I take my game library with me when I travel and there's no reason to miss out with these Black Friday handheld gaming PC deals

Okay, the Steam Deck may have had an OLED refresh, and there are heaps of more powerful handhelds around, but the original version is still the archetype of what a mobile PC gaming device should be. It's just as powerful as the OLED model, so all those Steam Deck-compatible games should run well. It's the OG PC gaming handheld, and it still demands respect, although this particular version does have quite a small SSD. Replacing it later with a larger unit is no great hassle, however.

Key specs: 256 GB SSD | SteamOS

The chip in this handheld is a little newer than the Steam Deck's and a little more powerful, too. It's not quite on par with the Z2 Extreme or even the older Z1 Extreme chip—you can thank AMD's marketing department for that one—but with this sorta discount means it's not too expensive versus a higher capacity Steam Deck. The 120 Hz at 1080p might be a push, but you can absolutely get some good gaming done on the go here, and with SteamOS to lighten the load.

Key specs: Ryzen Z2 Go | 8-inch screen | 16 GB RAM | 512 GB SSD

Price check: Amazon $579.99 (Windows version)

Our best gaming handheld pick has received a seriously tempting discount, and it's an excellent machine. The lightweight Steam OS integration in combination with its Ryzen Z1 Extreme APU means it's surprisingly powerful, all while being extremely comfortable to use and remarkably well-equipped. While you can find the Z2 Go version for cheaper, this is the one you want. The Windows version is also on sale, but it costs more, and we prefer SteamOS.

Key specs: Ryzen Z1 Extreme | 8-inch screen | 32 GB RAM | 1 TB SSD

Price check: Lenovo $649.99 | Best Buy $779.99 (Windows version)

Crucial's performance claims are very much peak values, and the real-world numbers are generally lower (as we found when we reviewed the 2 TB version), but at this price, it's a great way to boost your Steam Deck's storage and get a handy speed bump. There are cheaper 2230-size SSDs to be found, but they're not as fast as this one.

Key specs: NVMe | PCIe 4.0 | 7,100 MB/s read | 6,000 MB/s write

Price check: Newegg $93.99

With a plastic shell and a grippy rear (hello), this is a case with not a huge amount of bulk but plenty of protection.

Key specs: Case, stand and strap included (we've used the strap, it's weird)

Much like the above, but for the first-generation ROG Ally handheld. The design is a little different, with a more traditional stand used on this one, but you get the same two-piece protection.

Key specs: Case, stand and strap included (we've used the strap, it's weird)

The Ninki Silicone Skin is similar to the JSAUX recommended above, coming with its own kickstand and added grip. Though there's no front cover here, and don't get confused by the ridiculously similar naming, this is for the Asus + Microsoft collab, the ROG Xbox Ally.

Key specs: Case and stand included (no front cover)

More or less the same as above, except tailor-made to fit the Legion Go 2, Lenovo's latest little handheld.

Key specs: Case and stand included (no front cover)

The saving is really a little smaller than this, as these screen protectors usually go for around $13, but they're still the cheapest they've been in a while right now.

Key specs: Glass | Install frame | Matte finish

Here's a fun way to customize a Steam Deck. In fact, I've added a purple back plate to my own for a dash of Game Boy Advance aesthetic. The translucent finish offers a really sleek appearance with a chunky heatsink added on the rear. It's easy enough to do with all the tools included in the box.

Key specs: Works with Steam Deck LCD/OLED | Tools included | Looks cool as heck