For X , Nintendo was the uncontested king of the handheld market . The Game Boywas a marvel that show what gaming on the go could be , and each subsequent organisation has only gotten upright and better up to the handheld / consolehybrid of the Switch . Other company have try out their hands to vary levels of winner , but only now are there true competitors and cause to pick up different handheld play console .
Each system has different pro , confidence trick , and unequaled broker to reckon when looking for the perfect one for you . We ’ve taken as many variables into consideration as possible to bring you the list of the best play handhelds no matter what you ’re wait for .
Best handheld console
Steam Deck OLED
If price is n’t an issue and you need one handheld that can doalmosteverything , the Steam Deck OLED gash very few corners . Despite the name , this beast of a PC in your hands can do right smart more than just run Steam game , which already is an amazing selling point . Being a mini - PC , you’re able to also load up other launchers , services , and emulators to play anything you’re able to suppose of . That say , the user interface and process of actually load up a lot of these optional programs is n’t always easy . You will take to be willing to do a pot of tinkering , or finding some outside help , if you want to make it your one - stop - store for all things play .
That said , the OLED projection screen makes games really come out , and the improved battery of this model will keep you going for hours on end ( depending on the saturation of the game , of course ) . There ’s very petty to complain about with the Steam Deck OLED .
Best budget handheld console
Nintendo Switch Lite
There are net ton of cheap handhelds out there , but the best compromise on price and still ensuring caliber is the Switch Lite . Coming in at $ 200 new , you may rest assured this organisation wo n’t let you down . It obviously lack the dock of the normal Switch , but most hoi polloi find playing in handheld style the preferred method acting anyway . You not only get all the amazing first - party Nintendo games you ca n’t get anywhere else , such asBreath of the Wild , Tears of the Kingdom , andMario Odyssey , but so many indie and third - party secret plan that are complete to play on the go .
For this low a cost , the Switch Lite is an easy organization to get for kids , as a 2d system , or just to have on a whim . Between the current and classical Nintendo games available on it , you ’re getting elbow room more than your money ’s worth .
Asus ROG Ally
Best handheld gaming PC
What makes the Asus ROG Ally the ideal handheld gaming PC specifically over something like the Steam Deck is that it runs on Windows rather than Linux . There ’s nothing specifically wrong with Linux , obviously , but almost everyone is already familiar and well-situated with Windows so pluck up the Ally is a far easier ask . Just like the Steam Deck , you’re able to download and run all the major launchers , only the process is much easy to get done here . you could easily play games across Epic , Xbox , and Steam with no issue . It can break away most secret plan at fantastical options thanks to its beefy internals and dandy display .
This is the only handheld gaming PC that can actually surpass the Steam Deck in terms of operation , though it does lack an OLED filmdom . The ease of habit and versatility , though , make up for it in our eyes .
iPhone 15
Best gaming phone
You do n’t have to buy a handheld that only toy game to get a keen experience any longer . Our telephone set have gotten to the point where they are capable of encounter current games almost at the same level as consoles , or well in some example . The iPhone 15 is the latest model , though there are the Pro and Max interlingual rendition , but any of them will be more than enough to proffer an amazing hand-held experience . You will obviously have admission to all the game on the app store , but now even traditional console games likeResident Evil 4andDeath Strandingare playable native on your phone .
Now that emulators are also uncommitted on the app store , your phone can let you play back all the great games from your puerility . And for the innovative games that are n’t downloadable , you could access them all through streaming if your connection is honorable enough .
Evercade
Best handheld retro console
The organization does have preinstalled games , and carts do bundle in more than one secret plan so it is n’t as inconvenient to travel with . The ease of carts also makes it right smart easier for those of us who want to act collection of these old game but do n’t feel comfortable tinkering around trying to get emulators and ROMs to work .
