While there were handheld PCs before the Steam Deck, it would be fair to say that Valve’s just-about-portable marvel has played its part in a big push for handheld dominance, especially after Nintendo took a while to release its successor to its ludicrously popular Switch.
Still, 2025 is a very different time from 2022. Nintendo is back with a vengeance, and there are more powerful handhelds like the ASUS ROG Ally. Even Xbox is looking to get in on the action, so if you’ve not picked up a Steam Deck as of yet, have you missed your chance, especially as rumors swirl of a Steam Deck 2?
Let’s dig in.
The lay of the land
Between your Asus ROG Ally and ROG Ally X, MSI Claw 8 AI+, Logitech G Cloud, Lenovo Legion Go S and many more, it’d be fair to say we’ve gone from there being very little like the Steam Deck to having an absolute bevy of options — and that’s not even counting the much-improved Nintendo Switch 2.
This isn’t intended to be a comparison piece between the Steam Deck and its rivals, but it’s worth considering the options if you’re looking for the best handheld PC. Steam Deck can run Windows, but its strength lies in SteamOS (which is now coming to other handhelds) and its more console-like ease of use.
Looking to play Fortnite or Call of Duty Warzone? Those games simply aren’t supported on SteamOS, so you’re probably better off looking at alternatives. But, if you’ve got a huge Steam library or a backlog that you just can’t seem to chew through, Steam Deck (specifically the OLED model) is the way to go.
Letting off Steam
Booting up Steam Deck, you’d be forgiven for thinking it’s more console than PC. Sure, you can boot into a Linux-based desktop mode and add other game launchers, but being able to grab the system, power it on and pick up where I was on Cyberpunk 2077 wherever I am is arguably better than on console, thanks to the way Steam Deck can quickly resume from sleep mode without messing with TV inputs and such.
Still, there have been suggestions that Valve’s console just doesn’t pack the punch it used to. Other handheld PCs have higher resolutions, better refresh rates and overall more power, while even the Switch 2 can run a fantastic port of the aforementioned Cyberpunk. Does the Steam Deck have enough power?
In many ways, it depends on your viewpoint. If you’ve got a nice gaming PC, you’ll get more frames and higher resolutions there, but being able to take games on the go at a very respectable 900p resolution still feels a little like witchcraft for anyone who once thought the Game Boy Color was the high watermark of handheld gaming.
Power up a Steam Deck in front of someone who’s never seen one before and show them 2022’s Elden Ring running so nicely on a handheld, or 2018’s Monster Hunter World, 2019’s Red Dead Redemption 2 (don’t jump to the comments, we’re talking PC release year) and they’ll likely care not one jot.
And yet, in 2025, is that enough? That depends on your desire to play the latest PC games, and while there will always be games that run well with a subtle tweak or two, there will be others that struggle or flat out won’t work because of the Linux base of SteamOS.
So, while I’m gutted I can’t play Destiny 2: Edge of Fate on my Steam Deck, I can console myself with knowing that Diablo 4 and Path of Exile 2 are great on the system, but it’s not the place I’d be playing Battlefield 6 when it launches, even if I could.
In short, it’s down to your choice of games, but it’s worth stressing just how massive the Steam library is and how easy it is to get started. I have games running back a decade or so, where I installed them to play on an old Intel MacBook or Sony Vaio laptop that I can install and be playing in comfort with just a few button presses.
Valve’s labelling system makes it easy to work out which games will be playable, and for me, there’s nothing like knowing I can jump into 2008’s Mirror’s Edge or 2013’s Splinter Cell: Blacklist on a modern-day system and have them run better than they did on the original hardware more often than not.
Bye-bye, backlog
In that sense, Steam Deck is the console for lapsed gamers that don’t want Microsoft Word on their portable handheld, but instead want to jump into cult classics like Hitman: Blood Money (my all-time favorite game, thanks for asking).
Add to that Steam’s frankly ridiculous (in a good way) discounts, and you can build a collection for a few dollars. Put that next to the Switch 2, which will charge you another $60 for the Elden Ring you already have on PC, and you can see how the Steam Deck more than holds its own.
All of this talk of convenience doesn’t mean there’s nothing for tinkerers to enjoy, either. Valve has been very happy to put frame counters and power charts front and center for anyone who wants them, while many users choose to swap out SSD drives for larger ones. That makes the Steam Deck a sort of "jack of all trades," and while it may not be a master at any one, it’s pretty fantastic at many of them.
Should you buy a Steam Deck in 2025?
The answer is a resounding yes, but with a handful of caveats attached. For one, it’s worth confirming if the games you want to play on Steam Deck will actually run on the system, either because of anticheat requirements or just plain old graphical grunt under the hood.
If the game doesn’t, you might want to look at an alternative, or consider playing on a console or a more traditional PC.
The other caveat is the model of Steam Deck you should go for. The LCD is a fantastic system, but the OLED surpasses it in every way. The screen is slightly bigger and much better, both in terms of brightness and contrast, and has a higher refresh rate, while it’s also got improved battery life and faster downloads thanks to Wi-Fi 6E.
In short, the Steam Deck OLED is the one to go for, and anyone picking one up in 2025 will be very, very happy.
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