The best handheld gaming consoles have grown in popularity over the years. It’s no surprise that several new machines from some of the biggest manufacturers have been announced at CES 2025. If you’re a fan of devices like the Steam Deck OLED, Asus ROG Ally X and Lenovo Legion Go, there’s a lot to get excited about.
Most of the Tom’s Guide IT team (including myself) are at CES reviewing the handheld gaming devices released this year. As one of the laptop enthusiasts mentioned above, I can tell you that this year may be a banner year for these types of machines. Playing the most productive PC games at any time is about to get bigger than ever.
Below is a rundown of the gaming laptops you can expect this year from Acer, MSI, and Lenovo.
The Legion Go S is a more affordable portable device from Lenovo that features the more productive facets of the Legion Go in a smaller, more ergonomic form factor. This new device not only offers a new design, but can also be supplied with an AMD processor. Ryzen Z1 Extreme or a new AMD Ryzen Z2 Go chip. Better yet, a style that will run on SteamOS will be released in May.
SteamOS on the Legion Go S is a game-changer for several reasons. First, this is the first time SteamOS appears on a third-party gaming handheld. Secondly, this model should be more user-friendly since Windows 11 doesn’t work too well on the handheld form factor. But if you prefer a Windows 11 portable, the Legion Go S still has that OS as an option — though it does cost more than the SteamOS version.
The Legion Go S has a similar design to the ROG Ally or Steam Deck. It doesn’t have removable controllers like the Legion Go, but its unibody design and rounded sides make it less difficult to hold. It also features a new rounded D-pad. and cause crashes, making fighting games and first-person shooters (respectively) more intuitive and precise. The 8-inch (1920 x 1200) display with its 120Hz refresh rate also makes games look more engaging. Wonderful and works perfectly.
The Legion Go S will be the most exciting gaming handheld of 2025 thanks to SteamOS, but its other attributes also make it appealing.
Acer unveiled its first gaming laptop in 2024. It turns out the company settled for the 7-inch Nitro Blaze 7 since its newer devices are larger. Much bigger in one case.
The numbers at the end of the Acer Nitro Blaze 8 and Acer Nitro Blaze 11 imply their respective sizes. The former is an 8-inch laptop, while the latter is an 11-inch eyesore. When it launches, the Nitro Blaze 11 will be the most giant Windows 11 handheld device on the market. If you have giant hands and the classic 7-inch handles seem too small to you, this is the option for you. This beast also has removable controllers like the Lenovo Legion Go and Nintfinisho Switch, which is a great touch.
There are some differences besides size. For instance, the Blaze 8 has a faster refresh rate than the Blaze 11. If you’re into fast first-person shooters, you’ll probably want to play on the Blaze 8. The smaller size should also make it easier to carry around.
Unlike competing handhelds, Nitro Blaze systems use an AMD Ryzen 7 8840HS, which is a true computer processor. Add in 16GB of RAM and those handhelds will be tough enough to run the most productive PC games without breaking a sweat.
The MSI Claw 8 AI is available now, but it still gained some flavor at CES 2025. We weren’t too inspired by the original MSI Claw, but this updated style promises to fix the shortcomings of its predecessor.
First of all, Claw 8 AI features the new Intel Core Ultra 7 Series 2 processor with an Intel Arc 140V GPU. This chip promises greater functionality and power than the AMD processors in ROG Ally, Legion Go S, and Steam Deck. Using the same generation Intel XeSS discovered in the company’s Arc GPUs, games have smart functionality and sleek frame rates.
There are some small but noticeable design differences from the previous model. It has a larger 8-inch display, a concave D-Pad, Hall Effect joysticks and more responsive shoulder buttons. The handheld also has a dual-tone colorway instead of all-black like before.
The MSI Claw 8 AI is expected to make up for the previous model. Hopefully, this device will be a bigger argument in favor of Intel chips in portable devices. If this portable device performs as well as we hope, the AMD-equipped festival could simply be on alert.
Tony is IT Editor at Tom’s Guide, covering laptops, tablets, Windows and iOS. In his free time, Tony enjoys reading comics, gambling on video games, reading speculative fiction novels, and spending way too much time on X/Twitter. His non-nerd activities include attending Hard Rock/Heavy Metal concerts and going to bars in New York with friends and painting buddies. His works have appeared in publications such as Laptop Mag, PC Mag, and indie gaming sites.
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