The Best Handheld Game Consoles
Nobody wants to sit inside on a beautiful, sunny day and play video games—you want to be sitting outside playing video games! That’s why handhelds were invented, so you never have to be too far from your favorite save files. To be frank, many of the early devices on the market weren't very good—Valve’s Steam Deck kicked off a wave of PC manufacturers looking to compete with the Nintendo Switch, but many of the offerings were rushed, buggy, or just not a great way to play games. Things have improved, though performance and portability are still often at odds with each other. That balance is where the best options live.
The best handheld game console is the Nintendo Switch 2, but depending on your preferred platform, you may want a Windows-powered handheld, a SteamOS console, or maybe just a retro handheld for a dose of nostalgia. These are the consoles you should consider.
Be sure to check out our other gaming buying guides, including the Best Retro Gaming Consoles, Best Mobile Game Controllers, Best Steam Deck Accessories, Best Switch 2 Accessories, and Best Gaming Laptops.
Updated August 2025: We've overhauled this guide with new consoles and helpful content.
What to Look for in a Gaming Handheld
The Nintendo Switch may have set a new standard for portable gaming, but in the time since, the category has gotten increasingly complex. Here’s what to keep in mind:
Platform: The Switch runs games that were designed (or at least adapted) for the Switch. Easy enough. Other handhelds can be a bit more complicated. On the Steam Deck, for example, Valve uses custom software and the Proton compatibility layer to make games run and play well on a handheld. Some handhelds just run Windows directly, which has benefits and drawbacks. Make sure to see whether games you want to play are available on a platform and how well they run before you buy.
Display: If you're gonna stare at your gaming handheld all day, it may as well have a great display. Many devices, like the Switch and the Steam Deck, have OLED variants with incredibly crisp, vibrant displays. Better screens do have a major trade-off though, as higher resolutions and faster refresh rates drain more battery.
Power: Speaking of battery life, that's one area where gaming handhelds can vary wildly. Some devices, like the Switch and the Steam Deck, are optimized as much as they can be for battery consumption. Still, running graphics-heavy games like Tears of the Kingdom will always use more battery than simpler games like Stardew Valley. On handhelds that run less optimized operating systems like Windows, battery can drain even faster. If you plan to use a lot of heavy battery-draining features or games, then you might want to pick up a portable charger.
Performance: The Switch notoriously runs on an underpowered processor compared to its competitors. Yet, its games make the most of it by being optimized for the hardware they run on. When it comes to games that were designed for Windows (whether they run on the Steam Deck or Windows handhelds directly), they can require a lot more power to get the same kind of performance. Faster, more powerful processors can mean you'll get a more fluid gaming experience. But, once again, keep in mind that faster processors use up more battery, so be sure to balance performance with power drain.
Best Handheld Game Console
Nintendo's follow-up to the smash-hit portable console improves on the recipe in almost every way. The Switch 2 (9/10, WIRED Recommends) is noticeably quicker when it comes to load times, runs faster and smoother in every game, and even though it isn't an OLED, the new 1080p screen is bigger and has a higher refresh rate. That means the whole console is bigger, even the Joy-Cons 2, which makes them a little more ergonomic. Speaking of, you can use the detachable controllers as mice in select games. When you dock it into a TV, you can finally game in 4K at 60 fps with HDR. Mario Kart World really pops off the screen.
Like almost every Nintendo console before it, the Switch 2 only has a limited selection of games at launch. Instead, it leans on full backward compatibility with Switch 1 games, many of which have already been updated with better graphics and faster load times for the new console. Make sure to check out our robust coverage for more, and read our Best Switch 2 Accessories guide—you'll want to grab extras like a microSD Express card because your old microSD card will not be compatible, and that's the last thing you'll want to find out when you're ready to install a few games and already hit the 256 GB storage limit.
Still Great
Given the Switch 2's limited library at launch, the classic model is still an alright choice, with a lower price, tons of color options, and a massive back catalog of games you'll be able to take onto the new console if you decide to upgrade down the road.
There are a few Switch variants, but I recommend the Nintendo Switch OLED (8/10, WIRED Recommends). In addition to the bigger and better OLED panel, the kickstand is significantly better, and it comes with 64 GB of built-in storage instead of the paltry 32 GB on the original. I'd only grab this if you can find it on sale, though, as at full price, it's close enough to the Switch 2 to warrant buying the latest and greatest. Check out our Best Switch Accessories and Best Switch Games to make the most of your handheld.
Best for PC Gamers
The original Steam Deck (5/10, WIRED Review) had some issues when it first came out, but a series of software updates has made it one of the better handheld gaming PC options, especially if Nintendo games aren't your thing. You'll pay a significant premium for the newer OLED version (next on this list). It has all the buttons and control sticks you'd expect from a typical controller, making it compatible with most games with controller support, plus a pair of touchpads that help approximate a mouse when you need finer control than thumbsticks can typically provide. Every button is customizable, so if a game wasn't designed to run in handheld mode, you can still make most of them work.
Despite using a compatibility layer to play Windows games on a custom Linux build, the vast majority of games in your Steam library should run exceptionally well on the Steam Deck. (We have a guide on how to find compatible games.) That includes a lot of AAA titles you wouldn't expect to work on the relatively low-powered processor. Don't get me wrong, most high-end games will need to use the lowest graphics settings, but I've logged dozens of hours in games like the Marvel Spider-Man series while traveling, and it's one of the best handhelds for killing time in Vampire Survivors.
Best Upgrade for PC Gamers
The Steam Deck OLED (7/10, WIRED Recommends) improves on the original Steam Deck in almost every way. It has a minor spec bump and, as you might guess, an OLED screen. Most notably—beyond the much better display—it comes with a 50-watt-hour battery, instead of the 40-Wh capacity on the original. While the Steam Deck gets surprisingly good battery life for lower-power games, heavy AAA games can drain it quickly, so this is a nice improvement. The OLED model also supports Wi-Fi 6E, which is more future-proof and helpful for downloading all those huge games. If you want to play the games in your Steam library anywhere without lugging around a laptop, this is the nicest portable experience you can get. SteamOS is also a significantly better experience than many of the other handhelds that run Windows.
Best Windows Gaming Handheld
A lot of manufacturers have tried to build a Steam Deck competitor that runs Windows. The main flaw is that they run Windows. That means extra bloat that gamers don't need, a battery that drains way faster than it would on a purpose-built gaming device, and a ton of user interface jank that makes it a nightmare to navigate your system.
With all that in mind, the Lenovo Legion Go S (6/10, WIRED Review) is the best attempt I've seen at this so far. It has a great screen and solid battery life, but it's still tough to use. Windows unlocks access to a huge variety of peripherals and specialty software, as well as your existing game library, but it doesn't provide support for typing, navigating menus, or wading through troubleshooting when issues come up. Lenovo bridges the gap with shortcut keys and some extra buttons, but ultimately, using Windows with a controller and touchscreen isn't that smooth of an experience.
A Powerful Steam Deck Alternative
The souped-up version of the Lenovo Legion Go S, preloaded with SteamOS, impressed me a lot more than its slower sibling. Yes, this is very similar to the Legion Go S above, except it's the first handheld to license Valve's SteamOS operating system instead of Windows. The added boost from the Z1 Extreme processor brings the performance much closer to the screen's capabilities, making this a nice upgrade alternative for the now slightly aged Steam Deck OLED, even if it's more expensive.
You can install either Windows or SteamOS on the Legion Go S, but I think the latter is much more appealing. I was able to get the device set up and games downloading in just minutes through the Steam app on my phone, and since most compatible Steam games recognize the handheld design, you get instant support for the controller, interface, and graphics settings. I'll have a full review for this version of the Legion Go S soon.
%2520SOURCE%2520julian%2520chokkattu.png)
For PS5 Streaming
The PlayStation Portal (7/10, WIRED Review) comes with some caveats. It doesn't let you install games and play them on a handheld. Instead, it's a device dedicated to streaming games from your PlayStation 5 onto its 8-inch LCD screen. That means to use it, you need a PS5 console and a solid Wi-Fi connection in your home. (You can play it remotely away from home, but the quality will vary based on your internet connection.)
That might be worthwhile for some people. I played Spider-Man 2 at my partner's house despite the PS5 sitting back at my home, and the experience was surprisingly comfortable. At $200, the Portal is considerably cheaper than other handhelds on this list (if you ignore having to own a PS5 for it to work). It's not for everyone, but for the Sony devout, it does the trick.
Best Retro Handheld
If the latest games don't interest you as much, check out the Evercade EXP (7/10, WIRED Review). This retro handheld has a similar setup to the others on our list, but is intended for playing licensed games from Evercade's growing collection of cartridges. It has a compact but impressive screen, with mini-HDMI out for playing on your TV or monitor, plus a neat trick where you can play vertically-oriented games. It has a sub-par button layout that may confuse all the different supported consoles, but it is overall a fun and easy way to take retro games with you.
Note that the Steam Deck is also a solid choice for retro games. There's a rich community of folks working to get popular emulators running, either natively in SteamOS or via the Wine Windows emulator. Read our Best Retro Consoles guide for more nostalgic fun.
-Offwhite-Background-SOURCE-Evercade.jpg)
Alternatives
These aren't our top picks, but are still handheld options we'd recommend over others.
MSI Claw 8 AI+ for $1,000: MSI has had a roller-coaster few years with its handheld game consoles, but all the deeply broken and flawed hardware has finally led to the Claw 8 AI+, which is a powerful entry. The hardware is beautiful, the button layout is well-done and ergonomic, despite the large size, and performance has been great. I've enjoyed failing miserably in Sekiro and have collected far too many acorns in Squirrel With a Gun. The 1080p screen has a 120-Hz refresh rate and is sharp and smooth. Unfortunately, the biggest problem is the fact that it runs Windows. MSI's Center M software is also not intuitive to use, and I've run into a few bugs where the controls stop working. Worse yet, the console is difficult to find in stock. It's a shame because this is finally a good MSI handheld, but its high price and availability issues just make it inaccessible to most.
Asus ROG Ally X for $900: The Asus ROG Ally X (6/10, WIRED Review) still can't entirely overcome the jank that comes with Windows. It also doesn't have as many unique and interesting features as the Lenovo Legion Go. But it does have one thing that the other Windows handhelds don't have: a massive battery. With an 80-Wh battery, this thing can store more juice than many gaming laptops. That's not just a nice-to-have; it's essential, since Windows tends to burn through battery faster than other platforms. It's still not enough to reach good battery life, per se, but it's what I would consider acceptable. I got nearly three hours out of Doom Eternal and a little longer playing Hades II. No other Windows handheld I've tested (including the Legion Go) lasts that long, which is a bit sad, but it still makes this the best option for longer gaming sessions.
Nintendo Switch Lite for $197: The Switch Lite (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is the cheapest version of the Switch, but not by a ton. It lacks detachable controllers, and you can't dock it to play on your TV. This is for portable gaming exclusively. If you're fine with that, then you can save a little money with this version, but if you want to play with separate controllers or on your TV–or if you're just unsure–then it's probably worth spending a little extra on the Switch OLED. I don't think it's worth buying an original Switch anymore.
Try Cloud Streaming Instead
Instead of buying a new device just for gaming on the go, you could use the phone you already have in your pocket. The latest phones have high-resolution and high-refresh OLED panels, great battery life, and fast data connections required for multiplayer or streaming. For all of these options, a proper controller will help the experience a lot. We have a guide with clamp and stand-alone controllers that work with iPhone and Android, so make sure to check that out if you decide to go the streaming route.
Steam Link (iOS, Google Play): If you have a gaming PC and a fast internet connection, you can run games locally and then stream them to any device that can run the Steam Link app. I'm really impressed by how easy this option is to get up and running, and it even has built-in customizable touch controls, so you can fire it up without any additional hardware. This is my preferred option for gaming on my phone, assuming I'm not just crushing hands of Balatro.
Nvidia GeForce Now: Nvidia was one of the early options for cloud gaming, and GeForce Now (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is still a great option for PC gamers who don't have the latest hardware. It uses your existing library of owned games from various platforms, but runs them on Nvidia servers for more consistent performance. There's a free version with an hour session cap, among other limitations, but a premium membership allows you to skip the queues and play for longer, while getting more performance.
Xbox Cloud Gaming: Though technically still in beta, Microsoft has been slowly expanding the Xbox walls to include PC gamers, and now streaming. Game Pass Ultimate subscribers can stream a selection of Game Pass games to their mobile device. This option has a subscription fee and limited games compared to the other options, but if you're already on Game Pass Ultimate, it's worth checking out.
Avoid These Gaming Handhelds
This space has been flooded with handhelds, and not all of them are great. Some of them are so bad that I would argue no one should buy them at all.
Asus ROG Ally: The ROG Ally had a lot of potential, but it didn't pan out. It has the same jank as other Windows-based handhelds, and unreasonably low battery life, even by gaming handheld standards. Updates, since it came out, improved it enough to merit including this one in our Honorable Mentions in the past, but now that the ROG Ally X is out—and often for not much more money than the original—it's hard to recommend this one anymore.
Logitech G Cloud: For this handheld, Logitech took a page out of the PlayStation Portal's playbook, focusing on streaming first. Unfortunately, it doesn't do it as well. For starters, it's considerably more expensive at $300, plus it requires a subscription to streaming services like GeForce Now and Xbox Cloud Gaming. It struggles more than other devices I've tested at streaming games, and its ability to run games locally via Android is similarly not very robust.
Power up with unlimited access to WIRED. Get best-in-class reporting and exclusive subscriber content that's too important to ignore. Subscribe Today.
Comments
Back to top
Wired Coupons
Exclusive 10% Off Squarespace Promo Code
10% off Dell Coupon Code for New Customers
Samsung Promo Code: 10% off TVs
10% off Canon promo code with upgrade
Exclusive NordVPN Coupon: 76% off
LG Promo Code: 20% Off Your First Order