It’s no secret that I’m not particularly enthused over the prices of new handheld gaming PCs. The likes of the MSI Claw 8 AI+ and MSI Claw A8 are both close to having a $1,000 price tag, and I’ve already seen listings of the former at $1,000 due to tariffs; and while these devices may be among the best handheld gaming PCs on the market, their prices aren’t warranted.
I’ve mentioned this several times already, and it’s worth noting that the upcoming Asus ROG Xbox Ally X is rumored to follow in the same footsteps in terms of pricing. However, there’s one new impressive innovation for portable gaming that’s got me thinking about these issues again – and that’s Framework’s new Nvidia RTX 5070 graphics module for the Framework Laptop 16.
Essentially, this allows users who already own a Framework Laptop 16 to purchase the RTX 5070 GPU module individually to replace the old one. In easier terms, it’s upgrading a laptop GPU. This isn’t an entirely new concept, as it’s been previously done with older MXM GPU hardware, but its cumbersome installation process for non-tech-savvy users wasn’t exactly ideal.
With Framework’s modular laptop design, installation is as easy as unscrewing the existing graphics module, and slotting in the new one, without the fuss of reapplying thermal paste or deeper disassembly. The RTX 5070 module is only being sold with new systems for now, but it will be sold individually soon.
So what’s the correlation between this and handheld gaming PCs then? It’s simple. I would love to see handheld gaming PC manufacturers opt for modular designs, particularly ones that serve as upgrades for the SoC (System-on-Chip) if it’s possible – because only then will I feel less frustrated about high prices.
Recent handheld chip performance jumps are too minimal for high prices
Let me get to the point – a modular design that would allow users to upgrade the system’s GPU and processing power, would be a great move for mainstream handheld manufacturers to consider. Perhaps this would work in the same manner as the aforementioned old MXM GPUs.
Hypothetically, this would save consumers plenty of money if they’re out for a processing power upgrade instead of purchasing a new handheld entirely. That’s not to say the other benefits, like an 8-inch screen with a higher refresh rate, or the likes of an 80Wh battery, aren’t worth considering, but not all handheld gamers like myself are interested in other specification upgrades.
I mostly use my Asus ROG Ally plugged into my wall socket and hardly ever on battery, because I’d rather not have to limit performance with lower TDPs – but that’s probably because travelling isn’t a regular thing for me (and power banks exist if it ever came to that).
The only reason I’m seeking out the Lenovo Legion Go S (Z1 Extreme model) to be specific is because that’s essentially a direct upgrade from my current ROG Ally device. It comes with an 8-inch screen, which is what I was adamantly searching for, but also with 32GB of RAM; the Asus ROG Ally X may sound like it’s the easier upgrade path, but that’s using a 7-inch display.
You can also throw in the additional bonus of the Legion Go S’ official SteamOS license, since I’m sick of Microsoft’s Windows 11, so installing Bazzite (a SteamOS clone) isn’t necessary, but that’s besides the main point.
I’m not thrilled about spending $729.99 (for me in the UK, it’s around £540) for a new device, mostly for a screen upgrade, but I’m certainly not pushing that figure up for what are seemingly negligible power upgrades.
And that’s exactly why I think modular handhelds would be a massive benefit for the market. We’ve already seen it happen with the GPD Win 5 powered by AMD‘s most powerful mobile APU, the Ryzen AI Max+ 395 processor, using detachable batteries – which means if you have two batteries, you can keep playing while the other charges, so you’re never out of the action.
I know I’ll have some of you suggest I’m in dreamland, hoping for a concept like this to come to handhelds, but I think I’ve seen just about enough in terms of how fast tech is advancing, to say that it’s within the realm of possibility. Handheld gaming PCs are just small form factor gaming laptops, so if the design of the chassis is right, surely it’s not that far off. Right?
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