Best Steam Deck alternatives in 2024: Ayaneo, Asus ROG & more

The handheld market has exploded in popularity since the launch of the Steam Deck, but that means there are many alternatives to choose from. Which one is right for you? This guide will help you decide.

The massive success of the Steam Deck has prompted many other companies to produce their own handheld gaming device. Brands such as Ayaneo, Lenovo, and Asus ROG have all thrown their hats into the ring in an effort to challenge Valve’s dominance.

With so many options to choose from, how do you decide which handheld is the right one for you? This guide will lay out some of our favorites along with the pros and cons to help you come to a decision.

1. Ayaneo 2S – Best premium Steam Deck alternative

The Ayaneo 2S may look just like its immediate predecessor, but packs even more premium hardware under the hood. Like most Ayaneo products, it has superb build quality and premium features such as Hall Effect analog sticks which ensure stick drift never becomes a problem.

Powerful specs mean that even demanding games like Cyberpunk 2077 can run at a smooth 60FPS on the bright and bezel-free IPS display.

The Ayaneo 2S is a premium product, however, and the price reflects it at $999.

2. Ayaneo Air 1S – Best lightweight alternative

Dexerto

Handheld devices can be pretty heavy, considering all those components are crammed into a tiny space. The Steam Deck, for just one example, weighs in at over 660g. If you are looking for something that isn’t quite as demanding on your arm muscles, then the Ayaneo Air 1S might be what you need.

Like its big brother the Ayaneo 2S, the Air 1S has some pretty significant specs that allow it to run modern AAA titles like Starfield with ease.

The Ayaneo Air 1S is a more travel-friendly alternative to the Ayaneo 2S thanks to its tiny size and lightweight body, but it does accordingly suffer in terms of battery life.

3. Nintendo Switch – Best exclusive games library

Nintendo

Of course, the Nintendo Switch was going to be here. The Nintendo Switch might be entering its twilight years as a games console, but it can still punch far above its weight class thanks to its vast and varied library of games.

Switch exclusives like Super Smash Bros, Legend of Zelda and Pokemon are all massive draws for the platform, as is the availability of the Switch Online game library for those who buy the subscription service.

Another Switch advantage is the price point, which is considerably less than the Steam Deck and many of its alternatives, making it a tempting choice for people on a budget.

4. Asus ROG Ally – Most powerful Steam Deck alternative

Asus

The Asus ROG Ally sports some of the most impressive specs of any gaming handheld currently on the market. In terms of pure power and performance, it rules the roost. However, it does have some design niggles that prevent it from being a true competitor to the Steam Deck, as discussed in our review.

If power is what you want then the Asus ROG Ally is more than capable of delivering.

5. Ayn Odin 2 – Best budget Steam Deck alternative

The Ayn Odin 2 might not appear to be an obvious candidate to compete since it is an Android-based system. However, the Ayn Odin 2 is a surprisingly capable machine thanks to its powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 system-on-a-chip.

For modern gaming, the Ayn Odin 2 is largely confined to Android-based mobile games like Call of Duty: Mobile or Honkai: Star Rail, but it does a brilliant job of displaying those. Where the Ayn Odin 2 really shines is in emulation, where it can support everything up to PlayStation 1 or GameCube games.

If you’re after even more useful guides to do with the Steam Deck, we have many more guides for you to check out right here:

How to use the Steam Deck’s keyboard in desktop mode | Steam Deck vs Nintendo Switch: Which one is better in 2024? | How to install Windows on Steam Deck: Dual boot & more | Steam Deck SSD installation: How to upgrade your storage drive | Best Steam Deck games in 2023: Resident Evil 4 Remake, FFXIV & more | How to add extra storage on your Steam Deck and Dock | Best handheld console 2023 | Steam Deck 2: Price, specs, & benchmark speculation