The evolution of portable consoles: from Nintendo Switch and Steam Deck to ROG Ally, MSI Claw and Legion Go

1. How Nintendo Switch and Steam Deck set a trend

It's safe to say that the Nintendo Switch and Steam Deck played a key role in shaping the modern portable gaming market. The main feature of the Switch was the ability to play both when connected to a TV (via a special docking station) and from the built-in screen in portable mode. Since then, the Switch has received numerous updates, including the Switch Lite and Switch OLED models.

The success of the Switch is also interesting due to the fact that for Nintendo, the portable device has become the main platform for selling its games, in fact becoming a direct replacement for the Wii and other stationary consoles. In the spring of 2024, Nintendo reported that more than 140 million portable devices had been sold in 7 years, and Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa noted that the Nintendo Switch would remain the company's "core business" in 2024 and could become the most popular console in history by the end of 2024 humanity. Currently the leader is PlayStation 2 (155 million copies).

In 2021, Valve's Steam Deck entered the market, offering users a completely new look at a seemingly completely identical device. Externally, the Steam Deck is the same compact device with a 7-inch display in the center and the main controls on the sides, but in fact it hides a powerful processor and GPU from AMD inside it. The console runs a custom Linux-based SteamOS operating system and can run many games from the Steam library. That is, we are talking about a unique opportunity to play Cyberpunk 2077, Baldur's Gate 3, Disco Elysium, Elden Ring, Hades and many other gaming hits while lounging on the couch.

In many ways, it was the success of the latter that paved the way for other manufacturing companies.

2. The modern market for portable consoles

Today's portable gaming console market includes a decent number of different devices, each offering unique features and flow Rate.

In form, any modern laptop is a combination of a tablet and a gamepad. If you've ever come across a PlayStation Portable or PlayStation Vita, it's the same idea. Except that the hardware is much more powerful and the screen is larger. In terms of hardware, Valve, Asus and Lenovo set the trend for mobile consoles with custom processors from AMD with integrated Radeon video cards. And only MSI with its Claw went against the market, trusting the mobile platform from Intel.

But, unfortunately, there is no single standard in terms of software yet. Valve spent a lot of time creating and optimizing a custom Linux-based shell. Competitors like Asus, MSI and Lenovo have taken a simpler route by cramming Windows into their laptops (more on this later).

The Logitech G Cloud and Razer Edge hybrid consoles, equipped with Snapdragon mobile processors and running Android OS, deserve special mention. Their hardware, neither in architecture nor in power, is suitable for modern AAA games, but rather is designed for cloud services from Xbox and NVIDIA. If you just thought about a smartphone with an integrated gamepad, then this thought is not far from the truth.

Another interesting variation on the theme of “portable consoles” was released by Sony in 2023. Unlike its competitors, the PlayStation Portal is not so much a stand-alone device, but rather a portable DualSense controller with a built-in screen that allows you to remotely play PlayStation 5 games from an active console. Sony calls Portal a “remote player” for PS5 and emphasizes that it is by no means a successor to the PlayStation Portable or PlayStation Vita. Therefore, we will limit ourselves to a cursory mention, and she will not participate in the comparison.

This was a quick overview of the market situation. In the table below you can compare in detail all the hardware components of the most popular laptops, and then we will quickly look at the features of each model. Let's start with the classics in the form of Switch and Steam Deck, then we'll deal with the newcomers.

Nintendo Switch OLED

• Hardware: NVIDIA Custom Tegra, NVIDIA Custom Tegra GPU, 4 GB LPDDR4, 64 GB internal memory, microSD support.
• Platform: Nintendo custom OS.
• Stores and services: Nintendo eShop.
• What to play: most of the games available on the platform + some AAA projects from third-party developers.

The Nintendo Switch OLED replaced the regular Switch in 2021 and has remained Nintendo's main console ever since. Compared to the original, Switch OLED, as the name suggests, has a brighter and more colorful OLED screen, and also expanded the amount of memory. The life of a Switch owner is greatly simplified by the fact that it can be used both as a regular portable and as a stationary console by simply disconnecting the joy-cons (note: this is the name for the halves of the “gamepad” attached to the sides) and connecting it to the TV.

Unlike most of its “competitors,” the console is equipped with a custom processor and GPU from NVIDIA, which are frankly outdated by modern standards, which is why major games have hardly been ported to the Switch in recent years, limiting themselves to new games in the Nintendo “universe.” As Nintendo fans themselves say, this is more a story about unique gameplay and fun than about beautiful graphics and powerful hardware. A striking example of this thesis is The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, which, despite its outdated graphics, was captivating with its unique gameplay and until the last fought for the title of gaming of the year (note: or even decade) with the great and mighty Baldur's Gate 3.

Steam Deck OLED

• Hardware: AMD APU Zen 2 (4 cores, 8 threads, up to 3.5 GHz), AMD RDNA 2 GPU (8 computing units, up to 1.6 GHz), 16 GB LPDDR5, 256/512/1000 GB NVMe SSD.
• Platform: SteamOS 3.0 (based on Arch Linux).
• Stores and services: Steam.
• What to play: Most games from the Steam library.

Most of the games in the Steam library, including AAA Steam Deck projects, can be called living classics, by which everyone who comes next will be judged. Gabe and company spent a very long time and painstakingly thinking through every detail of the console, be it hardware, screen, controls or software. And the Steam Deck, released 2 years later, finally polished the user experience, thanks to more energy-efficient memory, faster charging and support for Wi-Fi 6E with Bluetooth 5.3. Perhaps the most key aspect of Steam Deck is its convenient Linux-based custom shell adapted for a small touch screen with an integrated Steam library.

But in terms of hardware, Steam Deck is inferior to younger competitors and is no longer able to cope so well with the demanding AAA projects of recent years. Still, the processor here is not the newest, and neither is the video card. However, the screen displays the image not in Full HD, but in HD, so the load on the GPU is reduced. In AAA projects with average graphics settings, the console produces 30 - 40 frames per second, but the result here greatly depends on the gaming and, for example, the old Control periodically manages to drop to 25 FPS in particularly intense scenes. At the same time, many games receive support for the FSR upscaler, which has a beneficial effect on the overall flow Rate of the gaming.

Asus ROG Ally Extreme

• Hardware: AMD Ryzen Z1/Z1 Extreme, AMD RDNA 3 Graphics (4 cores, 2.5 GHz), 16 GB LPDDR5-6400, SSD 256/512 GB.
• Platform: Windows 11.
• Stores and services: Steam, Xbox Game Pass, Epic Games Store, GOG.
• What to play: Any games for Windows, including AAA projects and games from the Xbox Game Pass subscription.

Asus ROG Ally is a fairly powerful and convenient portable console that can run even such demanding games as Cyberpunk 2077 with an adequate framerate. The top modification is equipped with an AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme chip with integrated AMD RDNA 3 graphics, which almost completely duplicates the 6-core Ryzen 5 7540U laptop chip. It is this version that interests us, since the younger version of the console with the regular Ryzen Z1 works slower. In terms of price and flow Rate, ROG Ally can be compared to an inexpensive gaming laptop, which will produce an average of 40-60 FPS in modern games at medium graphics settings and with FSR enabled.

A fast and bright 7-inch Full HD screen with a 120 Hz refresh rate will allow you to enjoy not only games, but also watching high-quality films. The controls are convenient, there are additional buttons, there is even RGB backlighting, without which now, perhaps, there is no escape. Overall, the controllers provide a good experience, but are not up to par with premium gamepads. At the same time, the console itself turned out to be slightly smaller and lighter than the Steam Deck.

MSI Claw

• Hardware: Intel Core Ultra 5 135H, Intel Iris Xe Graphics, 16 GB LPDDR5, 512 GB NVMe SSD.
• Platform: Windows 11.
• Stores and services: Steam, Xbox Game Pass, Epic Games Store, GOG.
• What to play: most of the games available on the platform, including AAA projects.

MSI Claw is a powerful and convenient portable console with a bright 7-inch Full HD screen, Intel Core Ultra 5 135H mobile processor, Wi-Fi 7 wireless receiver and Thunderbolt protocol support. The MSI Claw features a 7-inch Full HD screen with a 16:9 aspect ratio, 120Hz refresh rate and 500 nits peak brightness. The design of the new console is as laconic and without frills as possible. There is a TDP profile switch that adjusts flow Rate based on gaming requirements and remaining battery power.

At the time of release, the console was supposed to become a competitor to ROG Ally and Steam Deck, but at first it rather disappointed with its poor flow Rate and autonomy. As it turned out, the main problem was crooked drivers from Intel. Fortunately, after several months of regular firmware updates, flow Rate leveled off, and by the beginning of summer 2024, the console had actually moved from the unsuccessful beta test phase to active sales. Now you can normally play Cyberpunk 2077, Spider-Man, God Of War and other AAA blockbusters on it without annoying freezes and slowdowns in especially active scenes. If MSI continues to improve at this rate, this will be the most powerful laptop on the market.

Lenovo Legion Go

• Hardware: AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme, AMD Radeon Graphics (RDNA 3), 16 GB LPDDR5X, 512 GB / 1 TB NVMe SSD, microSD support up to 2 TB.
• Platform: Windows 11.
• Stores and services: Steam, Xbox Game Pass, Epic Games Store, GOG, etc.
• What to play: most games available on the platform, including AAA projects

Released in the fall of 2023, the Lenovo Legion Go console could be one of the most interesting portable gaming devices in its class. This is an experimental handheld console that has some minor flaws, but its powerful processor, modular controllers and high-end screen make it one of the most interesting solutions on the market. Naturally, after Steam Deck, until Microsoft releases a special portable Windows mode for such devices, Valve can rest easy. Functionally, the console is similar to similar Windows portables like Ayaneo 2 or Asus Rog Ally. And in shape - like an enlarged Nintendo Switch with its modular controllers.

Unlike most competitors with 7-inch displays, the Lenovo Legion Go features a huge 8.8-inch display with a 16:10 aspect ratio and an overclocked refresh rate of 144Hz. The screen turned out to be gorgeous, but slightly violated the principle of portability: the device turned out to be quite large and weighty (weight 0.85 kg), so the manufacturer equipped it with an additional stand in case your hands got tired. In terms of flow Rate and autonomy, it comes out somewhere between ROG Ally and MSI Claw - i.e. the console can easily handle even the capricious Starfield, and the battery life averages from 1 to 4 hours depending on the gaming, graphic settings, screen brightness, vibration enabled and Wi-Fi use.

3. Ecosystem and games

Today's handheld gaming consoles offer a variety of ecosystems and gaming experiences, catering to different user preferences. Looking at the comparison table in the paragraph below, several conclusions can be drawn.

Nintendo Switch is a thing in itself, a unique phenomenon, a unicorn. Unlike other laptops, it only supports games from the exclusive Nintendo eShop. On the one hand, there is a whole pack of legendary titles, led by Mario Kart, Zelda and Metroid. On the other hand, it does not have productive hardware, and Nintendo itself has specific requirements, so most AAA developers are wary of the “owl”. However, there are still plenty of good multi-platform games here: the most interesting ones include Hades, Divinity Original Sin 2, Portal, Resident Evil 2, Persona 5 Royal, NieR: Automata, Hollow Knight and Disco Elysium.

Most of the new portable consoles, including Asus ROG Ally, MSI Claw and Lenovo Legion Go, on the contrary, are designed for multi-platform and run on a full-fledged Windows 11. That is, in terms of hardware and software, this is practically a gaming laptop with a small touch screen. The problem is that Windows 11 is poorly adapted for such tiny screens and it does not have a conventional “gaming mode”, so you have to use proprietary software like Asus Armory Crate from ROG Ally and MSI Center. It turns out better, but still not as convenient as on Switch and Steam Deck.

4. Disadvantages of handheld consoles

The progress is worthy of admiration, there is nothing to hide - if earlier manufacturers had to make “simplified” versions of popular games for the same PS Vita, now you have a full-fledged PC in your pocket. However, this medal also has a flip side:

• Firstly, it is difficult to measure the real flow Rate of Windows laptops for a thousand different reasons: from screen brightness and the selected TDP profile to the firmware version, graphics settings, the use of FSR and other gadgets. This seriously complicates the ability to adequately compare its capabilities with its competitors.
• Secondly, you need to understand that no one has canceled physics, and most of the reviewed portables in AAA games in all-inclusive mode provide at best an hour and a half of battery life. Therefore, most owners note that such things are more suitable for not too demanding indie games a la Hollow Knight, Stardew Valley and Vampire Survivors, and for completing the third Witcher or Baldur's gate 3 a desktop PC or gaming laptop will be more convenient.
• Thirdly, dimensions. Even the Switch, which is the lightest console among all presented in this material, weighs 420 grams, which is more than 2 times heavier than the average smartphone. The Steam Deck, MSI Claw and Asus ROG Ally weigh slightly more than 600 grams. Well, the Lenovo Legion Go with its 8.8-inch display weighs 850 grams. That is, even strong hands will eventually get tired of holding the console suspended.

Popular portable gaming consoles

Valve Steam Deck OLED 512GB

from 27 799 ₴

Nintendo Switch (OLED model)

from 11 000 ₴

Valve Steam Deck OLED 1TB

from 29 779 ₴

Nintendo Switch Lite

from 6 699 ₴

Lenovo Legion Go S

from 25 399 ₴

Asus ROG Ally Z1 Extreme 512GB

from 19 999 ₴

Nintendo Switch

from 8 550 ₴

Asus ROG Ally X

from 42 999 ₴

Sony PlayStation Portal

from 8 699 ₴

Valve Steam Deck 256GB

from 18 589 ₴

Lenovo Legion Go 512GB

from 25 569 ₴

Nintendo Switch (OLED model) + Game

from 11 599 ₴

Valve Steam Deck OLED 1TB Limited Edition White

from 35 499 ₴

Valve Steam Deck 512GB

from 21 621 ₴

Valve Steam Deck 64GB

from 20 299 ₴

Nintendo Switch Lite + Game

from 7 250 ₴

MSI Claw 135H 512GB

from 18 900 ₴

Lenovo Legion Go 1TB

from 31 030 ₴

Asus ROG Ally Z1 512GB

from 18 999 ₴

XPro PSP 7

from 1 286 ₴

5. Conclusions

If we summarize all that has been said, we can draw the following conclusions:

1. The Nintendo Switch, as already mentioned, is a thing in itself that is more suitable for casual gamers, retro fans, former Wii owners and supporters of the Nintendo brand. There are very few AAA games on the platform, and most of them are Nintendo titles. At the same time, games are quite expensive, including even old projects a la Batman Arkham City.
2. Steam Deck works smoothly and without a hitch, it has a convenient shell, thoughtful integration with Steam, excellent ergonomics and autonomy. However, the hardware is not particularly productive, and the conditional Alan Wake 2 will only run at a lower resolution and with the AMD FSR “upscaler” enabled.
3. The key features of ROG Ally, MSI Claw and Legion Go are powerful hardware and an open platform based on Windows 11, which, on the one hand, turns a laptop into a full-fledged PC, but on the other hand, is not very convenient to control using a small touch screen . At the same time, ROG Ally stands out for its versatility, MSI Claw, after BIOS updates, claims to be the most powerful of the trio, and Legion Go stands out due to its large screen and modular controllers.

We hope this information will help you choose the most suitable option.