Handheld gaming systems are having a moment. While people have been gaming on the go since the halcyon days of the Game Boy, recent years have brought an avalanche of devices that let you play all sorts of games anywhere you want. But new machines seem to arrive every week, and figuring out which ones are actually worth buying can be overwhelming. Depending on your tastes, the right handheld could be a $100 emulator or a $1,000 portable PC. To help you narrow things down, we\u2019ve spent months researching the best handheld gaming consoles and testing several top contenders. Here are the ones we like the most right now.<\/p>\n
Editor\u2019s note (November 2025)<\/strong>: A barrage of new mobile emulation handhelds have been announced since our last update, including two follow-ups to our current \u201cbest for most\u201d pick (the Retroid Pocket 6<\/a> and the more marginally updated Retroid Pocket G2<\/a>) and a new version of our \u201cbest overall\u201d pick (the AYN Odin 3<\/a>). Other competitors like Ayaneo\u2019s KONKR Pocket Fit<\/a> are also on the way, and there\u2019s been a wave of new dual-screen models like the AYN Thor<\/a>, Ayaneo Pocket DS<\/a> and Anbernic RG DS<\/a>. We think our current recommendations will still satisfy most shoppers, but since we\u2019re still working to test most of these newer devices, we wanted to give a heads-up for anyone who wants the absolute latest. In the meantime, we\u2019ve added testing notes on a few other emulation-focused handhelds as well as a couple new portable PCs like the ASUS ROG Xbox Ally X.<\/p>\n Photo by Jessica Conditt \/ Engadget<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Steam Deck OLED – Display<\/strong>: 7.4-inch HDR OLED, 1,280 x 800 resolution, 1,000 nits peak HDR brightness, 600 nits SDR brightness, up to 90Hz | Processor<\/strong>: Custom 6nm AMD APU | RAM<\/strong>: 16GB LPDDR5 6400 MT\/s | Storage<\/strong>: 512GB, 1TB SSD | Battery<\/strong>: 50Whr | Dimensions<\/strong>: 11.73 x 4.6 x 1.93 inches | Weight<\/strong>: 1.41 pounds | Wireless<\/strong>: Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3 | OS<\/strong>: SteamOS<\/p>\n Steam Deck LCD – Display<\/strong>: 7-inch IPS, 1,280 x 800 resolution, 400 nits brightness, 60Hz | Processor<\/strong>: Custom 7nm AMD APU | RAM<\/strong>: 16GB LPDDR5 5500 MT\/s | Storage<\/strong>: 256GB SSD | Battery<\/strong>: 40Whr | Dimensions<\/strong>: 11.73 x 4.6 x 1.93 inches | Weight<\/strong>: 1.48 pounds | Wireless<\/strong>: Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.0 | OS<\/strong>: SteamOS<\/p>\n Read our full <\/strong>Steam Deck review<\/strong><\/a> and <\/strong>Steam Deck OLED review<\/strong><\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n Three years into its life, Valve\u2019s Steam Deck<\/a> remains the best balance of price, performance and usability in the gaming handheld market. More specifically, the Steam Deck OLED<\/a> is a thorough upgrade over the original. Starting at $549 for 512GB of storage, this model features a 7.4-inch OLED display that\u2019s brighter, faster, slightly bigger and more vivid than the 7-inch IPS panel on the entry-level model. The higher contrast and richer colors of an OLED screen makes every game look better by default, but this display also supports HDR, with significantly brighter highlights. The maximum refresh rate jumps from 60Hz to 90Hz as well, which helps many games look smoother in motion.<\/p>\n Due to the less power-hungry display, a more efficient AMD APU and a larger battery, the Steam Deck OLED also lasts longer than the original. No handheld can play resource-intensive “AAA” games for very long, but Valve says the OLED model can run for three to 12 hours depending on the game, whereas the LCD model lasts between two and eight. A larger fan keeps things cooler and quieter, and the chassis feels lighter. Performance is roughly the same, though the OLED model\u2019s increased memory bandwidth can help it gain a couple extra frames in certain games.<\/p>\n Still, $549 isn’t a small investment. The entry-level Steam Deck<\/a> may come with a more basic LCD display and a smaller 256GB SSD, but it delivers the same core experience for $150 less. At $399, it continues to be a strong bargain. Consider that model our pick for the best \u201cbudget\u201d handheld gaming PC you can buy.<\/p>\n To be clear, either Steam Deck model definitely shows its age in 2025. Many of the most graphically demanding games released in the past couple of years just don\u2019t run well<\/a> on this hardware, if they\u2019re supported at all. Issues with Linux and anti-cheat software have rendered live-service games like Destiny 2<\/em> and Apex Legends<\/em> unplayable, too.<\/p>\n That said, the Deck can still play tons of games that just aren\u2019t possible on the original Nintendo Switch or other handhelds at this price, from Elden Ring<\/em><\/a> to Final Fantasy VII Rebirth<\/em><\/a> to Kingdom Come: Deliverance II<\/em><\/a>. It’s also a natural home for the mountain of older and\/or smaller-scale gems littered throughout Steam. (Hello, Balatro<\/em><\/a>.) While official game support is limited to a subset of the Steam library, the list of formally verified<\/a> and still-playable titles is massive, diverse and constantly growing. You can easily stream games<\/a>, too, and there are workarounds<\/a> to access other storefronts<\/a>.<\/p>\n As for software, a steady stream of updates has turned Valve’s SteamOS into a flexible yet user-friendly platform. You\u2019ll still need to make tweaks every now and then to get a game running optimally, but the process is typically straightforward, and there’s a wealth of community-driven resources<\/a> that document exactly what settings you may need to change.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Deck’s processing power, combined with third-party tools like EmuDeck<\/a>, makes it a superb handheld for emulation as well. Some PS3 and original Xbox games can be tricky, but just about everything else works beautifully. You can also cloud stream Xbox games with a little setup<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Steam Deck\u2019s biggest issue is its size: At two inches thick and nearly a foot long, it stretches the definition of a \u201chandheld\u201d device, even if the OLED model is lighter by comparison. The LCD Deck can get warm and noisy fairly quickly, too, and the d-pad on both devices is somewhat mushy. But the contoured grips on the back help offset the bulk, and both versions feel sturdy, with responsive face buttons and triggers, smooth joysticks and useful dual touchpads.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\nTable of contents<\/h2>\n
Best handheld gaming devices for 2025<\/h2>\n
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