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For the highest Cyberpunk 2077 frame rates in the cited tests, choose the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ CG3EM. PC Gamer recorded 51 FPS average with a 33 FPS 1% low at 1080p Medium, rising to 73 FPS average and 50 FPS 1% low with upscaling. The ASUS ROG Xbox Ally X is the better-balanced choice at 41/34 FPS on the same Medium test and 53/44 FPS upscaled. Lenovo’s Legion Go S SteamOS gives up some performance for its large-screen format, reaching 35/30 FPS Medium and 49/40 FPS upscaled.
Those are review measurements, not guarantees. Power mode, firmware, graphics drivers, game patches, temperatures and individual settings can move performance substantially. None of these handhelds should be treated as a guaranteed native 60-FPS Cyberpunk machine at 1080p.
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At a glance: the three strongest candidates
| Handheld | 1080p Medium | 1080p Medium with upscaling | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ CG3EM | 51 FPS average 33 FPS 1% low |
73 FPS average 50 FPS 1% low |
Highest measured frame rates |
| ASUS ROG Xbox Ally X | 41 FPS average 34 FPS 1% low |
53 FPS average 44 FPS 1% low |
Balanced performance and usability |
| Lenovo Legion Go S SteamOS | 35 FPS average 30 FPS 1% low |
49 FPS average 40 FPS 1% low |
Large-screen alternative |
PC Gamer produced all three sets of figures in the same Cyberpunk 2077 comparison, so these rows are directly useful against one another. The upscaled results are still 1080p output; the game renders internally at a lower resolution before reconstructing the image.
1. MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ CG3EM: the performance winner
The MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ CG3EM is the clear choice when your first priority is the highest frame rate. In PC Gamer’s 2026 test at 1080p Medium, it averaged 51 FPS and recorded a 33 FPS 1% low. With upscaling enabled, the result rose to 73 FPS average and a 50 FPS 1% low. The low-percentile result matters because it describes the slower moments that make camera movement and driving feel uneven; average FPS alone can hide those dips.
#1 Best Overall
- ALL GAMES, ALL PLACES, ALL YOURS – Get ready to game on the 8" 120Hz Lenovo PureSight display and launch any title using Legion Space. The AMD Ryzen Z2 Go processor and AMD Radeon graphics deliver incredible gaming performance.
- SEE EVERY DETAIL – Make every scene pop with 500 nits of stunning brightness and 100% sRGB color accuracy. And with 10-point touch support, your interactions are as precise as your aim.
- PLAY YOUR WAY – Play hundreds of high-quality PC games with your complimentary 3 months of PC Game Pass and EA Play. With new games added all the time, there’s always something new to play.
- POWER-UP AND GO – When it comes to gaming on the go, battery life is everything. The Lenovo Legion Go S is built with a robust 55.5Whr battery that delivers the long-lasting power you need for extended play sessions.
- TAKE FULL CONTROL – Get ready to dominate with the ergonomic Legion TrueStrike Controllers, designed for all-day comfort and precision. With their anti-slip texture, you’ll stay in control during even the most intense battles.
That makes the Claw the only model in this matched set with enough upscaled headroom to approach a 60-FPS experience while retaining a 50-FPS 1% low in the cited run. It is still not a locked 60 FPS: the 1% low is below 60, and a different driver, patch, temperature or power setting can produce a different result.
What happens at 1080p High
Tom’s Guide’s 2026 testing of the same MSI model reached up to 36 FPS at 1080p High without upscaling. Enabling XeSS raised that result to 51 FPS. A separate 4x multi-frame-generation mode produced a headline 171 FPS figure.
These numbers should not be read as equivalent experiences. XeSS reduces the rendering workload and reconstructs the image, while multi-frame generation inserts synthesized frames between conventionally rendered frames. The latter can make an FPS counter look dramatically higher without reducing input latency in the same proportion. For a responsive game, judge the base frame rate and the 1% lows first, then decide whether generated frames improve the image and motion enough for you.
Who should buy it
- Players who want the highest measured Cyberpunk performance from a handheld.
- Users prepared to tune wattage, upscaling and image quality rather than simply select Ultra.
- Enthusiasts willing to pay a premium for performance headroom.
Tom’s Guide managing editor Jason England described it as the best PC gaming handheld he had tested, while also calling out a $1,799 price and recommending that most buyers wait for a sale. That is a quoted 2026 assessment, not a permanent price: configuration, retailer, region, stock and promotions can change the amount, so verify the current listing before purchasing.
2. ASUS ROG Xbox Ally X: the balanced high-frame-rate option
The ASUS ROG Xbox Ally X is the sensible middle ground if you want strong Cyberpunk performance without selecting solely on the top benchmark number. PC Gamer measured 41 FPS average and a 34 FPS 1% low at 1080p Medium. Upscaling moved the result to 53 FPS average and 44 FPS 1% low.
Rank #2
- High-Performance Computing: Harness the power of the AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme processor to effortlessly handle demanding tasks. Enjoy reliable, high-performance computing wherever you go.
- Simplistic Design: Enjoy the latest generation of Windows 11 Home for your everyday needs. MSI recommends Windows 11 Pro for business use.
- Perfection Through Anthropometry: As a handheld device, Claw has achieved the optimal balance between its grip and weight. We have meticulously polished various design details, from the curvature that fits the palm, to the finger grip positions and trigger force.
- Best-in-Class Battery Life: Unlock exceptional gaming endurance with our breakthrough battery capacity. It's where efficient power meets robust performance—more game, less charge.
- 8-inch Smoothness Ready: Dive into the ultimate gaming experience with our 8-inch premium 120Hz gaming display, with exceptional color reproduction and smooth action.
That profile is well suited to a 40-FPS target with sensible settings, although the 1% low shows that busy scenes can still fall below it in the cited run. With upscaling, the average approaches the mid-50s and the low improves materially, but it is still not a native or locked 60-FPS solution.
Power-mode context
ASUS’s current product information documents a 35-watt Turbo mode when plugged in and a 17-watt Performance comparison on battery. Treat those as different operating conditions rather than interchangeable specifications. A plugged-in benchmark at 35 W should not be used to promise the same frame rate on battery at 17 W.
If you mostly play at a desk, in a dock or near a charger, Turbo mode can provide the electrical budget used for the strongest results. For portable sessions, expect lower performance, shorter bursts of peak speed or both, depending on the game and thermal conditions.
3. Lenovo Legion Go S SteamOS: the large-screen alternative
The Lenovo Legion Go S SteamOS gives up frame rate in exchange for its large-screen handheld format. PC Gamer recorded 35 FPS average and a 30 FPS 1% low at 1080p Medium. With upscaling, it reached 49 FPS average and 40 FPS 1% low.
Those upscaled lows make a 40-FPS target more plausible than the native result, but the average remains below the MSI and ASUS figures in the same test. Choose it when screen size and the SteamOS experience matter more than leading Cyberpunk performance.
Rank #3
- [Xbox experience brought to life by ROG] : The Xbox gaming legacy meets ROG's decades of premium hardware design in the ROG Xbox Ally. Boot straight into the Xbox experience just like a console.
- [Xbox Game Bar integration] : Launch Game Bar with a tap of the Xbox button or play your favorite titles natively from platforms like Xbox Game Pass, Steam, Epic Games, or Windows games on the go.
- [All your games, all your progress]: Powered by Windows 11, the ROG Xbox Ally gives you access to your full library of PC games from Xbox and other game stores. With Xbox Play Anywhere, you can pick up right where you left off on your PC or Xbox and jump back into the game anytime.
- [Never stop gaming]: Powered by ultra-efficient AMD Ryzen Z2 A processor, the ROG Xbox Ally offers console-caliber performance and can game for hours, even away from a wall outlet.
- [Game-ready storage and fast memory]: Store your full library and multitask seamlessly with 512GB SSD and 16GB of LPDDR5 6400MHz RAM. The ROG Xbox Ally makes playing any game in the palm of your hand possible.
The cited material does not establish a directly comparable display size, resolution, refresh rate, weight, RAM or storage advantage for any of the three models. Check the exact regional configuration and current manufacturer listing for those details rather than inferring them from the product name.
Can a handheld run Cyberpunk 2077 at 40 FPS?
Yes, but the answer depends on whether you mean an average near 40 FPS, a consistent 40-FPS cap or a 40-FPS 1% low.
- MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ CG3EM: exceeds 40 FPS on average at 1080p Medium in the cited test, but its 33 FPS 1% low means dips remain.
- ROG Xbox Ally X: averages just above 40 FPS at 1080p Medium, with a 34 FPS 1% low.
- Legion Go S SteamOS: averages below 40 FPS natively, then reaches 49 FPS average and a 40 FPS 1% low with upscaling.
For a steadier 40-FPS feel, start with an upscaled 1080p profile, cap the frame rate at 40 if frame pacing is stable, and lower the settings that cause the largest dips. A cap cannot create performance the hardware does not have; it only prevents unnecessary swings above the chosen target.
Can a handheld run Cyberpunk 2077 at 60 FPS?
A handheld can display a 60-FPS-class average in the right conditions, but none of the cited results proves a locked 60 FPS. The MSI’s upscaled 73-FPS average is the closest, yet its 50-FPS 1% low shows that demanding scenes still fall short of 60. The ASUS and Lenovo upscaled averages are lower still.
To pursue a 60-FPS experience, use the highest sustainable power mode, enable a quality-oriented upscaler, disable or reduce ray tracing, and monitor the 1% lows rather than the headline average. If the game feels inconsistent, a stable 40 or 45 FPS cap is often a better target than an uncapped counter that oscillates widely.
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- Carrying case with removable liner
What settings work best at 1080p?
Start with Medium, then add quality selectively
The matched PC Gamer results use 1080p Medium, making that the most defensible baseline for comparing these handhelds. Begin there, establish a repeatable frame rate and then raise individual options one at a time. Crowd density, volumetric effects, shadows and reflections can have a greater performance impact than settings whose visual difference is difficult to see on a small screen.
Use upscaling before aggressive reductions
Upscaling is the main reason the tested averages improve so substantially. Test the game’s available modes, including XeSS where supported, at a quality setting first. Move to a more performance-oriented mode only if the 1% lows remain below your target. Inspect fine geometry, neon signs and moving foliage for shimmering or ghosting after each change.
Be cautious with frame generation
Multi-frame generation can produce a much larger counter number, as shown by the MSI’s 171-FPS result with 4x generation in Tom’s Guide’s test. Because generated frames are not the same as additional fully rendered frames, evaluate controller response, artifacting and base FPS. It is most useful after the underlying render rate is already reasonably smooth, not as a substitute for an unplayably low base rate.
Ray tracing: why Ultra is usually impractical
Ray tracing imposes a much heavier workload than the Medium and High rasterized results above. In an earlier Tom’s Guide comparison, Ultra ray tracing produced 9.6 FPS on the ROG Ally X and 7.9 FPS on the Lenovo Legion Go. Those figures come from a different review and a different test context, so they should not be merged numerically with PC Gamer’s 2026 results or treated as measurements of the Legion Go S SteamOS.
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →The practical conclusion is straightforward: disable ray tracing for a high-frame-rate handheld profile, or enable only selected effects after establishing a stable rasterized baseline. If ray-traced reflections are essential, expect to compromise resolution, image quality and frame rate together.
Best Value
- XBOX EXPERIENCE BROUGHT TO LIFE BY ROG The Xbox gaming legacy meets ROG's decades of premium hardware design in the ROG Xbox Ally. Boot straight into the Xbox experience just like a console.
- XBOX GAME BAR INTEGRATION Launch Game Bar with a tap of the Xbox button or play your favorite titles natively from platforms like Xbox Game Pass, Steam, Epic Games, or Windows games on the go.
- ALL YOUR GAMES, ALL YOUR PROGRESS Powered by Windows 11, the ROG Xbox Ally gives you access to your full library of PC games from Xbox and other game stores. With Xbox Play Anywhere, you can pick up right where you left off on your PC or Xbox and jump back into the game anytime.
- NEVER STOP GAMING Powered by ultra-efficient AMD Ryzen Z2 A processor, the ROG Xbox Ally offers console-caliber performance and can game for hours, even away from a wall outlet.
- GAME-READY STORAGE AND FAST MEMORY Store your full library and multitask seamlessly with 512GB SSD and 16GB of LPDDR5 6400MHz RAM. The ROG Xbox Ally makes playing any game in the palm of your hand possible.
Battery life is a major separator
Tom’s Guide’s 2026 chart measured the following battery runtimes:
| Handheld | Measured battery life |
|---|---|
| MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ CG3EM | 4 hours 10 minutes |
| ROG Xbox Ally X | 2 hours 56 minutes |
| Legion Go S SteamOS | 1 hour 45 minutes |
These are review-chart results, not a guaranteed runtime for every game or brightness level. Cyberpunk at a high wattage can drain any handheld faster than a light indie title, and battery mode may reduce performance compared with plugged-in testing. Treat the chart as a relative indication of endurance under that review’s conditions.
A 65-watt-or-higher USB-C PD power bank may extend play time, but check the handheld’s charging specification, the bank’s sustained output and the cable rating before buying. A bank that cannot maintain the required profile may charge slowly or fail to prevent battery drain during play.
ROG Ally X versus Steam Deck for Cyberpunk
The cited comparison does not include a matched Steam Deck result, so it cannot establish a fair numerical verdict between Steam Deck and the ROG Xbox Ally X. What it does establish is the Ally X’s performance in PC Gamer’s 1080p Medium and upscaled tests, plus ASUS’s documented plugged-in and battery power conditions.
Use your target rather than a blanket brand comparison: choose a device with a documented result near your desired frame rate, confirm whether that result requires upscaling or wall power, and account for the operating system and launcher setup you are willing to manage. Without matched Steam Deck settings, any precise FPS ranking would be speculation.
How to tune a handheld for Cyberpunk 2077
- Update the game and system. Install the latest game patch, firmware and graphics driver available for your model before benchmarking.
- Choose a repeatable power condition. Record whether the handheld is plugged in or on battery. On the ROG Xbox Ally X, note whether you are using the documented 35 W Turbo or 17 W Performance condition.
- Select 1080p output and Medium preset. This creates the closest starting point to the matched PC Gamer comparison.
- Disable ray tracing. Confirm a stable rasterized baseline before experimenting with RT effects.
- Enable an upscaler. Start with a quality mode, then test a performance mode only if necessary. XeSS is the upscaler specifically measured in the cited 1080p High test.
- Run the same scene or route. Use a repeatable save and play long enough for the device to reach normal operating temperature; a brief launch spike is not a sustained result.
- Watch average and 1% lows. Select a target based on the slower moments, not just the largest number on the overlay.
- Adjust one setting at a time. Lower the options that cause dips, then retest so you know which change helped.
- Set a frame-rate cap. If the device can hold 40 or 45 FPS consistently, a cap can improve frame pacing and reduce needless power use.
- Save separate profiles. Keep one plugged-in high-performance profile and one battery profile so a setting change does not surprise you during travel.
Buying checklist
- Performance target: Decide whether you want a stable 40 FPS, the best possible average, or a 60-FPS-class counter with generated frames.
- Upscaling tolerance: High frame rates in the cited tests depend heavily on upscaling. Inspect image quality at your preferred mode before committing.
- Power access: Verify whether your target result assumes wall power and whether the device’s charger and cable meet its requirements.
- Battery priority: The cited runtimes range from 1 hour 45 minutes to 4 hours 10 minutes, so endurance can matter as much as peak FPS.
- Screen and ergonomics: Confirm the exact display dimensions, resolution, refresh rate, weight, controls and storage for the regional configuration you plan to buy; those values are not established in the cited benchmark data.
- Price: Treat the $1,799 MSI figure as a quoted 2026 price observation, not a permanent market price. Check current retailer and manufacturer listings.
- Operating-system comfort: Decide how much Windows launcher management or SteamOS compatibility work you are willing to do before choosing a platform.
Verdict
Buy the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ CG3EM if Cyberpunk 2077 frame rate is the deciding factor and the premium price is acceptable. Choose the ASUS ROG Xbox Ally X for the strongest balance of high-frame-rate performance and practical power modes. Pick the Lenovo Legion Go S SteamOS when its large-screen format is more important than leading FPS. Whichever model you choose, plan around upscaling, avoid Ultra ray tracing for high-frame-rate play, and judge success by sustained performance and 1% lows rather than a peak counter reading.
Quick Recap
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