Ayaneo Pocket DS arrives tomorrow. So far favorites are the Legion Go 2 for handheld PC, it feels premium, and with the grip case, its amazing ergonomics. Although Onexplayer 3 is more powerful, it doesn't feel as premium. For retro gaming, its Ayn Thor, its amazing at many things, obviously ds and 3ds, but waiting to see how much I like to Pocket DS. For 4:3 content, the Pocket Nova, and for console, Switch 2.

So, top list as of right now:

1. Legion Go 2

2. Ayn Thor

3. Switch 2

4. Pocket Nova

5. Onexplayer 3

Great time to be a gamer.

Honestly the joy of tuning the performance of your games to get the most out of your handheld is sometimes more fun then actually playing them.

Took me about 1-2 hours to get FF Rebirth in a great state, but I always find that the performance tuning is the fun part of these PC handhelds (imo), over something like a switch which is set for you.

With optiscaler, a few mods for shading, performance, and aspect ratio fixes, not only does the game play amazingly, it looks amazing too. Currently playing at 25 watts on OXP 3 with over 100 fps (with the help of XeSS and frame gen).

The Onexplayer 3 is genuinely the best decision I ever made getting this handheld. I can actually sit down for hours and play without being annoyed the textures being grainy.

Wanted to dabble in PC gaming. I grabbed both to see which one would work the best. It seems like the Ally X is worth the extra bit of cash.

Just wanna show off my collection of handhelds so far!

The nintendo switch v2 is my first ever handheld that I bought in 2023, but I’ve given it to my sister.

Then I got my steam deck in Jan 2026, which I LOVED. I just graduated university so I figured I should reward myself 😂

Then I got the nintendo switch 2 in July I think, and the lite just a few weeks ago. They scratch different itches lol. I cant believe it took me this long to buy the lite. It’s perfect I love it so much.

Then I got the anbernic rg cube xx on a sale bcs why not 😂

Current games I’m playing on each console:
- SD: FF7R, will also play Onimusha WotS on it once it comes out
- NS2: Yakuza 0, dave the diver (started playing the latter on my ns2 before i got the lite. but it wouldve been such a perfect game on my lite)
- NS Lite: SOS Grand Bazaar
- RGCXX: kinda a little bit of everything. mostly tekken 5 tho

What handheld should I get next? 😂
I’m actually looking for a portable handheld that can play steam games. Something small and light like my lite. Any suggestions?

Edit: I didnt notice my ns1 is in the pic lol so i edited a bit of the text. Also, just wanna add that all of these (except for the rgcxx) I bought secondhand!

Per me tutto ciò è incredibile per un dispositivo del genere

For transparency: I am getting the new Xbox Ally X20

I’m seeing so many people saying there’s no reason to buy the old chip and to just get the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+. Is it not known that it’s $500 more expensive? If your goal is raw performance and you don’t care about price or anything else then sure.

When you break it down to dollar per frame, it almost evens out. Assuming you’re getting 40% more frames, you’re also paying 40% more in MSRP. Worth noting, I won’t entertain buying a OneXPlayer or anything not available from a retailer that I can just walk into and return.

Outside of performance, what are you gaining on the X20 for $500 less? An OLED screen, VRR available at 30fps, MUCH better software, switchable dpad, superior comparability with SteamOS/Bazzite, better 3rd party support from companies like DBrand.

MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ is a beast. But besides the glaring $500 price difference, it’s inferior to me in every way except performance.

Edit: The Claw 8 does have 8gb more RAM. Do I think it’ll ever really make a difference for as long as you own them? Probably not but still a win for the Claw.

24/512 model, Koboh. Using the eclipse mod for slightly better performance and to fix 16:10 displays.

Good Day,

I've I finally got the funds to get a handheld PC, and I'm stuck between 2 options: a used MSI Claw 8 AI+ or a brand new Xbox Ally X. The used msi claw is like new condition, and is being sold at $800 on ebay, or $900 including tax and shipping. The xbox ally x world cost about $1100 including tax (free shipping) from best buy.

I mainly play Strategy games, but will primarily use this to play non Strategy games (if I can help it). I'm just stuck between the two, and not sure which to choose. Any insight would be welcome.

Basically title.

Bought the joystick earlier last month, but have yet to install them. Saw a lot of post/videos of people installing this joystick on Windows, but have no idea how the stick would behave on Steam OS.

My main concern is how accurate is Steam OS calibration on non-steam hardware.

If anyone has an experience with this exact setup, please share your advice, thanks in advance.

​

Lately, I’ve been looking for a companion handheld for my Ally X, something I can carry around with me and use for quick gaming sessions.

Originally, I was thinking about an RP6, but it felt a bit overkill for my needs. I’m not interested in heavy emulation; I only wanted PS1, PSP, and the three Android games I actually play, including COD Mobile.

Another option was my current phone, an S25 Ultra, which is why I first bought the GameSir G8 Plus. But draining my phone’s battery and heating it up while gaming bothered me quite a bit. Just as a side note, attaching and removing the controller isn’t really an issue for me.

Then I started looking at devices like the RG Vita, Vita Pro, Mangmi Air X, etc. Until eventually I remembered that sitting in a drawer was my old Samsung A52, the phone that originally got me into PS1 and PSP emulation.

It has a modest processor and only 6GB of RAM, but it’s more than enough for everything I actually need and play.

So instead, I decided to buy a more portable controller and turn my old phone into my handheld console. While I can’t say I’ve fallen in love with the GameSir X4 Aileron so far, it’s a compact way to play during those little moments of downtime without draining the battery of my main phone.

I still use the G8 Plus with my S25 Ultra for streaming games from my PC, since it has better Wi-Fi.

Two of my all time favorite devices. Ps Vita with its gorgeous 5" inch OLED display, still crisp and vibrant even for today's standards. Odin2portal 7" inch 0LED being a power house. less

I'm looking for a handheld gaming PC that is easy to use, which I can just pick up and play. My instinct was to go Steam Deck at first, until I learned that ROG Ally X and Legion Go S can both use steamos, making them "upgraded steam decks" that are easy to use but more powerful. I'll mostly be playing simple racing games like forza, nothing competitive or triple A, so I don't need anything overkill. So I'm deciding between these three devices. Would love any advice on which to buy! For all of them, I would use Steam OS.

I recently got the MSI claw 8ai+ a few months ago and it has been a good experience so far. I like the performance the most (XESS mfg is amazing).

But with the announcement of the Xbox Ally X20 as a standalone handheld not just part of a bundle I am intrigued and interested in pre-ordering it.

My main reasons for this are:
-The OLED (albeit, slightly smaller) screen
-The better ergonomics and weight
-The tighter tension on the sticks
-The armoury crate software
-The better haptics/vibration

Part of me is wondering if these features really justify selling the 8ai+ and getting the X20. Or if I should just stick with what I have. What do you think?

Some notable good :

1. Ergonomics are way better than expected (oxp3 vs Lego2 with comfort grips pictured). Id argue its just as comfortable as claw8ex, just different. Photos don't do it justice.

2. The performance* When it hits, the g3e hits hard. Stellar Blade (same settings) ; lego2 : 55fps, oxp3 : 90fps. KCD2 (same settings) lego2 : 50fps, oxp3 : 90fps. On handhelds, the first thing you do when you launch a game is set everything to low (except textures). Its almost jarring to be able to crank settings up to medium and high (with upscaling) and still get 50 to 60fps.

3. The microswitches of the oxp3 controller are actually more quiet than the shoulder buttons of claw8ex and lego2. Plus microswitches feel way better than membrane anyway. That being said the oxp3 rear buttons are crazy loud lmao. Hopefully the pro controllers can just use silent microswitches.

4. The oxp3 interface and software is the biggest surprise to me. All Chinese products I've used tend to have shit software. The oxp3 software is actually so much better than MSI. More features, more responsive. If they just gave the ui design an overhaul, it would be top tier. The on-screen keyboard is a bit mid tho.

5. Xess framegen. I used to be a nonbeliever, but I've been multiframegen pilled.

Just for context I'm a motion clarity blur busters forum gremlin. my last 4 monitors were 2 XL benqs, a NVIDIA pulsar monitor and now a 500hz OLED.

I've been optiscaler injecting xess into my lego2 for a while now and I already know the upscaling is better than fsr3. But multiframegen surprised me. the increased number of frames helps frame pacing significantly. Fsr frame gen from 40fps to 70fps is a juddery mess, and feels bad. Multiframegen from 40fps to 120 actually feels decently playable. Input latency is ok if the base frame rate is consistent.

Some notable bad :

1. *Performance. When it hits , it hits. But man, some of the games I've tried playing run like shit. Elden ring. Stuttery and weak performance. Black Flag Resynced. Runs at under 30fps in town, when same settings on my significantly weaker lego2 is 45-50. Massive bummer when it's effecting multiple games I try, in a row. It's almost like I'd rather have consistent weak performance, with the Lego 2, than have some games pop off and others not really work..

Edit : others seem to be having decent performance with black flag resynced. I'll have a mess around with it, maybe an issue on my end.

1. Triggers rubbing on plastic housing, dpad creaking. Detachable controller system is stiff. Not dealbreaking, but I had to fix it with krytox. Has similar issues with my claw8ex and lego2 tbf (both had face buttons rubbing housing) Highly recommend using krytox on all controllers in general. Feels better.

Overall thoughts :

This is my first oxp device and I'm super, super impressed. It's just better than the Lego2 in nearly every way aside from controller tolerances.

I actually ended up ordering an x2mini pro after seeing how much i liked the oxp3. We will see if it resolves some of the issues in have with the oxp3, and I'll sell whatever is worse for my usecase.

Switched over from a Steam Deck OLED, and this thing is a completely different class of machine.

At native 1200p, Medium-High settings, FSR 3.1 on Quality with frame gen on, the OneXPlayer 3 sat comfortably between 80 and 100 fps for the entire Wrenwood Hotel chapter. TDP capped at 35W and it held there. On the Deck I was scraping the low 40s at Low + FSR, so the jump is honestly ridiculous.

8.8" OLED sells it too. HDR blacks in the hotel corridors are what this game was designed for, and the 144Hz panel with VRR keeps everything looking clean. Not something you can fake on an IPS handheld.

Only real note is the weight. It's noticeably heavier than the Deck, but the palm rests are shaped well enough that a two-hour session didn't bother me. Going to try Cyberpunk with ray tracing next. If it holds up there this basically ends the search for me.

Trying to decide if I should get something more compact and a little more powerful like the Retroid Pocket 6 or if the Mangmi Pocket Max would be powerful enough but also great for game Streaming from PC and my PS5?

Why is this? I bought the onexplayer 3 and the screen and performance is just out of this world. But honestly with it being £1500 I feel weird about it just being under the bed, I 9/10 times will reach for my switch 2 and it’s making me wonder if they made a product so easy to use that in real life (after work) that it just works without any messing about. Dunno if anyone can relate or tell me how this works as performance on onexplayer 3 far outweighs switch 2 performance, yet idk something about the switch 2 just makes me use it