Steam Deck remains a strong 2026 choice, but rivals offer more power

The Steam Deck remains a viable gaming handheld in 2026, although the market has become more competitive and prices have risen, according to an assessment by Engadget.

The Steam Deck launched in February 2022, while the Steam Deck OLED arrived in 2023 with improvements to its screen and battery life rather than its performance. Engadget says newer games, including those built with increasingly demanding Unreal Engine 5 tools, have raised the performance demands on handheld hardware.

In Engadget’s testing, Asus ROG Xbox Ally and Lenovo Legion Go models generally delivered higher frame rates than the Steam Deck. Most also recorded stronger 3DMark Time Spy results, although the differences can be small in some games.

The alternatives offer different trade-offs. Xbox Ally models run Windows and provide access to Xbox titles, although not every game supports Xbox Play Anywhere. Some Legion Go models run SteamOS, while standard Legion Go models have detachable controllers suited to docked gaming.

The Steam Deck OLED remains attractive for users focused on Steam games, less demanding titles and longer real-world battery life. Engadget says competing devices can have larger batteries, but tend to run down faster when operating beyond low-power settings. The Steam Deck is also among the lightest devices in the comparison and may be more comfortable during longer sessions.

The Nintendo Switch 2 is described as the lowest-priced option, though its limited game library may narrow its appeal. It is the only device in the comparison supporting Nvidia DLSS and, alongside the Steam Deck, supports HDR. SteamOS also has compatibility limits: games such as Fortnite and Call of Duty: Warzone may not run when they rely on incompatible anti-cheat software. Ultimately, the choice depends on the preferred game library, operating system, battery life, features and price.