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Best high-wattage USB-C chargers for Steam Deck, ROG Ally, Ayaneo and MacBook

Our recommendations for 45W to 140W chargers based on real-world testing.

rog ally x charger
Image credit: Asus
Will Judd avatar
Guide by Will Judd Deputy Editor, Digital Foundry
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As modern devices get increasingly powerful, they're also getting more power-hungry. Thankfully almost everything is USB-C these days - even Apple's latest MacBooks and iPhones - so you can get one charger that will charge basically everything you've got, all the way up to a laptop or gaming handheld like the Steam Deck or ROG Ally. That's what we're recommending today, with a range of chargers to power one to four devices of varying requirements.

We've split up our recommendations by total power, with a 45W recommendation ideal for the Steam Deck and other relatively lightweight devices like phones and the Nintendo Switch; a 65W pick for faster handhelds like the Ayaneo 2S and ROG Ally; a 100W pick for the fastest handhelds like the ROG Ally X and entry-level laptops; and a 140W pick capable of charging 16-inch MacBook Pros and lower-end gaming laptops. Beyond this, we have two overall picks capable of charging multiple high-wattage devices at once, and a portable charger that's served us well in our testing.

Best 45W charger: Anker Ace 45W

Anker 45W USB C Charger
Image credit: Anker

The Steam Deck requires a decent amount of power to keep topped up, particularly if you're playing it while charging. The advent of GaN chargers means that you can now get sufficiently powerful options that are still pocketable, and that's what we've got here from Anker. The design changes depending on the region, with a folding option for the US and a decidedly fixed equivalent in the UK, but both support the USB PD standard and deliver the required 45W for under 20 local currency units.

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Best 65W charger: Anker Nano 2 65W

anker nano 2
Image credit: Anker

Another Anker charger we recommend is this model which concentrates all of its charging into a single port. That's ideal for a single higher-wattage device, like a smaller MacBook Air or MacBook Pro, or a PC handheld like the Asus ROG Ally or AyaNeo 2S, but of course is less flexible for scenarios where you might want to charge multiple devices at slower speeds - eg overnight.

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Best 140W charger: UGreen Nexode 140W

ugreen 140w usb-c charger
Image credit: Ugreen

This interesting charger can deliver up to 140W via a single port, or share the load amongst three USB devices. The single-port charging speed is ideal for higher-end laptops, like the MacBook Pro 16-inch (though a MagSafe cable is required) as well as the latest PC handhelds such as the Asus ROG Ally X. If you want to minimise charging times, a high-end charger like this is worth the extra cost.

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Best charger overall: Chargeasap Zeus 280W

chargeasap zeus 280w charger
Image credit: Chargeasap

This absolute tank of a charger is hugely powerful, with sufficient wattage to charge two 16-inch MacBook Pro laptops at full speed. That makes it a cinch to charge three or even four less demanding USB-C devices, such as Steam Decks, tablets and Switches, and you do have four ports: three USB-C and one USB-A. The charger comes with a colour display which shows how much power is being sent out of each port; handy for ensuring your widget is actually charging before going to bed and just for general nerdy interest - though I wish it were possible to extinguish the screen when sleeping in the same room. The Zeus comes with a handy bag for you to keep the charger itself and the three adapters that transform the folding US plugs to UK, EU and Chinese standards. Of course, the father of the gods doesn't come cheap, but it is certainly mighty.

Note that the charger isn't readily available on Amazon US, we've linked to another trustworthy option, a 250W unit from Anker that includes one 140W output, one 65W output and one 45W output, complete with display and two USB-A ports.

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Best charger overall, runner-up: Acefast 218W

acefast 218w charger
Image credit: Acefast

If you prefer a more stationary charger, ie one that comes with a cable for placement on a desk, nightstand or similar, then the Acefast 218W is a better option. This is again a GaN charger for its efficiency benefits, and can be changed between different operating modes by pressing a button on the front. The default mode comes with ports for 100W charging, 65W charging, 30W charging and 18W charging, but there are also modes where two USB-C ports are able to draw 100W each with 18W on the remaining USB-C or USB-A port. I like the colour display and transparent fascia, but again automatic dimming in low-light environments would be appreciated for bedside table use.

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Best portable charger: Storm 2 Liquid

Storm 2 Liquid portable charger
Image credit: Digital Foundry

We originally covered the Storm 2 Liquid in 2021, and I still use this 99.36Wh 26700mAh portable charger on almost every press trip I take. This far from the easiest option to explain to airport security staff, thanks to its transparent case with visible batteries and circuitry, but the rugged design has remained fully intact and having up to 100W of USB power on tap from two USB-C ports, one USB-A port and even an honest-to-goodness barrel jack is extremely handy. Still, the best feature remains its 1.14-inch colour display, which is now more commonplace amongst USB chargers, but still impresses. I particularly like its Star Trek LCARS-like operating system, and live readouts of power flowing in and out is always fascinating.

Note that this charger isn't readily available on Amazon UK, so we've linked to a less cool but cheaper 24,000mAh power bank from Anker instead capable of charging at up to 140W.

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Those are all of the chargers that we've tested and can recommend so far! If you have any questions, ask them below, and stay tuned to more tech recommendations from Digital Foundry.

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