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It wasn’t that way back when the mere considered PC gaming would provide up a picture of a sizeable tower unit taking over big quantities of house on a desk, however in 2026, the panorama has modified immensely. While you may go down the route of gaming laptops for a hybrid answer, there are actually loads of handheld gaming PCs which can be far simpler to take with you on the go, and we’ve put them to the take a look at.
While there’s no denying that PCs and the perfect gaming laptops will at all times provide a far superior expertise on the subject of uncooked efficiency, these choices don’t profit from the comfort {that a} correct handheld system can deliver to the desk. After all, there’s a motive why extra established handhelds just like the Nintendo Switch 2 are so fashionable – they’re a lot simpler to whip out on a prepare or aircraft trip than a laptop computer.
Companies moving into this sector have additionally tried to emulate the accessibility of software program like that of Nintendo, Sony and Xbox, offering a extra console-like method that will get customers again into the video games they get pleasure from extra shortly. This is a vital side of deciding which handheld gaming PC to purchase as you’ll must consider any ecosystems that you simply’re at present part of. For occasion, should you purchase solely from Steam then a SteamOS system will do the job properly, whereas anybody with video games purchased through Xbox or the Epic Store ought to contemplate a Windows-first system.
Thankfully, you don’t must spend numerous hours researching which handheld gaming PCs excel in what areas, as our workforce of specialists have gone forward and executed all of the arduous work in your behalf. This information is predicated upon numerous hours of testing, so you may relaxation assured that each system featured is a good purchase. If you need to develop the performance of those gadgets nevertheless, we even have separate guides for the perfect gaming mouse and the perfect gaming monitor.
Best Handheld Gaming PCs at a look
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How we take a look at
To give our readers a full understanding of what every handheld gaming PC is like to make use of, we take a look at every one by means of a sequence of video games together with Cyberpunk 2077, Returnal and extra, noting the body price in periods working at 720p, 1080p and above if obtainable. We additionally monitor the battery drain throughout these checks and all through on a regular basis use, so you realize precisely what to anticipate earlier than you ever decide up your chosen system.
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One of probably the most highly effective handhelds in its worth class
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Very snug ergonomics
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Xbox UI makes it slick and snappy
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Quite costly
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Meagre battery life
If you’re approaching the hand-held PC gaming market and also you need the perfect expertise attainable, irrespective of the fee, the dialog begins and ends with the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X. This is the simple prime canine proper now, and though the £799.99/$999.99 price ticket is bound to place it past the budgets of many, the Xbox Ally X does a lot proper that you simply’ll overlook all concerning the cash you’ve paid for the pleasure of proudly owning one.
What you’re actually paying for, above every part else, is the excellent Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme chipset and the extra NPU that’s designed to deal with any AI-based duties that you’ve got in thoughts. It’s the identical chipset (minus the NPU) that’s discovered within the MSI Claw A8 and it really works simply as brilliantly right here, and crucially it’s extra succesful than the Ryzen Z1 Extreme toting Asus ROG Ally X.
Test leads to Geekbench 6 and 3DMark are spectacular, however the attract is at all times going to be in how a tool performs with the most recent video games, and the Xbox Ally X didn’t disappoint. Diving straight into Cyberpunk 2077 at 1080p, we registered a mean of 28.93fps however as soon as a spot of upscaling kicked in, we have been capable of get the sport to run at 46.38fps with FSR 2.1 in Performance mode.
It was an identical affair with Returnal, which pushed efficiency up from 28fps to 37fps, making for a terrific expertise on the go. Of course, you’ll get lots larger than that with much less taxing titles, however each Cyberpunk and Returnal function indicators of what you may count on on the larger finish.
Beyond the efficiency, it’s the mixing of Xbox software program that basically makes the console really feel inviting to play. You can keep away from oodles of menus and easily dive right into a clearly laid out dashboard the place your put in video games are proven. As you’ve little question noticed, the ergonomics of the system have been designed in such a manner as to imitate the texture of an Xbox controller, so it suits much more comfortably within the hand than every other handheld gaming PC. The Xbox Ally X is only a win on all fronts.
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Bright and vibrant OLED display screen
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Longer battery life
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Improved grip on joysticks
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Open-platform PC with slick software program
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No efficiency improve
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Still a faff loading up non-Steam apps and video games
We have the unique Steam Deck to thank for kicking off the hand-held PC gaming pattern in earnest, and whereas that console continues to be nice as now you can decide it up at a decreased worth should you store round, it’s the extra feature-packed Steam Deck OLED that we suggest because the go-to possibility for anybody who has their gaming library arrange primarily by means of the Steam ecosystem.
As you’ve little question guessed, the important thing distinction between this system and its predecessor is the addition of an OLED show, and imagine us once we say that it’s value each penny. With the distinction that solely OLED can present, video games pop with much more color than earlier than, and it’s a bigger 7.4-inch panel too so there’s extra room for the motion to unfold out. Throw within the leap to a 90Hz refresh price and you possibly can simply argue that the improve is value it for the display screen alone, however there’s extra within the combine.
The battery life has additionally been given an uptick so on common you may count on one other hour of gaming on a single cost, which may make all of the distinction if you’re on a protracted journey. After all, there’s nothing worse than needing to discover a charger in the midst of a boss combat that took you ages to achieve. There’s higher grip on the joysticks too, and that’s paired with improved haptic suggestions on the trackpads, which is ideal for mouse and keyboard titles like Football Manager.
Performance-wise, the Steam Deck OLED is virtually an identical to the unique Steam Deck because it packs a extra refined 6nm AMD APU, however the Zen 2 CPU and RDNA 2 GPU are unchanged from earlier than. While you may positively discover a extra highly effective expertise within the pricier ROG Xbox Ally X, the efficiency right here continues to be strong as Horizon Zero Dawn ran at a tasty 38fps when enjoying at 780p, however what separates the Steam Deck OLED from the competitors is the brilliance of its UI and ecosystem.
Thanks to the Steam Deck Verified programme, you may keep away from any guesswork with making an attempt to determine if a sure sport can run on the system. It additionally helps that SteamOS could be very clear in its design, and due to the large reductions you will discover throughout Steam’s unimaginable gross sales, there’s lots to get pleasure from right here.
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Potent efficiency at full 40W TDP
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Comfortable body
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SteamOS is slick and quick
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Battery life is not too sensible
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More costly than a Steam Deck by some margin
As a lot as we love the Steam Deck OLED, there are a number of areas for enchancment, however fortunately you don’t have to attend round for a successor to see them get mounted because the Lenovo Legion Go S SteamOS has crushed Valve to the punch. As you may already collect from its identify, the large promoting level of this Lenovo handheld is that it runs SteamOS natively, making it a really accessible possibility for each Steam customers and anybody seeking to make the leap from extra conventional consoles.
When it involves benefits over the Steam Deck, it’s the show that presents probably the most compelling case. Not solely is it a bigger eight-inch panel, so there’s loads of room for video games to unfold out, however the system boasts a 120Hz refresh price, making it excellent for fast-paced multiplayer titles like Rainbow Six Extraction or Counter-Strike 2. It is an IPS LCD panel nevertheless, so you might be lacking the inky distinction that solely OLED can present, so that you’ll have to contemplate which elements of the visible expertise you worth probably the most.
Under the hood is the Ryzen Z2 Go, which is a step down from the extra highly effective Z2 Extreme chip that’s contained in the MSI Claw A8, nevertheless it nonetheless will get the job executed properly. When utilising a full 40W of energy, we have been capable of get Horizon Zero Dawn to run at a mean of 33fps at 1080p. This jumped as much as 50fps when dropping the decision all the way down to 780p, so that you’ve acquired a great quantity of wiggle room right here to search out the configuration that you simply’re most pleased with.
At its most cost-effective, the Lenovo Legion Go S SteamOS comes with a sizeable 512GB of storage, however there’s a 1TB possibility obtainable if you wish to keep away from the dreaded second of deciding which video games you’ll want to delete with a view to set up new ones. More spectacular is the truth that the SSD is replaceable (as long as you may have an M.2 2242 or 2280-sized drive handy), so you may develop what you may have obtainable down the road.
The sides of the system additionally do a great job of mimicking the curve of a controller, so the Lenovo Legion Go S SteamOS feels nice within the hand over lengthy intervals of time. It’s a disgrace then that the battery life doesn’t actually match plans for a prolonged session, with the hand-held reaching 0% after only one hour and 36 minutes of our gaming battery take a look at. The included 65W charger does a minimum of get the Go S again to full well being shortly, with the flexibility to reclaim 50% in simply 36 minutes.
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Solid efficiency from Ryzen Z2 Extreme
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Lovely OLED display screen
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Versatile with kickstand and detachable controllers
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Horrendously costly
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Poor battery life
Although there are some fairly strong choices on this listing, with some that excel in uncooked efficiency while others deliver accessibility into the combo with well-designed working techniques, if you’d like a handheld that greatest recreates the big-screen expertise of truly enjoying PC video games at your desk then the Lenovo Legion Go 2 is your greatest guess.
Completely going towards the concept that a extra moveable design is preferable, the Legion Go 2 packs a whopping 8.8-inch show, which may really feel extra like utilizing a full-on pill. It’s not a much less highly effective show both as we’re speaking about an OLED panel that boasts a 144Hz refresh price, so not solely are you getting beautiful colors and distinction but additionally the velocity required to make fast-paced titles look their absolute best.
What’s nice is that the Legion Go 2 has sufficient energy underneath the hood to actually benefit from its show. It’s acquired the Ryzen Z2 Extreme chip which may also be discovered inside the Xbox Ally X and the MSI Claw A8. There’s a sizeable 32GB LPDDR5X RAM to pair with the chip, alongside 1TB of storage which is a good quantity for maintaining a number of triple-A video games in your system at one time.
As you’d count on from these specs, the efficiency of the Legion Go 2 is unbelievable. When working Cyberpunk 2077 on the Ultra preset, we noticed a mean of 27.09fps at 1080p, and with an identical set-up for Returnal we noticed 24fps. The key nevertheless is if you begin balancing the settings and bringing upscaling into the combo. Toggling FSR 2.1 in Performance mode at 1080p, we acquired Cyberpunk and Returnal to run at 42.06fps and 35fps respectively.
Beyond the efficiency, the Legion Go 2 is especially nice for if you’re enjoying at a desk, or when there’s a tray desk in entrance of you as you may detach the controller and arrange the built-in kickstand, not too just like the Nintendo Switch 2. The entire factor is packed to the brim with options, however the unlucky facet impact of that’s that the system additionally carries a hefty price ticket of £1620/$1999, which is able to make it far too costly for a good quantity of individuals.
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Ryzen Z2 Extreme gives beefy efficiency
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Large, shiny display screen
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Solid battery life
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Windows 11 on a touchscreen checks my endurance
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Expensive
Although it launched with a reasonably excessive £849 RRP, we’ve seen the MSI Claw A8 drop in worth a handful of instances since then, which is why should you’re out there for a higher-powered handheld gaming PC as an alternative choice to the Lenovo Legion Go 2 and the Xbox Ally X, then it’s best to give the MSI Claw A8 a glance.
Because it’s toting such a strong chipset, you gained’t have a lot to fret about with efficiency on the MSI Claw A8, even with extra taxing triple-A video games. The Ryzen Z2 Extreme packs eight Zen 5 cores in addition to 16 threads, to not point out a 16-core RDNA 3.5-based GPU which utilises the identical built-in graphics card discovered inside the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 laptop computer processor.
When giving Cyberpunk 2077 a run, which may admittedly decelerate even probably the most environment friendly gaming PCs resulting from how a lot exercise is occurring onscreen, the sport ran at 23.23fps, however when toggling FSR 2.1 upscaling, we noticed that leap as much as 34.27fps which made for a really pleasing expertise on the go.
Because the Claw A8 can run Cyberpunk at a decent stage, it could possibly achieve this rather more with much less RAM-intensive video games. Diving into a number of rounds of Rainbow Six Extraction, the A8 clocked in at 64fps and that was with out the necessity for any upscaling. Similarly, the system ran Forza Horizon 5 at 1080p 59fps, all with the uncooked energy onboard.
It’s an exquisite visible expertise too as the massive eight-inch show packs a 120Hz refresh price for these quicker titles like Rainbow Six Extraction, and it could possibly get fairly shiny too with a peak of 514.9 nits. You are lacking out on the distinction that solely OLED can deliver to the desk because it’s an IPS panel, nevertheless it’s not a dealbreaker, particularly because the battery greater than makes up for it with a great quantity of juice. The system lasted for 2 hours and 45 minutes in our take a look at which is lots higher than most handheld gaming PCs.
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Lovely, Xbox-inspired seems to be
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Solid efficiency, so long as you are completely satisfied to show some settings down
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Xbox UI makes this slick and snappy
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Ryzen Z2A processor is starting to really feel dated
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Some might favor an OLED display screen
If there’s one constant downside with the hand-held PC gaming market is that, on the entire, it’s not precisely inviting to patrons on a funds. In a way, it’s similar to making an attempt to purchase a gaming laptop computer or constructing your personal gaming PC in that the entire thing can price a good sum of money which is why conventional consoles have been extra interesting to a wider viewers. However, you’re not fully with out choices because the Asus ROG Xbox Ally is available in at underneath £500/$600.
It’s value mentioning that the Xbox Ally has solely develop into extra attractive since launch on condition that Steam closely elevated the value of the Steam Deck OLED and has ceased promoting the unique Deck which was nonetheless kicking round as an reasonably priced different. At the time of writing, the Xbox Ally hasn’t gone up in worth, however somewhat it may be discovered for much less should you store round.
What’s most spectacular right here is that regardless of the cheaper price, the Xbox Ally does carry a number of options that you simply would possibly solely count on to see on the larger finish, chief amongst them is the slick 120Hz refresh price which is ideal for quicker paced titles. You don’t even get that on the Steam Deck OLED as that’s capped at 90Hz.
The design of the Xbox Ally additionally feels nice within the hand. Just just like the pricier Xbox Ally X, this system has been moulded to really feel like an Xbox controller within the hand, so not solely are you getting a sturdier grip of the factor, however all of the buttons have that traditional Xbox really feel too. The thumbsticks really feel snappy and there’s a great quantity of journey within the shoulder buttons, all of which contributes to the concept that you’re getting a console-like expertise on the go.
Of course, as a result of this can be a extra reasonably priced system than the competitors, there’s a compromise available on the subject of efficiency. The Ryzen Z2A felt dated on the time of the Xbox Ally’s launch and that hasn’t precisely improved over time. To its credit score, we have been capable of get Cyberpunk 2077 working at 29.77fps at 720p with FSR 2.1 upscaling, so you will get some triple-A titles to run right here, nevertheless it does require a good bit of tinkering. For much less demanding titles nevertheless, you gained’t have a lot of a problem.
Test Data
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X | Steam Deck OLED | Lenovo Legion Go S SteamOS | Lenovo Legion Go 2 | MSI Claw A8 | Asus ROG Xbox Ally | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCMark 10 | 7537 | – | 5381 | 7482 | 5483 | 3646 |
| Cinebench R23 multi core | 13932 | – | 5800 | 11668 | 13062 | 4994 |
| Cinebench R23 single core | 1963 | – | 1287 | 1897 | 1941 | 1077 |
| Geekbench 6 single core | 2799 | – | 1717 | 2795 | 2787 | 1402 |
| Geekbench 6 multi core | 12424 | – | 5575 | 11369 | 12169 | 4830 |
| 3DMark Time Spy | 4011 | – | 2360 | 3712 | 3652 | – |
| CrystalDiskMark Read velocity | 5013.23 MB/s | – | 5164.90 MB/s | 6607.20 MB/s | 6389.92 MB/s | 3299.80 MB/s |
| CrystalDiskMark Write Speed | 4164.99 MB/s | – | 4555.41 MB/s | 5856.49 MB/s | 5729.39 MB/s | 3093.25 MB/s |
| Brightness (SDR) | 427.6 nits | – | 495.2 nits | 435.6 nits | 514.9 nits | 456.0 nits |
| Black stage | 0.28 nits | – | 0.20 nits | 0.03 nits | 0.26 nits | 0.42 nits |
| Contrast ratio | 1340:1 | – | 1530 | 15740:1 | 1330:1 | 1090:1 |
| White Visual Colour Temperature | 7400 Ok | – | 8000 Ok | 6400 Ok | 7100 Ok | 7400 Ok |
| sRGB | 96 % | – | 96 % | 100 % | 99 % | 96 % |
| Adobe RGB | 73 % | – | 73 % | 93 % | 77 % | 73 % |
| DCI-P3 | 73 % | – | 74 % | 100 % | 77 % | 74 % |
| PCMark Battery (workplace) | 17 hrs | – | 12.5 hrs | 4 hrs | 10 hrs | 9 hrs |
| PCMark Battery (gaming) | 3 hrs | – | 1.5 hrs | – | 2.75 hrs | 2.33 hrs |
| Battery discharge after 60 minutes of on-line Netflix playback | 32 % | – | 8 % | 25 % | 13 % | 11 % |
| Battery recharge time | 90 minutes | – | 80 minutes | 90 minutes | 70 minutes | 75 minutes |
| Horizon Zero Dawn body price (Full HD) | – | – | 33 fps | – | – | – |
| Dirt Rally (Full HD) | – | – | 47.43 fps | – | – | – |
| Cyberpunk 2077 (Full HD) | 28.93 fps | – | 29.64 fps | 27.09 fps | 25.2 fps | 24.31 fps |
| Cyberpunk 2077 (Full HD + RT) | 7.4 fps | – | – | 9.27 fps | 7 fps | – |
| Cyberpunk 2077 (Full HD + Supersampling) | 46.38 fps | – | – | 42.06 fps | 36.48 fps | – |
| Returnal (Full HD) | 28 fps | – | – | 24 fps | 24 fps | – |
| Rainbow Six Extraction (Full HD) | 66 fps | – | 30 fps | 66 fps | 58 fps | 55 fps |
Full Specs
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Review | Steam Deck OLED Review | Lenovo Legion Go S SteamOS Review | Lenovo Legion Go 2 Review | MSI Claw A8 Review | Asus ROG Xbox Ally Review | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPU | AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme | AMD Zen 2 | AMD Ryzen Z2 Go | AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme | AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme | AMD Ryzen Z2A |
| Manufacturer | Asus | Valve | Lenovo | Lenovo | MSI | Microsoft |
| Screen Size | 8 inches | 7.4 inches | 8 inches | 8.8 inches | 8 inches | 7 inches |
| Storage Capacity | 1TB | 512GB, 1TB | 1TB | 1TB | 1TB | 512GB |
| Battery | 80 Whr | 50 Whr | 55.5 Whr | 74 Whr | 76 Whr | 59 mAh |
| Battery Hours | 3 1 | – | 1 36 | 4 6 | 2 45 | 2 20 |
| Size (Dimensions) | 290.8 x 121.5 x 50.7 INCHES | 298 x 49 x 117 MM | 299 x 127.55 x 22.6 MM | 295.6 x 136.7 x 42.25 MM | 299.5 x 126.2 x 23 MM | 290.8 x 50.7 x 121.5 MM |
| Weight | 715 G | 638 G | 740 G | 917 G | 765 G | 670 G |
| Operating System | – | SteamOS | SteamOS | Windows 11 | Windows 11 | Windows 11 (with Xbox FSE overlay) |
| Release Date | 2025 | 2023 | 2025 | 2025 | 2025 | 2025 |
| First Reviewed Date | 17/12/2025 | 01/04/2024 | 27/11/2025 | 01/07/2026 | – | 15/10/2025 |
| Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1280 x 800 | 1920 x 1200 | 1920 x 1200 | 1920 x 1200 | 1920 x 1080 |
| HDR | – | Yes | – | – | – | – |
| Refresh Rate | 119 Hz | 90 Hz | 120 Hz | 144 Hz | 120 Hz | 120 Hz |
| Ports | 1x USB4 Type-C with DisplayPort™ 2.1 / Power Delivery 3.0, Thunderbolt™ 4 suitable 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C with DisplayPort™ 2.1 / Power Delivery 3.0 1x UHS-II microSD card reader (helps SD, SDXC and SDHC; UHS-I with DDR200 mode) 1x 3.5mm Combo Audio Jack | USB-C and headphone jack | 2x USB-C, 1x microSD, 1x 3.5mm headphone jack | 2x USB4 Type-C, 1x 3.5mm jack, 1x microSD card slot | 2x USB-C, 1x 3.5mm, 1x microSD | 2x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C, 1x 3.5mm jack, 1x MicroSD UHS-II reader |
| Audio (Power output) | – | – | – | 4 W | 3 W | – |
| GPU | AMD Radeon 890M iGPU | RDNA 2 | – | AMD Radeon 890M iGPU | AMD Radeon 890M | 8-CU RDNA2 iGPU |
| RAM | – | 16GB | 16GB | 32GB | – | 16GB |
| Connectivity | – | Bluetooth 5.3 and Wi-Fi 6E | Wifi 6E | – | Wifi 7, Bluetooth 5.4 | Wifi 6E, Bluetooth 5.4 |
| Colours | Black | Black | Purple | Black | White, Green | White |
| Display Technology | IPS | OLED | IPS | OLED | IPS | IPS |
| Screen Technology | IPS | – | IPS | – | IPS | IPS |
| Touch Screen | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Convertible? | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| UK RRP | £799.99 | £479 | £549 | £1620 | £849 | £499 |
| USA RRP | $999.99 | $549 | $600 | $1999 | – | $599 |
This web page was created programmatically, to learn the article in its unique location you may go to the hyperlink bellow:
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and if you wish to take away this text from our website please contact us
