Valve remains tight-lipped about the exact number of Steam Deck units sold, stating only that it has moved “multiple millions” as of late 2023. While this confirms its commercial success, new market research provides a clearer estimate of the broader handheld PC segment, which now includes competitors like the Asus ROG Ally, Lenovo Legion Go, and MSI Claw.
According to The Verge and IDC research, total sales of handheld gaming PCs from 2022 through 2024 are estimated to be around 6 million units, with an additional 2 million projected for 2025. Notably, this figure does not account for devices from smaller vendors like AyaNeo, which also contribute to the growing market.
Steam Deck’s Dominance in Handheld PCs
Given that Valve’s November 2023 estimate already placed Steam Deck sales in the “multiple millions” range, it’s safe to assume that a significant portion of those 6 million units are Steam Decks. However, the fact that major PC brands like Asus, Lenovo, MSI, and Acer continue to release new handheld models indicates that this is more than just a niche trend—it’s a sustainable and competitive market segment.
SteamOS Expands with Lenovo Legion Go S
A key development in this space is Lenovo’s decision to offer a version of the Legion Go S with SteamOS pre-installed, directly integrating Valve’s gaming ecosystem into third-party hardware. This move bypasses the usability challenges of Windows 11 on low-powered handheld devices while giving Lenovo’s hardware access to Best Buy and other major retail channels. The Windows version of the Legion Go S struggled to impress, but its SteamOS counterpart could offer a more seamless gaming experience.
Comparing Steam Deck to the Larger Market
If Steam Deck sales are around 5 million units, it would easily be the most popular dedicated gaming PC model. However, it remains a fraction of the broader PC gaming industry, which is dominated by laptops and desktops. For comparison, Lenovo sells approximately 60 million PCs per year, though not all are gaming-focused.
Looking at the wider gaming hardware market, the gap is even more pronounced. Nintendo has sold 150 million Switch consoles since 2017, underscoring how small the handheld PC market is in comparison. While the Switch vs. Steam Deck debate isn’t always relevant, the sheer difference in sales volume highlights that handheld gaming PCs remain a niche product, even as they gain traction among PC gamers.
Will Microsoft Join the Handheld PC Race?
The biggest question now is whether Microsoft will react to the rise of handheld gaming PCs. Xbox console sales have struggled, but PC gaming remains a stronghold for Microsoft, and Game Pass continues to grow. If Microsoft had launched an Xbox-branded handheld gaming device, it could have offered direct competition to the Steam Deck and cemented its place in this emerging market.
Instead, Microsoft’s approach has been indecisive, leaving competitors like Valve, Asus, and Lenovo to define the space. Whether Microsoft will eventually enter the handheld gaming PC segment or continue to focus solely on Windows-based gaming remains to be seen.
For now, the Steam Deck continues to dominate, but the competition is steadily growing—and with new devices like the SteamOS-powered Legion Go S, Valve’s influence in the space may extend beyond just its own hardware.