10 Best Handheld Gaming Consoles to Buy

The rise of Steam Deck (which followed the Nintendo Switch) has encouraged many manufacturers to make and present their own portable consoles. In the past year, we have seen a surge in the number of models and the companies trying to make them, and one of the giants that have hopped onto the bandwagon is Asus with their ROG Ally. Considering there are so many options right now, it could be hard to choose the right handheld console for your needs. Hence, here are the 10 best handheld gaming consoles that you can buy right now.

1. Steam Deck

Steam deck Image
SpecificationsDetails
Display16:10 7-inch 1200x800p IPS display @ 60Hz
Storage and RAM64GB eMMC, 256GB, 512GB NVMe M.2 2230; 16GB LPDDR5 RAM
GPUAMD Aerith Custom APU (4-15W)
Operating SystemSteam OS by default; Windows installable
Hall Triggers / Hall Joysticks (Yes/No)No/No
Battery40Wh
I/O1 x Type-C USB 3.2 Gen 2, microSD card slot, 3.5mm headphone jack
Price$399, $549, $649

Right when we thought the handheld gaming console industry was almost dead and dominated by Nintendo Switch, Valve made the Steam Deck official. In Steam Deck’s case, while there were people who looked into the technical aspects, most were mostly moved by its price as the base model only ended up costing $399. The price-to-performance ratio is impossibly good as Valve even admitted selling the console at a loss and making up for it with the commission of selling games on the Steam Store. It’s a smart move.

For those unaware, Valve partnered with AMD to make Steam Deck’s APU and it strikes a great balance between performance and efficiency, something that handhelds from companies that followed later couldn’t achieve. Naturally, Valve sold 3 million units and is still improving the Deck.

Steam Deck runs a form of Arch Linux and not every game might run on it. Hence, if you don’t like fiddling with the OS, it may not be for you. However, for Linux enthusiasts and those who have always dreamt of gaming on Linux, it’s a perfect handheld-cum-computer.

ProsCons
Incredibly value for moneyCannot play all games from the Steam library
Can play AAA titles with easeThe display isn’t great
Decent battery life
Highly repairable

Buy on Amazon ($495)

2. Asus ROG Ally

ROG Ally Steam Deck
SpecificationsDetails
Display16:9 7-inch 1080p IPS display @ 120Hz
Storage and RAM512GB, 1TB NVMe; 16GB LPDDR5 RAM
GPUAMD Z1/Extreme APU
Operating SystemWindows
Hall Triggers / Hall Joysticks (Yes/No)Yes/No
BatteryNA
I/OType-C USB 4 with ASUS’s proprietary eGPU connector, microSD card slot, headphone jack
Price$599, $699 (Rumored)

Lots of manufacturers have called their handheld consoles Steam Deck killers, but nothing comes close to gaming on the Steam Deck than the ROG Ally. We would argue that Ally even surpasses the Deck in a few scenarios, but it’s got a big problem, i.e. battery life. The ROG Ally has a 1080p 7-inch IPS touchscreen display with a 120Hz refresh rate, AMD Ryzen Z1 and Z1 Extreme processors with RDNA 3 graphics, 16GB RAM, and 512GB storage on the base variant. Moreover, it runs Windows 11 with ASUS’s ROG gaming aesthetics on top.

Much like the Steam Deck, it’s a portable computer with controls attached. As for AMDs Z1 Extreme, since it’s an APU especially made for handhelds and not a notebook chip, we can expect it to significantly outperform Steam Deck’s Aerith APU at both lower and higher TDPs. Unlike Steam Deck, it will support far more games on launch because it’s running Windows 11. Now that the price of ROG Ally 2 has been officially revealed and it’s launching at $700, Steam Deck looks like a more value-for-money product.

ProsCons
Can play all AAA titles with easePricey
Windows allows you to play non-Steam games from other launchersNo trackpads
Higher refresh rate display with adaptive sync

Buy on Best Buy ($699)

3. Ayaneo 2

Ayaneo 2
SpecificationsDetails
Display16:9 7-inch 1200p IPS display @ 60Hz
Storage and RAMPCIe 4.0 512GB, 1TB, 2TB NVMe; 16/32GB LPDDR5 RAM
GPUAMD Radeon 680M
Operating SystemWindows/Ayaneo OS
Hall Triggers / Hall Joysticks (Yes/No)Yes/Yes
Battery50.25Wh
I/O2 x Type-C USB 4, microSD card slot, headphone jack
Price$1099, $1299, and $1499

Ayaneo was one of the first brands to offer alternatives to Steam Deck, and it all started with the original Ayaneo, which launched in 2021. The company has since then launched lots of portable consoles, notably the Ayaneo Air, the Air Pro, Next, and more. The Ayaneo 2 is the latest handheld from the company, and it gets a lot of things right, for the most part. For starters, the build quality of the console is known to be phenomenal and premium.

The console is powered by AMD Ryzen 7 6800U, which comes with the Radeon 680M graphics. The 680M is capable of playing games at 1080P in low to medium settings. It’s a tad bit faster compared to Steam Deck’s Aerith APU due to the higher clock speed of compute units (2.2GHz vs 1.6GHz). Subsequently, it also has a higher TDP of up to 25W, and powering that is a 50Whr battery.

The base variant of the Ayaneo 2 comes with 16GB LPDDR5 6400MHz RAM and 512GB PCIe NVMe drive, which is expandable (using M.2 2280). At $1,100, the Ayaneo 2 isn’t exactly affordable and experts may argue that the Steam Deck is still a better choice, which it is, but if you can afford the Ayaneo 2, you certainly won’t regret buying the handheld gaming console.

What makes Ayaneo 2 better are the nifty features and touches here and there to enhance the experience. The hall joysticks and triggers, glass front, eGPU support via USB 4, a 1200p display, haptics similar to the Nintendo Switch, and a bezel-less display do try to justify the price.

ProsCons
Can play all AAA titles with easeSignificantly costly than its counterparts
Windows allows you to play non-Steam games from other launchers
AyaSpace offers cool software tricks
Hall effect joysticks and triggers
Faster RAM, eGPU support via USB 4, and a 1200p screen

Buy from Ayaneo (starts at $1,099)

4. Ayaneo Geek

Ayaneo Geek
SpecificationsDetails
Display16:9 7-inch 800/1200p IPS display @ 60Hz
Storage and RAMPCIe 3.0 512GB, 1TB, 2TB NVMe; 16/32GB LPDDR5 RAM
GPUAMD Radeon 680M
Operating SystemWindows/Ayaneo OS
Hall Triggers / Hall Joysticks (Yes/No)Yes/Yes
Battery50.25Wh
I/O2 x Type-C USB 4, microSD card slot, headphone jack
Price$949, $1169, $1269, and $1369

The Ayaneo Geek features the same processor as Ayaneo 2 but with a few differences here and there. Ayaneo Geek comes in 1200p/ 800p variants, lacks the two-axis haptic motor, and supports PCIe 3.0 standard compared to Ayaneo 2’s PCIe 4.0 standard. Of the two, the Geek is on the thicker side and the height is also long.

Ayaneo calls it a budget offering as it sells for $949 for the base variant with an 800p screen, 16GB RAM, and 512GB memory, which is not bad at all. The price difference of $100 does mean that you miss out on PCIe 4.0 and a Full-HD screen, which makes us think that it’s worth spending $100 more and getting the Ayaneo 2 handheld gaming console. However, if your budget is firm at sub-$1,000 and you don’t need a Steam Deck, the Ayaneo Geek is worth checking out.

ProsCons
Can play all AAA titles with easeSignificantly costly than its counterparts
Windows allows you to play non-Steam games from other launchersPCIe 3.0 instead of 4.0
AyaSpace offers cool software tricksBase variant has 800p screen
Hall Effect Joysticks and Triggers
Faster RAM, eGPU support via USB 4

Buy from Ayaneo (starts at $949)

5. OneXPlayer 2 – AMD

10 Best Handheld Gaming Consoles to Buy
SpecificationsDetails
Display16:9 8.4-inch 2.5k IPS display @ 60Hz
Storage and RAMPCIe 3.0 512GB, 1TB, 2TB NVMe; 16/32GB LPDDR5 RAM
GPUAMD Radeon 680M
Operating SystemWindows
Hall Triggers / Hall Joysticks (Yes/No)Yes/Yes
Battery65.5Wh
I/O1 x Type-C USB 4, 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C, 1 x USB-A 3.0, microSD card slot, headphone jack
Price$1099, $1199, $1299, and $1499

OneXPlayer sells its second-gen handheld console for $1,099 for the base variant with Ryzen 7 6800U. Like the Nintendo Switch, you can detach the joysticks, attach a keyboard to it and use it as a laptop. Moreover, you can use the official dock and get a fully-fledged console-like experience, or use it as a tablet. It also has a larger, more powerful 65.5Wh battery to power its 2.5k 8.4-inch display. For its price, the OneXPlayer 2 is probably worth getting over the Ayaneo Geek or Ayaneo 2.

The company also sells OneXPlayer Mini Pro AMD, which is yet another console powered by the Ryzen 7 6800u and Radeon 680M. The device features a 7-inch 1200p display, 16GB DDR5 RAM at 6400MHz, PCIe 3.0 M.2 2280 SSD slot, Hall joysticks and triggers, a 48Whr battery, and USB 4.0.

Features-wise, it’s quite similar to the Ayaneo Geek but with a 1200p display. OneXPlayer also offers the same device with an Intel Core i7-1260P which we don’t recommend buying unless you despise AMD. For an asking price of $1049, it costs the same as Ayaneo 2 which has far more features and offers a better handheld gaming console experience.

ProsCons
Can play all AAA titles with easeSignificantly costly than its counterparts
A bigger 8-inch 2.5k displayBattery life will be bad
Windows allows you to play non-Steam games from other launchersPCIe 3.0 instead of 4.0
Detachable controllers for added flexibility
Hall Effect Joysticks and Triggers
Faster RAM, eGPU support via USB 4, and a 1200p screen

Buy OneXPlayer 2 (starts at $1,099)

6. GPD Win Max 2 2023

GPD Win Max 2 2023
SpecificationsDetails
Display16:9 10.1-inch 1080p/2.5k IPS display @ 60Hz
Storage and RAMPCIe 4.0 1TB, 2TB NVMe; 16/32/64GB LPDDR5x RAM. 2 x PCIe 4.0 slots.
GPUAMD Radeon 760M, 780M
Operating SystemWindows
Hall Triggers / Hall Joysticks (Yes/No)Yes/Yes
Battery67Wh
I/O1 x Type-C USB 4, 2 x USB-A 3.0, microSD card slot, headphone jack, Oculink slot for eGPU
Price$799, $1049, and $1199

Launched in 2022, the Win Max 2 2022 was one of a kind machine (?), or should I say a handheld console? Anyway, the Max 2 2023 ups the specifications and should offer slightly more performance, thanks to AMDs latest RDNA 3 graphics in the 7000 series U chipsets. The Win Max 2 2023 comes in two variants, one powered by a Ryzen 5 7640u and Radeon 760M and the other uses a Ryzen 7 7840U with the Radeon 780M. The 760M is a mixed bag as it comes with 512 shaders compared to 768 shaders in Radeon 680M. However, the max boost clock on the 760M is on the higher side at 2.8GHz vs 2.4GHz. The 780M, on the other hand, is a significant upgrade from the 680M.

The Win Max 2 comes with 16GB of LPDDR5x RAM with speeds of 7500 mt/s (not to be confused with MHz). There’s support for two M.2 SSDs (1x 2280, 1x 2230), one of them is at PCIe 4.0. The device includes a 10.1-inch IPS display, USB 4, 67Wh battery, a full QWERTY keyboard, an SD card slot, and a “highly efficient” cooling system. The Win Max 2 has built-in hall joysticks and triggers, and a trackpad in the middle.

GPD was recently funded for the Win Max 2 and hence the device isn’t available for purchase immediately. However, it should arrive at the official GPD e-commerce sellers soon. For an asking price of $1,200, the Win Max 2 is not at all a bad offering. If you want to both play and work on the go, it might be for you.

ProsCons
Can play AAA titles with easeExpensive
Windows allows you to play non-Steam games from other launchers
Can be used as a laptop; Has a fully-fledged keyboard
Hall Effect Joysticks and Triggers
Faster RAM, eGPU support via USB 4, and a 1080p screen
Dual SSD slots for more storage

Buy GPD Win Max 2 2023 ($1,199)

7. Nintendo Switch

Nintendo Switch OLED
SpecificationsDetails
Display16:9 7-inch 720p IPS display @ 60Hz
Storage and RAM32GB eMMC; 4GB RAM
GPUNVIDIA Tegra X1
Operating SystemNintendo Switch OS
Hall Triggers / Hall Joysticks (Yes/No)No/No
Battery16Wh
I/O1 x Type-C, microSD card slot, headphone jack
Price$349

Nintendo Switch is the best-selling handheld gaming console of all time after Nintendo DS, and there are lots of reasons why that’s the case. Although the console is almost six years old at this point, Nintendo has managed to keep it alive and kicking by launching an OLED variant of the same a year ago. The Switch is known for its Nintendo-exclusive games from the Pokemon, Legends of Zelda, and Super Mario franchises.

The Switch is powered by the ancient NVIDIA Tegra X1 chipset, which is still surprisingly capable of running games, thanks to the optimizations from game developers. Well, they can’t miss bringing out on bringing their games to a giant platform like Switch. That said, the Tegra X1 is almost at its end, as it can hardly run the latest PC and Nintendo titles without running out of breath. Plus, recent rumors suggest that Nintendo may finally launch or give us a glimpse of Switch’s successor this year.

The original Nintendo Switch costs $250 whereas the OLED model costs $360. The OLED model brings some significant improvements over the original Switch, and if you’ve made up your mind about buying the Switch, you should get the OLED variant. If you’re more into PC gaming and have little interest in Switch games, we would suggest getting the Steam Deck as it lets you emulate Switch games and is way more value for money for $399.

ProsCons
Games on the OLED version look greatThe Tegra X1 is too old at this point
Nintendo exclusives are some of the bestSlower eMMC storage and RAM
Detachable Joycons add flexibilityNintendo exclusives are a bit on the pricey side

Buy on Amazon ($340)
Buy on Best Buy ($350)

8. Nintendo Switch Lite

Nintendo Switch Lite
SpecificationsDetails
Display16:9 5.5-inch 720p IPS display @ 60Hz
Storage and RAM32GB eMMC; 4GB RAM
GPUNVIDIA Tegra X1
Operating SystemNintendo Switch OS
Hall Triggers / Hall Joysticks (Yes/No)No/No
Battery13.6Wh
I/O1 x Type-C,

For those who want to play Switch titles but cannot afford the Switch, Nintendo Switch Lite is an option. The Switch Lite features the same Tegra X1 chipset and screen resolution as the Switch but a smaller screen and is a lighter and more portable console overall. It doesn’t have detachable joy cons; hence, you cannot detach the joysticks and play games by connecting the Switch Lite to a TV.

That said though, for an asking price of $169, you cannot ask for more. It’s a pretty decent console, which, again, is great value for people who want to play Switch-exclusive games. The battery on the Lite is a tad bit smaller than the Switch and should last for 3-5 hours instead of 4-7 hours on the Switch. Overall, it’s one of the best and most affordable handheld gaming consoles in the market right now.

ProsCons
Nintendo console on a budgetThe Tegra X1 is too old at this point
Nintendo exclusives are some of the bestSlower eMMC storage and RAM
Incapable of running latest PC titles; Nintendo exclusive are pricey
Lesser battery life than the Switch
No detachable Joycons

Buy on Amazon ($196.99)
Buy on Best Buy ($199.99)

9. Retroid Pocket 3

Retroid Pocket 3
SpecificationsDetails
Display16:9 7-inch 720p IPS display @ 60Hz
Storage and RAM32GB eMMC; 4GB RAM
GPUUnisoc Tiger T310 SoC
Operating SystemAndroid 9.0
Hall Triggers / Hall Joysticks (Yes/No)No/No
Battery4000mAh
I/O1 x Type-C,

The name says it all. Retroid Pocket 3 is an Android-based console and its forte is emulation. It packs a 4.7-inch 720p display, and a 4,000mAh battery and comes in one variant 3+32GB. It’s powered by a rather basic Unisoc T310 processor. On the connectivity front, it comes with built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, and all of that is powered by a 4000mAh battery.

The Pocket 3 is not a handheld capable of running AAA titles but retro titles from the original PSP, PS2, Nintendo Wii, DS, etc. As it’s based on Android, you could install emulators like Dolphin, Citra, PPSSPP, etc., and play games on it. For an asking price of just above $100, it is not a bad option. However, if you already own a fairly modern, decently powerful Android phone, there’s no point in buying a handheld gaming console like the Pocket 3 but the next listing on our list.

ProsCons
Uses Android and can emulate a variety of gamesThe hardware isn’t great
Decent displaySlower eMMC storage and RAM
Good for casual, retro gamingIncapable of running older demanding titles

Buy on Amazon ($110)

10. Playdate

Playdate gaming console
SpecificationsDetails
Display1-bit 400×200 black and white display
Storage and RAM4GB eMMC; 16MB RAM
GPU168MHz Cortex M7
Operating System
Hall Triggers / Hall Joysticks (Yes/No)No/No
Battery8 hours on continuous usage, 14 hours on Standby
I/O1 x Type-C,

Warning! If you love spending money on cute things, you would want to give in and won’t be subdued by Playdate’s cuteness and its overall design. Although the handheld isn’t available right now and ships in late 2023, you can preorder it right now. The console comes with over 20 unique games, can connect to Wi-Fi, and requires an external USB power source for power.

The console has a little crank on the side that can rewind your game or move it forward to a certain point. Besides, there’s a D-pad and two buttons A and B. The screen isn’t backlit but is a black-and-white unit that uses negligible power. The console works with what they call “Seasons.” Once set up, you receive two new games every week for 12 weeks.

In the future, the manufacturer will also sell a stereo dock that your Playdate can connect to, to act as a clock, a speaker, and a pen holder. While it may not be the best gaming handheld out there, it’s a great piece of hardware to sometimes sit back and relax, and then wonder about how far we have truly come in gaming.

ProsCons
One-of-a-kind pocketable consoleExpensive for what it has to offer
Great design
Free games; new games every week

Buy Playdate ($199)

Bonus: Razer Kishi V2 for Android

Razer Kishi V2

Yes, yes, the Kishi V2 is not a handheld gaming console, but it can convert your phone into one. Gaming phones are still trending and not all people can afford them. Besides, if you already have a capable phone like Nubia Red Magic or Xiaomi Black Shark, it wouldn’t be a wise decision to spend more money on a few features when you can get something like the Razer Kishi V2 to get a console-like gaming feel. The Kishi V2 has a universal fit, meaning, it can fit to any phone as long as the phone has a USB type-C port.

It also has a passthrough type-C port for charging your phone during gameplay, and the app allows you to browse through games, record them, and customize the Kishi V2. As long as your phone’s under 11.5 mm thick (including the camera) and under 170mm long, the Kishi V2 will fit with no issues. For an asking price of $99, the Kishi V2 is a great gadget for your Android device and a great way to convert your Android device into a fully-fledged gaming console. If you think the Kishi V2 is expensive and need something less costly the GameSir X2 Pro ($80, Buy on Amazon) is also a great gadget.

ProsCons
PortableA bit on the expensive side
Great feel for controls
Fits a variety of different Android devices with a Type-C port

Buy on Amazon ($96)

Have we missed any handheld gaming consoles that you think are worth including in this list? Let us know in the comments section below.

comment Comments 2
  • Nick says:

    You glaringly missed the GPD Win 4, the Vita styled portable PC powerhouse. Unforgivble.

    • Abubakar Mohammed says:

      Thanks for the suggestion, Nick. If the console stays relavant, we’ll add it in the next revision of this article.

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