A wave of handhelds is arriving at the worst possible time

We witnessed a wave of new handheld devices at Computex 2024. Following the success of products like the Steam Deck and ROG Ally, smaller companies such as Zotac, Antec, XPG, and Adata are entering the handheld gaming PC market, vying for a spot among the top contenders. However, this may not be the ideal time to launch a new handheld.

While competition in the handheld gaming PC space is exciting, the impending arrival of next-generation mobile chips from AMD and Intel is significant. These new chips are expected to bring substantial improvements in efficiency and graphics performance, which could have a profound impact on handheld gaming PCs. Therefore, if you are considering purchasing a new handheld, it is advisable to hold off on making a decision and wait for the latest advancements.

Significant Chip Advancements

The crux of the matter lies in the advancements in chip technology. At Computex, AMD unveiled its Ryzen AI 300 processors, while Intel provided a glimpse of its upcoming Lunar Lake generation. Both companies have developed mobile chips tailored for laptops, a trend that aligns with the devices in the handheld gaming PC market, such as the Steam Deck OLED and Ayaneo 2S. These new processors boast significantly higher performance compared to current handheld devices.

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Both processors feature upgraded graphics capabilities. AMD’s Ryzen AI 300 utilizes the RDNA 3.5 architecture, a refined version of the architecture seen in desktop graphics cards like the RX 7900 GRE. Despite being a revision, it offers significantly improved performance. Leaked benchmarks indicate that the Ryzen AI HX 370 scores approximately 40% higher than the Ryzen 9 8945HS. It’s worth noting that the Ryzen 9 8945HS already outperforms the chips found in most handheld devices.

Intel’s Lunar Lake chips also feature the next-gen Battlemage architecture for graphics. While specific benchmarks are not yet available, Intel claims that the graphics chip on Lunar Lake is up to 50% faster than its predecessor, with the potential for even greater performance in certain scenarios. Notably, Intel has implemented hardware support for the ExecuteIndirect command, a common feature in DirectX 12 games.

Intel even demonstrated the graphics performance of Lunar Lake by running F1 24 at 1080p and 60 frames per second (fps) with the High graphics preset and ray tracing enabled. Such performance levels are unprecedented in current handheld devices.

Lunar Lake Xe2 running F1 24 at FHD @ 60 FPS using XeSS pic.twitter.com/dM39X9qWN7

— Hassan Mujtaba (@hms1193) June 4, 2024

While new chips in devices like the Steam Deck may not always translate to significantly higher performance, the Ryzen AI 300 and Lunar Lake chips represent a notable leap in graphics capabilities, potentially offering over 50% improvement compared to previous generations. Even a fraction of this performance boost could be game-changing for handheld devices, where achieving smooth performance in demanding games is crucial.

Although the Ryzen AI 300 and Lunar Lake CPUs are not yet available, their impending release is imminent. Some handhelds, such as the MSI Claw 8 AI+, have already committed to featuring a Lunar Lake chip, with a scheduled launch in September. It’s clear that the current lineup of handheld devices will soon be overshadowed by the advancements in chip technology, potentially within a matter of months.

Focus on Efficiency

In addition to performance enhancements, the focus on efficiency with Lunar Lake and Ryzen AI 300 is noteworthy. Both chip ranges have been designed to compete with the Snapdragon X Elite in laptops, promising unprecedented battery life for Windows laptops. Implementing similar efficiency improvements in handheld devices could revolutionize the gaming experience, especially considering devices like the ROG Ally currently struggle with short battery life under heavy usage.

Intel has described Lunar Lake as a “radical low-power architecture,” which is more than just a marketing claim. The chip utilizes a hybrid architecture with performance (P) cores and efficient (E) cores, with a focus on optimizing the E-cores for better energy efficiency. By prioritizing the E-cores for most tasks and utilizing the P-cores for demanding workloads, Lunar Lake aims to minimize battery drain during lighter usage scenarios, ultimately extending battery life.

While AMD has not made explicit efficiency claims for Ryzen AI 300, leaked benchmarks suggest that the Ryzen 9 HX 370 outperforms its predecessor while operating in a “silent” performance mode. Such modes typically aim to reduce power consumption, indicating a potential boost in efficiency for Ryzen AI 300.

While we await the actual release of these chips to validate the claims made by AMD and Intel, early indicators from leaked benchmarks and demonstrations show promising advancements. Even if the performance remains on par with previous generations of handheld devices, an increase in battery life would be a significant improvement, especially for Windows-based handhelds like the MSI Claw that tend to drain power quickly even during light usage.

Patience is Key

While upcoming releases like the ROG Ally X offer improved battery life and additional features, the current landscape may not be ideal for investing in a handheld gaming PC. Most manufacturers are likely gearing up for the next generation of chips, as evidenced by products like the MSI Claw 8 AI+. If you are set on purchasing a handheld gaming PC now, it would be wise to wait for potential price drops.

We can expect to see the next generation of handheld devices in the coming months, with announcements likely to surface early next year. By that time, previous-generation options will likely see price reductions, allowing consumers to make a more informed decision.

In addition to new processors, the next wave of handheld devices will benefit from software enhancements and performance improvements. As demonstrated by the Steam Deck OLED, software updates can significantly enhance the user experience on handheld devices. Consequently, refreshed models like the ROG Ally or Lenovo Legion Go stand to gain from these improvements.

With advancements in software, performance, and battery life, the future of handheld devices looks promising. However, this may overshadow the recently announced lineup of handhelds, which may soon become outdated in light of these upcoming advancements.

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