
❌You want a more portable option:The Lenovo Legion Go is a great Steam Deck alternative, but it’s not as portable as some of the other options on this list like the Nintendo Switch Lite. Its bulky design can make it difficult to transport.
Our review labeled theLenovoLegion Go a “true Steam Deck rival” - and for good reason. This handheld PC is the complete package, offering pretty much everything that a PC gamer would want to play on the go. It’s got fantastic specs, including the best-in-classAMDRyzen Z1 Extreme CPU, AMD RDNA graphics, and 16GB of RAM. This makes it more than capable enough to tackle even recent AAA games, with our testing finding that it performed excellently in titles likeForza Horizon 5at medium settings.
Games don’t just run well though, they also look superb thanks to the buttery smooth 144Hz 8.8-inch QHD+ screen. Throw in fantastic compatibility withWindows 11, which runs smoothly and offers an incredibly intuitive UI, and the fact that the controllers can be detached and played like a Nintendo Switch Joy-Con and you’ve got a seriously versatile handheld. The Lenovo Legion Go comes in more expensive than the Steam Deck and Steam Deck OLED, but we think this is well worthwhile given the many improvements that it brings to the table.
The only real issues with the Lenovo Legion Go are also some of those shared by the Steam Deck. For example, it’s very large and bulky which would make it a poor fit for those who intend to take it out and about without a dedicated carrying case or rucksack. It also has very poor battery life, only offering a few hours of gameplay at a time throughout our testing. Neither of these things would be an issue if you intend to play at home, but it’s worth bearing in mind if portability is your biggest consideration.
The best budget Steam Deck alternative
2. Nintendo Switch Lite
Our expert review:
✅You’re on a budget:The Nintendo Switch Lite is absolutely brilliant value, offering a fully fledged all-in-one portable gaming experience for under $200 / £200.
❌You want top performance:In this case, you really get the performance that you pay for. While not bad in most games, this certainly isn’t a powerful gaming laptop replacement like the Steam Deck.
When you’re shopping for a budget Steam Deck alternative, the Nintendo Switch Lite should be your number one pick. Retailing at under $200 / £200 and often receiving huge discounts and brilliant bundles around sales events, you get a fully-fledged handheld gaming experience for less. The Nintendo Switch Lite is more of a traditional games console rather than a handheld PC like the Steam Deck, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Although it is considerably less powerful, many of its games have been tailor-made for the handheld so can perform surprisingly well on the whole.
I frequently use a Nintendo Switch Lite to dive into brilliant adventures likeTheLegend of Zelda: Breath of the WildandSuperMarioOdysseywhile I’m out and about. These titles not only look amazing but run fantastically and are available exclusively on the platform. The Nintendo Switch Lite isn’t compatible with your existing PC library, but many PC-oriented games likeKingdom Come Deliveranceare still available on the console. Just bear in mind that they often won’t run as well compared to the Steam Deck.
Aside from its much lower price, the Nintendo Switch Lite also makes big gains when it comes to portability. This system is seriously compact and I never have any trouble sticking it in my small bag. It can even fit in your pocket. It also offers significantly better battery life than the Steam Deck and Steam Deck OLED. I often manage to play for five or six hours without needing to top up. In fact, if you’re playing a particularly low-intensity game, an indie farming sim for example, you can often stretch that out to seven to nine hours - perfect if you hate being stuck near a socket.
The best premium Steam Deck alternative
3. Asus Rog Ally X
Our expert review:
✅You want the very best performance:Thanks to its top-of-the-range specs, you’re going to struggle to find a widely available handheld system that performs much better than the Asus Rog Ally X.
❌You could make do with cheaper options:Although powerful, the Asus Rog Ally X has a price tag to match. If you could make do with lower performance and want to save some cash, it would be wise to consider cheaper options like the Lenovo Legion Go.
The recently released Asus Rog Ally X is an absolute powerhouse and ideal if you’re searching for a more premium Steam Deck alternative. It’s very pricey, but your money is reflected by its specs. It boasts an AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme CPU, AMD Radeon Graphics, 1TB of SSD storage, and a massive 24GB of RAM, putting it on par with some premium gaming laptops. It performs far above the Steam Deck and Steam Deck OLED, runningGhost of Tsushima: Director’s Cutat a solid 30fps in its high graphical configuration during our testing.
Tweaking the settings a little saw it jump to 60fps, with only a few drops in more intense moments. More lightweight indies likeHades 2andBalatroare absolutely flawless. The overall size and weight of the Asus Rog Ally X is roughly on par with the Steam Deck, though it does offer some additional features such as a fingerprint reader for extra security. It also runs on Windows 11 rather than Linux out of the box, which is ideal for compatibility with the vast majority of your PC game library.
That higher price tag also nets you a significantly improved battery life. In our testing, we managed to record roughly three hours of intensive gaming per charge which, while not as strong as the Nintendo Switch Lite orLogitechG Cloud, is a noticeable step up from the Steam Deck - which sometimes lasted for under an hour!
The best Steam Deck alternative for streaming
4. Logitech G Cloud
Our expert review:
✅You want a streaming device:The Logitech G Cloud excels as a general streaming handheld. It’s lightweight, slim, comfortable to use, and offers fantastic battery life.
❌You prefer native gaming:Of course, any streaming handheld requires a good internet connection to use. You can play some mobile titles natively on the Logitech G Cloud, but it’s not a great experience due to its lacklustre performance.
The Logitech G Cloud isn’t perfect as an all-round gaming solution, but it is a good option if you want a Steam Deck alternative that’s almost exclusively geared towards cloud streaming. It has a comfortable grip design with thumbsticks and buttons that are satisfying to use, in addition to a 60Hz 1080p 7-inch IPS touch screen. I found that it’s incredibly thin and light too, weighing just 16.3oz / 463g with a 1.3-inch thickness.
In terms of software, the Logitech G Cloud is powered by Android. It is therefore compatible with all the game streaming software that you might expect including Xbox Cloud Gaming, Steam Link, Nvidia GeForce Now, and Amazon Luna. The Logitech G Cloud can also be used to play a number of native mobile games, though be warned that this is definitely not its main intended purpose.
Our testing showed that it performed poorly in more intensive titles likeCall of Duty MobileandGenshin Impact. This isn’t going to replace your phone as a mobile gaming machine, but might just work in a pinch. One big benefit of the Logitech G Cloud compared to the Steam Deck and Steam Deck OLED (not to mention the Lenovo Legion Go and Asus Rog Ally X) is its massive battery life. Expect to get around 12 hours of play out of this handheld on a single charge while streaming.
The best mobile Steam Deck alternative
5. Backbone One 2nd Gen
Our expert review:
✅You love mobile gaming:The Backbone One 2nd Gen massively improves the mobile gaming experience, lending it a more console-quality feel and making it much more comparable to playing on a Steam Deck.
❌You don’t have a great phone:As a mobile controller, your experience will largely depend on how good your mobile phone is. If you have a model with a small display or low specs, you should go for an all-in-one option instead.
It might seem a little strange to list the Backbone One 2nd Gen as a Steam Deck alternative, but it can be a fantastic option for a certain type of player. This mobile controller, which is available in both USB-C and Lightning variants, slots easily around your phone, giving you a much more handheld-friendly experience. It’s compact and lightweight, easily slotting into a pocket, and it comes in at under $100 / £100 because it makes use of your existing phone hardware.
It’s the perfect match for native mobile games and I’ve particularly enjoyed using one to play throughZenless Zone Zeroand keep up with my regularCall of Duty: Warzone Mobilegrind. Some cross-platform multiplayer games likeMinecraftalso work well, making it a brilliant way to easily team up with your friends on PC and console. It’s great for streaming too, working seamlessly with Amazon Luna, Nvidia GeForce Now, and Xbox Cloud Gaming right out of the box.
The Backbone One 2nd Gen mobile controller is available in two distinct variants, the regular black version and the attractive licensed PlayStation Edition. The latter is a good fit for PS Remote Play and a blessing for those who prefer those trademark PlayStation button markings.
The best Steam Deck alternative for PS5 owners
6. PlayStation Portal
Our expert review:
✅You love all things PlayStation:If you already own a PS5, then the PlayStation Portal is a no-brainer for a handheld games device. This remote play device performance wonderfully when it comes to streaming your library of PS5 games.
❌You need native titles:The PlayStation Portal cannot play any games natively and is entirely reliant on game streaming via the internet. Look at the Backbone One 2nd Gen or Logitech G Cloud if you want options that can play some native games.
The PlayStation Portal is a good Steam Deck alternative, provided that you already own a PlayStation 5. This remote play device requires a PS5 console to stream games remotely via an internet connection, so consider other options if you don’t yet own Sony’s latest system. If you do, however, you can take full advantage of its excellent ergonomics, which mirror that of the superb DualSense Wireless Controller. The PS Portal also boasts the same fantastic features as that gamepad, including its punchy haptic feedback and innovative adaptive triggers.
The PS Portal has an 8-inch LCD screen, spacious enough for many PS5 favorites such asThe Last of Us Part 2andSpider-Man 2to really shine. As games are streamed remotely, you also get all of the performance of the PS5 console, so expect lightning-fast loading times and up to 120 fps in supported games. Aside from the inherent limitations of game streaming, the biggest downsides of the PS Portal include an annoying lack of Bluetooth support and its frustratingly slow charging speed.
The best Steam Deck alternatives FAQs
Is the Asus Rog Ally X better than the Steam Deck?
While the Asus Rog Ally X is significantly more powerful than the Steam Deck, whether or not it’s better depends largely on your personal preferences and needs. The Asus Rog Ally X is much more expensive than the Steam Deck, though this is reflected by its significantly better performance. It’s a worse option for those who want to save money and can make do with some performance hiccups, but better if you have a large budget and want to play the most intensive games.
Should I get a Steam Deck or Nintendo Switch?
There are plenty of compelling reasons to choose either a Steam Deck or Nintendo Switch, though some key factors may push you further towards one or the other. Firstly, your choice of games and existing library matters a lot. If you own a sizable Steam game library, then the fact that the Steam Deck will likely support a great deal of them will be a huge incentive to choose it. Although the Steam Deck is more expensive than the Nintendo Switch, playing games that you already own is always cheaper than building a new library. That said, exclusive titles likeSuper Mario Odysseyare a great reason to pick up the Nintendo Switch.
If raw power is your main concern, the Steam Deck is the clear winner. Still, the Nintendo Switch wins out when it comes to battery life and portability. Before you come to your final decision, make sure that you weigh up which of these factors is most important for you.
How we test the best Steam Deck alternatives
All of the Steam Deck alternatives present in this list have been tested by me or the wider TechRadar team. When testing a Steam Deck alternative, we are careful to consider a wide range of factors. This includes its features, performance, specs, and of course its price. When I created this list, I prioritized products that I have tested in a hands-on capacity and know would offer a great alternative for anyone in the market for a Steam Deck. I have used the Steam Deck OLED extensively and, while I enjoy it a lot, I know first-hand that there are plenty of areas where it could be improved. Each entry on this list is something that I consider on par or even sometimes superior to the Steam Deck in certain ways.
I was careful to consider a wide range of use cases when I assembled this list, pulling together options for those who want better performance and better battery life from a handheld. I also included something for players who prefer mobile titles and game streaming, plus an alternative for those on a particularly tight budget.
Read more about how we test
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Dash is a technology journalist who covers gaming hardware at TechRadar. Before joining the TechRadar team, he was writing gaming articles for some of the UK’s biggest magazines including PLAY, Edge, PC Gamer, and SFX. Now, when he’s not getting his greasy little mitts on the newest hardware or gaming gadget, he can be found listening to J-pop or feverishly devouring the latest Nintendo Switch otome.
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