Top 6 Steam Deck Alternatives

The Steam Deck is a hugely popular and successful gaming PC because of its portability. Imagine being able to play all of your favourite PC and Xbox games without having to reach home first. So, you don’t need your console before you can start playing. The only exception to this little rule is the Nintendo Switch. 

To cut a long story short, gamers at Player.com have played their favourite games on the Steam Deck while commuting, travelling, relaxing in a park, or even during a lunch break. However, before considering an alternative to the Steam Deck, you must know its inner workings.

Also Read: 5 Best Xbox Game Studios Microsoft Owns

Features of the Steam Deck

There are many mouth-watering features to look forward to experiencing in the Steam Deck. However, this isn’t a full-blown review, so you can consider this a breakdown of its best features. Some of them are: 

• It offers a sharp screen with a resolution of 1,280 x 800 pixels in a 16:10 ratio. 
• The IPS LCD panel is optically bonded so readability isn’t an issue. 
• It is touch-enabled and it boasts a refresh rate of 60 Hz. 
• There are ambient light sensors for controlling the brightness. 
• It supports Bluetooth 5.0 so connections are faster and more stable. 
• The battery lasts between two and eight hours. 
• The display can output around 400 nits of brightness. 
• The charging speed is fast because of the 45-watt charger that’s bundled with the handheld gaming PC.

Top 6 Steam Deck Alternatives 

These are the top 6 alternatives to the Steam Deck that we chose based on a few factors. We took into account the storage space, processors, display quality, and price (Among others). For one, we would prefer if these handheld consoles could run God of War Ragnarok for PCs when it’s later launched. With these factors in mind, below are the best Steam Deck alternatives that money can buy. 

#1: Aya Neo 2

The Aya Neo 2 is a far better device than its predecessor based on the bezel-less screen alone. It’s a beautiful gaming device that’s coloured a cool shade of white, and it boasts an ergonomic chassis. Nevertheless, this beast of a handheld console costs more than the PS5 and Xbox Series X combined. So, many gaming enthusiasts might be turned off by its price tag of £900+. 

There’s a 7-inch screen on board that’s rated at a resolution of 1,200 pixels. As for the internals, the Aya Neo 2 can output a whopping 3.379 teraflops, which is double the capabilities of the Steam Deck. Moving on to the downside, the battery doesn’t last long since AAA games can run it down within three hours. The handheld device also boasts 1 TB of storage space. For security-conscious gamers, this console offers a fingerprint scanner. Ultimately, this is the perfect handheld gaming PC in the world. 

#2: ONEXPlayer 2

The ONEXPlayer 2 is likely the most powerful handheld gaming PC in the world. For one, its battery capacity is a whopping 17,100 mAh, which can be quickly topped up by the 100-watt fast charger. As a result, the battery life is phenomenal, which is great for lengthy games like Baldur’s Gate 3. Other features of ONEXPlayer 2 are: 

• It offers multiple game modes, such as Laptop Mode, Tablet Mode, TV Mode, Tabletop Mode, and Game Console Mode. 
• The display is 8.4 inches wide, plus it boasts a resolution of 2,560 × 1,600 pixels.
• The peak speed of the GPU is 4.7 GHz.
• The screen’s pixel density is 358, and it supports 10-point touch. 
• It’s available in white and black only. 

#3: Aya Neo Next

Ever since the Steam Deck sold millions of copies, tons of other game makers have joined the bandwagon of portable gaming PCs. The Aya Neo Next deserves its position on our list because of its sharp 7-inch display, 2 TB of storage, and 500 nits of brightness. There are, of course, plenty of other features that make this console stand out. Some of them are: 

• It’s powered by the AMD Ryzen 7 5825U, so it’s capable of around 3 teraflops of power.
• There’s 16 GB of RAM on board.
• The joysticks are a joy to use because of their tactile feedback.
• It costs more than £1,000, which is why it’s ranked third on our list.
• It uses an NVMe SSD for fast loading times.
• The screen resolution is a sharp 1,200 × 800 pixels.

#4: The Nintendo Switch OLED

We ranked the Nintendo Switch low on our list because of its ecosystem. Let’s face it, Nintendo fans have developed a unique taste for games that are frankly not developed by any other game maker in the industry. The Nintendo Switch itself offers tons of great games, including The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Don’t forget that its sequel, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, boasts perfect scores. A quick rundown of the Nintendo Switch’s features is: 

• It boasts a 7-inch screen that uses an OLED panel.
• The battery lasts between four and a half and nine hours.
• The online Nintendo Switch app supports voice chats.
• You can use an Xbox or PS5 controller with it.
• You can stream movies and videos via YouTube, Twitch, Hulu, Crunchyroll, and Funimation. 
• The game offers a Handheld Mode, Tabletop Mode, and TV Modes.

Nintendo didn’t release the hardware specifications of the Nintendo Switch OLED. However, fans believe the handheld game console can only output around one teraflop. Even the PS4 is more powerful than that.

#5: Asus ROG Ally

The Asus ROG Ally is pricey, at £650, but it boasts a slew of features, like a 120 Hz display that can go up to 500 nits. It’s powered by the new Ryzen Z1 CPU, which is great because Windows is a demanding operating system. Also, the game stays cool regardless of the load on it. So you don’t have to worry about playing demanding games like God of War. Heck, even games like GTA 5, Hades, and Outer Wilds run smoothly on the Asus ROG Ally. Other features of this console are:

• The console is powered by Windows 11. 
• The screen uses a 16:9 aspect ratio.
• There’s support for haptic feedback, so games feel awesome. 
• It boasts a slip-resistant texture, so you won’t be dropping it often. 
• It supports storage expansion via the microSD card port. 
• There’s a fingerprint scanner for security reasons. 
• Games are playable at a respectable 120 FPS. 

#6: Logitech G Cloud Gaming Handheld

The Logitech G Cloud Gaming Handheld might not be the most powerful, but it does offer a slew of features. For one, it’s powered by the Android operating system, which is known to be very intuitive. However, the Logitech G Cloud Gaming Handheld is pricey, and this time around, there’s no redeeming point because the gameplay is entirely cloud-based. In other words, you can’t download any games, so you have to stream them before you can start gaming. 

However, on the bright side, this handheld console is lightweight and durable. It also boasts an incredible battery life because you won’t be launching games from the device’s storage. To be specific, the battery lasts between two and eight hours. Moving forward, the game is powered by a 40-watt charger, which can top up the battery in roughly two and a half hours. Finally, this isn’t the fastest handheld gaming PC because it’s powered by the old Qualcomm Snapdragon 720G chip. 

Our Final Say

There are tons of handheld PC consoles that are powerful and portable, so you can play games anywhere. However, for players who don’t have the time to build their gaming PCs, handheld gaming PCs like the Asus ROG Ally are perfect. They boast vibrant screens, great-sounding speakers, and speedy processors. Still, because their technology is still new, they’re rather expensive. 

Frequently Asked Questions 

Is There a Better Alternative to the Steam Deck?

The best alternative to the Steam Deck is the Asus ROG Ally, which also boasts a vibrant screen, great speakers, and powerful internals. In fact, the refresh rate of the screen is a whopping 120 Hz. It’s also accompanied by a brightness of 500 nits, so you can game not only indoors but also outdoors where it’s sunny. 

Is a Steam Deck Equivalent to a PC? 

For its size, the Steam Deck packs a lot of power inside its petite frame. So, you’ll be able to run demanding games at a smooth 30 FPS, and that’s the least you should expect because games can be enjoyed at 60 FPS too. It isn’t as powerful as the PS5, which boasts upwards of 10 teraflops. However, the 1.6 teraflops this device is capable of outputting are enough for many games. Especially as this is a portable gaming PC that can be held in your hands for extended periods without too much fatigue. 

How Long Does the Steam Deck Battery Last?

The battery on the Steam Deck lasts between two and eight hours, depending on the brightness level and type of game you’re playing. Yes, this is the battery life of a single charge. You can make your portable gaming PC last longer by adjusting the brightness, frame rate, refresh rate, graphics quality, and volume. Also, try to properly calibrate your battery by charging it to 100% and then leaving it for a couple of hours to overcharge. Afterwards, run the battery down until it’s dead, and then recharge it again to 100%. Your battery will be properly calibrated after this process.