Valve’s Steam Deck and its carrying case. | Image: ValveIn July 2021, Valve revealed the Steam Deck, a Switch-like handheld device packed with features including a huge variety of control options, a 7-inch touchscreen, the ability to connect to external displays, and a quick suspend / resume feature. The device began shipping in February 2022, starting at $399.With an unprecedented degree of support from Valve and the help of the gaming community, it progressed from being a “glorious mess” in our initial review to becoming one of The Verge’s favorite gadgets of 2022 and something other companies couldn’t really match. More than two years after the Steam Deck launched, the landscape is very different now that new competition has arrived in the form of Windows-powered handhelds like the Asus ROG Ally, the Lenovo Legion Go, and Ayaneo’s assorted decks.Now Valve’s new revision of the Steam Deck adds an OLED screen along with tons of other improvements that Sean Hollister says make it “everything the original should have been.”We’ve been keeping a close eye on the Steam Deck and rivals, and you can read all of our coverage here.Damn, Polygon beat me to the Ayaneo 3.I plugged an Nvidia RTX 5090 into a gaming handheldFrom Steam Deck to Steam Brick.What handheld PC makers should do to fight the Nintendo Switch 2The $900 Ayaneo 3 is the most exciting PC handheld the company’s yet madeMaybe giant gaming handhelds are where it’s atHey that’s me, chatting about the Intel / Quanta prototype modular handheld concept that surprised me at CES.I played with the new Legion Go 2, too.Microsoft is combining ‘the best of Xbox and Windows together’ for handheldsI finally touched the MSI Claw 8 AI Plus.A look inside the Lenovo Legion Go S.Valve will officially let you install SteamOS on other handhelds as soon as this AprilUp close with the SteamOS-powered Lenovo Legion Go S.Lenovo Legion Go S official: $499 buys the first authorized third-party SteamOS handheldLenovo’s officially making a Legion Go 2, too.Asus just announced the world’s first Thunderbolt 5 eGPUNo, Valve isn’t working with GPD to bring SteamOS to its handheld.Intel brought a big honking stereo 3D handheld gaming PC to CES 2025.Acer made an enormous 11-inch gaming handheldAMD’s Z2 handheld gaming chips are official — and not coming to a Steam Deck near youAyaneo 3: could the “world’s first modular handheld” solve the great joystick debate?The Steam Deck has finally been surpassed — by a fork of Valve’s own experienceValve will be Lenovo’s ‘special guest’ at just-announced gaming handheld eventLeak: Lenovo’s larger Legion handheld adds OLED and keeps the detachable mouseThe first batch of refurbished Steam Deck OLED is already sold out.Valve is now selling refurbished Steam Deck OLEDs starting at $439MSI claims its new Claw can beat the ROG Ally X while consuming fewer watts.Valve’s master plan for Steam Machines is finally coming into focusThis liliputing gaming dream just got a price cut and a Ryzen HX 370 variant.What could Valve possibly be cooking with AMD, ChromeOS, and HDMI-CEC?MSI’s Claw handhelds get an Intel Lunar Lake do-over with a $799 starting priceLenovo Legion Go S leak shows renders of the cheaper handheld gaming PCDid MSI accidentally let slip when its new Claw handhelds will ship?This tiny gaming laptop has two keyboards, one beneath the other.Lenovo accidentally confirms Legion Go S yet again — with a budget AMD chip.The discontinued Steam Deck LCD is on saleLeak: Valve is making a Steam Controller 2 and a ‘Roy’ for its DeckardValve finally made a white Steam Deck that you can actually buyThe Ayaneo 3 will have an OLED screen option and upgraded triggers.The Steam Deck will be available to buy in Australia on November 19th.Apex Legends is taking away its support for the Steam Deck and LinuxToying with the GPD Win Max 2, a lilliputian computing dream.Don’t expect a new Steam Deck to drop each year.Valve rejects Junk Store, won’t allow Steam Deck plugins after all.Will Valve really sell a Steam Deck plugin that helps bring Epic Games to the handheld?Valve will finally sell the Steam Deck in Australia8BitDo’s Ultimate Bluetooth gamepad is a $41.99 Amazon lightning deal.Gifting a Steam Deck is a little easier now.GTA V, one of the most popular Steam Deck games, is now ‘unsupported’Mechanism just keeps surprising me with its thoughtful modular accessory ecosystem.The best SSD upgrades for your Steam Deck, according to actual testing.AMD just tipped the Z2 Extreme chip for next year’s Steam Deck competitorsAcer’s first handheld gaming PC is the Nitro BlazeWindows 11’s new gamepad keyboard lets you type with an Xbox controllerMSI’s Claw successor handheld with Lunar Lake isn’t coming till next year.I have a bad feeling about the Playtron cryptobro handheld gaming PC.Ayaneo handhelds are now sold at Best Buy — no longer boutique?A year later, Lenovo’s Legion Go is getting its own official dock and controller wedgeThe OLED-toting Zotac Zone handheld is indeed available for preorder — just not in the US.Valve confirms it’ll support the ROG Ally with its Steam Deck operating systemLenovo may have leaked a smaller Legion Go gaming handheld months agoAyaneo’s homage to the Game Boy and Game Boy Micro are *not* cheap.Asus ROG Ally X review: the best Windows gaming handheld by a mileThe Asus ROG Ally X is now available for $799.The Ayaneo Flip DS’s second screen is getting more useful.Finally, a budget eGPU for people who’ve already got graphics cards and power supplies.Steam is getting an official controller, but Valve isn’t making itMSI Claw after more updates: nope, it’s still a dudThis handheld gaming PC is made to be moddedThe OnePlayer X1 Mini is now on presale starting at $799 early bird / $1,099 retail.The Zotac Zone is a big boi — bigger than Lenovo’s Legion Go.Intel’s one-minute Battlemage GPU demo is good news for Lunar Lake handhelds.Zotac Zone official: this handheld has twin trackpads, jog wheels, adjustable triggers, and OLEDOfficial: the MSI Claw 8 AI Plus has an Asus-matching 80Wh battery and Intel Lunar LakeThe Asus ROG Ally X is official — and I took a peek insideYes, I can confirm this is the ROG Ally X.What will the Lenovo Legion Go Lite look like?Steam Deck + MagSafe + GoPro fingers = brilliance.MSI claims the Claw has up to 30 percent better performance now.The OneXPlayer X1 Mini is the most feature-packed handheld gaming PC yetThe MSI Claw is an embarrassmentBehold Ayaneo’s sophisticated takes on the Game Boy and Game Boy MicroIt’s a great week to be a retro handheld gamer.I touched a prototype Asus ROG Ally X, and it felt betterHave a look at the official promo for Anbernic’s Game Boy Advance SP.The Steam Deck’s next big update might make docked TV play more convenient.Asus’ next ROG Ally handheld will be the ROG Ally XAsus confirms: the next ROG Ally is imminent.Ayaneo plans ornate AG01 “Graphics Starship” eGPU dock.Can you resist Anbernic’s Game Boy Advance SP that plays PS1 and N64 games?Did Asus just stealth-reveal its next ROG Ally handheld?Valve just made fast, furious, precise aiming easier than ever with Steam Deck.Asus won’t say if the ROG Ally’s SD card reader will ever be truly fixedAyaneo’s fancy Pocket S Android gaming handheld is up for preorder.The Asus ROG Ally is getting AMD’s Fluid Motion Frames tomorrow.The Asus ROG Ally is apparently still eating SD cards.The first confirmed Playtron gaming handheld is aimed squarely at crypto brosSacrifice your ROG Ally’s stylish good looks at the altar of doubled battery life.Lenovo is planning a Legion Go 2 — and another Intel Arc handheld is inbound.My expectations for the MSI Claw have hit rock bottom.Valve Orb.Playtron explains how immutable file systems are not (but could help with?) Linux anti-cheat.Playtron: the startup hoping to Steam Deck-ify the worldThe MSI Claw has arrived to take on the Steam DeckLenovo Legion Go review: the Swiss Army knife of handheldsRoblox says it hasn’t blocked Linux or Steam Deck, but it’s reportedly toast thereGPD’s latest PC gaming clamshell comes with a VRR screen.Microsoft admits Windows is a weak link in handheld gaming PCs — and promises to improve.It’s time for Microsoft to build an Xbox Steam DeckThe Lenovo Legion Go just added custom fan curves and integrated driver updates.The Asus ROG Ally is getting AMD’s Fluid Motion Frames — the Lenovo Legion Go might too.Ayaneo’s underpowered Steam Deck competitor is now on sale for just $299.MSI confirms the Claw will have a 48-120Hz VRR screenThe Lenovo Legion Go gets its first price cut — to $649.A second-gen Asus ROG Ally is coming as soon as this year.Ayaneo’s Next Lite is a $299 Steam Deck competitor with unofficial SteamOSWhy isn’t Valve just working with Ayaneo to officially bring SteamOS to its handhelds?We go hands-on with MSI’s Intel-powered Steam Deck competitor.MSI Claw hands-on: the Steam Deck rival with Intel insideSpeaking of handheld PC gaming chips, here’s an incredible look at the Steam Deck’s APU.AMD’s 8840U won’t shake up handheld PC gaming, but what about Intel’s Core Ultra?Fortnite on Steam Deck? Sweeney says Valve needs “tens of millions of users” to justify it.“Listen to me as a Steam Deck owner.”A ROG Ally update is adding gyroscope controls and a lot more.A look inside both the Legion Go and Steam Deck OLEDA hefty stable Steam Deck update gives the Dock a brand-new featureThe best Steam Deck games are now the best Steam Deck startup movies.Valve’s Steam Deck OLED store seems to be recoveringSteam Deck OLED: sales begin 10AM PT / 1PM ET.The ability to dual-boot Windows is still ‘high on the list’ of Steam Deck priorities.A $400 Steam Deck still exists.Here is Valve’s own transparent Steam Deck.Valve reveals the Steam Deck OLED: $549 buys better screen, battery, and moreBack to the future of handheld gaming.Your Asus ROG Ally could be transparent with Jsaux’s RGB backplateDbrand’s Steam Deck case is fixed — and there’s a ROG Ally version nowOnly Nintendo DS lovers will fully appreciate this dual-screen handheld PCAMD accused of failing to deliver handheld gaming chips.Here’s the first proof a refreshed Steam Deck is nighThe Ayaneo Slidekick is almost here.Valve: don’t expect a faster Steam Deck ‘in the next couple of years’The cheaper $600 Asus ROG Ally is here, and you probably shouldn’t buy itModular gaming handheld.Valve is celebrating Steam’s 20th birthday with a Steam Deck sale.Western Digital now sells SSD upgrade drives for the Steam Deck and ROG AllyValve’s next mystery gadget may be imminentWhere is Microsoft’s handheld Xbox?The biggest SSD you can easily fit in a Steam Deck at its best price yet.These Steam Deck custom resin buttons look phenomenal — and they’re for saleStarfield vs. Steam Deck and ROG Ally.The Ayaneo Kun nearly doubles the Steam Deck’s battery for nearly twice the priceGuliKit’s Steam Deck and ROG Ally dock looks like a Super NintendoSteam Deck screen too warm or cool? Valve now lets you change color temperature.Leaked images reveal Lenovo’s Steam Deck competitor that may connect to AR glassesJsaux now sells a $90 anti-glare screen for the Steam Deck.The first look at the first Steam Deck competitor with a bigass internal battery.The ROG Ally now has turbo buttons.Baldur’s Gate 3 is Steam Deck Verified.Your Jsaux Steam Deck dock is now a ROG Ally dock too.Linux gamers now outnumber Mac gamers on Steam.Lenovo’s prepping a Steam Deck / ROG Ally competitor.Digital Foundry takes Ratchet & Clank’s PC port for a spin.PS5 exclusive Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart will officially run on Steam DeckJsaux’s Steam Deck RGB transparent cover and docks are now on sale.The Last of Us finally works on Steam Deck — with worse-than-PS3 level graphicsMy 16-year-old PS3 plays The Last of Us better than a Steam DeckSteam Deck hits 10,000 games.A new update for the Asus ROG Ally is supposed to keep things safer for SD cards.Jsaux’s ultimate RGB dock stretches to fit Steam Deck, ROG Ally, and moreJust updated my ROG Ally performance story because I’m still seeing the gap.Asus says ROG Ally performance gap shouldn’t exist — but I’m still seeing itEver wonder what’s up with the alphabet soup brand names on Amazon?How Jsaux rode the Steam Deck to escape the Amazon wildernessiFixit’s ROG Ally teardown.It’s not just you: Steam suddenly looks niceAsus ROG Ally updated review: it’s a bit better nowGPD’s G1 is the impressively small dock that could jumpstart eGPUs in the handheld eraA fully transparent Steam Deck could soon be yours with these new front platesAsus claims that it has totally fixed the ROG Ally’s battery lifeYou could totally fit a bigger battery in there.SteamOS is coming to the ROG Ally, one way or another.I am very skeptical of this Steam Deck 1200p screen upgrade.Valve just got sued by Immersion over Steam Deck and Index rumbleXbox exec hints at bringing features like Quick Resume to Windows gamersWhere to preorder the Asus ROG AllyAsus confirms the ROG Ally will start at $600 — if you can wait till Q3Redfall is playable on Steam Deck — with the right settingsAnother leak: the Asus ROG Ally will start at $600 with AMD Z1 and 256GB SSDAMD didn’t need to announce the Ryzen 7840U because these companies just did.EA admits Jedi: Survivor ‘isn’t performing to our standards’ on some PCsSteam now has a built-in cloud notepad you can pin atop your gameLeak: the Asus ROG Ally will cost $699.99 with an AMD Z1 ExtremeAyaneo 2S will officially be one of the first Steam Deck rivals with Ryzen 7000The Asus ROG Ally will have an Extreme upsell.Asus ROG Ally hands-on: Windows but tinyAMD announces Ryzen Z1 and Z1 Extreme chips for handheld gaming PCsAMD is quietly arming an entire new wave of Steam Deck competitorsI still don’t trust you, Asus.Valve will magically free up space on your Steam Deck.Microsoft is experimenting with a Windows gaming handheld mode for Steam Deck-like devicesYou can now play all of Half-Life: Alyx without a VR headset.We’re nearly halfway through 2023 and I still confuse the Stream Deck and Steam Deck.Master Chief Collection on Deck.The Asus ROG Ally handheld gaming PC is real, not an April Fools’ jokeThe Asus ROG Ally handheld is real and aimed directly at the Steam Deck.Maybe don’t buy The Last of Us on PC yet?Dolphin, the fantastic GameCube and Wii emulator, is coming to Steam.The Steam Deck and Steam’s Big Picture Mode now support custom startup movies.The Steam Deck is on sale for the first time everOne does not simply build an OLED Steam Deck.I wouldn’t trade my $400 Steam Deck for this $1,300 Ayaneo 2The Steam Deck now supports game transfers from PCsAtomic purple? Yes please.Framework now sells 2TB Steam Deck upgrade drivesThe Steam Deck is finally a true gaming PC.Updated Steam? Now try pressing that little “expand window” button at the upper right.Debunk: Game developers did NOT just say they’re “unsure” about the Steam Deck.My favorite new Steam Deck mod is this $30 see-through heatsink backplateDbrand Nintendoes what Valve Nintenwon’tThe Steam Deck wasn’t born ready, but it’s ready nowTransferring games between PCs (and Steam Decks) is about to get easier.9 great games for your Steam Deck from 2022Playing Metroid Prime on a Steam Deck shouldn’t feel this goodIt’s probably safe to download the Steam Deck update now.See inside your Steam Deck with JSAUX’s $30 transparent backplateSteam Deck gets SteamOS 3.4 update, here’s what’s inside.Even if you didn’t win a Steam Deck, you might have still won a Steam Deck.Valve answers our burning Steam Deck questions — including a possible Steam Controller 2Many EA games are borked on Steam Deck, but fixes are on the wayValve will give away a free Steam Deck every minute during The Game AwardsThe Steam Deck arrives in Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, and Taiwan on December 17th3D-print yourself a better way to hold up your Steam Deck in bed?Valve will soon tell you what components are in your Steam DeckValve’s new dock won’t replace your Switch, but it makes the Steam Deck more usefulValve’s latest Steam Deck update introduces longer custom boot animationsValve’s Steam Deck Dock is now available to orderDbrand’s Steam Deck case is so good it almost makes you forget its big flawIt only took a month to turn a Steam Deck deposit into a purchaseThese working prototypes reveal the Steam Deck’s evolutionValve now has repair centers that can fix your Steam DeckThe new Steam Deck ebook lays out Valve’s long-term visionYour Steam Deck might be coming by the end of September instead of Q4The Steam Deck makes PlayStation’s biggest games portableHow to get your Steam Deck to access the Epic Games Store and moreYou can now preorder the Steam Deck in Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, and TaiwanValve says you’re getting your Steam Deck by the end of the yearHow to fix the Steam Deck’s noisy fanThe Steam Deck is changing how I buy gamesThe Steam Deck’s best button is its softwareValve is doubling Steam Deck shipments, so you might get yours fasterA Steam Deck software update is turning fan noise way downiFixit’s Steam Deck repair guides and parts are live (but the best pieces are MIA)iFixit will sell nearly every part of the Steam Deck — including the entire motherboardSteam Deck rivals OneXPlayer, Aya, and GPD are planning their revenge with AMD’s 6800UThe Steam Deck finally has Windows audio driversA new Steam Deck update adds one of the most-requested featuresValve says you shouldn’t fix the Steam Deck’s noisy fan this wayYou can now set a lock screen for your Steam DeckValve upgrades its Steam Deck dock ahead of release, but we still don’t know how much it costsThe Steam Deck is not a flopSomeone plugged an entire 4K desktop graphics card into the Steam DeckMy favorite thing about the Steam Deck is its ultra-portable caseValve says it’s ‘ramping up’ Steam Deck shipmentsThe Steam Deck just got a dual-touchpad keyboard and some much-needed fixesSteam Deck, one month laterXbox Cloud Gaming now supports Steam Deck through Microsoft EdgeThe Steam Deck now runs WindowsNew Steam Deck orders won’t ship until at least OctoberiFixit’s Steam Deck replacement parts will be available beginning this summerThe Steam Deck’s FSR vividly shows why a Nintendo Switch Pro would ruleValve says the Steam Deck’s ‘stick drift’ was a bug and it’s already shipped a fixBungie rejects Steam Deck’s Linux, threatens to ban Destiny 2 players thereYou can now play Valve’s free 30-minute Portal spinoff, even if you don’t have a Steam DeckWatch Valve’s Gabe Newell deliver Steam Decks to mostly confused customersSteam Deck review: it’s not readyWhere’s your Steam Deck preorder email? Valve explainsThe official Steam Deck dock won’t be available at launchSteam’s new tool shows which of your games can run on the DeckThe Steam Deck will now play these breakout hits from PlayStation Vita, Switch, and XboxiFixit has a Steam Deck teardown — and will officially sell replacement parts from ValveEpic won’t update Fortnite to run on the Steam DeckValve will start selling the Steam Deck on February 25thSteam Deck’s new cloud saves could be the system’s best featureValve says the Steam Deck is on track to ship by the end of FebruarySteam Deck: Five big things we learned from Valve’s developer summitSteam Deck launch delayed by two monthsWill these top Steam games support Steam Deck? We ask their developersValve says supporting the Steam Deck with BattlEye anti-cheat is as easy as an emailValve opens up a Steam Deck to explain why it thinks you shouldn’tOne of the Steam Deck’s biggest hurdles just disappeared: EAC has come to Linux and BattlEye is inboundValve is working with AMD to make the Steam Deck Windows 11-readyWatch Valve’s Gabe Newell explain why the Steam Deck existsThe Steam Deck has an ‘optional built-in FPS limiter’ for better battery lifeValve’s Steam Deck technically lets you swap the SSD, targets 30fps gameplayValve will replace Big Picture mode with the new Steam Deck UINew Steam Deck reservations now showing ‘expected order availability’ in Q2 and Q3 2022Why the Steam Deck won’t flop like Valve’s Steam MachinesThere’s enough Steam Deck demand to take Steam’s store downHow does Valve’s Steam Deck compare to the Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X, and PlayStation 5?Elgato announces new Stream Deck the same day Valve announces new Steam DeckVideo game handhelds didn’t die after all