Number 3. Valve Steam Deck
If you can get your hands on one, the Valve Steam Deck is the greatest portable gaming device money can buy right now. At the time of writing, demand is out of control, and the Steam Deck has yet to be released globally—though Valve has stated that manufacturing is increasing up as the globe recovers from a global chip scarcity.
The Steam Deck is a Linux-powered portable computer that can play many of your existing Steam titles owing to Valve’s Proton compatibility layer. Furthermore, it serves as a very competent vintage portable platform. Emulators are available for download through Steam Deck’s Discover app, with projects like EmuDeck, RetroDeck, and RetroArch making the process simpler than ever.
The Steam Deck can imitate a wide range of platforms, including 16 and 32-bit oldies such as the SNES and PlayStation, as well as the Wii, Xbox, PlayStation 2, and even the Nintendo Switch. Steam ROM Manager, a project, may add these games to your Steam library for quick access, replete with album art.
If the native Linux support is insufficient, you may install Windows on your Steam Deck, which delivers a better experience when connecting your portable to an external display.
Valve has created a genuinely great all-in-one portable that starts at $399. The most difficult challenge you may face is obtaining one.
If the lack of Steam Deck availability has you down, or you’d like a more Windows-centric experience, have a look at the Aya Neo Next (and the impending Advance version). It’s part of the newest generation of Windows handhelds, and it outperforms the Steam Deck in terms of raw performance—which is why it’s more expensive than Valve’s portable as well.
