The most effective gaming handhelds for 2025

Steam Deck OLED – Show: 7.4-inch HDR OLED, 1,280 x 800 decision, 1,000 nits peak HDR brightness, 600 nits SDR brightness, as much as 90Hz | Processor: Customized 6nm AMD APU | RAM: 16GB LPDDR5 6400 MT/s | Storage: 512GB, 1TB SSD | Battery: 50Whr | Dimensions: 11.73 x 4.6 x 1.93 inches | Weight: 1.41 kilos | Wi-fi: Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3 | OS: SteamOS

Steam Deck LCD – Show: 7-inch IPS, 1,280 x 800 decision, 400 nits brightness, 60Hz | Processor: Customized 7nm AMD APU | RAM: 16GB LPDDR5 5500 MT/s | Storage: 256GB SSD | Battery: 40Whr | Dimensions: 11.73 x 4.6 x 1.93 inches | Weight: 1.48 kilos | Wi-fi: Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.0 | OS: SteamOS

Valve’s Steam Deck continues to supply the perfect stability of worth, efficiency and value within the gaming handheld market. And the newer Steam Deck OLED is an intensive improve over the unique. Beginning at $549 for 512GB of storage, this mannequin incorporates a 7.4-inch OLED show that’s brighter, quicker, barely larger and extra vivid than the 7-inch IPS panel on the now entry-level mannequin. The upper distinction and richer colours of an OLED display screen makes each sport look higher by default, however this show additionally helps HDR, with considerably brighter highlights at its peak. The utmost refresh price jumps from 60Hz to 90Hz as effectively, which may also help many video games look smoother.

As a result of much less power-hungry show, a extra environment friendly AMD APU and a bigger battery, the Steam Deck OLED additionally lasts longer than earlier than. No handheld can play resource-intensive “AAA” video games for too lengthy, however Valve says the OLED mannequin can run for 3 to 12 hours relying on the sport, whereas the LCD mannequin lasts between two and eight. A bigger fan retains issues cooler and quieter, and the chassis feels lighter. Efficiency is roughly the identical, although the OLED mannequin’s elevated reminiscence bandwidth may also help it acquire a pair additional frames in sure video games.

Nonetheless, $549 is a giant funding. The entry-level Steam Deck, which makes use of a extra fundamental IPS LCD show however comes with a 256GB SSD as customary, stays an outstanding worth at $399. The {hardware} is beginning to present its age in both case: Most of the greatest video games launched over the previous yr , in the event that they’re supported in any respect. Points with Linux and anti-cheat software program have rendered live-service video games like Future 2 and Apex Legends unplayable, too.

But each Decks can run a whole lot tons of video games that simply aren’t doable on a Nintendo Swap, from Elden Ring to Baldur’s Gate 3, they usually stay a pure dwelling to the mountain of smaller-scale gems littered all through Steam. (Hiya, !) Whereas official sport help is restricted to a subset of the Steam library, the listing of officially verified and still-playable titles is very large, various and continuously rising. There are workarounds to entry different storefronts as effectively.

A near-constant stream of updates has turned Valve’s SteamOS into a versatile but user-friendly platform. You’ll nonetheless must make tweaks from time to time to get a sport to run optimally, however the course of is normally easy. That energy, mixed with third-party instruments like EmuDeck, makes the Deck excellent for emulation as effectively. Some PS3 and unique Xbox video games may be tough, however nearly every little thing else works fantastically. You may also cloud stream Xbox video games with a little setup.

The Steam Deck’s greatest concern is its measurement: At two inches thick and almost a foot lengthy, it stretches the definition of a “handheld” gadget, even when the OLED mannequin is lighter by comparability. The LCD Deck can get heat and noisy pretty rapidly, too, and the d-pad on every gadget is considerably mushy. However the contoured grips on the again assist offset the majority, and each variations really feel sturdy, with responsive face buttons and triggers, clean joysticks and helpful twin touchpads.

Show: 7-inch IPS, 1080p decision, 500 nits brightness, 120Hz, VRR | Processor: AMD Ryzen Z1 Excessive | RAM: 24GB LPDDR5 7500 MT/s | Storage: 1TB SSD | Battery: 80Whr | Dimensions: 11.02 x 4.37 x 0.97-1.45 inches | Weight: 1.49 kilos | Wi-fi: Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2 | OS: Home windows 11

For those who’re prepared to spend additional for extra energy, you may skip the Steam Deck and purchase a Home windows-based handheld as an alternative. The ASUS ROG Ally X is the perfect of these proper now, and it’s an honest different to Valve’s gadget should you’re prepared to commerce some ease of use for the next efficiency ceiling. Consider it like a extra moveable gaming laptop computer.

The ROG Ally X is an upgraded model of the unique ROG Ally, our earlier Home windows choose. The newer mannequin runs on the identical chip (AMD’s Ryzen Z1 Excessive) and has the identical show however comes with extra RAM, double the storage, a battery that’s twice as giant, improved ergonomics and a further USB-C port. It prices $150 extra, so it’s expensive, nevertheless it’s a superior piece of {hardware} in almost each manner.

There are three fundamental causes to contemplate the ROG Ally X over the Steam Deck. The primary is energy: The primary ROG Ally was already a bit extra constant at enjoying graphically intense video games at greater body charges, thanks largely to a “Turbo mode” that reinforces the gadget’s energy draw to 25W, or 30W when plugged in. (The Steam Deck formally tops out at 15W.) In our ROG Ally X review, we discovered the additional RAM and improved reminiscence bandwidth right here helped additional this benefit by 5 to 10 p.c relying on the title. It’s nonetheless not a night-and-day improve in sure video games when all settings are equal, nevertheless it’s normally higher, and it has way more overhead each for now and the longer term. For those who primarily need to play demanding “AAA” video games, the Ally X is extra more likely to run them effectively, and the hole has solely develop into extra noticeable over the few months.

On that word, the Ally X’s second main promoting level is its variable refresh price. The 7-inch LCD show right here is clearly not as vibrant or color-rich as that of the Steam Deck OLED, nevertheless it’s each sharper (1080p) and quicker (120Hz), and VRR help does wonders to maintain video games wanting clean even when their body price fluctuates. It’s a giant deal.

The third key benefit is the truth that Home windows helps you to play video games from any PC shopper, not only a collection of Steam video games. For those who’ve constructed up libraries on shops like Epic, GOG or the Xbox app, you may entry them right here as you’ll on another Home windows PC, no workarounds required. For Xbox Sport Cross video games, Epic Video games Retailer exclusives or finicky always-online titles like Future 2 that require anti-cheat software program, it’s nice.

Alas, for all its flexibility, Home windows can be the largest detriment to any Home windows handheld. ASUS has made actual, real strides in turning its Armoury Crate app into a wonderfully usable sport launcher and settings hub, one which feels snappy and allows you to assign customized management profiles and GPU modes on a per-game foundation. But it surely’s nonetheless slapping a bandage onto an OS that isn’t designed for this type issue (a sentiment Microsoft itself has acknowledged).

Navigating Home windows along with your fingers and a controller remains to be frustratingly inconsistent. (Steam’s Big Picture mode usually works nice; Epic’s and particularly Xbox’s apps, much less so.) Sleep mode doesn’t at all times keep asleep. Whether or not a sport works easily from the soar isn’t fixed; generally the UI could not scale correctly, different occasions you’ll have to spend minutes twiddling with graphics settings and key bindings. These are points with any gaming PC, however they’re extra annoying to cope with on a small display screen with no mouse useful.

Then there’s the bloat: You don’t want printer drivers, Copilot or Workplace 365 adverts in your gaming handheld. No one will confuse a Steam Deck with a Swap, however SteamOS is far simpler to only choose up and use — even whether it is extra closed-off because of this.

The Ally X’s battery life doesn’t at all times match the Steam Deck both, nevertheless it’s a lot nearer than the primary Ally ever was. You possibly can anticipate someplace round 2-2.5 hours with heavier fare, however effectively past that with much less demanding stuff. The enormous 80Wh battery does make the chassis barely heavier than its predecessor, however its extra pronounced grips, tighter joysticks, meatier triggers and barely taller face buttons make it simply that additional bit comfier than earlier than. It’ll nonetheless match finest in larger arms, nevertheless it’s a few half-inch thinner than Valve’s machine. The overheating issues that plagued the prior mannequin’s microSD card reader must be fastened, too, and the corporate has at the very least pledged to improve its RMA course of after a raft of complaints.

In the end, whether or not the ROG Ally X is best for you comes right down to your tolerance for software program jank. For those who’re prepared to courageous some UX sloppiness to be able to play high-end video games from any shopper, anyplace you need, it must be well worth the worth premium.

Show: 5.5-inch OLED, 1080p decision, 500 nits brightness, 60Hz | Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 | RAM: 8GB LPDDR4x | Storage: 128GB UFS 3.1 | Battery: 5,000mAh | Dimensions: 7.84 x 3.09 x 0.61 inches | Weight: 0.62 kilos | Wi-fi: Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.1 | OS: Android 13

The Retroid Pocket 5 is the hand-held to get should you primarily need to emulate older consoles. It’s an Android-based gadget that’s far much less highly effective than moveable PCs like Steam Deck or ROG Ally X, so it may well solely run PC, PS5 and Xbox video games by way of streaming. However if you need one thing extra compact and are prepared to undergo the many, many rigors of getting emulators to really work, it’s a superb worth at $219.

The Pocket 5 runs on a Snapdragon 865 chip (the identical one utilized by flagship phones from 2020) and 8GB of RAM, plus it has a built-in fan you may set to 3 totally different modes to achieve a bit of additional efficiency. This provides it sufficient energy to play most video games from the PlayStation 2 and Nintendo GameCube, two widespread retro consoles that may be robust for cell handhelds to emulate. With some setup, we have been capable of play comparatively demanding PS2 fare like Gran Turismo 4, ESPN NFL 2K5, Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal and Midnight Club 3 at full pace and 1.5x to 2.5x their native decision. GameCube video games like Super Mario Sunshine, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, and F-Zero GX, in the meantime, have been rock strong at a 2x or 3x upscale. All of that’s implausible for the cash.

Nearly every little thing we examined from consoles under the PS2 and GameCube on the efficiency totem pole — PSP, Dreamcast, PS1, N64, and so on. — ran flawlessly at a 3-5x upscale (which maxes out the show’s decision). Most Wii and 3DS video games we examined have been clean at 720p to 1080p as effectively, although translating the Wii distant to a handheld is usually cumbersome, and the 5.5-inch panel is a bit cramped for viewing two DS screens. You may get some Swap video games to work, too, however we discourage that when the Swap remains to be readily in the stores right this moment. As for contemporary video games, Xbox cloud streaming ran about in addition to it does on another gadget, whereas native Android apps like Diablo Immortal, Name of Responsibility Cell and Asphalt Legends Unite gave us zero points at max settings.

Let’s be clear: For those who’re new to emulation, you might want to go into a tool like this anticipating to tinker. Even after the laborious technique of securing ROM information, downloading the perfect variations of sure emulators, mapping totally different management schemes for every console and navigating the menu hell that’s RetroArch, some video games simply gained’t work proper. 

The Pocket 5 isn’t resistant to this. We needed to set up a third-party GPU driver to keep away from visible glitches in video games like New Super Mario Bros. Wii and Mario Superstar Baseball. Gran Turismo 4 required us to tweak the show crop to cover overscan-related artifacts. The preferred Sega Saturn emulator for Android is a multitude, so we needed to level video games for that system to a particular RetroArch core (at which level all of them ran nice). You will should fiddle with decision, rendering and lively cooling settings to get many video games going at their finest — and even then, some tough ones like Star Wars Rogue Squadron II will undergo from debilitating slowdowns. It’s all terribly tedious. However you’d do it since you really love outdated video games and don’t thoughts placing in work to get pleasure from them comfortably, at an honest worth.

We wouldn’t name the Pocket 5’s plastic body “premium,” nevertheless it’s clearly sturdier and extra substantial than most emulation handhelds from little-known Chinese language firms. The 1080p OLED show is the spotlight: It makes every little thing look extra vibrant, from the deep blue ocean of The Wind Waker to the inexperienced vegetation in Stardew Valley, and it’s sufficiently sharp and vibrant. There are textured, modestly-sized grips across the again that give your center fingers a pure place to relaxation. The face buttons are clean to press, with a snug degree of journey. The d-pad is agency and exact sufficient for us to play Tetris DX with out whining. The analog triggers are conveniently broad and flared, whereas the clicky bumpers are straightforward to tell apart. The audio system, whereas not extremely full-sounding, can get surprisingly loud.

Our fundamental criticism is with the joystick structure, which situates the left stick beneath the d-pad. That is fantastic on a PS5 controller, however right here it may well make enjoying extra trendy video games a (literal) ache, because it invitations you to go away your left hand dangling partway off the gadget. That mentioned, the sticks themselves are neither too unfastened nor too tight, and they need to keep away from drifting points over time due to their magnetic Hall effect sensors.

Battery life can range from three-ish hours with demanding Android video games to greater than 10 hours when emulating older 8- and 16-bit consoles. That’s strong. The lively cooling system retains the gadget from ever feeling too scorching, although its highest setting is fairly noisy; you wouldn’t need to use it round a sleeping associate. It’s additionally value noting that the design gained’t really slot in most pockets, as its title implies, nevertheless it actually gained’t hog area in a bag or purse.

Show: 6-inch IPS, 1080p decision, 60Hz | Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 | RAM: 8GB, 12GB or 16GB LPDDR5x | Storage: 128GB, 256GB or 512GB UFS 4.0 | Battery: 8,000mAh | Dimensions: 8.86 x 3.86 x 0.67 inches | Weight: 0.93 kilos | Wi-fi: Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.3 | OS: Android 13

If in case you have additional cash to burn on an emulation-focused machine, the AYN Odin 2 is the best possible retro gaming handheld you should buy proper now. This Android gadget can play every little thing the Retroid Pocket 5 can, simply smoother and extra reliably. That is primarily on account of its Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, which is similar chip utilized by flagship phones from 2023.

The Odin 2 begins at $299 for 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, which is pricey when the entry-level Steam Deck can run PC video games natively for simply $100 extra. Nonetheless, amongst extra compact cell handhelds, there is not a lot else that runs this effectively at this worth. It performed all PS2 and GameCube video games we examined at two to 3 occasions their native decision, whereas methods just like the PS1, N64 and Dreamcast had no issues at a 3-5x upscale. Most 3DS and Wii video games had little to no slowdowns at 2-3x, both. It’s higher than most with the Sega Saturn, and it may well play a wider vary of Swap video games than the Pocket 5 (although it is best to simply purchase a Swap if that is a significant concern). More difficult methods will nonetheless require some settings tweaks, however the superior chip means you gained’t must tinker on a game-by-game foundation as extensively as you’ll with lower-cost gadgets.

It’s not simply uncooked efficiency, although: The Odin 2 can be a refined piece of {hardware}. It’s bigger than the Pocket 5, nevertheless it’s nonetheless a lot much less chunky than a transportable PC and the curved grips on its again are inviting to carry. The d-pad, face buttons, analog triggers and Corridor impact joysticks all really feel nice; the latter are additionally offset, which makes the entire thing comfier than the Pocket 5 for streaming latest console and PC video games. Different touches like a fingerprint scanner, a devoted return button, a micro-HDMI out port, two customizable again buttons and clear front-facing audio system are all good perks.

The 6-inch 1080p touchscreen isn’t as color-rich because the Pocket 5’s OLED panel, nevertheless it’s nonetheless vibrant and well-sized for contemporary video games. Battery life is excellent: We bought greater than eight hours of juice emulating methods just like the PS2, however that jumped over 20 hours with lighter duties. The gadget helps 65W quick charging as effectively. Cloud streaming and native Android video games work as they need to, and since the entire thing runs on a calmly modded model of Android, its inventory interface ought to really feel acquainted to most.

AYN has launched a couple of totally different variants of the Odin 2 since our final replace, together with the PS Vita-esque Odin 2 Mini and the bigger, OLED-sporting Odin 2 Portal. These run on the identical chipset, so they need to be simply as highly effective. We’d anticipate each to be extra area of interest, nonetheless: The Retroid Pocket 5 will get you a lot of the solution to the Mini for $120 much less, whereas the Odin 2 Portal isn’t removed from the Steam Deck’s measurement however manner much less versatile on the entire. The bottom Odin 2 ought to forged the widest internet between the three.

Show: 3.5-inch LCD, 1,600 x 1,440 decision, VRR 30Hz-62Hz | Chipset: Altera Cyclone V FPGA, Altera Cyclone 10 FPGA | RAM: 3.4MB BRAM, 2x 16MB 16-bit mobile RAM, 64MB 16-bit SDRAM, 256KB 16-bit asynchronous SRAM | Battery: 4,300mAh | Dimensions: 5.86 x 3.46 x 0.86 inches | Weight: 0.61 kilos | OS: Analogue OS

The Analogue Pocket is the ultimate Game Boy. Its vertical design is constructed like a modernized, premium model of Nintendo’s traditional handheld, and it may well even work with equipment just like the Sport Boy Digicam. In comparison with the unique, although, the Pocket provides two additional face buttons, a pair of rear triggers, a microSD slot, a USB-C port and a chargeable battery rated for six to 10 hours of playtime. Most importantly, it has a beautiful 3.5-inch show that’s each backlit and extremely sharp (615 ppi) however may be set to appear to be an outdated Sport Boy panel with totally different filter modes. The gadget can even output to a TV with an non-obligatory dock.

Not like the retro handhelds talked about above, the Pocket is designed to play precise cartridges, not simply ROM information. It really works with Sport Boy, Sport Boy Coloration and Sport Boy Advance video games by way of its cartridge slot, whereas video games from the Sega Sport Gear, TurboGrafx-16, Neo Geo Pocket and Atari Lynx are playable by way of non-obligatory adapters.

Like previous Analogue gadgets, the Pocket makes use of field-programmable gate array (FPGA) motherboards to imitate its goal methods on a {hardware} degree. In apply, this implies the Pocket’s “emulation” of older titles is near-perfect, with a degree of responsiveness and visible faithfulness that software-based emulation can’t match. Pop in a Sport Boy or GBA cartridge and you’ll primarily play it as meant. That mentioned, due to a big post-launch update and an lively person group, the Pocket can even run ROMs off a microSD card and thus play methods just like the SNES and Sega Genesis.

The Pocket isn’t low cost at $220, and its shoulder buttons aren’t as crisp to press as the wonderful d-pad or face buttons. Nonetheless, when you have a group of Sport Boy, Sport Gear or GBA video games, the Pocket is essentially the most elegant solution to play them, and it’s solely develop into extra versatile over time. Its greatest flaw is that it may be susceptible to .

The Playdate, from app developer and Untitled Goose Game writer Panic, is a tiny yellow field with a 2.7-inch monochrome show, two face buttons, a d-pad and a bodily crank constructed into its facet. We known as it a “cross between a Sport Boy and a enterprise card” in our review, and it’s certainly extremely small at roughly three inches tall and 0.18 kilos. It has a devoted game library that largely consists of oddball indies, most of which give attention to one or two core concepts as an alternative of attempting to stuff in as many mechanics as doable. A pair dozen of these video games are bundled with the gadget, whereas others can be found by way of a built-in store or sideloading from retailers like Itch.io. The {hardware} is usually well-built, and its battery life is respectable at six to eight hours per cost.

At $199, it’s arduous to name the Playdate an awesome worth when it’s solely designed to play a collection of area of interest video games. Its show isn’t backlit, both. However in a sea of gadgets that attempt to be every little thing for everybody, the Playdate is admirably targeted and low-key. For those who’re into smaller-scale fare and have some cash to play with, it’ll be a enjoyable toy.

The Miyoo Mini Plus is a extremely reasonably priced handheld with a well-built, Sport Boy-style kind issue that matches properly with older video games. Its 3.5-inch show actually pops for one thing within the $60 to $80 vary, its battery lasts so long as it must and it may well emulate consoles as much as the unique PlayStation with out a lot concern. It runs Linux, so its software program is extensively customizable, although it may well require some tinkering to get it working optimally. Because it’s from a smaller Chinese language agency and isn’t accessible at main retailers, nonetheless, it may be troublesome to really purchase.