There's no escaping price hikes on gaming hardware — and that's why it's time to make a move for a new handheld now

It's no longer a big surprise in 2026 to see significant price hikes for gaming hardware. Whether it's for desktop gaming PC components, handheld gaming PCs, or just game consoles, nothing appears to be exempt from the impact of the RAM crisis and the state of the economy.

If you missed it, Sony has implemented yet another price hike on all PS5 hardware, including the PlayStation Portal, amid the ongoing RAM crisis. Notably, it leaves the PS5 digital edition $200 / £200 more expensive than the original price, now six years after its launch.

As of now, consumers should expect to see some cases of price hikes or low stock for gaming hardware, especially handheld gaming PCs and consoles. Sony's price hike should serve as a warning that the Nintendo Switch 2, Asus ROG Xbox Ally X, Lenovo Legion Go S, and perhaps even the Steam Deck OLED, are in danger of becoming less affordable in 2026.

That's exactly why now is the best opportunity to make a move on your desired handheld – yes, even if it's not on sale. Let's look at some of today's best options.

Starting with the best option for UK folks, the MSI Claw 7 AI+ is £799 at Very. This is using the same processor found in the MSI Claw 8 AI+, which is arguably the best handheld gaming PC on the market, thanks to its excellent 80WHr battery, 8-inch screen size, and high levels of performance in games.

You won't get the same battery life or immersive 1200p display, but performance is right up there with its counterpart — and in some ways a slightly better performance at a lower 1080p resolution.

For US consumers, the Nintendo Switch 2 is still available for $449 on Amazon, serving as a pleasant surprise considering the price hikes for other hardware. For UK consumers, it's currently 23% off, available for £385 at Amazon (was £499). While it's not a match for most handheld gaming PCs, hardware-wise, it still delivers with good performance across several games you won't find on any other platform.

UK models

MSI Claw 7 AI+ (Gen2) Intel Core Ultra 7 258V: £799 at very.co.uk

The MSI Claw 7 AI+ is easily one of the best handheld gaming PCs on the market, equipped with Intel's power Core Ultra 7 258V processor, found in the MSI Claw 8 AI+. While it doesn't match its 8 AI+ counterpart in screen size, resolution, or battery capacity, it makes up for it with effectively the same levels of performance in games.

Save 23% (£114.99)

Nintendo Switch 2: was £499.99 now £385 at Amazon

The Nintendo Switch 2 is a great handheld gaming console, equipped with a powerful custom Nvidia chip, and provides both third-party games you'd find on other platforms, and first-party exclusive blockbusters, like Mario Kart World, Donkey Kong Bananza, and plenty of platformers from older generations.

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US models

Nintendo Switch 2: $449 at Amazon

With a huge library of old and new Nintendo titles, the Nintendo Switch 2 brings plenty of fun to your portable and home setup gaming experiences, and is one for the family to enjoy. It's a great option for those looking to play a mixture of exclusive Nintendo games while diving into a wide range of third-party games with great visuals and performance.

Save 8% ($50)

Asus ROG Xbox Ally Z2 A: was $599.99 now $549.99 at Best Buy

The Asus ROG Xbox Ally Z2 A is a good option for anyone looking for a Windows handheld gaming PC, with access to a massive library via Steam, the Xbox app, Epic Games, and GOG, and is equipped with a Ryzen Z2 A processor, providing performance closer to a Steam Deck.

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The Asus ROG Xbox Ally is available on Best Buy for $549.99 (was $599.99), which includes a three-month Premium subscription on Xbox Game Pass. This isn't the ROG Xbox Ally X, which comes with a more powerful AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme processor, but it's not much to fuss over considering the lingering threat of a bigger price increase.

It's hard to predict when this crisis will end, so it's natural to expect price fluctuations for hardware using RAM. As such, it's time to decide on your next handheld device before it gets hit by the RAMpocalypse.