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The best handheld gaming PCs of 2024 let you ditch your laptop
Best Buy/Asus
Like the Nintendo Switch, handheld gaming systems are having a moment. One of the most popular iterations is the handheld gaming PC. These devices are small PCs packed into smaller housings that let you play your favorite PC games like “Starfield” anywhere you can connect to Wi-Fi. They make it simple to kick back, relax in your favorite gaming chair, bed, or spot on the couch, and play your favorite game without having to sit at a computer. Needless to say, that’s a major step forward from the days where you had to have a desk.
If you’re looking to get your own handheld gaming PC to replace your desktop or laptop, you’ve got a few choices. But if you can’t decide which one is best for you based on your use case or price range, you can check out our picks below. From the ubiquitous Steam Deck to the upcoming MSI Claw, there’s a little something for everyone on every budget. Below, check out our picks for the best handheld gaming PCs of 2024.
The best handheld gaming PCs of 2024
Best Steam-based handheld gaming PC: Valve Steam Deck
Amazon
Valve’s Steam Deck is by far the best gaming handheld PC for most, due to both its price and performance. It also looks great and feels good in your hands.
With a base model of 512GB for storage, a 7.4-inch display (or OLED display when available), a powerful AMD APU, and a long-lasting battery, this is a device you can count on to handle most of your favorite PC games, including blockbuster titles that you’d never be able to play comfortably on something like the Nintendo Switch. That means titles like “Elden Ring” and “Resident Evil” are in your future.
The handheld runs on SteamOS from Valve, however, so you’ll have to stick to games that are available on that platform. It doesn’t afford you the same versatility as some handheld gaming PCs, but with the sheer number of games on Valve’s Steam platform, you won’t be running out of things to play anytime soon.
If you want the best handheld gaming PC experience right now, and don’t mind limiting your game catalogue to Steam, this is the device that’s right for you by a long shot.
Best premium handheld gaming PC: Lenovo Legion Go
Best Buy
This Windows handheld is a great alternative to the Steam Deck, especially because it’s a portable gaming PC that doesn’t rely on SteamOS.
It runs on the Ryzen Z1 Extreme chip and features a large, crisp, 8.8-inch panel with a 2,560 x 1,600 resolution as well as a 144Hz refresh rate. It also boasts several interesting features it seems to have borrowed from the Switch, including a kickstand. It also comes with detachable controllers for multiple players to jump in and enjoy games together on the same console.
You can connect the Legion Go to an external display and use it as a handheld PC as well. You can also use it as a standalone gaming controller.
One more perk: You also can use this handy gadget as a vanilla PC for other functionality, since it’s Windows-based. It’s super versatile that way, and well worth its premium price tag.
Best budget handheld gaming PC: Asus ROG Ally
Best Buy
This portable gaming PC offers a 7-inch touchscreen and some pretty impressive presentation. It takes inspiration from the many gaming PCs people have built with RGB decoration, featuring RGB light rings around each joystick. That’s flashy enough to get anyone’s attention.
The Ally runs on Windows like the Lenovo Legion, and on an AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme processor with AM Radeon GPU. Its 1,920 x 1,080 resolution as well as 120Hz refresh rate make it a stellar option for gaming, but you can also use it as a portable PC for getting work done on the go. Though it isn’t designed for work per se, you can definitely do some on it.
It has great audio, comes with a fingerprint sensor that locks and unlock the device, and comfortable buttons that feel just like using a regular game controller.
Out of all of the handheld gaming PCs, this one looks the most like a miniature desktop with all its flash and razzle-dazzle. It’s also consistently on sale and usually more affordable. Check it out for its gamer-centric branding, performance, and reliability.
Most anticipated handheld gaming PC: MSI Claw Portable Gaming Console
Best Buy
The upcoming MSI Claw may not be out yet, but it’s going to be one of the best handheld gaming PC options you’ll be able to choose from when it ships in April.
Powered by Intel’s new Meteor Lake Core Ultra procesor, it can be upgraded to an Intel Core Ultra 7 155H if you prefer — and it’ll be available in three models, with the base version featuring a Core Ultra 5 processor and 512GB of storage.
It runs on Windows 11, much like other handheld gaming PCs aside from the Steam Deck. It’ll also include RGB lighting, which we typically also see on MSI’s laptop range. Choose from configurations with 16GB of RAM with 512GB of storage as a base edition with options for more RAM and more storage space as we near the release date.
You can preorder the ultra-powerful handheld gaming PC now, but don’t expect to start receiving yours until next month.
How to choose a handheld gaming PC
Think about the types of games you want to play. More demanding, graphically intensive titles mean you’ll need more powerful processing components like a strong GPU and CPU for smooth performance. However, if you plan to play more casual indie games or less resource-heavy titles, this won’t be nearly as important.
Portability and ergonomic design are, though. The size, weight and layout of the handheld you’re thinking about buying should support comfortable extended handheld use. The device should fit nicely in your hands, and the controls should feel good and work great, without causing strain in your hands and fingers.
Battery life is a key factor, too. Gaming drains batteries, so look for several hours of runtime per charge to avoid constantly tethering yourself to an outlet. Balance power and battery life, as more capable components may consume energy faster.
The display hugely impacts gaming experience, too. Higher resolution, color accuracy and size make games more immersive but they also mean your battery will drain more quickly. Try something with a balance of all these factors to find the best gaming handheld PC that works for you.
An American climber was rescued after she and another alpinist from the U.K. were stranded for two days at more than 20,000 feet in the Himalayan mountains.
Michelle Dvorak, 31, and Fay Manners, 37, went missing on Thursday after their equipment and food tumbled down a ravine while trekking up India’s Chaukhamba mountain, CBS News partner BBC reported.
The pair sent an emergency message but search and rescue teams were unable to find them.
INDIAN AIR FORCE/Handout via REUTERS
Manners told the BBC they were “terrified” as they tried to make part of the descent down the treacherous mountains without supplies.
“I watched the bag tumble down the mountain and I immediately knew the consequence of what was to come,” she said. “We had none of our safety equipment left. No tent. No stove to melt snow for water. No warm clothes for the evening.”
The terrifying ordeal intensified when it started to snow. They took cover on a ledge while waiting for rescuers.
“I felt hypothermic, constantly shaking and with the lack of food my body was running out of energy to keep warm,” Manners said.
The rescue was made difficult because of the conditions, including bad weather, fog and high altitude.
“The helicopter flew passed again, couldn’t see us. We were destroyed,” Manners told the BBC.
INDIAN AIR FORCE/Handout via REUTERS
On the second day, the pair began to cautiously abseil down the mountain. They spotted a team of French climbers coming toward them. Manners said they shared their equipment and food and contacted the helicopter company with an exact location.
“I cried with relief knowing we might survive,” she said.
The Indian Air Force said in a post on the X social media platform that their helicopter airlifted the climbers from 17,400 feet after “battling two days of bad weather.”
Chaukhamba is a mountain massif in the Garhwal Himalaya in northern India.
President Biden approved the mobilization of another 500 active-duty troops to North Carolina to assist in the recovery efforts after the deadly and devastating Hurricane Helene.
“With a total of 1,500 troops now supplementing a robust on-the-ground effort – including more than 6,100 National Guardsmen and more than 7,000 Federal personnel – the Biden-Harris Administration is mobilizing all relevant resources to support families as they begin their road to rebuilding,” the White House said in a statement Sunday.
Mr. Biden previously announced that the federal government would cover “100%” of costs for debris removal and emergency protective measures in North Carolina for six months. The Biden administration has also released more than $137 million in federal funds – including $100 million in transportation funds for North Carolina to begin rebuilding damaged roads and bridges.
Mike Stewart / AP
More than 800 people unable to return home are staying in lodging provided through FEMA, and 22 shelters are still housing nearly 1,000 people as mobile feeding operations continue to help survivors.
“My Administration is sparing no resource to support families as they begin their road to rebuilding,” Biden said. “We will continue working hand-in-hand with local and state leaders – regardless of political party and no matter how long it takes.”
Earlier Sunday, North Carolina Sen. Thom Tills called for more resources to bolster the relief effort and likened the damage to Hurricane Katrina’s mark on Louisiana in 2005.
“The scope of this storm is more like Katrina,” he told CBS News’ Margaret Brennan on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan”. “It may look like a flood to the outside observer, but again, this is a landmass roughly the size of the state of Massachusetts, with damage distributed throughout. We have to get maximum resources on the ground immediately to finish rescue operations.”
Mr. Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump have all traveled to some of the impacted regions.
Hurricane Helene caused catastrophic damage from Florida into the Appalachian mountains and killed more than 225 people across multiple states. That number includes 114 killed in North Carolina alone.
The White House said Mr. Biden has also been briefed on Hurricane Milton, which is forecast to make landfall in Florida’s Tampa Bay area as a major storm on Wednesday.
U.S. disaster relief chief blasts false claims about Helene response
Deanne Criswell, who leads the Federal Emergency Management Agency, said on Sunday that the recent false claims and conspiracy theories about the federal response to the storm are “demoralizing” aid workers.
“It’s frankly ridiculous, and just plain false. This kind of rhetoric is not helpful to people,” she said. “It’s really a shame that we’re putting politics ahead of helping people, and that’s what we’re here to do. We have had the complete support of the state,” she said, referring to North Carolina.
Joe Raedle/ Getty Images
Republicans, led by Trump, have helped foster a frenzy of misinformation over the past week among the communities most devastated by Helene, promoting a number of false claims, including that Washington is intentionally withholding aid to people in Republican areas.
Trump accused FEMA of spending all its money to help immigrants who are in the United States illegally, while other critics assert that the government spends too much on Israel, Ukraine and other foreign countries.
Tillis, a Republican, on Sunday rejected that claim, telling “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” that resources being used on immigration is “not yet … affecting the flow of resources to western North Carolina.”
Tillis said the stream of misinformation about relief efforts in North Carolina is a “distraction.”
“I believe that we have to stay focused on rescue operations, recovery operations, clearing operations, and we don’t need any of these distractions on the ground,” Tillis said. “It’s at the expense of hard-working first responders and people that are just trying to recover their lives.”
Mr. Biden said in a statement Sunday that his administration “will continue working hand-in-hand with local and state leaders –- regardless of political party and no matter how long it takes.”
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American and U.K. climbers rescued after 2 days stranded on Himalayan mountains in India
Biden sends more troops to North Carolina for continued Hurricane Helene response
Scene along Twin Cities Marathon: Bananas, Alan Page, pickle juice
American and U.K. climbers rescued after 2 days stranded on Himalayan mountains in India
Biden sends more troops to North Carolina for continued Hurricane Helene response