The Best Handheld Game Consoles
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The Undisputed KingNintendo SwitchRead more
The Best (Nintendo) UpgradeNintendo Switch OLEDRead more
Best for PC GamersValve Steam DeckRead more
The Best Upgrade for PC GamersValve Steam Deck OLEDRead more
It feels like a distant memory by now, but right before the Nintendo Switch launched in 2017, it seemed like portable gaming was on its last life. Mobile games had gobbled up huge portions of the market, and most modern games required a lot of power to run on devices like the Nintendo 3DS. Fast-forward to today, and there are more ways to take your games outside the living room than ever.
This is a bit of an odd category because, to be quite frank, many of the devices currently on the market aren't very good. Valve's Steam Deck kicked off a wave of manufacturers looking to compete with the Nintendo Switch, but many of their offerings are rushed, buggy, or just not a great way to play games. A few have risen to the challenge, and I'm comfortable saying that there are finally some good options to choose from. I've spent hundreds of hours testing as many gaming handhelds as I could get my grubby hands on—these are the best.
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 Accessories, and Best Gaming Laptops.
Updated April 2024: Added new info on how to choose the right gaming handheld for you, and info about Asus Rog Ally software updates. We've also added new photos.
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What to Look For in a Gaming Handheld
The Switch may have set a new standard for portable gaming, but in the time since, the category has gotten increasingly complex. New platforms, new control schemes, and a range of battery life that runs the gamut from several hours to “don't stray too far from a charger.” With that in mind, here are a few factors to keep in mind when deciding which one is right for you:
- 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 its drawbacks). Make sure to see what games you want to play are available on which platform and how well they run before you buy.
- Picture: 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. However, better doesn't always mean, er, better. Screens with higher resolutions and faster refresh rates can also 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.
- Photograph: Nena Farrell
The Undisputed King
Nintendo SwitchIt should go without saying that Nintendo takes the top spot in the category it more or less reinvented. The original Switch (7/10, WIRED Recommends) does it all. It puts Nintendo's first-party titles into a handheld that gets great battery life (most of the time). Pop off the Joy-Con controllers to play with the screen propped up on the kickstand, or put the screen into a dock to play on your TV.
You probably don't need to be told that the Switch is a great Nintendo console, but if you're still on the fence six years later, it's worth mentioning it has become a great indie games console. I've personally spent more hours playing Stardew Valley on this than Mario Kart 8. While the Switch's hardware is low-powered even compared to the previous generation of PlayStation and Xbox consoles, it's a great platform for third-party developers to bring over their library of older or less graphically intensive games to give them a new lease on life. There are also now a myriad of accessories we love to use.
- Photograph: Eric Ravenscraft
The Best (Nintendo) Upgrade
Nintendo Switch OLEDThe original Switch is a fantastic device, but it has a couple of minor flaws. The screen isn't the best quality, and its flimsy kickstand isn't super sturdy and can break easily. Fortunately, both of these are fixed with the Switch OLED (8/10, WIRED Recommends). This one comes with a bigger 7-inch screen (while only making the handheld itself slightly bigger), plus a reliable kickstand that spans the entire width of the console. It also has 64 GB of built-in storage instead of the 32 GB on the original. You probably don't need to upgrade if you already have a Switch, but if you're looking to get one for the first time, this model is only $50 more and you get a lot of extra bang for those few extra bucks.
- Photograph: Eric Ravenscraft
Best for PC Gamers
Valve Steam DeckThe Steam Deck (5/10, WIRED Review) had some issues when it first came out, but after a barrage of updates and nearly two years on the market, I'm comfortable saying it's the second-best way to take your games outside the house, behind the Switch. It has all the buttons and control sticks you'd expect from a typical controller (making it compatible with most games that have 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 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, you probably won't be playing Starfield on this thing, and most high-end games will need to use the lowest graphics settings, but I've spent a shocking number of hours using it to play titles like Doom Eternal that I thought I'd only ever be able to play on my desktop PC.
- Photograph: Eric Ravenscraft
The Best Upgrade for PC Gamers
Valve Steam Deck OLEDLike Nintendo, Valve launched an updated version of its portable console called the Steam Deck OLED (7/10, WIRED Recommends). 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-Wh 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 pretty quickly, so this is a nice improvement. The OLED model also supports Wi-Fi 6E, which is both more future-proof and helpful for downloading all those huge games.
Right now, the only Steam Deck versions that come with the OLED screen start at around $100 to $150 more than those without, depending on the model you're comparing to. It's a mildly pricey upgrade, but if you can spare the cash, it's worth it.
- Photograph: Eric Ravenscraft
For PS5 Streaming
Sony PlayStation PortalThe 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 solely dedicated to streaming games from your PlayStation 5 onto its 8-inch LCD screen. That means to use it, you need the 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 place despite the PS5 sitting back at 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 people it's for, it's great at its job. Just know that it's hard to find it in stock.
- Photograph: Eric Ravenscraft
The Best Windows-Based Gaming Handheld
Lenovo Legion GoWe've put off the Windows-based handhelds as long as we can, but it's finally time to address the elephant in the room. A lot of manufacturers have tried to build a Steam Deck competitor that runs Windows. The main flaw is … well, 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 to your games.
With all that in mind, the Lenovo Legion Go (5/10, WIRED Recommends) is the best attempt we've seen at this so far. It has two detachable controllers, similar to the Switch. Its innovative “FPS mode” bridges the gap between controller and mouse input, and it even has the same wide, sturdy kickstand as the Switch OLED. There are two USB-C ports—one on the top and one on the bottom—so you can plug it in no matter how you're playing. Since it runs Windows, it can technically run any PC game, not just the ones on Steam.
Photograph: Eric RavenscraftHonorable Mentions
Gaming Handheld Honorable MentionsThere are a ton of other gaming handhelds on the market, and many are either streaming-only devices or Windows-based handhelds, neither of which are particularly easy to pull off. These aren't our top picks, but they're still handhelds we'd recommend over anything else.
- Nintendo Switch Lite for $200: 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 regular Switch or Switch OLED.
- Asus Rog Ally for $700: We were pretty harsh to the Rog Ally in our review and for good reason. It has the same jank as other Windows-based handhelds, and unreasonably low battery life, even by gaming handheld standards. However, it's gotten several updates since it came out, including a TDP slider, which should help control battery drain, and better compatibility with docks so you can use it in desktop mode where battery life is less of an issue. This barely scraped into our honorable mentions, and we'd recommend waiting for a sale if you're interested. Fortunately, the Ally goes on pretty significant discount regularly, so as long as you're aware of the downsides, you can get a deal on this one.
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