One of the best 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 most effective stability of value, efficiency and usefulness 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 encompasses a 7.4-inch OLED show that’s brighter, sooner, barely greater 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 recreation 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 properly, which may 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 help it achieve a pair additional frames in sure video games.

Nonetheless, $549 is an enormous funding. The entry-level Steam Deck, which makes use of a extra primary IPS LCD show however comes with a 256GB SSD as normal, stays an outstanding worth at $399. The {hardware} is beginning to present its age in both case: Lots 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 lots of tons of video games that simply aren’t attainable on a Nintendo Change, from Elden Ring to Baldur’s Gate 3, and so they stay a pure dwelling to the mountain of smaller-scale gems littered all through Steam. (Hiya, !) Whereas official recreation assist is proscribed to a subset of the Steam library, the checklist of officially verified and still-playable titles is huge, numerous and always rising. There are workarounds to entry different storefronts as properly.

A near-constant stream of updates has turned Valve’s SteamOS into a versatile but user-friendly platform. You’ll nonetheless must make tweaks now and again to get a recreation to run optimally, however the course of is often easy. That energy, mixed with third-party instruments like EmuDeck, makes the Deck very good for emulation as properly. Some PS3 and authentic Xbox video games might be tough, however nearly every part else works superbly. You too can cloud stream Xbox video games with a little setup.

The Steam Deck’s greatest problem is its dimension: At two inches thick and practically a foot lengthy, it stretches the definition of a “handheld” system, even when the OLED mannequin is lighter by comparability. The LCD Deck can get heat and noisy pretty shortly, too, and the d-pad on every system 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, easy 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

In case you’re keen 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 most effective of these proper now, and it’s a good various to Valve’s system when you’re keen 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, but it surely’s a superior piece of {hardware} in practically each means.

There are three predominant 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 increased body charges, thanks largely to a “Turbo mode” that enhances the system’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 % relying on the title. It’s nonetheless not a night-and-day improve in sure video games when all settings are equal, but it surely’s often higher, and it has rather more overhead each for now and the longer term. In case you primarily need to play demanding “AAA” video games, the Ally X is extra prone to run them properly, and the hole has solely turn into extra noticeable over the few months.

On that observe, the Ally X’s second main promoting level is its variable refresh price. The 7-inch LCD show right here is clearly not as shiny or color-rich as that of the Steam Deck OLED, but it surely’s each sharper (1080p) and sooner (120Hz), and VRR assist does wonders to maintain video games wanting easy even when their body price fluctuates. It’s an enormous deal.

The third key benefit is the truth that Home windows allows you to play video games from any PC shopper, not only a collection of Steam video games. In case you’ve constructed up libraries on shops like Epic, GOG or the Xbox app, you may entry them right here as you’d on another Home windows PC, no workarounds required. For Xbox Sport Go 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 also be the largest detriment to any Home windows handheld. ASUS has made actual, real strides in turning its Armoury Crate app into a superbly usable recreation launcher and settings hub, one which feels snappy and allows you to assign customized management profiles and GPU modes on a per-game foundation. Nevertheless it’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 typically works nice; Epic’s and particularly Xbox’s apps, much less so.) Sleep mode doesn’t all the time keep asleep. Whether or not a recreation works easily from the soar isn’t fixed; typically the UI could not scale correctly, different occasions you’ll have to spend minutes fidgeting 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 person will confuse a Steam Deck with a Change, however SteamOS is way simpler to simply choose up and use — even whether it is extra closed-off because of this.

The Ally X’s battery life doesn’t all the time match the Steam Deck both, but it surely’s a lot nearer than the primary Ally ever was. You possibly can count on someplace round 2-2.5 hours with heavier fare, however properly 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 greater arms, but it surely’s a couple of half-inch thinner than Valve’s machine. The overheating issues that plagued the prior mannequin’s microSD card reader must be mounted, too, and the corporate has a minimum of pledged to improve its RMA course of after a raft of complaints.

Finally, whether or not the ROG Ally X is best for you comes all the way down to your tolerance for software program jank. In case you’re keen to courageous some UX sloppiness with the intention to play high-end video games from any shopper, wherever you need, it must be well worth the value 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 when you primarily need to emulate older consoles. It’s an Android-based system 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’d like one thing extra compact and are keen to undergo the many, many rigors of getting emulators to truly work, it’s a wonderful 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 realize a bit of additional efficiency. This provides it sufficient energy to play most video games from the PlayStation 2 and Nintendo GameCube, two in style retro consoles that may be robust for cellular handhelds to emulate. With some setup, we have been in a position to play comparatively demanding PS2 fare like Gran Turismo 4, ESPN NFL 2K5, Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal and Midnight Club 3 at full velocity 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 stable at a 2x or 3x upscale. All of that’s incredible for the cash.

Nearly every part we examined from consoles under the PS2 and GameCube on the efficiency totem pole — PSP, Dreamcast, PS1, N64, and so forth. — ran flawlessly at a 3-5x upscale (which maxes out the show’s decision). Most Wii and 3DS video games we examined have been easy at 720p to 1080p as properly, 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 will get some Change video games to work, too, however we discourage that when the Change remains to be readily available for purchase at this time. As for contemporary video games, Xbox cloud streaming ran about in addition to it does on another system, whereas native Android apps like Diablo Immortal, Name of Obligation Cell and Asphalt Legends Unite gave us zero points at max settings.

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

The Pocket 5 isn’t proof against 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 selected 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 previous video games and don’t thoughts placing in work to get pleasure from them comfortably, at a good value.

We wouldn’t name the Pocket 5’s plastic body “premium,” but it surely’s clearly sturdier and extra substantial than most emulation handhelds from little-known Chinese language corporations. The 1080p OLED show is the spotlight: It makes every part 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 shiny. There are textured, modestly-sized grips across the again that give your center fingers a pure place to relaxation. The face buttons are easy 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 huge and flared, whereas the clicky bumpers are straightforward to tell apart. The audio system, whereas not extremely full-sounding, can get surprisingly loud.

Our predominant criticism is with the joystick structure, which situates the left stick beneath the d-pad. That is effective on a PS5 controller, however right here it may well make enjoying extra fashionable video games a (literal) ache, because it invitations you to depart your left hand dangling partway off the system. 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 differ from three-ish hours with demanding Android video games to greater than 10 hours when emulating older 8- and 16-bit consoles. That’s stable. The lively cooling system retains the system from ever feeling too scorching, although its highest setting is fairly noisy; you wouldn’t need to use it round a sleeping accomplice. It’s additionally value noting that the design received’t really slot in most pockets, as its identify implies, but it surely actually received’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

You probably have more money to burn on an emulation-focused machine, the AYN Odin 2 is the very best retro gaming handheld you should buy proper now. This Android system can play every part the Retroid Pocket 5 can, simply smoother and extra reliably. That is primarily attributable to its Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, which is identical 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 cellular handhelds, there is not a lot else that runs this properly at this value. It performed all PS2 and GameCube video games we examined at two to 3 occasions their native decision, whereas techniques 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 Change video games than the Pocket 5 (although you need to simply purchase a Change if that is a serious concern). More difficult techniques will nonetheless require some settings tweaks, however the superior chip means you received’t must tinker on a game-by-game foundation as extensively as you’d with lower-cost gadgets.

It’s not simply uncooked efficiency, although: The Odin 2 can also be a refined piece of {hardware}. It’s bigger than the Pocket 5, but it surely’s nonetheless a lot much less chunky than a conveyable 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 current 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, but it surely’s nonetheless shiny and well-sized for contemporary video games. Battery life is great: We received greater than eight hours of juice emulating techniques just like the PS2, however that jumped over 20 hours with lighter duties. The system helps 65W quick charging as properly. Cloud streaming and native Android video games work as they need to, and since the entire thing runs on a flippantly modded model of Android, its inventory interface ought to really feel acquainted to most.

AYN has launched just a few 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 count on each to be extra area of interest, nevertheless: The Retroid Pocket 5 will get you a lot of the method to the Mini for $120 much less, whereas the Odin 2 Portal isn’t removed from the Steam Deck’s dimension however means much less versatile on the entire. The bottom Odin 2 ought to solid the widest web 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 Digital camera. 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 stunning 3.5-inch show that’s each backlit and extremely sharp (615 ppi) however might be set to appear like an previous Sport Boy panel with totally different filter modes. The system may 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 Shade and Sport Boy Advance video games via its cartridge slot, whereas video games from the Sega Sport Gear, TurboGrafx-16, Neo Geo Pocket and Atari Lynx are playable via non-obligatory adapters.

Like previous Analogue gadgets, the Pocket makes use of field-programmable gate array (FPGA) motherboards to imitate its goal techniques 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 consumer group, the Pocket may run ROMs off a microSD card and thus play techniques 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, you probably have a set of Sport Boy, Sport Gear or GBA video games, the Pocket is essentially the most elegant method to play them, and it’s solely turn 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 aspect. 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 deal with one or two core concepts as an alternative of attempting to stuff in as many mechanics as attainable. A pair dozen of these video games are bundled with the system, whereas others can be found by way of a built-in store or sideloading from retailers like Itch.io. The {hardware} is mostly well-built, and its battery life is respectable at six to eight hours per cost.

At $199, it’s laborious to name the Playdate an excellent 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 part for everybody, the Playdate is admirably centered and low-key. In case you’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 type 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 problem. 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 obtainable at main retailers, nevertheless, it may be troublesome to truly purchase.