Product test
Asus ROG Ally X review: Steam Deck alternative, not replacement
by Philipp Rüegg
Handhelds at CES: New high-end devices and retro consoles
9.1.2025
Translation: machine translated
Lenovo and Acer presented new gaming handhelds at CES and SteamOS will soon be available on third-party handhelds. Find out what other news CES has to offer in the handheld sector here.
This article will give you an overview of everything that CES has in store on the topic of handhelds. I will update the article if there are any further new products.
SteamOS on third-party devices
A big advantage of the Steam Deck so far is the SteamOS operating system developed by Valve, which feels more "console-like" compared to Windows on other handheld devices. Windows handhelds are also more susceptible to bugs and other problems - at least that's what my colleague Phil complained about in his review of the Asus ROG Ally X, which is linked below. SteamOS is based on Linux.
Now Valve has announced that it wants to make its operating system available to other manufacturers. It will start with the recently unveiled Lenovo Legion Go S, the "first officially licensed third-party handheld device with SteamOS technology".
In fact, as an end user, you will soon be able to download a beta version of SteamOS and install it on your handheld. According to Valve, however, there is no guarantee that SteamOS will run flawlessly on all hardware.
Lenovo: Legion Go S and Legion Go Gen 2
The Legion Go S will be released in January with Windows 11 and will initially cost around 740 US dollars. From May, a cheaper version with SteamOS will be launched on the market for 500 US dollars.
The price for the device is not yet known.
Acer: Nitro Blaze 8 and Nitro Blaze 11
After the Nitro Blaze 7, which was released in 2024, Acer is now launching two new handhelds on the market. The numbers in the names of the devices stand (roughly) for their display size: one 8.8 inches and one 10.95 inches. At eleven inches, the Nitro Blaze 11 is an almost monstrously large handheld. Its controllers can also be removed, as with the Nintendo Switch and the Legion Go, while the Nitro Blaze 8 has fixed controllers.
The two Windows 11 devices are equipped with an AMD Ryzen 7 8840HS processor with eight cores and a Radeon 780M graphics chip. Otherwise, they differ slightly in the refresh rate (120 Hertz / 144 Hertz) and the charging power of the battery (65 W / 100 W).
The new Nitro Blaze devices are set to be launched in the second quarter of 2025 and will cost €999 in Europe.
Accessories from Razer: Handheld Dock Chroma
Razer launches its first docking station for handhelds. With the "Handheld Dock Chroma" you can connect your handheld to a screen. In addition to RGB lighting (of course - it's Razer), the dock offers various connections. On the back are three USB-A ports for peripherals, a USB-C port with Power Delivery for connecting to the handheld, HDMI 2.0 and an Ethernet port. When plugged in, the dock can charge the handheld with up to 100 watts.
Thanks to the tiltable backrest, you can use the dock as a table holder, even for your tablet or smartphone. When folded, the dock, which is made from aluminium, should be easy to transport.
The docking station will be available from the end of January. It is expected to cost 90 euros.
Atari: Gamestation Go for retro games
The Gamestation Go is not a competitor for the handhelds described above. The former gaming giant Atari already presented the handheld in the run-up to CES. The device is primarily intended for arcade and retro classics. Atari is developing the handheld together with the manufacturer My Arcade, which specialises in retro gaming devices.
It is not yet known which games will be released for the Gamestation Go. Atari and My Arcade already offer the Gamestation Pro, a stationary console that comes with more than 200 classic Atari game stations from the 20th century. It can therefore be assumed that the Gamestation Go also contains the same or a comparable list of games.
Two USB-C ports, an HDMI port, a jack connection for headphones and a slot for micro SD cards are part of the device's features.
My Arcade: Three retro consoles, including a handheld
In addition to the Gamestation Go licensed by Atari, My Arcade has announced three of its own consoles for retro games with the "Gamestation Retro" series.
The range of games will be the same on all three consoles: more than 100 titles, with a focus on games from Bandai Namco and Capcom. These include classics such as "Pac-Man", "Street Fighter II", "Mega Man" and more. The only difference between the devices is their shape. The Gamestation Retro Go is a handheld with an 8-inch display.
The series also includes the Gamestation Retro Pro, a square stationary console with two controllers. The third device in the series is the Gamestation Retro Mega, which is visually reminiscent of the typical slot machines in amusement arcades and also has corresponding controls.
It is not yet clear whether these consoles will also be released in Europe.
My Arcade: Super Retro Champ
My Arcade has a real run at CES and announces the release date for another handheld, the Super Retro Champ. The device, which can also be placed on the table with fold-out backrests, can play original Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis cartridges. My Arcade had already announced this handheld at CES 2020, but never gave a release date. The device is now set to be launched this year. The price is expected to be 149 US dollars.
The Super Retro Champ has a slot at the top for SNES cartridges. The cartridge then protrudes slightly from the device. Sega Genesis cartridges are located at the bottom and disappear completely into the console. You will need the cartridges for operation. The device cannot use emulated game files.
The integrated display is six inches in size. The manufacturer claims a battery life of around five hours and you can also connect the handheld to a screen via HDMI.
Mecha Systems: Mecha Comet for apps and development
The startup Mecha Systems has presented the Mecha Comet, a modular Linux handheld. It is not a classic gaming handheld, but more of a portable mini tinker computer.
The Mechanix OS developed for it is based on Debian. Mecha Comet focuses on open source and modular hardware design. This means that all components apart from the 3.4-inch IPS touch display can be replaced and additional components, such as a game controller or a small keyboard, can be attached.
The development is being financed by crowdfunding, so there is no guarantee that the device will actually be released.
In the current episode of the A Tech Affair podcast, we also talk about the topic.
Header image: Acer (Nitro Blaze 11)
Feels just as comfortable in front of a gaming PC as she does in a hammock in the garden. Likes the Roman Empire, container ships and science fiction books. Focuses mostly on unearthing news stories about IT and smart products.
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