Steam Deck, ROG Ally, and more: all the news about the handheld PC gaming revolution – The Verge

AMD will bring FSR 4 to handhelds by the end of 2026

2026-10-08T22:32:40-04:00

It's already possible to get AMD's framerate-enhancing FSR 4 boost on handhelds as old as the Steam Deck - but in June, AMD reserved the right to disappoint handheld gamers by not officially bringing FSR 4 to older handhelds. Now, AMD consumer chip boss Jack Huynh says he will bring the tech to some handhelds by the end of the year.

Which handhelds? It's still not clear if it will come to existing handhelds, or if you'll need a new one to get it - because it comes alongside news that AMD is releasing a new FSR4-capable chip.

"We will expand the machine learning AI-based FSR4 technology, which was first introduced to existing external graph …

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Steam Deck 2: Is AMD Gainsborough the chip Valve’s been waiting for?

2026-10-01T17:33:01-04:00

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The Steam Deck LCD’s “Aerith” APU. | Photo by Fritzchens Fritz

The Steam Deck is four and a half years old, and handheld gamers are eagerly awaiting a Steam Deck 2 - but Valve has consistently said it needs a new chip with a "generational leap" in performance and efficiency before building the sequel.

There's some reason to believe that chip has now broken cover: AMD Gainsborough. But I'm a tad skeptical.

As leaker Moore's Law is Dead and IT Home report, the latest AMD drivers have leaked the codename for a previously unknown chip: an "AMD Gainsborough." The first Steam Deck chip was named "Aerith" after Final Fantasy VII's heartbreaking love interest, and Gainsborough is her last name. Plus, the chip …

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Valve is still figuring out ‘how and when’ to do Steam Deck 2

2026-09-15T07:39:56-04:00

Now that Valve has finally launched its entire 2026 hardware lineup - the Steam Controller, the Steam Machine, and today's Steam Frame - are we any closer to a next-gen Steam Deck handheld? Valve isn't saying so yet. The company is figuring out "how and when we can deliver something like that," Valve designer Pierre-Loup Griffais now tells IGN.

Valve has been clear for years that 1) a Steam Deck 2 will indeed happen, and 2) it's not coming until Valve finds the right chip. The original Steam Deck worked because it delivered the right combination of price, performance, and battery life, and Valve has repeatedly said it won't sacrifice effici …

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Acer’s new concept hardware is a gaming handheld with a keyboard

2026-09-03T09:30:22-04:00

Acer has invented… the laptop.

For the last few years, PC gamers on the go have had a choice: Buy a gaming laptop, or pick up one of the many Steam Deck-inspired handhelds that are a fraction of the size but a lot less versatile. Acer's latest concept device, Project DualPlay Mini, is an attempt to upend that dichotomy by sticking a keyboard in a handheld.

The DualPlay Mini is first and foremost a Windows gaming handheld, cut from the same cloth as Acer's existing Predator Atlas 8 (which is being joined this week by a new 7-inch model). In its default configuration, the handheld's screen is flanked by analog sticks, a D-pad, and Xbox-style ABXY face buttons, plus two tri …

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The OLED Xbox Ally X20 officially starts at $1,300

2026-08-25T11:49:52-04:00

The Asus Xbox Ally X20 looked like it could be one of the best handheld gaming PCs yet made - but originally, Asus wanted you to buy a bundle pairing it with pricy AR glasses. In July, we told you that bundle would no longer be necessary, and today it's official: you can pre-order a standalone handheld at Best Buy or Asus's online store for $1,300, shipping October 15th.

Asus spokesperson Don Nguyen tells us it's the same basic ROG 20th Anniversary handheld I tried at its US offices, so you should be getting a translucent gadget with gold trim.

Bling isn't the reason to buy it, though. If I were buying, it'd be because of the larger new 7 …

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Lenovo confirms Legion Go issues after gamers report bricked devices

2026-08-24T19:42:32-04:00

Cursed BIOS. | Photo by Sean Hollister / The Verge

When a company's software update turns your computer into a useless brick, should fixes be free? Framework, the modular computer startup, apparently thinks so. But it's not clear that computing giant Lenovo will go that far.

Three weeks after a Redditor presented a nearly $300 repair bill for their handheld gaming PC - among other reports of damage and high repair bills - the company is breaking its silence. It says, in short: try holding down the power button longer, and if that fails, contact customer support.

Here's the statement Lenovo provided to The Verge, via communications director Jeff Witt:

Lenovo is aware that some Legion Go d …

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The MSI Claw EX is the most important PC handheld since Steam Deck — I still wouldn’t buy one

2026-08-14T10:31:05-04:00

The Claw EX. I rather like the purple. 3D-printed stand not included.

As The Verge's resident handheld reviewer, I have nearly every portable gaming PC on a shelf in my house. The MSI Claw 8 EX AI Plus is now the first one I reach for. Thanks to a next-gen Intel chip and improved MSI design, the Claw EX is the most powerful handheld that truly feels portable. It's the handheld with the longest battery life, and the first Windows handheld I can trust to sleep and wake reliably.

Like the Steam Deck, when I press the power button, my game is always right where I left off. Unlike the Steam Deck, it can hibernate for days without losing a significant amount of charge.

Performance and battery? Windows and sleep? …

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Logitech’s handheld plans are on ice — don’t expect a G Cloud 2 soon

2026-07-28T08:31:51-04:00

Logitech's new gaming boss, Robin Piispanen, tells me he likes the idea of gaming handhelds. "It's such a charming value proposition," he says, as we sip iced vanilla lattes at my local cafe. But he's not building one right now. He's not sure when or if Logitech should try again, after its underwhelming experiment with the Logitech G Cloud streaming handheld.

"Right now, in this moment in time, there's bigger things for us to focus on than doing a second G Cloud," he tells me.

Personally, I feel like the G Cloud would have a better chance today. At its 2022 debut, the $350 Logitech handheld was almost completely overshadowed by the far m …

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Valve says iFixit will keep selling Steam Deck batteries after all

2026-07-15T18:22:50-04:00

The Steam Deck’s internals, including the L-shaped battery.

Valve has been incredibly friendly to customers who need repairs - which is why it was so surprising to hear that Valve was already discontinuing the battery for the Steam Deck LCD handheld. It would have meant you could no longer just buy a battery from iFixit and install it yourself. Why would Valve stop stocking the most important replacement part just as people are starting to need it?

Here is Valve's answer to The Verge, as of 5PM ET: "We just confirmed with iFixit that they plan to have batteries back in stock by next week."

"iFixit will be getting the same OEM parts sourced through Valve's partners that they always have," spokespe …

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The OLED Xbox Ally X20 is so good, Asus will sell it solo

2026-07-14T12:23:00-04:00

The Ally X20 (front) and Lenovo Legion Go 2 (behind).

When I first told you about the "OLED Xbox Ally X of my dreams," I had to curb my enthusiasm a bit. That's partly because I hadn't yet tried the handheld myself, and partly because Asus was only planning to sell it bundled with a pair of expensive AR glasses! I'm happy to say both things are no longer true.

Asus will sell a standalone version of the OLED Ally as well, spokesperson Anthony Spence confirms to The Verge. "We are actively discussing the release schedule for a standalone version of the new Ally. Please stay tuned for upcoming announcements."

And after spending two hours with the OLED Ally at the company's California offices, I …

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