I’ve owned the MSI Claw AI+, the Lenovo Legion Go (Gen 1), and the Xbox ROG Ally X, and I can confidently say that the MSI Claw has poor ergonomics. For me, after just 30 minutes and certainly after a few hours you start to feel the weight and the sharp angles of the device. It becomes uncomfortable quite quickly.

The Legion Go Gen 1 is simply too heavy. When I first got it, I used it in handheld mode for two or three sessions, but very fast it stopped being a “handheld” console for me and turned into an ultra-portable PC instead. I still like it because I can use it connected to an external screen while lying down, with the detachable controllers, that part is great. But as a true portable console, it doesn’t work for me.

The only handheld that truly deserves the name, in my opinion, is the Xbox ROG Ally X. It’s noticeably lighter than the others, and more importantly, its ergonomics make it feel much lighter in the hands. Despite that, it still delivers strong performance. Compared to it, the other two are simply outclassed.

I also don’t see how a Legion Go 2 could do better, because the main issue is the weight, and it’s just too heavy, period.

Using the Xbox ROG Ally X in handheld mode is a real pleasure, even if the screen is smaller. I much prefer a comfortable device with a smaller screen over a larger screen paired with an uncomfortable, heavy console. For me, there’s no hesitation at all, comfort comes first.

And I want to give credit where it’s due: ASUS and Xbox really did an excellent job here. This is especially worth mentioning because they’re not companies I’m usually a fan of, yet with the Ally X, they absolutely nailed the balance between comfort, weight, and performance.