Steam Deck broke Steam and the internet late last week. With reservations going live (serving as a pre-order queuing system), actual availability for purchasing and getting a Steam Deck is pushing past mid next year and beyond. This will obviously leave many disappointed due to having to wait so long and maybe even making them cancel their preorder. Thankfully, there are some companies that have already tried their hand at creating portable devices allowing you to game comfortably on the go. So, there are other options out there.
With that in mind, we thought why not put together a best Steam Deck alternatives round-up for those who either couldn’t get their preorder in, or for those who simply didn’t like the look of Valve’s new console and wanted a different powerful handheld gaming machine capable of running today’s AAA titles. Read on for our top picks!
Products at a Glance
Is Steam Deck The Best Handheld Gaming Device?
From questionable comparisons to the Nintendo Switch OLED model to the proposition of true portable PC gaming, Steam Deck has turned a lot of heads worldwide. It’s making the world of PC gaming accessible. But, PC gaming is a very different beast to console/handheld gaming.
The 64GB model, for example, simply doesn’t cut it when it comes to storage space. Rockstar IP Red Dead Redemption 2 comes with a vanilla 150GB install size. Yes, Steam Deck comes with expandable SD card storage, but this will run considerably slower than eMMC/ NVMe SSD internal storage provided as stock. So for a worthwhile experience, which means the 512GB £569 model is the only way forward.
Again, granted, the machine itself is powerful and will run Steam’s library, giving it a huge advantage over other handhelds’ limited number of games available while also being put together by a company that has been in the industry for years. But, a handheld gaming device of this ilk isn’t a new invention and there certainly won’t be a shortage in terms of other companies jumping on the bandwagon, opening up avenues for consumers to get similar levels of performance.
Best Steam Deck Alternatives in 2022
- Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 4500U 6 cores
- Graphics: AMD Radeon Graphics
- RAM: 16GB LPDDR4x 4266Mhz
- SSD Form factor: M.2 2280, capacity: 512GB & 1TB
- Wi-Fi: WiFi 6 (IEEE 802.11ax) compatible, 2.4G / 5G Dual Band, 2402 Mbps max transfer speed, MU-MIMO support
- Screen: 7-inch 800p capacitive touch, native landscape, H-IPS 215ppi display, 76% NTSC color space, 500 nit peak brightness.
- Battery: 47Wh 11.4V, 3 cells of 4100mAh each
- Weight: 650g
- Dimensions: ~ 255mm x 106mm x 20mm
Best specification in it's field
Sleek form factor
No Keyboard
Available on IndieGoGo and the Aya Neo Website directly, Aya Neo packs a punch when it comes to powerful hardware. Featuring a full-blown Ryzen 5 over Steam Deck’s Zen 2, players can expect more bang for their buck. Internal NVMe SSD storage comes in 500GB and 1TB flavors, which is again more than ideal for AAA PC gameplay on the go. The Aya Neo is an expensive investment at just over $1000, but if you’re going to pour money into something like this, do it properly, right?
- Processor: Intel Core i5-1135G7 / Core i7-1165G7
- Graphics: Intel Iris Xe Graphics
- RAM: 16GB DDR 4
- Wi-Fi: WiFi 6 (IEEE 802.11ax) compatible, 2.4G / 5G Dual Band, 2402 Mbps max transfer speed, MU-MIMO support
- Connections: 2x x USB 4, 1 x USB 3.0 Type-A, 1 x Micro HDMI
- Screen: 5.5 -inch 720p touchscreen, NTSC color space, Slide up to reveal keyboard.
- Battery: 44Wh
- Weight: 560g
- Dimensions: 198mm x 92mm x 27mm
Keyboard
Handles most games @ 720p low to medium settings
Cheap casing
Coming in at just over $1000, the GPD Win 3 is available now. Looking around online, it’s quite a versatile machine. For an idea on performance, it runs ‘Yakuza: Like A Dragon’ on low @ 30 FPS (frames per second) smoothly. This isn’t going to provide a mind-blowing graphical experience with its integrated Intel graphics, but the 720p screen doesn’t require a massive graphical power draw. It handles multiplayer titles such as Rainbow 6: Siege and Call OF Duty: Warzone well as a result, but much like Steam Deck, a bit of tweaking will be needed for more demanding games such as Cyberpunk 2077.
- Processor and Graphics: NVIDIA Custom Tegra processor
- RAM: 4 GB LPDDR4 SDRAM @ 1600 MHz
- Internal Memory: 64 GB Users can easily expand storage space using microSDHC or microSDXC cards up to 2TB (sold separately).
- Wi-Fi: Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac compliant)
- Connections: USB Type-C Used for charging or for connecting to the Nintendo Switch dock. 3.5mm 4-pole stereo Headphone Jack (CTIA standard)
- Screen: Multi-touch capacitive touch screen / 7.0 inch OLED screen / 1280×720
- Battery: Lithium-ion battery / 4310mAh. Battery Life: 4.5 – 9 hours
- Weight: Approximately .71 lbs. (Approximately .93 lbs with Joy-Con controllers attached)
- Dimensions: 4 inches high, 9.5 inches long, and 0.55 inches deep (with Joy-Con attached)
Massive library of First/Third Party and Indie titles
Best screen in the handheld market
Reasonable download sizes
Unable to install own operating system
Limited to Nintendo Switch titles only
Releasing 08/10/21, the Nintendo Switch OLED model is more or less the same hybrid handheld console with a couple of quality of life improvements such as a bigger 7 inch OLED screen, better speakers, and a robust kickstand. Whilst you can install your own operating system and access the steam store, its indie, third-party, and first-party libraries make the Nintendo Switch a viable option. Let’s not forget the price point of $349.99, making this piece of handheld gold a brilliant budget proposition for gamers looking for a portable gaming solution.
- Processor: ARM Cortex a7. 4 core @ 1.50 Ghz
- Graphics: Integrated ARM Mali 400-MP2
- RAM: 1GB LPDDR3
- Storage: 8GB eMMC (5GB Available) + 64GB MicroSD Card (Expandable up to 128GB)
- Connections: 1 x USB Type-C, 1x Micro HDMI, 3.5mm Headphone Jack
- Screen: 3.5” IPS 640×480
- Battery: Lithium Ion 4000mAh, up to 6 hours playtime
- Weight: 423g
- Dimensions: 196mm x 131mm x 65mm
Aimed at retro gamers
Low price point
Can only play up to fifth generation games
Many gamers will be thinking of buying the 64GB Steam Deck model for a retro emulation machine. Whilst it will certainly look the part, it’s overkill. There’s plenty of retro machines knocking around on Wish, but chances are they’ll be ergonomically void and full of illegal ROMS and software. Retroid Pocket 2 provides just enough power and features to run anything up to the fifth console generation (PlayStation/Nintendo 64) Era whilst not breaking the bank.
Watch Out for Scammers
With the rise of Kickstarter campaigns comes a rise in scams. From SouljaBoy repeatedly fake releasing illegal emulation machines to products receiving continual delays after funding has been met, it’s always wise to do some research on the seller and product beforehand.
A good example is the Smach Z. It’s kickstarter/indiegogo completed around 2016 with a full release scheduled for 2018, but people are STILL waiting for a console. The product has been endorsed by many big YouTube personalities and top website outlets, with notebookcheck confirming the company’s shady practices in a recent article.
Things To Consider
What is the difference between LED and OLED?
The main difference between an LED and an OLED screen is that the pixels of an OLED TV are self illuminating, whereas the LEDs in an LED screen are used to light an LCD display. OLED screens also benefit from better viewing angles and deep colors/blacks.
What is expandable storage?
Expandable storage means that the device in question accepts SD cards and other forms of flash storage to expand the internal memory. For example, the Nintendo Switch accepts up to 2TB microSDHC or microSDXC card.
Our Verdict
- Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 4500U 6 cores
- Graphics: AMD Radeon Graphics
- RAM: 16GB LPDDR4x 4266Mhz
- SSD Form factor: M.2 2280, capacity: 512GB & 1TB
- Wi-Fi: WiFi 6 (IEEE 802.11ax) compatible, 2.4G / 5G Dual Band, 2402 Mbps max transfer speed, MU-MIMO support
- Screen: 7-inch 800p capacitive touch, native landscape, H-IPS 215ppi display, 76% NTSC color space, 500 nit peak brightness.
- Battery: 47Wh 11.4V, 3 cells of 4100mAh each
- Weight: 650g
- Dimensions: ~ 255mm x 106mm x 20mm
If we had to pick one handheld console to rival the Steam Deck, we think the Aya Neo deserves that spot. It has the specs to really push the boundaries of gaming on the go, exceeding the currently unreleased Steam Deck. The Ryzen 5 chip coupled with the opinion of a 1TB NVMe drive really does elevate the Aya Neo and you’ll certainly be able to experience the difference when comparing it to any other option on the market.
Yes, it is far more expensive but for all this raw power, the price more than suffices.