The Handheld Dock Chroma is the ultimate Steam Deck accessory

Razer unveiled the Handheld Dock Chroma, a new device built for portable gaming devices like the Steam Deck. The dock allows players to connect their handheld of choice to an external monitor, as well as connect additional accessories through USB ports. It does not have a release date yet, but it will retail for $80. The announcement is part of Razer’s CES 2025 lineup, which featured multiple gaming announcements. That’s become standard for the hardware maker, who previously revealed its Razer Edge handheld at CES 2023. While it didn’t reveal any new gaming devices of its own this year, the Handheld Dock Chroma continues the company’s push into the portable PC space — this time by creating an accessory for its competitors’ devices. The Handheld Dock Chroma is a bit like the Nintendo Switch’s TV dock, but for devices like the Steam Deck or Asus ROG Ally. Players can place their handheld onto the adjustable stand, which features an anti-slip rubber mat to keep devices in place, and plug it into the dock via the charging port. From there, the device can be connected to a TV or monitor via an HDMI 2.0 port on its backside. The device can then output games at up to 4K at 60 frames per second (fps)(. The back of the dock also includes an Ehernet port to enable wired internet play on handhelds, as well as three USB 3.0 ports. The latter allow players to connect external devices like keyboards, mice, or wired controllers to their device. As for power, the dock includes a 100-watt passthrough. As you might expect from Razer, the dock also features RGB lighting that emits from its underside. That can be toggled with a button on the side of the dock. The one main difference from the Switch’s dock, aside from its open-faced design, is that Razer’s is built with portability in mind. The stand can be adjusted to fit multiple viewing angles (for those looking to use it as a mobile stand, rather than a monitor dock). It can even be laid flat on the dock, turning it into a compact, travel-friendly box. All of that should make it a go-to option for those looking for a handheld dock, though there are a few comparatively inexpensive alternatives currently on the market. At CES 2025, I saw some of the most exciting developments in the world of handheld gaming PCs that I’ve ever seen, but completely absent from the conversation was Nvidia. It’s a world dominated by AMD with its semi-custom designs like the new Ryzen Z2 range, and one that Intel is slowly working its way into with devices like the MSI Claw 8 AI+. Team Green, by comparison, doesn’t seem interested. An Nvidia handheld wouldn’t inherently be better than the crop of AMD-powered devices we have now, from the Steam Deck OLED to the new Lenovo Legion Go S, but Nvidia already has features and hardware that fit the ethos of handhelds perfectly. But even with so much going for Nvidia in handhelds, it remains one tough nut to crack.
For over two decades, the video game world has revolved around three companies: Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft. These platform holders have long controlled the conversation around games, with their consoles and flashy exclusives creating the framework for how we understand the business today. It’s not that these were the only companies distributing games, as any PC player will tell you; it’s just that they had become the foundational power players that the rest of the industry often had to adapt around. We’ve seen cracks in that dynamic during this current console generation, but Valve may have shattered it for good. During CES 2025, the company made some big plays of its own that solidified its growing hold on gaming outside of Steam. In addition to bringing SteamOS to the Legion Go S, Valve tells The Verge that it will soon let players install the Steam Deck’s signature interface on any handheld. Nvidia revealed that its cloud gaming service, Nvidia GeForce Now, is coming to several new platforms in the future. We learned at CES 2025 that a GeForce Now app for Steam Deck is coming later this year, while browser support on Meta Quest 3, Meta Quest 3S, Pico mixed reality headsets, and even Apple Vision Pro will also be coming later this month. Nvidia GeForce Now is a service that lets players use Nvidia’s servers to stream games in their Steam library from higher-end PC hardware via cloud gaming. If you have a great internet collection but a lackluster PC or laptop for gaming, something like GeForce Now is a solid solution. Previously, GeForce Now was only available through PC, Mac, iOS, Android, and certain smart TVs from companies like Samsung, but this year Nvidia is committed to broadening its availability.