So you want to buy a gaming handheld PC

Gaming handhelds are amazing. They make it so much easier to fit all kinds of games into my day. Sadly, they’re less affordable than they’ve ever been — due to an unprecedented, AI-fueled shortage of memory chips, an unforced oil crisis, rampant inflation, fallout from tariffs, and more. But that’s not going to stop you. You’ve decided now’s the time to buy one, before the next shoe drops. I won’t talk you out of it! I genuinely don’t know when or if prices might come back down. So instead of telling you to hold off, I’ll try to help you navigate this “new normal” I keep hearing so much about. We’ll do this four ways: First, if you just want me to tell you what to buy and be done with it, grab an Xbox Ally X if it’s still $999 at the time you read these words. It’s the handheld I’d buy for myself if I were buying today. It’s the only top-tier handheld that hasn’t hiked its price, and it has a good mix of performance, comfort, and battery life. Second, let’s talk bargains. There are a few refurbished and open-box handhelds worth nabbing on closeout — if you can find them at all. Third, I’ll ask you some questions. Assuming you’re buying new, are you looking for the most powerful handheld? The one with the most battery life? The most affordable? The best screen? The easiest to pick up and play? Because all of those are different handhelds, and none are the Xbox Ally X. Click the links in this paragraph to find out which. Fourth, I’ll list every other handheld PC you’re likely to find when you shop around, and why you should probably skip them. I want you to know whether that seemingly good closeout deal is actually worth your money. But before I go down the list, let’s talk Windows and Linux. While I’ve dinged many of the handhelds I’ve reviewed for The Verge for Windows woes, that’s not as big a deal today — because you can install Bazzite or even SteamOS on many of them for a better pick-up-and-play experience. The same exact handheld is often more stable and perfor