Hey everyone, as a follow-up, we ended up raising about $6,000 in support of Maui, and we sent the payment to the Food Bank last month. Thank you for the support, it is truly humbling!
Brother I don't know you from Adam but I love you for blessing people and giving to charity and making sure someone has food tonight. And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. Colossians 3:14 KJV
The Steam Deck made me to play PC games again. The easy to use, Steam OS, the community behind and Valve support is no brainer for to choose one. The others device may be more powerful or smaller but the Deck has the whole package and more. My next device will be the Steam Deck 2.
steam deck is fine, but its just old tech at this point and the ease of use comes with limitations. Id rather take something like the ally with windows where you get more options. But that is just preference I guess. If you arnt that good with technology I can see why youd want to go with something more simple.
There are many choices, but the obvious choice continues to be the Steam Deck. Time will tell how Windows 11 changes to accommodate handheld PCs, but right now SteamOS is a massive selling point.
I have a steam deck as my main daily handheld. 10/10 in love. I also have a miyuu mini plus that I pocket and play gba games when I'm pooping. Also 10/10 love it.
You're doing awesome stuff donating to the Maui Food Bank! Much love! On another note, what are your thoughts on the Win Mini? Yeah man, I wanna hear them.
Greatly appreciate all of your reviews. I want to love my Steam Deck more but I HATE how it feels in the hand. Its very big and clunky to me...I also dislike that the screen isn't 1080p 60hz at the minimum. At the rate that these handhelds are coming out, I'm sure something will be able to supplant it soon from the hardware side.
There's multiple not Steam Deck handhelds in this video alone that meet that screen requirement. I don't recall the refresh rate, but there is a screen replacement available for the Steam Deck already, too.
I have the Win 600, dual boot (separate external ssd) steam deck and just got the Win 4. I also have a GPD Win 2 and I like them all, but mainly use the steam deck and Win 4.
Can we have one with a 4:3 Screen finally?! I’m sick of all these 16:9 handhelds with Xbox layout controllers oversaturating the market. I just want something for PS2/GameCube/Saturn rather than all these “Anbernic” type devices that keep advertising “it can play GameCube/PS2 games!” when it is using ALL the resources so I can’t use shaders, QOL improvements, etc. and it STILL CAN’T PLAY MORE THAN HALF OF THE LIBRARY. Yeah… it “plays PS2 and GameCube Games!”… sure it does… Also fk those “retro” handhelds that have 4:3 screens, can’t play full libraries for dual analog systems, and then put the analog stick on top and the dPad on bottom… and if that wasn’t bad enough, then you get “powerful retro handhelds” like the Retroid 3+ that are advertised as playing PS2/GameCube, have a 16:9 screen for modern games, yet they put the dPAD ON TOP??? Are they making a fking joke???
Brother, no one understands the poor, everything is meant by money, this RUclipsr also only wants to make his own money, don't be a slave to anyone, do something for yourself. You are born poor but if you die poor it is your fault.
I got my steam deck as a gift almost a year ago and the stuff valve is doing to keep it optimized for a good user experience have been excellent. I haven't even thought about buying anything else. Not yet anyway.
It really is an amazingly supported piece of tech. I will often prefer to play games on it over more powerful handhelds, just thanks to those optimizations.
I have the GPDWin4 (with their dock as well). I have very small hands and that is why this one fits me best. Absolutely love the thing. To combat the heat; I printed the free clip on grip GPD supplied STL files for. Now my palms and fingers are further removed from the machine it doesn't bother me as much anymore.
@@EmbracetheSuck5280It's excellent. I haven't tried the other ones, but I'm very satisfied. Granted, I have 64GB 4TB model (managed to find one almost unused on eBay for 900€!)
That is definitely a super combo! My standard combo is very similar but with the RP3+ instead of the Odin Lite, just because it's smaller and can play up to PSP -- I leave the PS2/GC for my Steam Deck :)
@RetroGameCorps my combo is my Steam Deck and my Freeplay Zero hotrodded with a Raspberry Pi Zero 2W and a 3000 mAh battery upgrade. An odd pairing, I know, but I love gaming on Linux operating systems.
@@BigBossultrastealth the PS3 games I like to play are lightweight (like AfterBurner Climax) and the Steam Deck runs those fine. The rest of the PS3 games I’d likely play on the Ally or a 7840U device.
Same here ill never give up my Deck unless a Deck 2 comes along and force retires my Deck. The Deck just really kicked off the market letting everyone know hey there's a market for handheld PC's and it's ok to go ahead and make them.
I just wish a new handheld gaming PC didn’t release every week. Holy hell it’s impossible to keep up with this market. It’s seriously ridiculous. I just said the hell with it, bought a Steam Deck, and never looked back.
The ROG Ally is straight money!! It's all I need! I love it so much and haven't even turned on PC since buying one. It runs AAA games at 1080p over 60fps with ease wiping the floor with SD in any game. its unreal to me everyday I play on it and or use it as PC. The speakers are incredibly good too. I don't understand SD users, it's not Windows so its basically useless to me.. as the whole point of a device like this is to replace a PC and offer portability. Reviewers act like Linux is a bonus but if you are already a windows user its an absolute detriment.
The steam OS is really nice and hassle free (outside of desktop mode) I have a deck, and not an Ally. But if I had to buy one right now I would still get the deck, but that is because of the price point. Ally is just a lot more expensive, especially in europe where Im from.
@@xshme Ah okay i can understand that because the European market is different. but i have to say the performance boost on the Ally vs SD is significant and justifies the price. It's my opinion steam OS is a detriment on a handheld PC. In Canada where I'm from the Ally is under $1000 and you can't get this much PC performance from a pre-built or laptop. As i stated the Ally has completely replaced the need for my gaming PC something that would not be possible with Steam OS
What i like about this channel is it brings attention to legitimate charity efforts for important causes + we see the passion he has for buying and supporting companies, be it game companies/devs, or the retro handheld community - but this isn’t about saving as much money as possible, it’s about putting money where you feel it matters and gives back
im disappointment that loki mini pro has come out so slowly. i was going to buy it but it kept getting pushed back. so when deck stock came in i bought the deak and glad im did. its perfect in every way for myself
That's kind of how Ayn operates, their products seem like good deals when they are promised, but by the time they actually deliver, they're not really worth it anymore.
@@ferdgerbeler8494 yeah i wish i knew that before i was fanboi'ing them. i really like Ayn's products ON PAPER but as you and other's have said. they arn't that good on releasing. its sad cause they seem like they could be great
Hey as a regular user of the ROG Ally. How has your SD card slot held up? I was thinking of getting one as a replacement for my media center pc but I have concerns about having enough storage. A couple big SD cards or an internal drive replacement would be enough but the most talked about issue with the Ally seems to be the SD card slot.
As someone who has the ally sinds day one it's about luck. Many fail but some are still kicking strong (talking about the SD reader). But you can also buy a aliexpress 2280 adapter for the ally, so u can put full slot ssd's inside your ally up to 4tb. For me personally I am using it to play 1 AAA game few small size platformers/vampires surivers etc. and I only emulate Switch games on it both zelda's and loads of pokemon and mario games. so I have enough with the 512GB it came with. never touched the SD card yet.
I would say the standouts for portable handhelds are: GPD Win-4 (small) Valve SteamDeck (cheap) ASUS ROG Ally (value) GPD Win-Max-3 (large) The standouts for pocketable handhelds are: Anbernic RG 353m (small) Retroid Pocket 2S (cheap) Anbernic RG 405m (value) Retroid Pocket 3+ (large) Any single one of those eight handhelds will provide you with some decent entertainment. But if you get two devices, one from each segment, you will have a phenomenal time.
I really love the Win 4 now that it finally arrived. My only gripe is that I can't get it to do Steam Controller Config as cleanly as the Steam Deck or even my desktop PC and it runs into some problems with Switch via Emudeck but that may be my fault in the set up lol
I Have a question. Is there a handheld that can play PS2 games? I don't means android version or steam deck. I want a tiny anbernic or powkiddy can play PS2 games without android version :C Like play PS2 in Retroarch handheld :C
Question. You mentionned that you use the Deck more and more often but go the the ROG Ally from time to time (plus the cute one in fromn your backpack), how do you manage your save games when switching from one device to the other ? I get that using Steam grants the cloud saves feature but what about the other software ? including the emulators ofc.
"I've amassed 50 handheld PCs and it's getting to be too much, so I'm going to auction some off to help whittle down my collection. Here are the 49.5 that I plan to keep."
I have a steam deck, rog ally, loki max, gpd win 4, and win600. I don't plan on getting rid of any of them lol. I love them all. Plus, I want my son to play them when he grows up
You're a good guy - I do hope you raise lots of money with this auction. Personally I'd only be interested in the Win Max 2 as an addition to what I already have (for the same reason you mentioned in the description) but I'm broke anyway so it doesn't matter ^^ Good luck!
I've had a number of these devices over the years, but the 2 I kept are the Steam Deck and the Win Max 2. Steam Deck is my go to gaming device, the Win Max I use for stuff the Deck can't/won't run well, general laptop use, and media consumption. Windows has been my biggest issue with most handheld PCs, and I'm able to circumvent most of those issues between these 2 devices 👍 thanks as always for your content Russ, good luck raising money for my Maui peeps ✌️
@@TheTyisawesome ease of use and convenience mostly, games not displaying correctly, older games just not working in Windows, navigation on a touch screen as opposed to trackpad, issues with screen orientation.. amongst others
I own a win4 and a steam deck, I basically play everything between those and have logged a solid 80+ hours on d2 using the win4 😅 It's replaced my gaming pc entirely, I love it that much.
Like I keep asking all my favorite handheld creators: Which one makes the best all in one Switch? What's the one that's the most fun, easy to set up, looks good and works best from one's TV >and< works well just to pick up take on the go for more gaming? And what are the best accessories to make it happen? Bonus Question: How much is it worth it just to spend the same price or less to get as powerful or more powerful than these by going with just a laptop or mini-PC? I have fallen in love with the freedom of PC gaming, but I'm still from console roots. What's the coolest way to get the PC Console gamer experience?
I love the fictional backstory that, beyond being a niche reviewer, you’re a guy with a 100 different device that mostly do the same thing, constantly cycling through them and changing your opinions of them. Like you in a room all day just frantically running around trying different emulator devices. Love the channel!
It`s great to hear that you`ve been getting so much mineage out of the Ally, tbh... I`ve been considering a handheld pc for a while as an end of the year purchase, and as enticing a value proposition as a base model Steam deck with either an SSD upgrade or a 1tb SD card ( especially since they now sell refurbished units for even less), I`ve been leaning towards the Ally for the extra performance and versatility afforded by windows (specificly for running gamepass and microsoft store games natively, since I own an xbox, and some of my library consists of xbox play anywhere titles), but the announcement of the lenovo legion go has thrown a wrench in the works, and I`m now waiting for final specs and pricing to be revealed, and for reviews to come out, so that I can know what device to go for. It`s going to be a long wait though, and I`m struggling to not impulse buy the Ally as it is. Also, I haven`t considered any of the other devices in part necause I don`t really know where I could buy some of them from, and in part because when I do find them on amazon or other retailers, their proce always seems too high relative to their specs, when compared to the specs for the money that you get with the Ally and the Deck I was also thinking of buying one of the eGPU things to make the Ally my desktop as well, but they are so absurdly priced that for the price I`d rather build a gaming PC. If the Lenovo happens to support standard eGPUs over usb though, that might factor heavily into my final decision, depending on the current price of GPU enclosures ( although a quick amazon search seems to suggest that a GPU enclosure costs as much as a decent CPU and motherboard, so I might as well just build a pc to take full advantage of the GPU, and use whatever handheld pc I decide to buy on the side)
I would probably pick either the GPD Win 4 because of the keyboard (and relatively small size) or the ONEXFLY because it really looks comfortable and also has good size (not too big).
My forever device is the GPD Win Max 2. It has all the IO I'd want, it has a full on laptop keyboard, it has a camera built in, it has lots of storage expansion options (M.2 2280 slot that supports 4TB, a M.2 2230 slot that supports 2TB, a SD card slot that supports 2TB, and a micro SD card slot that supports 1TB), the battery is about double the capacity of the Steam Decks, and the screen is big and beautiful (yes the resolution is 1600p so that's not feasible to render higher end games but it runs older games just fine at that resolution and even if you have to drop the resolution, the size and how vibrant it gets still helps things out). The only 2 downsides to this device are the speakers are down facing and not as good as other devices (which is okay to me as I use headphones/ear buds or don't have the audio up when I'm using it) and the price is pretty steep (I paid $1200 for it). But given that I use this as both a laptop and a portable gaming device, I'm okay with the price. It's my go to all in 1 device.
Does anyone know the name of the game being shown on the win600 at the beginning? Use to love this game when I was younger but I can't remember what it's called now!
You mentioned the switch towards the end of your video, is the switch something you use at all? I tend to buy some games on the switch instead of the steam deck just because of the oled, like sea of stars.
We have a couple Switches at the the house, the kids mostly play them. I collect the cartridges so I can dump them and use the ROMs for emulation. It’s also nice to have a physical library!
That's neat! I am glad you're supporting the people that lost lives and homes in Maui. I'm all for charities. If I was super rich and had money to burn. I would. I would love a dedicated pc handheld. But currently need the money. I am looking for cars T.T I guess that's kind of tech, right? 😅Appreciate your guides and reviews btw keep it up!
Do you live with humid heat, though? I live where summer can high 115F+ (46C+). I also don't have ac. So dry heat experience is askari welcome. I don't have a 3D printer, nor space for such a thing. So the free file to print grips isn't really in my means.
I know he won't sell his Steamdeck 😅 Me too, steamedeck was my favorite handheld that I can carry and play anywhere with me, unless i can't carry a big handheld and only want to play some nes, SNES, or Genesis games, I'm carrying Miyoo Mini instead.
I guess I'm firmly in the crazy person territory as I have the Steam Deck and the ROG Ally. I use the Ally to play PC games and the Steam Deck for emulation. I overall prefer the Ally due to form factor and performance but I also had it fry an SD card so it's mainly good for having the select small number of PC games to play on the go whereas all my ROMs are on SD cards so the Steam Deck and its ability to NOT fry SD cards is the way to go for emulation. I do plan on getting the Legion Go sooner rather than later and I'll eventually get the GPD Win 4 once it can be obtained for a reasonable price from a reputable retailer. The Legion Go for that next step up in PC gaming on the go and the GPD Win 4 because I just think it'd be neat to have something that resembles PSP/Vita to specifically emulate classic Sony systems
From what I've seen Lenovo has been sending Legion Go review units to lamestream, bootlickers and old fart press. At this point I'm mildly concerned how much they seem to be either unwilling to send it to the solid independent reviewers and or are treating handheld specialists as an unnecessary niche in their marketing, which makes it feel like they have some blindspots.
Hey Russ, since you are doing it for charity, but maybe those devices at the end will be too much expensive for me, I would like to do something anyway, and so I ask you if the purchase of magnets and stickers I see on your eBay page would help as well 😊I will check the bids from time to time, and I hope that any of those would be affordable for me to make me jump in: my dream would be to pick up the Loki, but I would enjoy the Ayaneo devices as well...
I'm a BIG fan of the GPD Win 4 because of how portable and powerful it is! I dont mind plugging in my power bank (which i usually have with me when I travel for general tech) to keep going on flights ✈️
Late comment, but new Ally X is amazing! 🎉 Id love to find something 1/4 the size and still very powerful but may never happen. 😢 Great choices and content from the channel, thanks!
Hey man, thanks a lot for this. I have a question if you can help.. how can I transfer my save for FF6 from my 351V to my steam deck? I'll like to continue the game but not from the start :D Thanks a lot,
Hey! I've been a huge fan for a long time and have used your tutorials to JB my Vita. I have a question though. As a fan of handhelds, thinking about future releases of games and the upcoming release of switch 2, what do you think would be the better investment in the long run; a handheld gaming pc (maybe not the Steam Deck), or the Switch 2? I already have the Vita and the V2 switch though, but I don't want to get another handheld just to play a few games for it. I would prefer to have a hand held gaming device for multiple consoles or game choices. Sorry for the long comment and thank you!
Me (only owning a Steam Deck): oh god, I wonder if he's gonna s**t all over the steam deck RGC: "you're gonna have to pry it from my cold dead hands" me: *feels validated* 🤣 I guess it's obvious I'm new here, lol
Im content w the retroid pocket 3+ and the og pocket go, the former meets all my needs and the latters perfect for the field, easy to quickly hide from higher ups
Hey can I ask for your opinion regarding xg mobile lock mechanism? There was A LOT of complains that once its being locked, its hard to get it back, and with time its getting worse, until one day it stuck there, and you have to go to the service center.
I know that this was mainly used in rog flow. But now since ally get a popularity it's used more and more. And I am very skeptical about ASUS done their homework.
Great video as always. I am indeed in the market for one of these to go with my RG35XX. Wich one has the best specs with the best D-pad and hall sensor sticks ?
I just have an AYN Odin Pro, I'm not planning on upgrading anytime soon. I do want a PC handheld but i doubt it's ever use it so I'm putting it off for a few more years. Maybe around Ryzen 10.
Hello, love the channel. I want to buy my first hand held gaming device however I am also in the market for a PS5 so which handheld device would you recommend that isn't too pricey but still a good all rounder. Thanks
I love GPD and the Lenovo hell all of em but they’ll sadly never be as successful as the steam deck. The steam decks base lcd model retails for 350 right now🤦the best OLED option retails for less than a lot of these and no it’s not a huge performance difference because the steam deck is so optimized. The downside is of course not being able to play games with ant-cheat and it being more of a hassle to mod but it’s leaps and bounds more accessible and consistent than any other handheld rn.
Analogue Pocket if i ever have one. Hardware emulation unlike all of the other handhelds. But it is really expensive and the dock is an additional expense. Hopefully someone donate it to me. Thanks in advance. 😅 And i think a budget PC with a decent gpu and the xbox series s/x for the hardcore emulation will be the best for its price.
i know im late to the video, but I was wondering what gpu setup youre using for your rog ally, been wanting a standalone gpu for when I travel home but cant seem to find one?
![DDG & G Herbo - Nosey [Official Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/I9Ra0Zc2NlQ/mqdefault.jpg)
Hey everyone, as a follow-up, we ended up raising about $6,000 in support of Maui, and we sent the payment to the Food Bank last month. Thank you for the support, it is truly humbling!
Brother I don't know you from Adam but I love you for blessing people and giving to charity and making sure someone has food tonight.
And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. Colossians 3:14 KJV
This video did not require a snack and a drink?
**brings out my popcorn and drink**
Daaang it. Guess I will put these back
Not required but highly recommended
This is serious business. like a business meeting so we’re skipping lunch.
Oh no PinkDan12345 isn't going to remember to eat now.
The charity is too serious of a topic to be memeing around, if I had to guess.
The Steam Deck made me to play PC games again. The easy to use, Steam OS, the community behind and Valve support is no brainer for to choose one.
The others device may be more powerful or smaller but the Deck has the whole package and more.
My next device will be the Steam Deck 2.
You nailed it. i have exactly the same experience.
Steam Deck is the real gaming handheld, others are just small laptops with controller.
steam deck is fine, but its just old tech at this point and the ease of use comes with limitations. Id rather take something like the ally with windows where you get more options. But that is just preference I guess. If you arnt that good with technology I can see why youd want to go with something more simple.
@@zachwang6485 well, windows can run emulators
@@bestmind-tm2me Steam OS can do that too.
There are many choices, but the obvious choice continues to be the Steam Deck. Time will tell how Windows 11 changes to accommodate handheld PCs, but right now SteamOS is a massive selling point.
Aokzoe A1 Pro rocks! Plus, I can't wait for my AYN Odin 2!
Indeed!!! A1 Pro for the W!!!
All PC handhelds mentioned
*Small handhelds*
Anbernic Win600 (budget pc)
ayn Loki Max (6800u chip)
ayn Loki Zero (budget pc)
AyaNeo Air Pro
AyaNeo Air 1S (7840u chip)
GPD Win4
*Large handhelds*
Aokzoe A1 Pro
ONEXPLAYER 2 Pro
AyaNeo 2S (Luxury Handheld)
ROG Ally (Battery eater)
SteamDeck (Flagship handheld)
*Honorable Mention*
OneXFly
Really hope you try the GPD Win Mini!
it makes me happy that you doing this to help out the community, great video keep it up .
I have a steam deck as my main daily handheld. 10/10 in love. I also have a miyuu mini plus that I pocket and play gba games when I'm pooping. Also 10/10 love it.
You're doing awesome stuff donating to the Maui Food Bank! Much love!
On another note, what are your thoughts on the Win Mini?
Yeah man, I wanna hear them.
Greatly appreciate all of your reviews. I want to love my Steam Deck more but I HATE how it feels in the hand. Its very big and clunky to me...I also dislike that the screen isn't 1080p 60hz at the minimum. At the rate that these handhelds are coming out, I'm sure something will be able to supplant it soon from the hardware side.
There's multiple not Steam Deck handhelds in this video alone that meet that screen requirement. I don't recall the refresh rate, but there is a screen replacement available for the Steam Deck already, too.
Bidding is already getting competitive on several items.. For a good cause at least!
Nice! Im going to own both aswell. Saving for the rog
Careful with that win4 don't need any more fires on the island
*Steam deck & ROG Ally z1* *extreme* .
*And i9 13900k 4080 rtx pc i got*
I have the Win 600, dual boot (separate external ssd) steam deck and just got the Win 4. I also have a GPD Win 2 and I like them all, but mainly use the steam deck and Win 4.
Great that you do this for the people affected by the fires in Hawaii.
Samurai shodown 4 amakusas revenge in the background great game
Can we have one with a 4:3 Screen finally?! I’m sick of all these 16:9 handhelds with Xbox layout controllers oversaturating the market. I just want something for PS2/GameCube/Saturn rather than all these “Anbernic” type devices that keep advertising “it can play GameCube/PS2 games!” when it is using ALL the resources so I can’t use shaders, QOL improvements, etc. and it STILL CAN’T PLAY MORE THAN HALF OF THE LIBRARY. Yeah… it “plays PS2 and GameCube Games!”… sure it does…
Also fk those “retro” handhelds that have 4:3 screens, can’t play full libraries for dual analog systems, and then put the analog stick on top and the dPad on bottom… and if that wasn’t bad enough, then you get “powerful retro handhelds” like the Retroid 3+ that are advertised as playing PS2/GameCube, have a 16:9 screen for modern games, yet they put the dPAD ON TOP??? Are they making a fking joke???
Which handheld would I keep forever? None they all have major flaws. The ally and the deck the fewest.
Will you be getting the GPD Win Mini for review?
i hadn't heard you mention the fire so i assumed you guys were safe.... amazing to hear you guys helping out the community!
Thanks, yes we are safely on a different island.
me who can't even afford any of these watching the video with my Switch Lite:
Brother, no one understands the poor, everything is meant by money, this RUclipsr also only wants to make his own money, don't be a slave to anyone, do something for yourself. You are born poor but if you die poor it is your fault.
I got my steam deck as a gift almost a year ago and the stuff valve is doing to keep it optimized for a good user experience have been excellent. I haven't even thought about buying anything else. Not yet anyway.
I'm sold on mine until the next iteration of the deck. Plenty to play on it until then.
It really is an amazingly supported piece of tech. I will often prefer to play games on it over more powerful handhelds, just thanks to those optimizations.
It's just so easy to use and very convenient most of the time. The trackpads and rear triggers are very useful.
@@skycloud4802 And capacative touch on the joysticks set to right click for camera control in mmo games.
@@RetroGameCorpsikr I'm surprised valve is put out 2-3 patches for starfield that actually improves performance
awesome that you're doing this to help out the community in maui!
goooooooood!!!! man
I have the GPDWin4 (with their dock as well). I have very small hands and that is why this one fits me best. Absolutely love the thing. To combat the heat; I printed the free clip on grip GPD supplied STL files for. Now my palms and fingers are further removed from the machine it doesn't bother me as much anymore.
Awesome, glad you're liking it! I tend to not use grips but I can totally see how that would improve the experience :)
I love my GPD Win 4, though I have huge hands unfortunately. My pinkies and ring fingers go numb after 30 min
Is is good performance wise? I’m ditching my deck and spending the 1200 on the win 4 but I hope it’s worth the price.
@@EmbracetheSuck5280It's excellent. I haven't tried the other ones, but I'm very satisfied. Granted, I have 64GB 4TB model (managed to find one almost unused on eBay for 900€!)
In my case, Steam Deck, AYN Odin Lite and Miyoo Mini. The perfect team :)
That is definitely a super combo! My standard combo is very similar but with the RP3+ instead of the Odin Lite, just because it's smaller and can play up to PSP -- I leave the PS2/GC for my Steam Deck :)
@@RetroGameCorpsdo you have a device for ps3 or is that just the steam deck?
@RetroGameCorps my combo is my Steam Deck and my Freeplay Zero hotrodded with a Raspberry Pi Zero 2W and a 3000 mAh battery upgrade. An odd pairing, I know, but I love gaming on Linux operating systems.
@@BigBossultrastealth the PS3 games I like to play are lightweight (like AfterBurner Climax) and the Steam Deck runs those fine. The rest of the PS3 games I’d likely play on the Ally or a 7840U device.
is the Ally better for more intensive games, like for example skate 3 chugs in the free roam unless you go into free play@@RetroGameCorps
Same here ill never give up my Deck unless a Deck 2 comes along and force retires my Deck. The Deck just really kicked off the market letting everyone know hey there's a market for handheld PC's and it's ok to go ahead and make them.
I just wish a new handheld gaming PC didn’t release every week. Holy hell it’s impossible to keep up with this market. It’s seriously ridiculous. I just said the hell with it, bought a Steam Deck, and never looked back.
The ROG Ally is straight money!! It's all I need! I love it so much and haven't even turned on PC since buying one. It runs AAA games at 1080p over 60fps with ease wiping the floor with SD in any game. its unreal to me everyday I play on it and or use it as PC. The speakers are incredibly good too. I don't understand SD users, it's not Windows so its basically useless to me.. as the whole point of a device like this is to replace a PC and offer portability. Reviewers act like Linux is a bonus but if you are already a windows user its an absolute detriment.
The steam OS is really nice and hassle free (outside of desktop mode) I have a deck, and not an Ally. But if I had to buy one right now I would still get the deck, but that is because of the price point. Ally is just a lot more expensive, especially in europe where Im from.
@@xshme Ah okay i can understand that because the European market is different. but i have to say the performance boost on the Ally vs SD is significant and justifies the price. It's my opinion steam OS is a detriment on a handheld PC. In Canada where I'm from the Ally is under $1000 and you can't get this much PC performance from a pre-built or laptop. As i stated the Ally has completely replaced the need for my gaming PC something that would not be possible with Steam OS
What i like about this channel is it brings attention to legitimate charity efforts for important causes + we see the passion he has for buying and supporting companies, be it game companies/devs, or the retro handheld community - but this isn’t about saving as much money as possible, it’s about putting money where you feel it matters and gives back
im using steam deck and rg35xx. i feel like with those 2 ive got all my bases covered
im disappointment that loki mini pro has come out so slowly. i was going to buy it but it kept getting pushed back. so when deck stock came in i bought the deak and glad im did. its perfect in every way for myself
That's kind of how Ayn operates, their products seem like good deals when they are promised, but by the time they actually deliver, they're not really worth it anymore.
@@ferdgerbeler8494 yeah i wish i knew that before i was fanboi'ing them. i really like Ayn's products ON PAPER but as you and other's have said. they arn't that good on releasing. its sad cause they seem like they could be great
Sometimes certain things didn't happen just to make place for something that might be better... Congrats
Hey as a regular user of the ROG Ally. How has your SD card slot held up? I was thinking of getting one as a replacement for my media center pc but I have concerns about having enough storage. A couple big SD cards or an internal drive replacement would be enough but the most talked about issue with the Ally seems to be the SD card slot.
As someone who has the ally sinds day one it's about luck. Many fail but some are still kicking strong (talking about the SD reader). But you can also buy a aliexpress 2280 adapter for the ally, so u can put full slot ssd's inside your ally up to 4tb. For me personally I am using it to play 1 AAA game few small size platformers/vampires surivers etc. and I only emulate Switch games on it both zelda's and loads of pokemon and mario games. so I have enough with the 512GB it came with. never touched the SD card yet.
Wish you the best of health
Wish i was as half as good as you as you are winning in life 👍🏼
You rock! I think the retro game community certainly loves you for your kindness as well as great video content. Keep up the good work!!!
I would say the standouts for portable handhelds are:
GPD Win-4 (small)
Valve SteamDeck (cheap)
ASUS ROG Ally (value)
GPD Win-Max-3 (large)
The standouts for pocketable handhelds are:
Anbernic RG 353m (small)
Retroid Pocket 2S (cheap)
Anbernic RG 405m (value)
Retroid Pocket 3+ (large)
Any single one of those eight handhelds will provide you with some decent entertainment. But if you get two devices, one from each segment, you will have a phenomenal time.
I really love the Win 4 now that it finally arrived. My only gripe is that I can't get it to do Steam Controller Config as cleanly as the Steam Deck or even my desktop PC and it runs into some problems with Switch via Emudeck but that may be my fault in the set up lol
I get way too excited when I see you have a new video…. I can’t be the only one 😅
Waiting for a Legion Go.
I like Asus but too many reports of the SD card reader failing, and only having one USB port is a letdown.
Id agree but legion go has no VRR. Kind of a deal breaker
I've been playing AAA games on the Air 1S at 20W without issue. 25W while plugged in. Got Hogwarts Legacy, COD and Fortnite settings honed in
The steam deck for me is all I need!
I Have a question. Is there a handheld that can play PS2 games? I don't means android version or steam deck.
I want a tiny anbernic or powkiddy can play PS2 games without android version :C
Like play PS2 in Retroarch handheld :C
Question. You mentionned that you use the Deck more and more often but go the the ROG Ally from time to time (plus the cute one in fromn your backpack), how do you manage your save games when switching from one device to the other ? I get that using Steam grants the cloud saves feature but what about the other software ? including the emulators ofc.
"I've amassed 50 handheld PCs and it's getting to be too much, so I'm going to auction some off to help whittle down my collection. Here are the 49.5 that I plan to keep."
Someone combine the GPDwin4 and the ROG Ally. That would be the king 👑
You're on to something
I have a steam deck, rog ally, loki max, gpd win 4, and win600. I don't plan on getting rid of any of them lol. I love them all. Plus, I want my son to play them when he grows up
Love the idea of a charity auction! Just put in a bid on one haha assuming I don't win that I'm in the market and am looking at all these, so thanks!
Thank you for bidding regardless!
@@RetroGameCorps For sure! Thanks for making these vids! One of my favorite channels on youtube, for sure
You are by far my favourite handheld dude. Your reviews are comprehensive, and what you do for charities like this are so cool ❤️
have you tested the Lenovo Legion Go?
oops. spoke too soon. hehe
can't wait for your review
You're a good guy - I do hope you raise lots of money with this auction. Personally I'd only be interested in the Win Max 2 as an addition to what I already have (for the same reason you mentioned in the description) but I'm broke anyway so it doesn't matter ^^
Good luck!
you deserve it man!
Glad you are keeping the AOKZOE A1 Pro. It deserves a spot.
Mos def!!!
I've had a number of these devices over the years, but the 2 I kept are the Steam Deck and the Win Max 2. Steam Deck is my go to gaming device, the Win Max I use for stuff the Deck can't/won't run well, general laptop use, and media consumption. Windows has been my biggest issue with most handheld PCs, and I'm able to circumvent most of those issues between these 2 devices 👍 thanks as always for your content Russ, good luck raising money for my Maui peeps ✌️
Curious what issues you are experiencing using Windows on your handheld?
@@TheTyisawesome ease of use and convenience mostly, games not displaying correctly, older games just not working in Windows, navigation on a touch screen as opposed to trackpad, issues with screen orientation.. amongst others
I own a win4 and a steam deck, I basically play everything between those and have logged a solid 80+ hours on d2 using the win4 😅
It's replaced my gaming pc entirely, I love it that much.
Like I keep asking all my favorite handheld creators: Which one makes the best all in one Switch? What's the one that's the most fun, easy to set up, looks good and works best from one's TV >and< works well just to pick up take on the go for more gaming?
And what are the best accessories to make it happen?
Bonus Question: How much is it worth it just to spend the same price or less to get as powerful or more powerful than these by going with just a laptop or mini-PC?
I have fallen in love with the freedom of PC gaming, but I'm still from console roots. What's the coolest way to get the PC Console gamer experience?
I love the fictional backstory that, beyond being a niche reviewer, you’re a guy with a 100 different device that mostly do the same thing, constantly cycling through them and changing your opinions of them. Like you in a room all day just frantically running around trying different emulator devices. Love the channel!
It`s great to hear that you`ve been getting so much mineage out of the Ally, tbh... I`ve been considering a handheld pc for a while as an end of the year purchase, and as enticing a value proposition as a base model Steam deck with either an SSD upgrade or a 1tb SD card ( especially since they now sell refurbished units for even less), I`ve been leaning towards the Ally for the extra performance and versatility afforded by windows (specificly for running gamepass and microsoft store games natively, since I own an xbox, and some of my library consists of xbox play anywhere titles), but the announcement of the lenovo legion go has thrown a wrench in the works, and I`m now waiting for final specs and pricing to be revealed, and for reviews to come out, so that I can know what device to go for. It`s going to be a long wait though, and I`m struggling to not impulse buy the Ally as it is.
Also, I haven`t considered any of the other devices in part necause I don`t really know where I could buy some of them from, and in part because when I do find them on amazon or other retailers, their proce always seems too high relative to their specs, when compared to the specs for the money that you get with the Ally and the Deck
I was also thinking of buying one of the eGPU things to make the Ally my desktop as well, but they are so absurdly priced that for the price I`d rather build a gaming PC. If the Lenovo happens to support standard eGPUs over usb though, that might factor heavily into my final decision, depending on the current price of GPU enclosures ( although a quick amazon search seems to suggest that a GPU enclosure costs as much as a decent CPU and motherboard, so I might as well just build a pc to take full advantage of the GPU, and use whatever handheld pc I decide to buy on the side)
Imagine...They could make a handheld Nvidia rtx 4060/4080 if they really wanted to. That would probably be over a thousand dollars. 😮
6:54 Imagine being a 14 yr old and having a cool ass dad like Russ! Hopefully he appreciates retro games as much as you do lol.
I would probably pick either the GPD Win 4 because of the keyboard (and relatively small size) or the ONEXFLY because it really looks comfortable and also has good size (not too big).
Same. Both great. I went with the Onexfly, I have one coming soon.
I like that both devices are under 600g at 580g & 520g with the 7840u
My forever device is the GPD Win Max 2. It has all the IO I'd want, it has a full on laptop keyboard, it has a camera built in, it has lots of storage expansion options (M.2 2280 slot that supports 4TB, a M.2 2230 slot that supports 2TB, a SD card slot that supports 2TB, and a micro SD card slot that supports 1TB), the battery is about double the capacity of the Steam Decks, and the screen is big and beautiful (yes the resolution is 1600p so that's not feasible to render higher end games but it runs older games just fine at that resolution and even if you have to drop the resolution, the size and how vibrant it gets still helps things out).
The only 2 downsides to this device are the speakers are down facing and not as good as other devices (which is okay to me as I use headphones/ear buds or don't have the audio up when I'm using it) and the price is pretty steep (I paid $1200 for it). But given that I use this as both a laptop and a portable gaming device, I'm okay with the price. It's my go to all in 1 device.
I love how you work and how you act as a person helping others.
Keep doing this!
Does anyone know the name of the game being shown on the win600 at the beginning? Use to love this game when I was younger but I can't remember what it's called now!
Castle Crashers!
Amazing! Cheers man!
I hope Lenovo will give you a review unit early
Russ is the best, deserves way more subs
Out of the handheld PCs I own (ROG Ally, Steam Deck, Aya Neo NEXT Pro, ONEXPLAYER MINI (5800u)), the ROG Ally is generally my favorite.
I appreciate you donating to Maui considering the US government has essentially abandoned them.
You mentioned the switch towards the end of your video, is the switch something you use at all? I tend to buy some games on the switch instead of the steam deck just because of the oled, like sea of stars.
We have a couple Switches at the the house, the kids mostly play them. I collect the cartridges so I can dump them and use the ROMs for emulation. It’s also nice to have a physical library!
This is the illist handheld pc flex I ever see I wish I could purchase one
That's neat! I am glad you're supporting the people that lost lives and homes in Maui. I'm all for charities. If I was super rich and had money to burn. I would. I would love a dedicated pc handheld. But currently need the money. I am looking for cars T.T I guess that's kind of tech, right? 😅Appreciate your guides and reviews btw keep it up!
For the gpd win4 getting too hot, did you ever open yours up to see if it has proper thermal paste l application?
Steam Deck and ROG Ally is my 2 i own, i only really play the Ally since getting it at launch, it just does everything i need it!
I did two hours of destiny 2 yesterday on the win 4. it’s a bit warm but nothing over 80
Do you live with humid heat, though?
I live where summer can high 115F+ (46C+). I also don't have ac. So dry heat experience is askari welcome. I don't have a 3D printer, nor space for such a thing. So the free file to print grips isn't really in my means.
Once that video wrapped up, I couldn't resist the urge to fire up my PC and play Samurai Shodown!
I know he won't sell his Steamdeck 😅
Me too, steamedeck was my favorite handheld that I can carry and play anywhere with me, unless i can't carry a big handheld and only want to play some nes, SNES, or Genesis games, I'm carrying Miyoo Mini instead.
any chance on doing this for retro handhelds? also you are awesome for the charity auction.
I guess I'm firmly in the crazy person territory as I have the Steam Deck and the ROG Ally.
I use the Ally to play PC games and the Steam Deck for emulation. I overall prefer the Ally due to form factor and performance but I also had it fry an SD card so it's mainly good for having the select small number of PC games to play on the go whereas all my ROMs are on SD cards so the Steam Deck and its ability to NOT fry SD cards is the way to go for emulation.
I do plan on getting the Legion Go sooner rather than later and I'll eventually get the GPD Win 4 once it can be obtained for a reasonable price from a reputable retailer. The Legion Go for that next step up in PC gaming on the go and the GPD Win 4 because I just think it'd be neat to have something that resembles PSP/Vita to specifically emulate classic Sony systems
Asus Rog Ally it's my favorite tech!
From what I've seen Lenovo has been sending Legion Go review units to lamestream, bootlickers and old fart press.
At this point I'm mildly concerned how much they seem to be either unwilling to send it to the solid independent reviewers and or are treating handheld specialists as an unnecessary niche in their marketing, which makes it feel like they have some blindspots.
Hey Russ, since you are doing it for charity, but maybe those devices at the end will be too much expensive for me, I would like to do something anyway, and so I ask you if the purchase of magnets and stickers I see on your eBay page would help as well 😊I will check the bids from time to time, and I hope that any of those would be affordable for me to make me jump in: my dream would be to pick up the Loki, but I would enjoy the Ayaneo devices as well...
No joke. Control on a handheld is so important and I need that touchpad, preferably 2. Almost no handheld does that. Maybe will go for the Lenovo.
I'm a BIG fan of the GPD Win 4 because of how portable and powerful it is! I dont mind plugging in my power bank (which i usually have with me when I travel for general tech) to keep going on flights ✈️
Late comment, but new Ally X is amazing! 🎉
Id love to find something 1/4 the size and still very powerful but may never happen. 😢
Great choices and content from the channel, thanks!
Hey man, thanks a lot for this. I have a question if you can help.. how can I transfer my save for FF6 from my 351V to my steam deck? I'll like to continue the game but not from the start :D Thanks a lot,
Hey! I've been a huge fan for a long time and have used your tutorials to JB my Vita.
I have a question though. As a fan of handhelds, thinking about future releases of games and the upcoming release of switch 2, what do you think would be the better investment in the long run; a handheld gaming pc (maybe not the Steam Deck), or the Switch 2?
I already have the Vita and the V2 switch though, but I don't want to get another handheld just to play a few games for it. I would prefer to have a hand held gaming device for multiple consoles or game choices.
Sorry for the long comment and thank you!
I love my AokZoe A1 pro!
Absolutely!!
Me (only owning a Steam Deck): oh god, I wonder if he's gonna s**t all over the steam deck
RGC: "you're gonna have to pry it from my cold dead hands"
me: *feels validated* 🤣
I guess it's obvious I'm new here, lol
Im content w the retroid pocket 3+ and the og pocket go, the former meets all my needs and the latters perfect for the field, easy to quickly hide from higher ups
Hey can I ask for your opinion regarding xg mobile lock mechanism? There was A LOT of complains that once its being locked, its hard to get it back, and with time its getting worse, until one day it stuck there, and you have to go to the service center.
I know that this was mainly used in rog flow. But now since ally get a popularity it's used more and more. And I am very skeptical about ASUS done their homework.
This is what makes you my favorite reviewer. Thorough, honest, and straight to the point! Also as a + youre hot. 😂
Great video as always. I am indeed in the market for one of these to go with my RG35XX. Wich one has the best specs with the best D-pad and hall sensor sticks ?
I just have an AYN Odin Pro, I'm not planning on upgrading anytime soon. I do want a PC handheld but i doubt it's ever use it so I'm putting it off for a few more years. Maybe around Ryzen 10.
The one x fly looks like the best one to me but no vrr
🎉GPD Win 4 on the highlights, pretty nice to see 💌
Hello, love the channel. I want to buy my first hand held gaming device however I am also in the market for a PS5 so which handheld device would you recommend that isn't too pricey but still a good all rounder.
Thanks
I love GPD and the Lenovo hell all of em but they’ll sadly never be as successful as the steam deck. The steam decks base lcd model retails for 350 right now🤦the best OLED option retails for less than a lot of these and no it’s not a huge performance difference because the steam deck is so optimized. The downside is of course not being able to play games with ant-cheat and it being more of a hassle to mod but it’s leaps and bounds more accessible and consistent than any other handheld rn.
Analogue Pocket if i ever have one. Hardware emulation unlike all of the other handhelds. But it is really expensive and the dock is an additional expense. Hopefully someone donate it to me. Thanks in advance. 😅
And i think a budget PC with a decent gpu and the xbox series s/x for the hardcore emulation will be the best for its price.
It’s strange that no one has gotten a review unit for the Legion Go, Russ had one for the Ally right? All I’ve seen are a few brief “hands on” videos.
Gave my steam deck to my Twin Bro. Keeping the GPD win 4, R pockets 2+ and 3+, Anbernic 353ps, and 351m, and miyoo Minis
i know im late to the video, but I was wondering what gpu setup youre using for your rog ally, been wanting a standalone gpu for when I travel home but cant seem to find one?
i use gpdwin4 u6800 as the only everyday PC .. I sold my RTx2060 PC tower in the meantime and I am waiting for the GPD G1