Can you play Path of Exile 2 on gaming handhelds like the Steam Deck and ROG Ally?
The short answer is yes, you can play Path of Exile 2 on handhelds, but until it launches we won't know how well. The PC requirements aren't too heavy, and the game will have controller support, but we haven't yet been able to test it out.
The developers have also already stated that they plan on making sure it plays on the Steam Deck, which, of course, uses Linux rather than Windows 11.
It looks good for playing Path of Exile 2 on the ROG Ally and Lenovo Legion Go
Without any actual testing, we can't be 100% sure yet how good (or not) Path of Exile 2 may be on handhelds.
However, looking at the PC spec requirements, all signs point to positive.
| OS: | Windows 10 |
| Processor: | Intel Core i7-7700 or AMD Ryzen 5 2500x |
| Memory: | 8 GB RAM |
| Graphics: | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 (3GB), Intel Arc A380, or ATI Radeon RX 470 |
| DirectX: | Version 12 |
| Network: | Broadband Internet connection |
| Storage: | 100 GB available space |
| Additional Notes: | A GPU with at least 3GB of VRAM is required |
Both the ROG Ally and Lenovo Legion Go are handily more competent than the specs listed here as the bare minimum. Both have more than enough RAM, and if Grinding Gear Games says it'll play on an Intel Arc A380, then the AMD Z1 Extreme's GPU in both these handhelds should be absolutely fine.
Even the MSI Claw, if you have one of those instead, should be fine since it uses Arc as its graphics. None of the GPUs listed as the minimum spec give us any cause for concern regarding playing on a handheld.
Path of Exile 2 will also have full controller support, not least because the game has also been built for console. Controller versus mouse and keyboard in a game like this is a very different experience, but since you're not going up against other players (you can play in co-op, though) there's no real disadvantage.
That 100GB storage requirement is pretty hefty, though, so you might need to clear some space out. Personally, I wouldn't recommend trying to run this from a microSD card.
Path of Exile 2 isn't currently rated for Steam Deck, but it's in the works
As with the ROG Ally and Legion Go, the hardware in the Steam Deck is handily good enough compared to the minimum requirements for Path of Exile 2. The main point of question is always that the Steam Deck uses Linux, and the game will have to run through the Proton compatibility layer.
Currently, the status of Path of Exile 2 on Steam Deck is listed as "unknown" on Steam, but there's no need to worry. Earlier in the year, the developers confirmed that the game is being optimized for the Steam Deck.
Whether that's been done in time for the initial early access launch on December 6, currently, we don't know. But it's going to happen, so we can at least be happy with that.
