Handheld gaming continues to grow year on year, with new hardware entering the fray to improve gaming performance – and with Computex 2026 well underway, it’s time for PC enthusiasts to get excited.
There have already been several hardware announcements from e.g. Asus, Acer, OneXPlayer and more, meaning there’s plenty for consumers to consider when choosing their next device.
Fortunately, Intel has been hard at work on its Panther Lake processor program and has delivered the powerful Arc G3 Extreme, which uses 14 cores and 14 threads and 12 Xe GPU cores, delivering some of the best performance on any handheld gaming PC we’ve seen so far. It’s not all about power and performance though.
Several other manufacturers have taken the time to fine-tune the handheld gaming experience, to improve visual enjoyment, comfort and more – and here we’ll look at the best handheld gaming PCs that have been unveiled at Computex 2026.
1. MSI Claw 8 EX AI+
MSI has gone back to the drawing board after releasing the Claw 8 AI+ and Claw 7 AI+ and now unveiled the all new powerful handheld Claw 8 EX AI+. While the display is effectively untouched, the processor is now the Intel Arc G3 Extreme, a significant step up from the Claw 8 AI+’s Core Ultra 258V.
Intel claims that the G3 Extreme is 44% faster than the Core Ultra 258V at 1080p with 2x upscaling (ie from 540p), at 35W, and notably 42% faster than one of its rival chips, the AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme.
Bonusing a monumental performance leap from the Core Ultra 200V series is its XeSS 3 upscaling compatibility along with Multi-Frame Generation and access to Windows 11’s Xbox Mode. Intel is the latest competitor to join Nvidia in using Multi-Frame Generation technology, as AMD has yet to roll this out for Radeon GPU users.
With XeSS 3 upscaling, Multi-Frame Generation and an overall raw performance boost, accompanied by better ergonomics for comfort, the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ could end up being the best among handhelds this year – however, the price could make or break it, especially if the rumored $1,500 figure is legit.
2. OneXPlayer 3
One-Netbook is certainly not a mainstream manufacturer like MSI, but its new OneXPlayer 3 handheld is certainly a strong competitor to the Claw 8 EX AI+, and on paper in some cases arguably better.
OneXPlayer 3 is a 3-in-1 handheld gaming PC that supports AI, gaming and productivity and features the same Intel Arc G3 Extreme processor found in the Claw 8 EX AI+. However, it outshines MSI’s device with a larger, more immersive 8.8-inch 144Hz OLED display that’s both VRR and HDR-enabled.
Users have two storage options via microSD and mini SSD, while the battery has a capacity of 85 Wh. The latter could mean the handheld ranks among those with the best and longest-lasting battery life, but we’ll have to see how it fares in real-world testing.
Undoubtedly, this is a device that will be able to tackle any game thrown at it and provide exceptional visual quality while doing so. There is no information on its launch date or its price, and once again the latter will likely be the deciding factor in its potential success.
3. Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20
Doubling down on the impressive features of the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X, Asus unveiled the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the ROG brand. More importantly, the X20 comes with a larger 7.4-inch OLED display with 1,400 nits maximum brightness, along with ROG XReal R1 Edition 20 gaming AR glasses.
It’s quite clear that Asus has prioritized visual improvements over performance or power, so it’s hard to describe this as a ‘mid-generation’ upgrade, in the same way that the Asus ROG Ally X was compared to its non-X counterpart.
The Xbox Ally X20 also features a rotatable D-pad, labeled a ‘Transforming D-pad’, which should cater for battle gamers when using the handheld, thanks to optimization for diagonal input.
The main downside is that Asus isn’t currently selling this as a standalone device, and since the ROG XReal R1 Edition 20 gaming AR glasses retail for $849, the bundle will likely be priced at or around $2,000.
4. Acer Predator Atlas 8
Like the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ and OneXPlayer 3, the Acer Predator Atlas 8 is powered by Intel’s Arc G3 Extreme, with power-ready features that can boost multi-game performance for users.
Its design takes after the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X (and the new ROG Xbox Ally X20) as well as MSI’s, with controller-like handles that provide comfort for those long gaming sessions. The adjustable triggers on the Lenovo Legion Go S handheld are easily one of my favorite features on any handheld, and thankfully it’s included here with the Atlas 8.
The only missing element is an OLED screen for greater immersion, so it sits in a very similar ballpark to the Claw 8 EX AI+, with the only difference being the latter’s more comfortable design.
As with all of Computex’s handheld announcements, the Atlas 8 hinges on the price tag, and based on current market conditions, thanks to the RAM crisis, it looks like it could be priced well over $1,000. Acer has confirmed that this will launch in October 2026, so pricing information shouldn’t be too far off.
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