The 6 Greatest Handheld Gaming Consoles (2024): Swap, Steam Deck, and Extra

It seems like a distant reminiscence by now, however proper earlier than the Nintendo Swap launched in 2017, it appeared like moveable gaming was on its final life. Cell video games had wolfed up large parts of the market, and most trendy video games required quite a lot of energy to run on units just like the Nintendo 3DS. Quick-forward to immediately, and there are extra methods to take your video games outdoors the lounge than ever.

This can be a little bit of an odd class as a result of, to be fairly frank, lots of the units at present available on the market aren’t excellent. Valve’s Steam Deck kicked off a wave of producers seeking to compete with the Nintendo Swap, however lots of their choices are rushed, buggy, or simply not an effective way to play video games. A number of have risen to the problem, and I am snug saying that there are lastly some good choices to select from. I’ve spent a whole bunch of hours testing as many gaming handhelds as I might get my grubby arms on—these are the perfect.

You should definitely try our different gaming shopping for guides, together with the Greatest Retro Gaming Consoles, Greatest Cell Sport Controllers, Greatest Steam Deck Equipment, Greatest Swap Equipment, and Greatest Gaming Laptops.

Up to date August 2024: Added new data on how to decide on the suitable gaming handheld for you, and data about Asus Rog Ally software program updates. We have additionally added new photographs.

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What to Look For in a Gaming Handheld

The Swap might have set a brand new normal for moveable gaming, however within the time since, the class has gotten more and more complicated. New platforms, new management schemes, and a spread of battery life that runs the gamut from a number of hours to “do not stray too removed from a charger.” With that in thoughts, listed here are just a few components to remember when deciding which one is best for you:

• Platform: The Swap runs video games that had been designed (or a minimum of tailored) for the Swap. Simple sufficient. Different handhelds could be a bit extra sophisticated. On the Steam Deck, for instance, Valve makes use of customized software program and the Proton compatibility layer to make video games run and play effectively on a handheld. Some handhelds simply run Home windows instantly (which has its drawbacks). Be sure to see what video games you wish to play can be found on which platform and the way effectively they run before you purchase.
• Image: When you’re gonna stare at your gaming handheld all day, it might as effectively have a terrific show. Many units, just like the Swap and the Steam Deck, have OLED variants with extremely crisp, vibrant shows. Nonetheless, higher does not at all times imply, er, higher. Screens with greater resolutions and quicker refresh charges may also drain extra battery.
• Energy: Talking of battery life, that is one space the place gaming handhelds can fluctuate wildly. Some units, just like the Swap and the Steam Deck, are optimized as a lot as they are often for battery consumption. Nonetheless, working graphics-heavy video games like Tears of the Kingdom will at all times use extra battery than less complicated video games like Stardew Valley. On handhelds that run much less optimized working programs like Home windows, battery can drain even quicker. When you plan to make use of quite a lot of heavy battery-draining options or video games, then you definitely may wish to decide up a conveyable charger.
• Efficiency: The Swap notoriously runs on an underpowered processor in comparison with its rivals. But, its video games take advantage of it by being optimized for the {hardware} they run on. In the case of video games that had been designed for Home windows (whether or not they run on the Steam Deck, or Home windows handhelds instantly), they will require much more energy to get the identical form of efficiency. Quicker, extra highly effective processors can imply you may get a extra fluid gaming expertise. However, as soon as once more, remember the fact that quicker processors burn up extra battery, so you’ll want to stability efficiency with energy drain.