A new trend in PC gaming was popularized by Valve's excellent Steam Deck, a handheld option that brought console-style convenience to the masses who wanted to play titles locked to the platform, whether that's via Steam or any other storefront. I have my own, and it remains a huge part of my almost-daily gaming routine, but its Linux-based presentation is starting to be overshadowed by Windows-based alternatives.
First, the ASUS ROG Ally showed promising signs of supporting Microsoft's operating system in a package that could challenge Valve's leading handheld. It was even one-upped internally by its bigger brother, the highly praised ROG Ally X. However, the original, with its AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme processor, stuck with me for months as a viable Steam Deck alternative. That is, at least, until I got my hands on the MSI Claw 8 AI+ and fell in love with it.
