Steam Deck: These are the 5 most exciting alternatives in 2022
With the Steam Deck, Valve introduced a handheld PC. We at MeinMMO present 5 alternatives to the Steam Deck.
What is the Steam Deck? Valve presented a handheld console with the Steam Deck in June 2021. Valve wants to offer a mobile gaming PC, because you can install and play anything you want on the device. Meanwhile, the Steam Deck is officially released.
We present this to you in this article: In our article, we from MeinMMO have listed the best Steam Deck alternatives for you. This could be of particular interest to those of you who either don’t want to pre-order the Steam Deck or are looking for an alternative, powerful gaming console. The Steam Deck uses Steam OS as the operating system, so you don’t get Windows.
Steam Deck Test – That’s what the first reviews say about Valve’s gaming PC in handheld format
The article first appeared on September 20, 2021. On May 31, 2022 we added another alternative to the Steam Deck to the article and added a few additional links to the article.
AYA Neo
What is this device? The AYA Neo is a handheld console that has been successfully crowdfunded. The developers promise that you can play all AAA titles without any problems and that the AYA Neo offers “gaming without compromise”.
What hardware is in the device? The Aya Neo relies on an AMD Ryzen 5 4500U APU, 16 GB of RAM and either 512 GB or 1 TB of hard disk space. The Vega 6 iGPU is responsible for the graphics. Windows 10 is used on the device.
What does the device cost? The price for the AYA Neo is well above the Steam Deck. You’ll pay $789 for the 512GB model and $869 for the 1TB model. Shipping charges are not included here.
| AYA Neo | |
|---|---|
| processor | AMD Ryzen 5 4500U |
| GPU | Vega 6 graphics |
| random access memory | 16 GB |
| screen | 7 inch |
| storage space | 512GB or 1TB |
| weight | 650 grams |
| Price | $789 (512GB) or $869 (1TB) |
What testers say: Derek Sullivan from ultrabookreview has already extensively tested the device (via ultrabookreview.com). In his test, he especially praised the good form factor of the device and the decent performance. Sullivan also states that the device stays cool even under load.
He is not impressed by the weak speakers and the high price. He also struggles with backlight bleeding on his model.
AYA Neo Next (Advance)
What is this device? The AYA Neo Next is a handheld that comes with Windows preinstalled. The device has been commercially available since February 2022. The device was crowdfunded and is already the next success of the manufacturer Ayn Technologies. The device is also available in a powerful Pro version, which is significantly more expensive.
What hardware is in the device? The Ryzen 7 5825U with Radeon Vega 8 is used in the AYA Neo Next. It is a processor with an integrated graphics unit. The device offers you a 7-inch IPS touchscreen with a resolution of 1280×800. The AYA Neo Next weighs 720 grams, making it heavier than the Steam Deck (699 grams). On top of that, the handheld offers you 2 USB-C ports.
What does the device cost? The device is officially advertised in its basic configuration at 1100 to 1200 euros. This makes the handheld significantly more expensive than the Steam Deck or the Nintendo Switch.
| AYA Neo Next | |
|---|---|
| processor | Ryzen 7 5825U |
| GPU | Radeon Graphics Vega 8 |
| random access memory | 16GBy LPDDR4x |
| screen | 7 inches, 1280×800 |
| storage space | Up to 2TB SSD storage |
| weight | 720 grams |
| Price | From 1200 euros |
What the testers say: Sam Byford from the online magazine TheVerge has already tested the Aya Neo Next (via theverge.com). In the test, he explains that the handheld offers a good ergonomic and compact design. Even top titles like Elden Ring or Cyberpunk 2077 can be played with the device at 30 FPS without any problems. However, the device offers less overall power and performance than the Steam Deck.
The AYA Neo Next also feels more mature than the Steam Deck in terms of software, but navigating through Windows feels less intuitive. The tester also criticized the weak battery life and the high price. Because the AYA Neo Next costs more than twice as much as the Steam Deck, but offers less performance.
GPD win 3
What is this device? The GPD Win 3 is also a handheld console that has been successfully crowdfunded. The developers want to offer interested users a pocket-sized laptop.
What hardware is there in the device? Depending on the model, the GPD Win 3 uses either an Intel Core i5-1135G7 or i7-1165G7. An integrated graphics chip (Intel Iris Xe Graphics) is responsible for the graphics. There is also 16 GB of RAM and 1 TB of storage. Windows 10 is used on the device.
What does the device cost? Prices start at $799 for the weaker model, and $899 for the device with an Intel Core i7.
| GPD win 3 | |
|---|---|
| processor | Intel Core i5-1135G7 or Intel Core i7-1165G7 |
| GPU | Intel Iris Xe Graphics |
| random access memory | 16 GB |
| screen | 5.5 inches |
| storage space | 1TB |
| weight | 560 grams |
| Price | $799 or $899 |
What the testers say: Allen Ngo from Notebookcheck.com has already extensively tested the GPD Win 3 (via notebookcheck.com). The tester praised the strong performance of the device and the good display, which not only offers high brightness, but also decent contrast and good response times.
The main criticisms are the touch keyboard and the short battery life. The direction and shoulder buttons also offer little feedback when gaming.
OneXPlayer
What is this device? The One Xplayer is a handheld console from the Chinese manufacturer One-Netbook. The special feature of this device is above all the display: Because the device is equipped with an 8.4-inch IPS screen that offers a resolution of 2,560 x 1,600. The resolution is significantly higher than that of the Steam Deck, which only offers you a 7-inch display with a resolution of 1280×800 pixels.
What hardware is there in the device? The One Xplayer comes with either a Core i7-1165G7 or a Core i5-1135G7. There is also 16 GB of RAM and either 512 GB or 1 TB of storage space. You can also use a memory card with the handheld. All variants rely on the Iris Xe G7 iGPU for graphics. Windows 10 is used on the device.
What does the device cost? Currently you can only import the devices from China. For the variant with the Core i5, 16 GB RAM and the 512 GB SSD you have to pay 886 euros. The i7 model is currently available with a keyboard and case for around 1,082 euros. However, you must note that import duties of 19 percent are added to the purchase.
| OneXPlayer | |
|---|---|
| processor | Intel Core i5-1135G7 or Intel Core i7-1165G7 |
| GPU | Intel Iris Xe Graphics |
| random access memory | 16 GB |
| screen | 8.4 inches |
| storage space | 512GB or 1TB |
| weight | 825 grams |
| Price | 886 euros (i5 variant), 1082 euros (i7 variant) |
What the testers say: PCGamer’s Alan Dexter has already been able to try out OneXplayer (via PCGamer.com). According to the tester, the device offers a high-quality, high-resolution display and enough power to run games at 60 FPS on 1280×720 or 1280×800. Modern games cannot be played at full resolution.
However, the performance of the OneXPlayer is too low for the high price of more than 1,000 US dollars. Competitive games, such as fast shooters, would not be fun, but for games that rely entirely on controller control, it is a thoroughly exciting solution. Alternatively, you can get a significantly more powerful gaming laptop for the money.
What do you have to consider when buying a gaming laptop?
Nintendo switch
What is this device? The Switch is Nintendo’s successful handheld console and is now a few years old. Instead of Windows, you get a custom-made system from Nintendo with the in-house Nintendo e-Shop.
What hardware is there in the device? Nintendo relies on an Nvidia Tegra X1 as the processor. A special Tegra graphics chip is responsible for the graphics. There is also 4 GB of RAM and 32 GB of hard disk space, which can be expanded with memory cards. The console runs Nintendo’s own operating system.
The Nintendo Switch also offers you a docking station. With the Switch Lite there is a weaker variant without a docking station.
Nintendo has now introduced a new switch model with the Nintendo Switch OLED. However, the upgrades are limited: The switch gets an eponymous OLED, which is said to offer significantly better colors than the current display. On top of that, the docking station gets a LAN connection, so you no longer have to gamble via WLAN.
What does the device cost? The normal switch version with a docking station currently costs around 280 euros (as of May 31, 2022). The price has been fairly stable for months and with a lot of luck you can get the switch for 250 euros. For the OLED version of the Nintendo Switch you pay an average of 340 euros, including the docking station.
You can get the slimmed down Switch Lite (without docking function) for 190 euros, which is 100 euros cheaper than the standard model.
| Nintendo switch | |
|---|---|
| processor | Nvidia Tegra X1 |
| GPU | Tegra graphics chip |
| random access memory | 4GB |
| screen | 6.2 inches |
| storage space | 32GB |
| weight | 322 grams |
| Price | 330 euros (switch), 220 euros (lite) |
The presentation of the OLED version was not well received by many fans, who wanted a new, more powerful console. Many users are therefore still waiting for the official announcement of a Switch Pro:
Nintendo Switch Pro – Everything we know about Nintendo’s new console
Reference-mein-mmo.de