Best Steam Deck alternatives in 2024: Ayaneo, GPD Win & more – Dexerto

The handheld realm might be intimidating to newcomers and if youre not well informed you might end up making the wrong choice. The Steam Deck is one of the finest handheld devices to have in 2024. However, there are a bunch of alternatives so weve chosen a few excellent options for you to consider.

The Steam Decks surge in popularity over the past few years has prompted a response from the portable PC industry. Brands like GPD and Ayaneo are delving into a market that craves high performance, regardless of the price tag.

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Given there are so many upcoming handhelds from the biggest names in tech, it can be hard to figure out which one would actually be the best for your money. Needless to say, none of the handheld alternatives really manage to beat the Steam Deck on price, but instead focus their efforts on something else: Power.

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Many of these current handhelds will be using AMDs Zen 3 architecture, which is more powerful than the original Steam Deck, and the upgraded Steam Deck OLED. However, graphics performance remains around on par with Valves portable powerhouse.

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The Ayaneo 2 is the companys next-generation handheld. With hall-sensing analog sticks in addition to powerful hardware under the hood, this handheld has to be one of the best ones that weve seen around so far. From its exquisite build quality to the power under the hood, the Ayaneo 2 has it all, if you can live without the trackpad seen on a Steam Deck.

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In our testing, the handheld managed to handle all manner of games, including Cyberpunk 2077 at 60 FPS. Since it has a higher resolution than the Steam Deck, you can also run titles with gorgeous high resolution, afforded by the bezel-less IPS display. The Ayaneo can run you around $949, so you will be paying for the privilege.

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The Ayaneo Air Pro isnt as powerful as the Steam Deck, and while it does come in at $600, it provides a similar performance to its Valve counterpart. Ayaneo has a bigger range of consoles, with a far deeper user interface for gaming purposes.

In our testing, we found that it could handle things like Elden Ring and Cyberpunk 2077, while smaller indie titles ran almost flawlessly after pushing the power consumption up a little bit.

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What youll find with the Ayaneo Air Pro is a much smaller, slimmer design compared to the Steam Deck. While it might not be as powerful, it makes for an excellent Windows gaming device at 720p. It also helps that it comes equipped with a delightful OLED screen.

The two OneXPlayeron handhelds we recommend as Steam Deck alternatives are the Mini editions, sporting either an Intel i7-1260P and Intel Xe graphics, or AMD 6800U with RDNA 2 graphics.

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Both of these devices are absurdly powerful in what they sport outside of the specs. The USB-4, as well as supporting up to 100W GaN charging and it has Wi-Fi 6. This should ensure that transferring data, charging and even your downloads will all be excessively quick on the right hardware setup.

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These devices are a little bit more expensive, but with the Steam Deck lagging behind in certain specs, it can be a decent alternative to gun for.

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Performance on these devices is exceptional, with similar performances to that of the Steam Deck, thanks to the inclusion of RDNA 2 on the AMD unit. The Xe graphics from Intel will get you into most games at a lower resolution without much hassle.

Yes, it was going to make an appearance as an alternative. While the Nintendo Switch might be getting on in years, for those who want that same bounty of games to take with you on the go, this is the way forward.

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For now, at least.

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The three different versions of the Switch, including the Switch OLED, will all provide the same performance, but the Lite cannot be connected to the TV.

Nintendos current pricing is still considerably lower than Valves Steam Deck, with a lot of the games youd be looking to play on the go, also available at much worse resolutions on the Switch.

However, having direct access to the Switchs exclusives, like Zelda, Mario and Bayonetta make the Switch still a complete no-brainer.

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Theres also the added benefit of access to the Nintendo Switch Online game libraries if youre an Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack member. Games spanning from the NES, SNES, N64, and even Game Boy and Game Boy Advance eras of Nintendo are playable at the touch of a button. Negating the often complicated process of setting up EmuDeck on the Steam Deck.

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A great benefit of buying games through the Switchs eShop is the collection of gold coins, which you can then transfer over into your local currency to get discounts on games.

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Originally announced on April Fools, Asus quickly picked up the slack to confirm that the Asus ROG Ally was real all along.

While we probably wouldnt recommend it as a true alternative to the Steam Deck over the others on this list, the Asus ROG Ally has some impressive specs and performance that others cant match. Weve detailed this further in our review.

While its issues prevent it from becoming the Steam Deck competitor it wants to be, its still a neat little device when it comes together.

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Lenovo is not new to the world of gaming; hence, it would make sense for Lenovo to get its feet wet by delving into the handheld category. With the Legion Go, Lenovo knocks it out of the park with standout features such as the clean and simple UI and the detachable controllers.

The Lenovo Legion Go clearly takes inspiration from the Nintendo Switch, with the detachable controllers also being able to act as a mouse. Read more in our hands-on review.

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The Legion Go is definitely a worthy competitor when put against the Steam Deck.

If youre after even more useful guides to do with the Steam Deck, we have many more guides for you to check out right here:

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How to use the Steam Decks keyboard in desktop mode | Steam Deck vs Nintendo Switch: Which one is better in 2024? | How to install Windows on Steam Deck: Dual boot & more | Steam Deck SSD installation: How to upgrade your storage drive | Best Steam Deck games in 2023: Resident Evil 4 Remake, FFXIV & more | How to add extra storage on your Steam Deck and Dock | Best handheld console 2023 | Steam Deck 2: Price, specs, & benchmark speculation

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Best Steam Deck alternatives in 2024: Ayaneo, GPD Win & more - Dexerto