Is a laptop, desktop, or handheld better for PC gaming?

It’s a good time to be a PC gamer. Decades ago, a decent gaming PC used to cost a fortune, but these days you can get one for under $1,000 if you’re not too picky. If your budget is more flexible, you can get graphics and physics that put movies like Toy Story to shame.

Starting in 2022, a new wrinkle arrived — handheld PCs, popularized by the Valve Steam Deck. Whether you’re new to PC gaming or you’re due for an upgrade, you now have to decide whether a handheld, laptop, or traditional desktop is best suited to your interests.

Handheld gaming PCs

Are portables like the Steam Deck worth your time?

Handhelds are probably the most cost-effective entry point for most people. A Steam Deck OLED starts at $549, despite being able to handle most PC games at reasonable detail, including recent 3D titles like Elden Ring and Street Fighter 6. If you’re willing to spend extra on something like an ASUS ROG Ally X, you’ll get even smoother performance.

Think of these devices as PC equivalents of the Nintendo Switch. They’re all-in-one products built for portable gaming, although you can connect them to a TV or monitor with an appropriate cable or dock. They also have integrated gamepad controls, and dedicated software overlays, since using desktop interfaces can be cumbersome on 7- or 8-inch screen. Supporting all of this is specialized processor technology, powered by a rechargeable battery when you’re not plugged in.

Handhelds are ideal for gamers who struggle to find time for long sit-down sessions, such as new parents or frequent travelers. Because you’re not stuck in front of a desk or TV, you don’t have to make an “appointment” for gaming — you can play for 15 minutes or 2 hours if you like, as long your handheld is charged and in tow. They’re also well-suited to people intimidated by the complexity of most PCs, since those software overlays can provide a console-like experience.

The biggest drawback is graphics performance. A Steam Deck sometimes struggles even at its native 1280 x 800 pixel resolution — never mind sending output to a 4K display. The Ally X fares better, but still won’t get you close to running Cyberpunk 2077 at top graphics settings. Desktops and laptops are better for people wanting to be wowed by slick visuals and high framerates.

Handhelds are also limited by their control options. You’re mostly going to be using sticks, touch, and a D-pad, which are better suited to platform and puzzle games than they are first-person shooters. Likewise, while some devices run Windows 11, you’re going to want a docked mouse and keyboard for anything beyond games. Indeed the Steam Deck operates on SteamOS, meaning owners have to jump through hoops to run many non-Steam apps. It’s rare that a handheld can completely replace a conventional PC.

Laptop gaming PCs

A balanced option

Laptops represent a middle-ground. They’re large enough to offer powerful processors, a full keyboard, and a comfortable display, yet portable enough that you can stash one in a bag. Some people couldn’t live without one, since their lifestyles demand both a work computer and frequent trips or moves.

We’ll go ahead and say it right now — if you’ve got the money for good specs, a Windows laptop is probably your best choice. There’s no serious limit to what they can do, gaming-wise, and even if you don’t travel, portability means flexibility. When the workday is done, you can play anything just about anywhere in your home.

Price is liable to be the main deterrent, since compressing desktop-level performance into laptop-sized parts doesn’t come cheap — a Razer Blade 18, for example, starts over $3,000 before any customization. You can get smaller, less powerful gaming laptops for under $1,000, but the point remains that they’re both more expensive than handhelds and less cost-efficient than desktops.

In fact, laptops sometimes require buying more peripherals than you’d expect. They tend to have a limited number of ports, so you may need a USB or Thunderbolt dock. They may also have limited internal storage, and you’ll definitely want a separate keyboard, mouse, and/or gamepad. Some people won’t be satisfied with a laptop-sized display, so a monitor could be in the cards as well.

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Desktop gaming PCs

The true powerhouse

This is where PC gaming began, and it still represents the cutting edge. Why? Although miniaturization made handhelds and laptops possible, it enables even more incredible feats when you’re given all the room in the world. The desktop versions of CPUs and GPUs will always crush their mobile counterparts, in part because they can run faster without generating dangerous heat. It’s not uncommon for desktop PCs to use liquid cooling systems, which allow tech-savvy gamers to overclock for extra speed.

Another great advantage is upgrade support. Modern laptops typically offer no ability to upgrade their internal components beyond storage, although compression-mounted RAM could change that. Handhelds are equally hard (if not harder) to upgrade outside of inserting an SD card. Conversely, with desktops, you can change most things at will, including RAM, the CPU, the GPU, and the motherboard. It’s a big reason why they’re more cost-effective — while $800 for a new video card may sound like a lot, it’s better than spending $2,000 for a whole new laptop.

As superficial as it sounds, aesthetics are another reason to choose a desktop. Long gone are the days of beige boxes — some gamers treat their cases as works of art, lining them with LEDs, stickers, paint, or figurines. Stock cases are often designed to be attractive from the get-go.

Obviously, you should avoid desktop PCs if you need portability, and they’re useless without a connected mouse, keyboard, and display. If you don’t already have a gaming-ready monitor with high refresh rates, your bill can go up dramatically.

Some people get around the monitor issue by connecting to a 4K TV. This is viable, yet it depends on having a TV with the right features (like a Game Mode and variable refresh rates), and may not be practical if you share your home with other people. Your PC could be inaccessible if other people are watching something, and you won’t have any privacy, whether for gaming or work.

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Should you get a laptop, desktop, or handheld for PC gaming?

It depends on your budget and how you game

We let the secret slip earlier on, but a laptop may be the ideal mix of performance and convenience — if you can afford gaming-quality specs and, above all, a recent, dedicated GPU made by AMD or Nvidia. That’s a pretty big catch for some people, especially if you’re only planning to use your PC for entertainment and web browsing, not work.

Casual gamers, busy ones, or those on a budget should at least consider a handheld. While you won’t be getting the best graphics or doing much apart from gaming, those issues may be easily offset by portability and the amount of money you’re saving. You need cash to spend on the actual games, after all.

Desktops rule if you want maximum performance and/or upgrade support, and already have another device for mobile computing needs. They may also be the most economical option in the long run since your system can evolve along with the industry.

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FAQ

Q: Which graphics card should I get for a gaming PC?

The specifics of this are always in flux. The general rule is that if you want your PC to run games as long as possible, you should get the most expensive (and recent) AMD or Nvidia card you can afford. GPUs handle most of the heavy work with modern games, so if you’re going to sacrifice performance, it should be on the CPU side.

Q: Can I connect a handheld PC to a TV?

Yes. You’ll need some way of connecting to HDMI — usually a dock — and your TV should be equipped for HDMI 2.0 or better, including a matching cable. Your TV additionally needs gaming-ready specs, such as a low-latency Game Mode and support for variable refresh rates (VRR).

Don’t expect to play in native 4K if you have a 4K TV, however. Most handhelds are built to render around 720p or 1080p. They may technically support 4K, but performance could be terrible at that resolution. It’s wiser to output at 1080p and allow your TV to upscale.