STACK #242 December 2024

GAMING FEATURE

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TAKING IT TO THE STREETS TRULY PORTABLE PC GAMING

If you want the joys of PC gaming with the same freedom to play at home or go anywhere that Nintendo Switch players enjoy, then great news – you can have it! High-powered portable gaming PCs are the latest thing, and here we look at two of the top choices that are available right now. Words Amy Flower

Lenovo Legion Go Z1 Extreme PC experts Lenovo’s portable Windows 11 gaming entry delivers a wealth of cool features. A sleek, ergonomically designed black case with rounded edges houses a large 8.8-inch QHD – that’s 2560 x 1400 pixels – touchscreen display, with 500 nits of brightness, and up to 144Hz refresh rate. The Legion Go Z1 Extreme features a classic controller layout, with asymmetrical, RGB-lit thumbsticks, a D-pad, A, B, X, and Y buttons, top bumpers and triggers, a small trackpad, a scroll wheel, and additional buttons for various functions such as accessing settings. Then there’s the big ace up its sleeve, just like Nintendo’s Switch, the Bluetooth-supporting Legion TrueStrike controllers can be removed, opening up the option of desktop gaming – aided by the solid kickstand on the main unit’s rear. There’s some serious power under the bonnet, with an AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme processor. This features built-in RDNA 3 graphics that give dedicated consoles a run for their money. Coupled with 16GB of speedy RAM, plus a 512GB SSD, there’s plenty of memory power, plus you can add extra storage up to 2TB via micro-SD card. If you have several game libraries – Xbox Game Pass, Steam, etc. – then they all converge neatly in the Legion Space app. It allows you to game from the cloud, stream from PC, and even immerse yourself in Android emulation.

MSI Claw A1M MSI’s offering in the portable

Windows 11 gaming PC space is the impressive Claw A1M. It boasts curvy ergonomic grips for optimal comfort, even during longer gaming sessions, and the unit complete with battery weighs in at just 675 grams. It packs a seven-inch Full-HD IPS touchscreen with VRR that delivers up to 120Hz, and 500 nits of brightness. This is coupled with a pair of two watt speakers, which feature Hi-Res Audio certification. Control-wise, the Claw uses the typical Xbox controller layout, with asymmetrical thumbsticks. Along with the ABXY buttons these both feature adjustable RGB lighting, and contact free Hall Effect technology is utilised for longer controller life. An Intel processor is inside, providing power for basically anything

that you can throw at it. Intel Arc Graphics might is coupled with 16GB of DDR5 RAM, and there’s 512GB of SSD, as well as a MicroSD card reader so that you can add even more storage space. A 53Whr battery delivers a decent amount of action on a single charge,

while other top specs include Wi-Fi 7 readiness, and Bluetooth 5.4 support. MSI’s dedicated Center M software keeps settings at your fingertips, collates your various game launchers such as Steam and Xbox, and automatically updates installed games into one easy to find spot.

If you’re used to a console-styled controller and the keyboard/mouse combo just isn’t clicking, good news! PlayStation 5 and Xbox controllers are easily connectable to your gaming PC via Bluetooth, offering a more natural way to play - especially if you’re into more arcade-like experiences rather than shooters or RPGs. IN CONTROL!

60 DECEMBER 2024

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