A redditor's mother-in-law found a Steam Deck OLED on an Amtrak train—and ever since, the redditor has been trying to send it back to its rightful owner. Now it's finally on its way home.

Apparently, the redditor's mother-in-law found the device several months prior, but "she had no idea what to do with it or how to even turn it on. She just came to visit and handed it over to me this weekend."

The user, vgalz, originally tried looking on the Steam, Steam Deck, and Amtrak subreddits to find the owner. Having no luck, they then reached out to Steam Support representatives, who said they couldn't connect the finder with the owner but did recommend reporting the missing Deck to local law enforcement.

Vgalz also tried to befriend the owner on Steam, tried to log into their account to get their name, and commented on a Redditor's post who they believed owned the Deck, all to no avail.

It turns out that the original owner posted about their missing device on the Steam Deck subreddit, but it was missed because they made the post nine months ago.

And so, with the user found (and with the owner of the device verified), the redditor sent it back home in a hand soap box.

Vgalz says, "It took a little bit of effort but it feels amazingly good to have helped get this baby home"

They continue, "And to everyone reading.. if you get the opportunity to do a good deed for someone, please do. If everyone does the selfish thing every time, then the world just sucks. Everyone has the ability to be better than that. And it feels really good to do it."

In between the device being lost and being found again, the Steam Deck has seen a significant price increase, with the 512 GB OLED model going from $549 to $789 and the 1 TB OLED model going from $649 to $949. That had to have made the loss sting even harder, but, it's always nice to see a happy ending.

And even Vgalz benefited from the situation, as a separate redditor gifted them a game as a reward for their kindness. Everyone involved, give yourselves a pat on the back.

Intel has opened requests to add Intel XeSS support to Valve's Proton, signalling a renewed interest in getting its mobile gaming chips up to speed on the Linux operating system.

Some of the best handheld gaming PCs right now are powered by Intel processors, namely the Intel Arc G3 Extreme. That can be found in the formidable MSI Claw 8 EX AI+. Though this is resolutely a Windows machine—Intel chips are built with Microsoft in mind, but more importantly, Valve has historically only supported AMD chips with SteamOS.

That's changing as time goes on. As spotted by Phoronix, Intel has opened pull requests for Intel XeSS support in Proton, specifically to utilise dedicated XMX cores in Intel's own GPUs for better performance.

Proton is the compatibility layer that allows games programmed for Windows to run on Linux machines, and has been crucial to the success of the Steam Deck and SteamOS as a whole. XeSS is Intel's upscaling technology, which works one of two ways, either using DP4a for wide support across various vendor's GPUs, or XMX on Intel's own GPUs. The XMX option is preferred.

"Adds a builtin libxess.dll which forwards the XeSS D3D12 calls to the Linux XeSS library (libxess.so)," says Intel engineer Damian Tomczak in the request, "so XeSS can use XMX (the fast upscaler) under Proton instead of the slower fallback path. D3D12 objects are converted to Vulkan through vkd3d-proton's interop interface."

The dream here is that, further to future support being added to Proton and SteamOS, we can happily switch our Windows-based handheld gaming PCs over to the Linux operating system without any hitches or performance drops. The good news is that this is already happening. Valve has this year "improved compatibility" with both AMD and Intel's recent platforms with recent SteamOS releases, and broader support for SteamOS goes beyond handhelds into plucky homemade Steam Machines, too.

Here's one for all you achievement addicts out there; you can now customise your Steam Deck achievement pop ups to match your PlayStation, Nintendo, or Xbox pop-ups. Yes, you can now unify that little achievement endorphin rush across your gaming platforms thanks to a new Decky plugin for your wee SteamOS handheld.

Actually it's a bit wider than that, because you're not locked into imitating the achievement pop-ups of existing platforms, you can customise the pop-ups however you want via this Achievement Customizer. And, as a Decky plugin, it should also work on any SteamOS-like Linux environment, such as Bazzite.

In the Reddit thread, the creator notes that they could also try to make it compatible with the Steam Machine, too. For the dozens of people actually gaming on those micro machines.

Though it's not in the Decky store as yet, the creator has detailed how to get it installed on your device using Developer Mode and it's all very straightforward. Put Decky into the Developer Mode and then install the plugin from the listed URL. Easy.

The creator of the plugin says they hand-drew the pixel art used in the customiser, and they designed the themes themselves, but they have used AI coding tools during the actual development of the of the plugin. That code is open source on Github for anyone to take a look through, if they're concerned about what they might be jamming onto their handheld.

I will admit that I don't totally understand the whole thing with achievements. I don't think there's been a game made that I felt I needed to 100% the whole thing, but I do understand that achievement hunting is almost a thing unto itself. And if you're going to get even more of a boost from tailoring that little achievement ping exactly how you want, then all power to you, my friend.

The Asus ROG 20th anniversary lineup has been interesting. Black, gold, and indulgent feels like the tagline here, with the Azoth Extreme Edition 20 and ROG Harpe II Extreme Edition 20 containing actual gold, and a fitting price tag to boot.

For any criticisms I may have, I don't think you're paying primarily for the branding on the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20, though. You get a new OLED screen which is bigger and brighter than the IPS panel in the standard Xbox Ally X, TMR thumbsticks, refined triggers, a new cooling system, and with that screen comes a snappy 0.2 ms response time.

Refined is a good word for the device as a whole. Coming a year later than the last model, the software is smooth and intuitive, and it's easy to swap between Xbox and Windows mode, though it still doesn't feel like a console in practice. For my money, it's the best ROG Ally on the market right now, but the memory crisis has skewed the price of all gaming gear, and the X20 is certainly not the best value as a result.

Features

The Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20 (or should I say XBOX) is a relatively granular update on the Xbox Ally X. I noticed it immediately when putting the two devices side by side, but when it comes to performance, you're getting identical experiences. They have the same chip, the same memory, the same storage. That's the Ryzen Z2 Extreme, 24 GB LPDDR5X, and 1 TB PCIe 4.0 M.2 2280, respectively.

Given you don't get a performance bump, you've gotta really care about the details to consider the X20. Arguably its biggest upgrade is the OLED panel, and it is a beauty. The DisplayHDR True Black 1400 certification isn't just for show, as it pops, appearing both bright and ultra-vibrant. It's also got a bigger screen, which does make the device more immersive, but also larger and chunkier.

You can technically upgrade the plain old joysticks in the ROG Xbox Ally X with a TMR module with a bit of know-how, but slapping in your own OLED screen would be very difficult, and I certainly wouldn't trust myself to do such fine electronic surgery. Therefore, I do see value in an upgraded, refined, and pretty older brother of last year's device. It's also got a whole new cooling system for frostier temps.

You also get smaller upgrades here, like the ability to pull up and turn the D-Pad to make the corner buttons more or less pronounced, plus greater grooves on the face buttons to stop jagged edges, and a combination of more clicky bumpers and smoother triggers. These all combine to make the X20 feel more thoughtful in approach, and given the price bump, it sort of has to do that.

The X20 doesn't come with a charger in the box, which makes sense from an e-waste point of view, but it does mean you will get lacking plugged-in performance without an appropriately speedy charger. For instance, I ran the device at 35 W mode and did some of my benchmarks before realising I wasn't getting the full-fat 35 W mode because my charger wasn't quick enough.

Could you say that's my fault for not seeing the low-power pop-up from Asus' software Armoury Crate? Absolutely. Does that mean you may need to pick up a quick charger if you want full-wattage plugged-in performance? Also, absolutely.

The box for the X20 also comes with a cardboard stand, which doesn't feel as luxurious as the device itself but is clean, effective, and environmentally conscious. It's a small but decent addition that I've been using consistently since unboxing the device without any problems.

Performance

There was a brief period when the original Asus ROG Xbox Ally X was the highest-performing gaming handheld money could buy. That was until the launch of the much more expensive MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ CG3EM (catchy name, I know) broke onto the scene.

Despite launching a year after the original Xbox Ally X, the X20 sees no difference in power (as it has identical specs), and therefore my performance figures are more or less the same as what Dave got in his review of the standard Xbox Ally X. I got a little less in Metro and a little more in Horizon and Cyberpunk 2077, with lower 1% lows in F1 25.

1080p gaming performance

In a handful of games, with upscaling on and off (35 W plugged in)

Black Myth Wukong (1080p Medium)Black Myth Wukong | Upscaling (1080p Medium)Cyberpunk 2077 (1080p Medium)Cyberpunk 2077 | Upscaling (1080p Medium)F1 24 (1080p Medium)F1 24 | Upscaling (1080p Medium)Horizon Zero Dawn (1080p Original)Horizon Zero Dawn | Upscaling (1080p Original)Metro Exodus Enhanced (1080p High)

Avg FPS

1% Low FPS

Asus ROG Ally X

20

17

Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20

26

19

Lenovo Legion Go S

15

11

MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ CG3EM (Endurance mode)

24

20

MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ CG3EM (v1.0)

33

16

OneXPlayer OneXFly F1 Pro

22

16

010203040

Black Myth Wukong (1080p Medium) Data

Product	Value
Asus ROG Ally X	20 Avg FPS, 17 1% Low FPS
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20	26 Avg FPS, 19 1% Low FPS
Lenovo Legion Go S	15 Avg FPS, 11 1% Low FPS
MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ CG3EM (Endurance mode)	24 Avg FPS, 20 1% Low FPS
MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ CG3EM (v1.0)	33 Avg FPS, 16 1% Low FPS
OneXPlayer OneXFly F1 Pro	22 Avg FPS, 16 1% Low FPS

Avg FPS

1% Low FPS

Asus ROG Ally X

31

18

Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20

40

35

Lenovo Legion Go S

22

18

MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ CG3EM (Endurance mode)

37

29

MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ CG3EM (v1.0)

50

28

OneXPlayer OneXFly F1 Pro

34

27

015304560

Black Myth Wukong | Upscaling (1080p Medium) Data

Product	Value
Asus ROG Ally X	31 Avg FPS, 18 1% Low FPS
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20	40 Avg FPS, 35 1% Low FPS
Lenovo Legion Go S	22 Avg FPS, 18 1% Low FPS
MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ CG3EM (Endurance mode)	37 Avg FPS, 29 1% Low FPS
MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ CG3EM (v1.0)	50 Avg FPS, 28 1% Low FPS
OneXPlayer OneXFly F1 Pro	34 Avg FPS, 27 1% Low FPS

Avg FPS

1% Low FPS

Asus ROG Ally X

32

28

Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20

42

33

Lenovo Legion Go S

22

19

MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ CG3EM (Endurance mode)

35

24

MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ CG3EM (v1.0)

51

33

OneXPlayer OneXFly F1 Pro

36

30

015304560

Cyberpunk 2077 (1080p Medium) Data

Product	Value
Asus ROG Ally X	32 Avg FPS, 28 1% Low FPS
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20	42 Avg FPS, 33 1% Low FPS
Lenovo Legion Go S	22 Avg FPS, 19 1% Low FPS
MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ CG3EM (Endurance mode)	35 Avg FPS, 24 1% Low FPS
MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ CG3EM (v1.0)	51 Avg FPS, 33 1% Low FPS
OneXPlayer OneXFly F1 Pro	36 Avg FPS, 30 1% Low FPS

Avg FPS

1% Low FPS

Asus ROG Ally X

42

26

Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20

58

40

Lenovo Legion Go S

29

25

MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ CG3EM (Endurance mode)

51

32

MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ CG3EM (v1.0)

73

50

OneXPlayer OneXFly F1 Pro

47

39

020406080

Cyberpunk 2077 | Upscaling (1080p Medium) Data

Product	Value
Asus ROG Ally X	42 Avg FPS, 26 1% Low FPS
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20	58 Avg FPS, 40 1% Low FPS
Lenovo Legion Go S	29 Avg FPS, 25 1% Low FPS
MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ CG3EM (Endurance mode)	51 Avg FPS, 32 1% Low FPS
MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ CG3EM (v1.0)	73 Avg FPS, 50 1% Low FPS
OneXPlayer OneXFly F1 Pro	47 Avg FPS, 39 1% Low FPS

Avg FPS

1% Low FPS

Asus ROG Ally X

65

59

Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20

85

61

Lenovo Legion Go S

45

34

MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ CG3EM (Endurance mode)

72

50

MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ CG3EM (v1.0)

107

64

OneXPlayer OneXFly F1 Pro

74

64

037.575112.5150

F1 24 (1080p Medium) Data

Product	Value
Asus ROG Ally X	65 Avg FPS, 59 1% Low FPS
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20	85 Avg FPS, 61 1% Low FPS
Lenovo Legion Go S	45 Avg FPS, 34 1% Low FPS
MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ CG3EM (Endurance mode)	72 Avg FPS, 50 1% Low FPS
MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ CG3EM (v1.0)	107 Avg FPS, 64 1% Low FPS
OneXPlayer OneXFly F1 Pro	74 Avg FPS, 64 1% Low FPS

Avg FPS

1% Low FPS

Asus ROG Ally X

76

69

Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20

96

72

Lenovo Legion Go S

57

21

MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ CG3EM (Endurance mode)

87

59

MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ CG3EM (v1.0)

124

88

OneXPlayer OneXFly F1 Pro

90

72

037.575112.5150

F1 24 | Upscaling (1080p Medium) Data

Product	Value
Asus ROG Ally X	76 Avg FPS, 69 1% Low FPS
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20	96 Avg FPS, 72 1% Low FPS
Lenovo Legion Go S	57 Avg FPS, 21 1% Low FPS
MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ CG3EM (Endurance mode)	87 Avg FPS, 59 1% Low FPS
MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ CG3EM (v1.0)	124 Avg FPS, 88 1% Low FPS
OneXPlayer OneXFly F1 Pro	90 Avg FPS, 72 1% Low FPS

Avg FPS

1% Low FPS

Asus ROG Ally X

44

11

Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20

51

18

Lenovo Legion Go S

36

3

MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ CG3EM (Endurance mode)

42

30

MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ CG3EM (v1.0)

61

32

OneXPlayer OneXFly F1 Pro

46

5

020406080

Horizon Zero Dawn (1080p Original) Data

Product	Value
Asus ROG Ally X	44 Avg FPS, 11 1% Low FPS
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20	51 Avg FPS, 18 1% Low FPS
Lenovo Legion Go S	36 Avg FPS, 3 1% Low FPS
MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ CG3EM (Endurance mode)	42 Avg FPS, 30 1% Low FPS
MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ CG3EM (v1.0)	61 Avg FPS, 32 1% Low FPS
OneXPlayer OneXFly F1 Pro	46 Avg FPS, 5 1% Low FPS

Avg FPS

1% Low FPS

Asus ROG Ally X

60

9

Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20

69

25

Lenovo Legion Go S

51

8

MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ CG3EM (Endurance mode)

47

36

MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ CG3EM (v1.0)

66

51

OneXPlayer OneXFly F1 Pro

66

26

020406080

Horizon Zero Dawn | Upscaling (1080p Original) Data

Product	Value
Asus ROG Ally X	60 Avg FPS, 9 1% Low FPS
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20	69 Avg FPS, 25 1% Low FPS
Lenovo Legion Go S	51 Avg FPS, 8 1% Low FPS
MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ CG3EM (Endurance mode)	47 Avg FPS, 36 1% Low FPS
MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ CG3EM (v1.0)	66 Avg FPS, 51 1% Low FPS
OneXPlayer OneXFly F1 Pro	66 Avg FPS, 26 1% Low FPS

Avg FPS

1% Low FPS

Asus ROG Ally X

21

10

Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20

22

13

Lenovo Legion Go S

14

8

MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ CG3EM (Endurance mode)

20

15

MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ CG3EM (v1.0)

41

15

OneXPlayer OneXFly F1 Pro

24

13

015304560

Metro Exodus Enhanced (1080p High) Data

Product	Value
Asus ROG Ally X	21 Avg FPS, 10 1% Low FPS
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20	22 Avg FPS, 13 1% Low FPS
Lenovo Legion Go S	14 Avg FPS, 8 1% Low FPS
MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ CG3EM (Endurance mode)	20 Avg FPS, 15 1% Low FPS
MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ CG3EM (v1.0)	41 Avg FPS, 15 1% Low FPS
OneXPlayer OneXFly F1 Pro	24 Avg FPS, 13 1% Low FPS

I left the GPU memory budget at 8 GB, flicked the device onto its 35 W Turbo mode, and had a good time in F1 24, Horizon Zero Dawn, and Metro Exodus without any upscaling. Cyberpunk 2077 is borderline, sitting around the 40 fps mark, but I couldn't recommend Black Myth Wukong without a bit of upscaling or frame generation.

These are really respectable scores, and more than enough for handheld gaming right now. The AMD Z2 Extreme chip is still a great performer, and though it's not the top dog, it's certainly one of them. The actual top dog, the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ CG3EM and its Intel Arc G3 Extreme processor, ekes out better performance with anywhere between a 20-40% performance uplift in our game testing, but it's also just under 40% more expensive in the US.

Productivity suite testing

Scores in major productivity suites and benchmarking tools (35 W plugged in)

3DMark Time Spy3DMark Storage7-zipCinebench R24Battery life | PCMark 10FFXIV Shadowbringers

Index score

GPU index score

CPU index score

Asus ROG Ally X

3395

3052

9381

Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20

4086

3771

9568

Lenovo Legion Go S

2244

2072

4246

MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ CG3EM (Endurance mode)

4890

4520

9141

MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ CG3EM (v1.0)

6499

6091

10487

OneXPlayer OneXFly F1 Pro

3690

3335

9333

03,7507,50011,25015,000

3DMark Time Spy Data

Product	Value
Asus ROG Ally X	3395 Index score, 3052 GPU index score, 9381 CPU index score
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20	4086 Index score, 3771 GPU index score, 9568 CPU index score
Lenovo Legion Go S	2244 Index score, 2072 GPU index score, 4246 CPU index score
MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ CG3EM (Endurance mode)	4890 Index score, 4520 GPU index score, 9141 CPU index score
MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ CG3EM (v1.0)	6499 Index score, 6091 GPU index score, 10487 CPU index score
OneXPlayer OneXFly F1 Pro	3690 Index score, 3335 GPU index score, 9333 CPU index score

Index score

Avg bandwidth (MB/s)

Access time (ųs)

Asus ROG Ally X

1951

334.01

92

Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20

1233

210.38

145

Lenovo Legion Go S

1582

272.24

114

MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ CG3EM (v1.0)

2152

366.66

83

OneXPlayer OneXFly F1 Pro

1575

267.56

113

07501,5002,2503,000

3DMark Storage Data

Product	Value
Asus ROG Ally X	1951 Index score, 334.01 Avg bandwidth (MB/s), 92 Access time (ųs)
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20	1233 Index score, 210.38 Avg bandwidth (MB/s), 145 Access time (ųs)
Lenovo Legion Go S	1582 Index score, 272.24 Avg bandwidth (MB/s), 114 Access time (ųs)
MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ CG3EM (Endurance mode)	N/A
MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ CG3EM (v1.0)	2152 Index score, 366.66 Avg bandwidth (MB/s), 83 Access time (ųs)
OneXPlayer OneXFly F1 Pro	1575 Index score, 267.56 Avg bandwidth (MB/s), 113 Access time (ųs)

Compression (GIPS)

Decompression (GIPS)

Asus ROG Ally X

82.18

105.49

Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20

81.77

85.5

Lenovo Legion Go S

30.41

43.86

MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ CG3EM (v1.0)

92.318

78.753

OneXPlayer OneXFly F1 Pro

101.82

106.8

037.575112.5150

7-zip Data

Product	Value
Asus ROG Ally X	82.18 Compression (GIPS), 105.49 Decompression (GIPS)
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20	81.77 Compression (GIPS), 85.5 Decompression (GIPS)
Lenovo Legion Go S	30.41 Compression (GIPS), 43.86 Decompression (GIPS)
MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ CG3EM (Endurance mode)	N/A
MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ CG3EM (v1.0)	92.318 Compression (GIPS), 78.753 Decompression (GIPS)
OneXPlayer OneXFly F1 Pro	101.82 Compression (GIPS), 106.8 Decompression (GIPS)

Single-core index score

Multi-core index score

Asus ROG Ally X

101

792

Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20

110

800

Lenovo Legion Go S

67

332

MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ CG3EM (Endurance mode)

62

489

MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ CG3EM (v1.0)

111

794

OneXPlayer OneXFly F1 Pro

111

913

02505007501,000

Cinebench R24 Data

Product	Value
Asus ROG Ally X	101 Single-core index score, 792 Multi-core index score
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20	110 Single-core index score, 800 Multi-core index score
Lenovo Legion Go S	67 Single-core index score, 332 Multi-core index score
MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ CG3EM (Endurance mode)	62 Single-core index score, 489 Multi-core index score
MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ CG3EM (v1.0)	111 Single-core index score, 794 Multi-core index score
OneXPlayer OneXFly F1 Pro	111 Single-core index score, 913 Multi-core index score

Asus ROG Ally X

128

Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20

149

Lenovo Legion Go S

126

MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ CG3EM (Endurance mode)

308

MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ CG3EM (v1.0)

153

OneXPlayer OneXFly F1 Pro

82

0100200300400

Battery life (minutes)

Battery life | PCMark 10 Data

Product	Value
Asus ROG Ally X	128
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20	149
Lenovo Legion Go S	126
MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ CG3EM (Endurance mode)	308
MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ CG3EM (v1.0)	153
OneXPlayer OneXFly F1 Pro	82

Asus ROG Ally X

16.23

Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20

21.4

Lenovo Legion Go S

20.56

MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ CG3EM (v1.0)

10.952

OneXPlayer OneXFly F1 Pro

16.76

07.51522.530

Total load time (seconds)

FFXIV Shadowbringers Data

Product	Value
Asus ROG Ally X	16.23
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20	21.4
Lenovo Legion Go S	20.56
MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ CG3EM (Endurance mode)	N/A
MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ CG3EM (v1.0)	10.952
OneXPlayer OneXFly F1 Pro	16.76

One thing I am impressed with is the same thing our Dave was impressed with: the ROG Ally X20 works an absolute treat pulled down to between 15 W and 20 W. It's a great way of preserving battery, keeping thermals frosty (though the X20 already rocks in that regard) and bringing down fan noise. When I'm looking to play Balatro, I bring that wattage way down and forget about it until the X20 dies half a day later. I swear I only planned on having one game.

Ergonomics

The X20 is very likely the most comfortable handheld I've ever, well, hand…held. It has a slight cutout between the screen and the grips, which I often found myself sliding my index finger and pinky fingers under, and the new rubberised grips not only feel great but offer good enough traction that I'm never afraid of it slipping out of my hands.

It's so clear from the X20 that Microsoft know how to make controllers, as the buttons are fittingly clacky, the thumbsticks feel great, and the bumpers and triggers are easy to press down, with a comforting click to know I was successful. Well, as successful as I can be when I'm missing headshots.

I do really miss a trackpad, though. Windows 11 mode is fine enough, but feels like a slight downgrade without an intuitive way to control the mouse. My fat fingers struggle to click on the right thing sometimes, especially if it's a fairly small box, though the larger screen helps. You can control the mouse with the left analogue stick via Armoury Crate, but it doesn't beat the smoothness of a trackpad.

Still, trackpads are fairly rare among gaming handhelds, with it being done by the Legion GO, Steam Deck, and some GPD and Ayaneo devices. And if the ROG Ally X20 got a trackpad, it would struggle to fit all its buttons on without some compromises to feel.

At 756 grams, the X20 is certainly not a light device, but it is well balanced, and I've played it for hours at a time without fatigue. That's a feat, in my book.

Sound

The Asus ROG Xbox Ally X is a very quiet device. Not from the speakers, I should add; they can be cranked up quite high. Even at 35 W, the X20 fans never get loud enough to be annoying, but they are wonderfully tuned between 15-20 W. On just 16 volume, Cyberpunk's audio drowns out the fans on 25 W mode.

I wouldn't quite call them silent, but I found a PC across the other side of the room while idle produced a louder hum than the X20 playing Elden Ring. That's impressive, and it meant I never felt self-conscious bringing it out and about with me.

The X20 has two sets of speakers on the front, on the left and right-hand side of the screen, and they are decently tuned and I've never wished they could get louder. The device also has a jack at the top to plug in your headphones, and Bluetooth compatibility if you can stomach the latency most Bluetooth speakers will give you.

Thermals

Asus says the X20 is equipped with an "evolved ROG intelligent cooling system that drives air directly to the processor via a new internal channel and high-flow fans". In practice, that does indeed see it with cool thermals. I pushed the device to its limits at its 35 W Turbo mode, benchmarking all sorts of games for hours, and never saw it go above a CPU temperature of 79 °C. That is 17 entire °C below our tests for the standard Xbox Ally X.

I did also notice that the Max CPU package power was lower at 48 W, compared to the 55 W we saw last year. This suggests some software tweaks have led to more fine-tuned power management too.

Gaming test thermals

Recorded in HW Info whilst performing gaming benchmarks (35 W plugged in)

Thermal performance

Max CPU temp (°C)

Max CPU package power (W)

Asus ROG Ally X

90

30

Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20

79

48

Lenovo Legion Go S

99.2

38

MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ CG3EM (Endurance mode)

75

20

MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ CG3EM (v1.0)

97

37

OneXPlayer OneXFly F1 Pro

92

30

0255075100

Thermal performance Data

Product	Value
Asus ROG Ally X	90 Max CPU temp (°C), 30 Max CPU package power (W)
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20	79 Max CPU temp (°C), 48 Max CPU package power (W)
Lenovo Legion Go S	99.2 Max CPU temp (°C), 38 Max CPU package power (W)
MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ CG3EM (Endurance mode)	75 Max CPU temp (°C), 20 Max CPU package power (W)
MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ CG3EM (v1.0)	97 Max CPU temp (°C), 37 Max CPU package power (W)
OneXPlayer OneXFly F1 Pro	92 Max CPU temp (°C), 30 Max CPU package power (W)

I could, of course, get the device hotter by setting a custom wattage mode where peaks are higher, but that's not how I would use this device. Long term, I would probably set a custom mode at around 20 W, with peaks up to 30 W (and I'd set the RAM allocation for the GPU up to 10 GB for playing more intensive games).

Even at its hottest, I almost never felt any of that heat in my palms as I was playing, and it's low enough I'd never worry about the device throttling either. That extra temperature headroom does mean setting manual clocks higher would worry me less too, which is pretty sweet. At 25 W playing intensive games like Cyberpunk 2077 (and too much Tales of Seikyu), I could barely get the CPU temp to crack 68 °C. Impressive.

Software

The Xbox mode works very well on the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20. When you first boot it up, it moves into a stripped-back bit of software that simply allows you to open any of your games from within the Xbox UI. Not only does this give streamlined access to games and mean not having to deal with Windows 11, with its habit of booting up all your software when you turn it on, but it also means being able to skip the performance hit associated with it.

However, it's not an Xbox. You're still playing PC games on a PC device. If you boot up a Steam game from the Xbox app and haven't also booted up Steam, it will load that app first, then let you into your game. This is fine, but it's not flawless, and it's not like an Xbox. It's perhaps closer to booting into Steam Big Picture Mode. The Xbox library now pools together Steam, Epic etc, so you technically only need to boot up Windows when doing Windows-specific things.

It comes bundled with quite a bit of software, but for the ease of use of a gaming handheld, this makes a lot of sense. Armoury Crate SE allows you to tweak the device on the fly and get software updates; then it has the Xbox app (naturally enough). Being Windows, you do have the usual bloatware like Copilot (which I promptly removed), and you likely won't need to bother with Clipchamp either.

Battery Life

The X20 has the exact same size battery as the X. An 80 Wh battery is very solid in a gaming handheld, offering a decent sweet spot for capacity versus size and weight.

In PC Mark 10's gaming battery life test, I saw almost three hours at 17 W, with Windows in Balanced battery mode and 2 hours and 9 minutes on the beefy 25 W mode. It's important to note that this will effectively be how much gaming you will get done on a highly intensive game, so you can expect more than that if you're not pulling out Black Myth Wukong every time you bust out the Ally X20.

Gaming battery life

Recorded using PCMark 10's gaming battery life test (35 W plugged in)

Battery life | PCMark 10

Asus ROG Ally X

128

Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20

149

Lenovo Legion Go S

126

MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ CG3EM (Endurance mode)

308

MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ CG3EM (v1.0)

153

OneXPlayer OneXFly F1 Pro

82

0100200300400

Battery life (minutes)

Battery life | PCMark 10 Data

Product	Value
Asus ROG Ally X	128
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20	149
Lenovo Legion Go S	126
MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ CG3EM (Endurance mode)	308
MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ CG3EM (v1.0)	153
OneXPlayer OneXFly F1 Pro	82

When I actually used the device day to day, I found a battery life I would be happy with. I remember taking it to a cafe at lunchtime and playing Graveyard Keeper till close (so just under five hours), and I still found the device with 40% charge. In indie games, the Ally X20 can get up to nine hours, which is solid given its performance.

Aesthetics

One of the biggest changes you will spot between the standard Asus Xbox ROG Ally X and Asus Xbox ROG Ally X20 (try and say that two times fast) is its aesthetic. Asus has given the new device a black and yellow look, with the RGB in the thumbsticks defaulting to yellow, the highlight being golden, and it being ever so slightly transparent. Held up in the light, you can make out some of the handheld's internals.

Other than that, and an LED in the Xbox button, it looks pretty much the same as the Ally X with its pretty Xbox-etched front, and surprisingly tasteful branding. Flip it over, and you see a gold commemorative ROG 20th anniversary plate on the back. This is the same plate you can spot in the Azoth Extreme Edition 20 and the Asus ROG Harpe II Extreme Edition 20.

The new OLED screen goes up to a peak brightness of 1,400 nits, which is bright enough to even bring this bad boy outdoors, and with the Lenovo Legion Go 2's 8.8-inch OLED panel going up to 1,000 nits and the OneXPlayer 3's 8.8-inch AMOLED display going up to 1,100 nits (though these two go up to 144 Hz), I'd pick the Asus model out of the three. It's so bright, in fact, that I cranked the brightness just before playing Cyberpunk 2077 one night in bed and winced when I saw the sun. I wish I was joking.

It's a VRR display going from 30 to 120 Hz, which means the X20 is equipped to handle high and low frame rates with little stuttering. In practice, I found it to be super smooth, and naturally, gorgeous.

Value

So, the X20 version of this device is $300 more than the standard X one, and in return, you get an OLED screen, better thermals, a new look, and TMR thumbsticks. It is a luxurious device in a lot of ways, and has some smart design decisions, making for tame but welcome upgrades. These make the device better overall but worse for the money for the average person.

The chip, paired with 24 GB of LPDDR5X memory, makes it a formidable device capable of handling most games you can throw at it, but the pricing does make it stand out awkwardly in the market. For $300 less, you can get the same basic performance without those extras, and for $400 more, you can get the cream of the current crop. For us Brits, the Claw 8 EX AI+ CG3EM is a better pick for just £100 more.

As much as it pains me to say it, it's getting harder to find handheld gaming devices below $1,000. Even the 'cheapest' Steam Deck (512 GB with OLED screen) fetches $789 new, and its 2023 Zen 2/RDNA 2 chip wasn't exactly a powerhouse when it launched.

Last year, when I first saw the Xbox Ally X and its $1,000 price tag, I was surprised in a bad way, and yet the memory crisis has worsened to such a state that it now seems fairly reasonable. I don't see the same happening for the X20, but I can say that I've softened on it significantly since getting time with it every single day. Whether or not those extra upgrades are worth $300 will be largely dependent on your wallet and your eyes, but I can say I can see where that extra cost has been sunk straight back into the device. And for that, I'm impressed.

So, you've seen the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20 in all its black and gold glory and wondered if it's worth paying $300 more for it. Well, the answer is 'it really depends on what kind of device you are looking for' and 'how much is a fresh OLED screen worth to you?'

Unlike the other ROG 20th anniversary edition bits of Asus gear, the X20 is not about superfluous add-ons (unless you pick up the bundle with XR glasses). You aren't getting a commemorative faceplate here, or extra stickers. You get an OLED screen, TMR thumbsticks, improved thermals, and MicroSD Express compatibility.

You also get Impulse triggers, which means they can rumble independently, and the D-Pad can be flicked around to make the corners more or less pronounced.

The screen is perhaps the biggest sell here, with its 1400 HDR-certified display going up to a peak brightness of 1,400 nits. As I found in my review, it's so sizzlingly bright at points that I looked at the sun in Cyberpunk 2077 while lying in bed one night and actually winced. Check out the full differences below.

Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20 vs Asus ROG Xbox Ally X: Performance

Performance test

In a handful of games and productivity apps (35 W plugged in)

3DMark Time Spy3DMark StorageFFXIV ShadowbringersBlack Myth Wukong (1080p Medium)Black Myth Wukong | Upscaling (1080p Medium)Cyberpunk 2077 (1080p Medium)Cyberpunk 2077 | Upscaling (1080p Medium)F1 24 (1080p Medium)F1 24 | Upscaling (1080p Medium)Horizon Zero Dawn (1080p Original)Horizon Zero Dawn | Upscaling (1080p Original)Metro Exodus Enhanced (1080p High)7-zipCinebench R24

Index score

GPU index score

CPU index score

Asus ROG Xbox Ally X

4033

3663

9462

Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20

4086

3771

9568

02,5005,0007,50010,000

3DMark Time Spy Data

Product	Value
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X	4033 Index score, 3663 GPU index score, 9462 CPU index score
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20	4086 Index score, 3771 GPU index score, 9568 CPU index score

Index score

Avg bandwidth (MB/s)

Access time (ųs)

Asus ROG Xbox Ally X

1163

199.98

155

Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20

1233

210.38

145

03757501,1251,500

3DMark Storage Data

Product	Value
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X	1163 Index score, 199.98 Avg bandwidth (MB/s), 155 Access time (ųs)
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20	1233 Index score, 210.38 Avg bandwidth (MB/s), 145 Access time (ųs)

Asus ROG Xbox Ally X

18.91

Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20

21.4

07.51522.530

Total load time (seconds)

FFXIV Shadowbringers Data

Product	Value
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X	18.91
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20	21.4

Avg FPS

1% Low FPS

Asus ROG Xbox Ally X

26

19

Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20

26

19

07.51522.530

Black Myth Wukong (1080p Medium) Data

Product	Value
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X	26 Avg FPS, 19 1% Low FPS
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20	26 Avg FPS, 19 1% Low FPS

Avg FPS

1% Low FPS

Asus ROG Xbox Ally X

39

30

Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20

40

35

010203040

Black Myth Wukong | Upscaling (1080p Medium) Data

Product	Value
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X	39 Avg FPS, 30 1% Low FPS
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20	40 Avg FPS, 35 1% Low FPS

Avg FPS

1% Low FPS

Asus ROG Xbox Ally X

41

34

Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20

42

33

015304560

Cyberpunk 2077 (1080p Medium) Data

Product	Value
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X	41 Avg FPS, 34 1% Low FPS
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20	42 Avg FPS, 33 1% Low FPS

Avg FPS

1% Low FPS

Asus ROG Xbox Ally X

53

44

Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20

58

40

015304560

Cyberpunk 2077 | Upscaling (1080p Medium) Data

Product	Value
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X	53 Avg FPS, 44 1% Low FPS
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20	58 Avg FPS, 40 1% Low FPS

Avg FPS

1% Low FPS

Asus ROG Xbox Ally X

84

76

Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20

85

61

0255075100

F1 24 (1080p Medium) Data

Product	Value
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X	84 Avg FPS, 76 1% Low FPS
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20	85 Avg FPS, 61 1% Low FPS

Avg FPS

1% Low FPS

Asus ROG Xbox Ally X

97

88

Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20

96

72

0255075100

F1 24 | Upscaling (1080p Medium) Data

Product	Value
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X	97 Avg FPS, 88 1% Low FPS
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20	96 Avg FPS, 72 1% Low FPS

Avg FPS

1% Low FPS

Asus ROG Xbox Ally X

48

15

Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20

51

18

015304560

Horizon Zero Dawn (1080p Original) Data

Product	Value
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X	48 Avg FPS, 15 1% Low FPS
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20	51 Avg FPS, 18 1% Low FPS

Avg FPS

1% Low FPS

Asus ROG Xbox Ally X

70

18

Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20

69

25

020406080

Horizon Zero Dawn | Upscaling (1080p Original) Data

Product	Value
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X	70 Avg FPS, 18 1% Low FPS
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20	69 Avg FPS, 25 1% Low FPS

Avg FPS

1% Low FPS

Asus ROG Xbox Ally X

27

15

Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20

22

13

07.51522.530

Metro Exodus Enhanced (1080p High) Data

Product	Value
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X	27 Avg FPS, 15 1% Low FPS
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20	22 Avg FPS, 13 1% Low FPS

Compression (GIPS)

Decompression (GIPS)

Asus ROG Xbox Ally X

81.14

86.54

Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20

81.77

85.5

0255075100

7-zip Data

Product	Value
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X	81.14 Compression (GIPS), 86.54 Decompression (GIPS)
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20	81.77 Compression (GIPS), 85.5 Decompression (GIPS)

Single-core index score

Multi-core index score

Asus ROG Xbox Ally X

111

762

Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20

110

800

0200400600800

Cinebench R24 Data

Product	Value
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X	111 Single-core index score, 762 Multi-core index score
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20	110 Single-core index score, 800 Multi-core index score

With both devices featuring the same chip and memory, you can expect more or less the same performance. In my testing, I got lower Metro performance and worse 1% lows in F1 25, but better performance in Horizon Zero Dawn, Cyberpunk 2077 and 3DMark, so the framerate differences overall just about balance out. I also noticed the X20 never went above 49 watts, which means I would feel more comfortable cranking up the wattage. It helps that its thermals are much improved.

Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20 vs Asus ROG Xbox Ally X: Thermals

Gaming test thermals

Recorded in HW Info whilst performing gaming benchmarks (35 W plugged in)

Thermal performance

Max CPU temp (°C)

Max CPU package power (W)

Asus ROG Xbox Ally X

96

55

Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20

79

48

0255075100

Thermal performance Data

Product	Value
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X	96 Max CPU temp (°C), 55 Max CPU package power (W)
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20	79 Max CPU temp (°C), 48 Max CPU package power (W)

The X20 comes with a refined new thermal cooling system, and it's more than just a marketing term. I recorded temps up to 17 °C cooler compared to the previous model, and even in long gaming sessions, I couldn't manage to push the system's temp above 80°C with its included wattage modes (between 17 W and 35 W). Importantly, I never felt that heat on my fingers as I played, making it a relatively frosty gaming device.

Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20 vs Asus ROG Xbox Ally X: Battery life

Gaming battery life

Recorded using PCMark 10's gaming battery life test (25 W)

Battery life | PCMark 10

Asus ROG Xbox Ally X

125

Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20

149

037.575112.5150

Battery life (minutes)

Battery life | PCMark 10 Data

Product	Value
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X	125
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20	149

In stress testing gaming benchmarks, the X20 managed 2 hours and 9 minutes in the 25 W gaming mode, and almost 3 hours in the 17 W mode. Importantly, it can get up to 9 hours of indie gaming on the go, in my experience. The standard X model has the exact same size battery, so you can expect a similar battery life, though our testing saw it perform a little under the X20.

Though you're getting similar performance figures, the day-to-day use of the Ally X20 is superior from my experience. The screen is gorgeous and super bright, all the buttons feel superb under the fingers, it's super quiet (unless you want it to be loud), and it looks phenomenal.

As well as all of this, those frosty temps mean you can shove up the wattage if you want, or just have a ton of headroom to avoid throttling in the future. I would really struggle to want to spend over $1,000 on any gaming handheld right now, but if I were flush with cash, I would be majorly tempted to pop the X20 in my basket.

Have you ever clicked on a Steam Deck Verified game, attempted to boot it up, and realised it probably shouldn't have been verified? Well, Steam's new system should help developers give a more accurate understanding of how their games run on the Steam Deck.

As of October 1 (via TechPowerUp), Valve has given developers access to frame rate data as reported by Steam Deck users. A developer can see the frame rate that users are playing at as a percentage of sessions, meaning they can see if it runs well (at the Steam Deck's usual 60/90 fps cap) or not (users are generally lowering the fps limit).

That does mean it's only data willingly shared, and there are some caveats. The LCD Steam Deck has a max refresh rate of 60, while the OLED model goes up to 90. As games are often capped for fps to save resources, that will shape the stats somewhat. In addition, it can't guarantee how Steam Deck owners use their devices.

That being said, giving access to a high enough volume of data means that the fps averages should balance out in a bell curve, assuming enough players opt in. Valve claims "a majority of Steam Deck players have opted in".

The major benefit of this update is that developers can see how their games run on a mass of Steam Decks, and therefore adjust graphical options. This could be particularly valuable in games like Cyberpunk 2077 that have a dedicated Steam Deck mode. If developers notice those on handhelds aren't getting 60 fps or can't hit a smooth 30 average fps, they might tweak the settings a tad.

Valve has even explained that Steam Deck data is just a "starting point for iteration as we learn what sorts of data and presentation are useful."

That means, if successful, other devices could get the same data grouping. If enough Legion Go S users submit their data, or sales of the Steam Machine are high enough, it could get valuable data to developers.

This is, however, assuming that developers will tweak games for these devices. It only works for verified games, so it can't be used as part of the verification process as of right now.

Still, if mass reports of poor performance on Steam Deck start coming in for verified games, this means devs can really dig into the numbers to see what the average player is experiencing. Devs can then see in real time where updates positively or negatively impact performance. More data is always a good thing in my book.

A good handheld gaming PC feels like a game changer. Just last night, I was tucked up in bed playing Elden Ring on one, and realised just how far gaming has come in the last few decades.

But with the memory crisis bringing up the price of the Steam Deck (the cheapest model is currently $789), the budget end of the market has more or less dropped out. Thus, I suggest picking up a Lenovo Legion Go S and its Ryzen Z2 Go chip instead of a Steam Deck if you plan on buying one any time soon. Down to $731 at Amazon, it's a solid choice.

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This gaming handheld, with this specific configuration, started with a retail price of $650, which honestly makes this quite a good deal given the state of the memory crisis. We reviewed this model last year (though with bigger storage and memory) and found it to be comfortable in the hand and to have a strong battery life. For gaming handhelds, that battery life is very important.

At the time, we said it was too expensive (oh, those were the days) and had poorer performance than current-gen handhelds, but the ROG Ally X and OneXPlayer we compared it to at the time will fetch you a lot more. So, for what's on the market, this is genuinely quite a good deal, and a real Steam Deck beater for less.

In fairness, the cheapest Steam Deck does come with an OLED screen, but I'd be picking the Go S, and it's somewhat inferior IPS panel when you consider the greater performance and lower cost.

With a hand from upscaling tools, you can get decent performance on Medium quality in F1, and Horizon Zero Dawn. Even with upscaling, though, Black Myth Wukong and Cyberpunk on Medium are tough to run on the Legion Go S.

Naturally, you have to make some performance compromises when trying to run games on a handheld, and the Legion Go S is still a capable machine that is made comparably better by its competitors and their ever-inflating prices.

One thing worth noting here is that this is the Windows model, and therefore there's some performance overhead in running the OS. You can swap over to SteamOS to get a little bit of a performance bump, though Windows handhelds do offer their own unique benefits. For instance, Linux OSes don't play nicely with many anti-cheats, making the Go S a solid Fortnite machine.

Another thing worth noting is that the 512 GB of storage is pretty minuscule. You will struggle to cram in a whole bunch of games here without having to make extra space.

If you're looking for more space, and a different chip, the 1 TB SSD, 32 GB of RAM Legion Go S with its Ryzen Z1 Extreme chip is available for $1,000 at Best Buy and comes with SteamOS built-in. If you gotta buy a handheld in the next couple of years, these two are both well worth considering.

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One of the most painful aspects of the memory crisis has been the fall of our previous best budget gaming handheld, the Steam Deck. With the LCD model now gone from Valve's store pages, what we're left with is OLED models starting at $789 for the 512 GB version.

And yes, the Steam Deck OLED is a lovely thing. But the AMD APU inside is showing its age now, and it'd be nice if that was reflected in the price. Hunting through the listings, though, I've found this MSI Claw A1M at Best Buy for $563—and at this price, I'd pick it over Valve's machine without a second thought.

This model's got the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H tucked inside, a Meteor Lake-era processor with eight Xe cores handling the graphics duties. That's the same number you get in the Core Ultra 7 165H, and while it's not the most impressive of graphics-munching chips, it should still do fine with your handheld gaming staples.

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Sure, you don't get a fancy OLED screen. The seven-inch, 120 Hz, 1080p panel in the Claw looks pretty good though, so I wouldn't feel too shortchanged there. You also get 16 GB of LPDDR5x, and lord have mercy, a proper 1 TB SSD for plenty of game installs. It's also a Windows 11 native machine, but you could always cram SteamOS on it with a bit of fiddling.

Now, let me make things clear—The OG MSI Claw gets overtaken considerably in the performance stakes by the newer models, the Claw 8 AI+ A2VM and the Claw 8 EX AI+ CG3EM. And many other handhelds, too. But when the later MSI models are still $1,000+, and the handheld gaming PC market is still wracked by memory-induced price increases, this machine makes a whole lot of sense for this kind of money.

Sure, it's not exactly a graphics powerhouse. But neither is the Steam Deck, and it does very well as long as you keep your expectations reasonable. And while the ROG Xbox Ally (non-X) is also very tempting at $599, I think I'd want more than 512 GB of storage. For this sort of cash, I'd be saving some pennies and picking up the Claw instead—and I think you should give it some serious consideration, too.

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The original Steam Deck went on sale about four and a half years ago. And there hasn't been any clear indication that a true second-gen handheld from Valve is imminent. Until now, that is.

YouTube channel Moore's Law is Dead has a new video explaining how a rumoured AMD APU known as Gainsborough is likely to be the chip that powers the next-gen Steam Deck 2 handheld.

The MLID channel is admittedly not everyone's cup of tea, but has had some notable hits over the years when it comes to leaks and rumours. With that caveat covered off, what do we know about Gainsborough?

First, the codename does actually make sense. The OG Deck's APU was known as Aerith, as in the character from Final Fantasy 7. And Aerith's second same is, of course, Gainsborough.

In terms of the technicalities, there isn't a huge amount of information. However, one critical tidbit is that it will be built on TSMC's N3P node. That's TSMC's fanciest, most advanced and most efficient version of its N3 family of chip production nodes. That matters because it should make for a more efficient chip for a handheld where battery life is critical.

The immediate question is whether this makes sense given what Valve has said about a next-gen Deck. Late last year, Valve explained how it wanted the Deck 2 to be a really major leap forward over the first-gen handheld, not just an incremental step.

"We're not interested in getting to a point where it's 20 or 30 or even 50% more performance at the same battery life. We want something a little bit more demarcated than that," Steam Deck designer Pierre-Loup Griffais said at the time.

With that in mind, you might wonder whether any TSMC N3 node is advanced enough. After all, Apple has just released its new A20 Pro and M6 chips on TSMC's latest N2 silicon. Could N3 actually be too old hat for the Deck 2?

It's worth bearing in the mind that the OG Aerith chip for the Steam Deck was built on TSMC 7 nm silicon. That's two full node generations behind TSMC N3.

As for the rest of the specs, MLID reckons Gainsborough will jump on the AMD Zen 6 and RDNA 5 bandwagons. Those are AMD's next-gen CPU and GPU architectures, respectively, and also the technologies expected to be used for both Microsoft and Sony's next-gen consoles. Oh, and AMD's next-gen PC hardware, of course, including a new generation of graphics cards that could begin to appear next year.

One reference point here is the AMD "Canis" APU, which is the rumoured chip for the upcoming Sony PS6 handheld. That is said to pack four Zen 6c CPU cores, two Zen 6 low power cores cores, 16 RDNA 5 GPU CUs, plus a 192-bit memory bus. The Deck 2 could well sport a similar specification.

Aerith in the OG Deck (and indeed the slightly revised Sephiroth APU in the Steam Deck OLED) has eight RDNA 2-spec CUs. When you consider that RDNA 5 should deliver CUs that are significantly more performant than those in RDNA 2, then factor in a doubling of the CU count, plus no doubt higher clock speeds, well, you arrive at a mobile GPU that seems likely to deliver on Valve's demands for that true step change in performance.

As for when any of this might translate into a Steam Deck 2 you can actually buy, MLID says the Gainsborough chip itself should be ready late next year or early 2028. We suspect Valve probably isn't in a major hurry, what with the ongoing AI-fuelled RAMpocalyse and the carnage that has already inflicted on its other recent hardware launches, most notably the Steam machine.

In many ways, then, the later Valve launches the Deck 2 the better, at least in terms of giving the computer chip and memory markets a chance to recover from all the AI madness. But maybe late 2028 now looks like a reasonable expectation. Here's hoping it happens and if it does that memory prices have normalised by then.

Here's one for you: Let's say you're a scientist tasked with designing an intuitive physical interface for a human operator to remotely control a robot destined to rove Mars. What do you do? Well, it turns out there's no need to reinvent the wheel.

Airbus recently showed off its ExoMars rover to documentarian Tom Scott, even letting him have a go at steering it. The remote control device the aerospace company uses turns out to be a modified Steam Deck. Whether it's the LCD or OLED model, I can't say but it looks like the standard version to me.

During the short documentary, the rover is driven forward via the handheld gaming PC. A 'bumper' press then turns the wheels around 90-degrees, avoiding the need for an awkward turning circle or the possibility of getting stuck on a space rock.

The team at the aerospace company's Stevenage campus in the UK are developing autonomous navigation for the ExoMars rover, using what appears to be custom software running from a Steam Deck to navigate the terrain of their test bed. When the rover finally touches down on the Red Planet, it won't need to be steered via Valve's handheld.

The company is aiming to send a rover called the Rosalind Franklin to Mars in 2030, with the whole project described as "the culmination of more than 20 years’ work," by Airbus Defence and Space UK managing director Kata Escott (via Tom's Hardware). In addition to autonomous navigation, the company is also developing the rover landing platform's mechanical, thermal and propulsion systems.

There'll be no gamer den on that Mars landing platform, but it's still neat that Valve's handheld was a stepping stone on the journey there. And they say videogames can't teach you anything…

With the release of the new Steam Controller, the Steam Machine, and now the Steam Frame VR headset, this year has been chock-full of Valve hardware releases. So, what could possibly be next—the Steam Deck 2? To some extent, sure; Valve has been "hard at work" on its next handheld gaming PC pretty much since the original Steam Deck launched back in 2022. What's surprising, though, is that Valve claims the RAMpocalypse hasn't hugely affected its plans.

Despite the clear impact on the pricing of both the Steam Machine and the Steam Frame, Valve engineer Pierre-Loup Griffais told IGN that the memory supply crisis has "not really" affected the company's plans for the Steam Deck successor. He added, "We've talked before about how we want to make sure there's a very delineated performance improvement for something like a future Steam Deck, and I think we're still looking at it in the same way."

"It's just a matter of looking at the current conditions and seeing how and when we can deliver something like that," Griffais says, "But from what we're working on, as far as the user experience goes and what the product that we're trying to build goes, it's very similar goals."

Valve has been saying as far back as 2023 that it was waiting for "a generational leap in performance" to justify a follow-up, so that part of the strategy has remained consistent. That the company isn't rushing to push out an overpriced Steam Deck successor is arguably no bad thing either, especially given that the price for the 1 TB version of the original Steam Deck has now ballooned to $949.

It's good to hear that the Deck 2 is still being worked on despite the ongoing memory shortage. The Steam Frame and Steam Machine were already announced and shown off essentially as finished products late last year, so those would be hard (but not impossible) to back out of. Although Valve has said it's working on a Steam Deck 2, it doesn't seem to be quite so close to release, and concerns that the company could bin the project are a bit more pertinent than with the other products.

Valve obviously won't attempt to squeeze the launch of the Steam Deck 2 into an already packed year, but the memory supply crisis has likely pushed the handheld's release further out too.

But just how far out could a Steam Deck 2 release be? Well, Valve itself does not see an imminent end to the supply crisis, though some major memory players predict things could improve around late 2027 or early 2028 thanks to a surge in Chinese capacity. Other predictions suggest we should only be so lucky, with both SK hynix's CEO and Phison's CEO saying demand could continue to outstrip supply until 2030.

In light of those circumstances, 'not really' feels a bit like an exercise in measured understatement to me. At any rate, here's hoping we're not waiting until 2030 for a Steam Deck successor.

While I've bemoaned the expensive state of handheld gaming PCs at length, that doesn't mean I find a cool concept model any less head-turning. Enter Acer's latest Project DualPlay creation: a handheld gaming PC with a flippable screen that can turn into a laptop.

The Project DualPlay Mini was shown off on-stage at IFA 2026, in Berlin. It's all about reimagining "what a gaming handheld form factor can do," exploring a design that functions "both as a gaming handheld and as a mobile productivity station," according to Acer. As a concept machine, however, the Project DualPlay Mini might not see the light of day beyond the IFA stage. What will see a wide release later this year, though, is the Acer Predator Atlas 7.

Very simply, this is a cut-down version of Acer's chunkier Predator Atlas 8 handheld. For starters, the seven-inch touchscreen still enjoys a 120 Hz refresh rate and 500 nits of peak brightness. The device also has an 80Whr battery, and the guts of this new seven-inch form factor still includes Intel Arc B390 graphics, and an Intel Arc G3 Extreme processor. In other words, it's got all of the power, but less of the heft.

It will be available in winter 2026, though the price hasn't yet been announced. For context though, the Predator Atlas 8 ranges in price between $1,300 to $2,000, and I'm not expecting the Atlas 7 to be priced much differently. With the smaller handheld featuring up to 24 GB LPDDR5x, whatever price is eventually announced will likely be another victim of the raging memory supply crisis.

Even if it could well burn your budget upon release, the Predator Atlas 7's cooling system aims not to burn your fingies too. Like its big sibling, the Atlas 7 enjoys a Predator AeroBlade cooling system, comprising of one plastic fan and one, thinner finned, metal fan (the same system can be found in the Project DualPlay Mini concept machine too). Acer says the metal Predator AeroBlade fan features, "89 blades at just 0.1 mm of thickness" and claims this design delivers an "up to a 10% increase in airflow."

To summarise, the Acer Predator Atlas 7 is 'same, but different.' With handheld pricing being what it is, my excitement is decidedly tempered. The Project DualPlay Mini is definitely cooler, and arguably the brightest idea we've seen from Acer's concept line in a minute (anyone remember this laptop with the pop-out, Joycon-like gamepad?). But the flippable screen would leave me wondering about the longevity of the device overall, so perhaps it's just as well it's not destined for a store shelf near you.

Valve's handheld launched in February 2022, opening the door to playing your Steam library on the go. Now, almost half a decade later, 30,000 games either enjoy the green stamp of being Steam Deck verified, or are at least considered 'playable.'

According to the latest numbers from SteamDB that breaks down to 8,964 Steam Deck Verified games and 21,083 games considered 'playable' on the handheld (via Gaming On Linux). That's a big jump from the 3,000 games either Verified or Playable back in May 2022.

'Verified' means your game of choice should work great on the Steam Deck from first boot, whereas 'Playable' games require either some finagling or adjustments for the best experience. Steam Deck verification is also joined by similar compatibility checks for the Steam Machine, the soon-to-be-released Steam Frame, and SteamOS more broadly. I make the whole thing sound straightforward, but it's worth noting that the Steam Deck's full verification criteria can present developers with confusing hoops to jump through.

One more thing to note: a game with neither badge doesn't necessarily mean it won't run on the Steam Deck at all. For just one example, Dragon Age: Origins is officially 'Unsupported,' but our Shaun says it runs incredibly on Valve's handheld. Granted, that's a 17-year-old game, but I think the point of 'Unsupported doesn't always mean a no-go on the Steam Deck' still stands. The thing you might want to be more wary of is how the kernel-level anti-cheat systems often used in competitive games don't play well with the handheld's Linux-based SteamOS.

And it doesn't mean games will always be playable on the Steam Deck. Ubisoft recently announced that it is "removing For Honor from the Linux platform to ensure a safer environment for our players as we cannot meaningfully deploy protection on this platform." Which means no third-person melee fun for you on Steam Deck, so from September 10 there will be one less game playable on Steam Deck.

Anyway, for a bit more context, SteamDB also says well over 130,000 games total have been released on Steam to date. SteamDB's figures suggest there were half as many games on Steam back in 2022. With the platform having grown so significantly in just the last four years, the days of 10% of all Steam games enjoying official Steam Deck compatibility feel so long ago.

If after installing BIOS version N3CN42WW on your Lenovo Legion Go, you have found it unable to get past the BIOS or entirely bricked, Lenovo says it's not your fault. The good news is that you will likely be able to get it fixed for free.

Taking to the Lenovo forums (via VideoCardz), Lenovo clarified that it was able to replicate the same bricking problem with three devices, while other Lenovo teams were able to update to N3CN42WW without any problems. They say, "as such the issue is most likely related to [a] specific component used on mainboards in a certain batch or batches, or the issue needs to have specific circumstances to manifest."

As part of this, the employee also states that "while the root cause has not been identified yet, it is clear it is not user error."

Finally, Lenovo confirms that those under warranty should aim to get the device fixed or replaced and "in the case of out-of-warranty devices, it should be repaired free of charge, but please check local laws."

The user the Lenovo employee was replying to is based in the European Union, and Lenovo clarifies that those in the EU will be covered even if not under warranty if the BIOS update caused the problem.

One user has replied to this post stating that they were told their Legion Go couldn't be repaired in Belgium as they were out of warranty, so one can only hope that the support team are made aware of this communication from Lenovo.

This clarity has been expected by the Lenovo community for some time, who have been reporting bricking problems with this specific BIOS version for a while now. They were likely hoping for some sort of communication weeks ago when it first popped up, even if it were Lenovo simply acknowledging it has seen the problem. Version N3CN42WW appeared to have been released in June and was removed at the start of August, with no communication from Lenovo at the time. That means users were left in the dark for potentially weeks with a handheld that would simply not boot.

On August 4, a post went up on the Legion Go Subreddit, warning users not to update their BIOS. The comments section for this post has multiple users claiming their devices were also bricked by the update. At the time, one user reported they were given a price of €237 (about $273) from Lenovo to fix it. It has not been made clear if any users who paid the repair fee have gotten their fee back with this new communication from Lenovo.

Though it has not been possible to download the BIOS update via Lenovo for a few weeks now, users on Reddit were still cautious of updates even this week (though admittedly, part of that seems to be users taking the opportunity to jokingly take a swipe at Lenovo).

Now, if you try to update your Lenovo Legion Go BIOS, you will find version N3CN40WW, which was updated on August 5 this year, but it hasn't been made clear what the difference is between this and the same version number which launched on January 6 this year. Still, even if users will be getting their devices fixed, this period of uncertainty has likely taken some of the shine off the device for some. And with the memory crisis in full swing, buying a new device is simply unfeasible for many.

Handhelds aren't exactly the most exciting devices right now given just how prohibitively expensive they've become, but you'd better bet my ears perk up a little when I hear of more possible budget-oriented hardware. That's what we could soon have from Intel, if prolific hardware leaker Jaykihn's recent X post is correct.

Decoding the string of numbers, according to Jaykihn, Intel will release a Panther Lake chip with four Performance-cores, no Efficient-cores, four low-power Efficient cores, and most crucially, four Xe cores. Ie, four GPU cores.

Earlier this year, Intel announced the Arc G3 and G3 Extreme processors, aimed squarely at the handheld market. These scaled back the CPU cores but kept plenty of those juicy Xe GPU cores in there—10 and 12, respectively.

Prior to this, to get such Xe cores you had to have, at minimum, the four P-Cores, eight E-Cores, and four LPE-Cores in the Core Ultra X7 358H. The G3 Extreme cut this down to just two P-Cores, and the same number of E-Cores and LPE-Cores. In other words, less CPU grunt but just as much GPU grunt.

Our Dave got his mitts on a handheld with the G3 Extreme in earlier this year and was very impressed. He's since reviewed it and, setting aside its price tag for a moment, remained impressed. The 12 Xe cores really do deliver when crammed into small devices like handheld gaming PCs.