Embark on a Gaming Odyssey: Helldivers 2 on the Go

Helldivers 2, the popular co-op shooter, is a great looking title, but it requires some serious muscle power to run at its best. If you’re looking to play this game on the go, you’ll need a device that can handle its demands. In this article, we’ll explore some budget-friendly hardware recommendations to get the best out of Arrowhead’s popular shooter.

PlayStation 5: The Console Exclusive

Helldivers 2 is a PS5 console exclusive, which means that it’s one of the only places to play the game outside of the PC platform. If you want a simple means to play the game without worrying about hardware configurations, visual settings, and tinkering with DLSS/FSR, now might be a great time to buy the PS5. This is besides the tons of PS5 exclusives already available for the platform, including the God of War, Horizon, and Spider-Man series!

Steam Deck LCD: A Budget-Friendly Option

Valve’s Steam Deck revitalized the handheld scene like no other handheld could, and while the Half-Life makers have released a slightly updated model with the Steam Deck OLED, the LCD version is no slouch - not to mention it is quite comfortably affordable for what it offers. However, since the system is slightly underpowered compared to other options here, we would not expect ‘great’ performance for Helldivers 2. At the 15W TDP, you can easily achieve around 30-35fps by running the game at low settings and at 720p resolution. Not the most ideal scenario but still extremely playable for the price paid.

Budget-friendly handheld gaming

Asus ROG Ally Z1 Extreme: A Viable Option

With constant updates and new features, Asus has kept the ROG Ally Z1 Extreme an extremely viable option when it comes to AAA gaming. So much so that we prefer this over a budget laptop under this price range. The Z1 Extreme SoC should allow one to run Helldivers 2 comfortably at 40fps+ at 720p/1080p with a mix of low to medium settings, and you can squeeze out a lot more performance by running the device at 30W turbo mode and using the newly introduced AMD Fluid Motion Frame generation tech.

Powerful handheld gaming

Lenovo Legion Go: A Large Screen Experience

While the Lenovo Legion Go has the same SoC as the Asus ROG Ally (Z1 Extreme), it features a bigger screen (8"), higher resolution (1440p), and some other features such as an FPS mode, etc. You do lose out on the VRR screen that the ROG Ally has, but it’s a decent compromise for a large screen gaming experience that very few handhelds provide at this price range.

Large screen gaming on the go

MSI Cyborg 15 A12VE: A Budget Laptop Option

If you aren’t into handhelds, and want a budget laptop option that can spin Helldivers 2 at reasonably high frame rates, the configuration offered with the MSI Cyborg should do just fine. The Intel Core i7-12650H, coupled with the RTX 4050, and 16GB RAM should have enough firepower to play Helldivers 2 at well above 70fps at 1080p. The laptop will also be a decent investment for current and future AAA titles as well.

Budget laptop gaming

2FR Gaming PC: A Powerful Option

If you have more money to splurge, the 2FR pre-built gaming PC should do the trick. With the Intel Core i7-12700F, 32GB DDR4 RAM, RTX 4060Ti, and 1TB Nvme storage, the PC is enough of a powerhouse to deliver great frame rates for Helldivers 2. The PC should offer at least 80fps+ at 1080p at High settings, while a mix of medium and low would be required if you are using it with a higher resolution screen.

Powerful gaming PC

In conclusion, Helldivers 2 is a great looking title, but it requires some serious muscle power to run at its best. With these budget-friendly hardware recommendations, you can enjoy this popular co-op shooter on the go or at home.