Forget AI: Nvidia RTX Spark could be game-changing for gaming handhelds

PCWorld's Michael Crider argues that while Nvidia is pitching RTX Spark as an AI agent platform, the most exciting potential for the new chip may actually be in PC gaming handhelds. The RTX Spark chip combines a 20-core Nvidia Grace CPU with a Blackwell RTX GPU featuring 6,144 CUDA cores — matching the desktop RTX 5070 — connected via Nvidia's high-speed NVLINK interconnect, enabling significantly better gaming performance than competing SoCs from AMD, Apple, and Qualcomm.

Crider highlights that RTX Spark is the first laptop SoC to support DLSS 4.5 with Multi-Frame Generation, a critical advantage over current gaming handhelds like the ASUS ROG Ally, Lenovo Legion Go, and Steam Deck — all of which are powered by AMD Ryzen SoCs with FSR upscaling. The piece cites a ComputerBase survey where DLSS 4.5 was preferred over FSR 4 across all six games tested, with many viewers preferring DLSS 4.5 output over native gameplay. Notably, RTX Spark only supports DLSS 4.5 rather than the controversial DLSS 5, meaning users get the performance-enhancing features without the generative AI artifacts that have sparked backlash.

However, Crider cautions that key questions remain unanswered: pricing is unknown, power draw under gaming loads is undisclosed, and battery life expectations are unclear. Drawing parallels to Nvidia's $4,699 DGX Spark mini PC, the author warns that RTX Spark systems with 64-128GB of RAM may carry premium pricing. But if Nvidia and its partners can deliver competitive battery life and pricing, RTX Spark could fundamentally change PC gaming on the go — with the potential for 60+ fps handheld gaming at high-end settings becoming commonplace by 2027.