The Best Handheld Gaming Consoles, From Nintendo to Steam Deck
If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Rolling Stone may receive an affiliate commission.
If you're of a certain age, you probably have fond memories of handheld video game systems. The technology has changed a lot, but handheld gaming consoles remain as popular as ever — thanks to both a wave of nostalgia and an increased demand for portable play.
More from Rolling Stone
Nintendo has dominated the handheld console market since 1989, when the Game Boy was first released, and the gaming company continued with a number of updates to the Game Boy family until the gaming line was discontinued in 2003.
At a Glance: The Best Handheld Gaming Consoles in 2025
-
Best Overall: Nintendo Switch 2
-
Best Versatility: ASUS ROG Ally X
-
Best Retro: ModRetro Chromatic
-
Best Large Display: Lenovo Legion Go S
-
Best PC Gaming: Valve Steam Deck OLED
-
Best Wallet-Friendly: Logitech G Cloud
-
Best Menus: MSI Claw 8 AI+
-
Best Mobile Gaming: Backbone One
These days, a new generation of gamers are taking their gaming on the go. We've rounded up some of our favorite handheld gaming consoles from top brands that we've tested and played. Here are our top picks below.
In This Article
-
What Are the Best Handheld Gaming Consoles?
-
Buying Guide; How to Pick a Handheld Video Game Console
What Are the Best Handheld Gaming Consoles?
If you're looking to pick up a new handheld gaming console, here are nine of the best handheld devices to get, based on hands-on use, graphics, portability, and variety of games to play.
BEST OVERALL
Nintendo Switch 2
Buy Now at Walmart For $449 $449
Priced at $449 at Walmart, the Nintendo Switch 2 is the gaming company's latest handheld, but it comes with a twist. The Switch can be connected to a 4K TV via its dock that comes with the system, so it's a hybrid between a portable system and traditional home console.
Games like Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza are staples, the Nintendo Switch 2 comes with 256GB of internal storage which is enough to hold a dozen or so games — even some original Switch titles, like Super Mario Bros. Wonder , The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and others.
The Joy-Con 2 controllers are detachable, and the Switch 2 has a mighty kickstand, so you can mitigate hand and arm fatigue by propping it up on a table and playing with one controller on each hand. Nintendo has a more traditional gaming controller called the Switch 2 Pro Controller , which we can't recommend highly enough.
The Switch 2 lets you play full-sized console games portability on a 7.9-inch 1080p LCD display. It's by far the coolest handheld gaming console released in 2025.
BEST VERSATILITY
ASUS ROG Ally X
Buy Now at ASUS For $799.99 $799.99
The ASUS ROG Ally X — which is priced at $799.99 — is a handheld gaming PC that's surprisingly lightweight with a premium feel in the hand, especially when it comes to its clicky inputs. But don't let its portable size fool you. This thing is a beast with a powerful and speedy AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme Processor, 7-inch touchscreen display, 24GB of memory paired with up to 1TB of on-board storage (expandable with microSD card), four action buttons, two analog sticks, four trigger buttons, two back buttons and more.
It even runs the full version of Windows 11 for multiple gaming platforms, such as Steam, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, Epic, RetroArch and much more. Now you can play just about any PC or Xbox game on-the-go.
BEST RETRO
ModRetro Chromatic
Buy Now at ModRetro For $199.99 $199.99
Take a blast from the past with the ModRetro Chromatic . It's a handheld gaming device that has a wide range of indie games, as well as being fully compatible with Nintendo Game Boy and Game Boy Color cartridges. If you have old Game Boy games laying around your home, then is the best handheld gaming console for you. It's a modern take on the classic gaming console.
At $199.99, the ModRetro Chromatic comes in a two display types, sapphire and gorilla, while it comes in seven fun colors, such as cloud, bubblegum, wave, inferno and others. It even comes with the iconic puzzle game Tetris for hours of gameplay. Learn more about the ModRetro Chromatic here .
BEST LARGE DISPLAY
Lenovo Legion Go S
Buy Now at Lenovo For $759.99 $759.99
Starting at $759.99, the Lenovo Legion Go S is a massive handheld PC gaming console with a gigantic 8-inch FHD touchscreen display — by far the biggest handheld on this list. It runs full Windows 11, so you pretty much have access to any gaming platform, like Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, Nvidia GeForce Now, Steam, and much more. The handheld is powered with the AMD Ryzen Z2 Go with AMD RDNA 2 graphics chip with 32GB of RAM paired with up to 1TB of on-board storage.
BEST PC GAMING
Valve Steam Deck OLED
One of the firsts to market is still one of the best. The Valve Steam Deck OLED is designed for the Steam platform of PC games. On board, you'll find a 1TB solid-state drive with pristine 7.4-inch OLED display with up to 90Hz refresh rate for smooth performance and experience. It has up to 12 hours of battery life, which is quite impressive for a portable PC. The Steam Deck even comes a carrying case for easier portability.
BEST WALLET-FRIENDLY
Logitech G Cloud
Buy Now at logitech G For $299.99 $299.99
Priced at $299.99, Logitech G Cloud is a wallet-friendly handheld PC gaming console that can run Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, Nvidia GeForce Now, Steam and various Android mobile games and emulators. And thanks to its sharp 7-inch Full HD 1080p touchscreen display with 60Hz refresh rate and up to 12 hours of battery life per charge, you'll have no problems playing your favorite games just about anywhere you'd like — especially since the handheld weighs in at just about one pound.
BEST MENUS
MSI Claw 8 AI+
Buy Now at MSI For $999.99 $999.99
Some portable gaming consoles run Windows 11 and a number of them just have the operating system in its purest form. While Windows 11 is great for laptops, it's not the best for navigating on a 8-inch touchscreen with a D-pad, analog sticks, and action buttons.
However, the MSI Claw 8 AI+ has a clean and intuitive menu interface that makes gaming across multiple platforms — including Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, Steam, Ubisoft, Epic, and others — a breeze. Menus are big, bold, and colorful, while they're easy to read and understand. The MSI Claw is ideal for switching back and forth between your favorite games, even if they're from different apps.
BEST MOBILE GAMING
Backbone One
Buy Now at BackBone For $99.99 $99.99
You might not realize it, but you're probably using a great handheld gaming system right now: Your smartphone. Whether you're using an Apple iPhone or Android device, both the App Store and Play Store are full of incredible games. Some games are even ports (a gaming term for version) of games available on dedicated gaming hardware.
The problem is that gaming on your phone's touch screen doesn't offer the same fidelity as a traditional controller, but you're in luck. Both Apple and Android phones let you pair your phone with the Backbone One Mobile Gaming Controller — which goes for $99.99 — over Bluetooth.
Yes, this requires you to carry an additional accessory with you, which is a little more annoying than hitting the power button on a dedicated handheld, but you already have the major piece of hardware. Smartphones have a lot of storage, huge digital game libraries and excellent battery life. You'll burn more power playing games, but you'll get a comparable amount of play time per charge.
It's designed for gamers, so it's ergonomic, and feels comfortable to hold for extended periods of time. Just slide in your iPhone or Android smartphone, connect via USB-C, and pair with Bluetooth to get gaming. It runs off the power from the mobile device itself, so it will last as long as your phone will let it. However, it does have power pass though, so you can plug it into a wall outlet and game at the same time, while also charging your phone too.
Buying Guide; How to Pick a Handheld Video Game Console
There are many factors to think about when choosing the right handheld game system for you; below are the most important ones, which we considered while we were researching this list.
Size: The term handheld is objective because everyone's hands are different, so what we mean is that these game systems are totally portable, and can run on battery power. We took ergonomics into consideration, and have solutions if we feel like the picks we chose could get fatiguing to play over time.
Game library: You're buying a game system to play, well, games. Our picks all have huge libraries, so you'll be satisfied whether you like first-person shooters, platformers, role playing games, or all of the above.
Storage: Modern handheld gaming consoles can all download games from digital storefronts, but if you're building up a big library, you'll need space to store those games. We took a handheld's internal storage capacity into consideration when creating this guide, but also picked systems with storage that can be upgraded after you get it.
Battery life: One of the perils of handheld gaming in the modern era is that portable game systems run on rechargeable batteries. That's great for the environment, and convenient for us, but it means it's hard to charge your device on a trip. We've offered solutions where applicable, but our advice is to keep your device fully charged before your next adventure.
Best of Rolling Stone
Sign up for RollingStone's Newsletter . For the latest news, follow us on Facebook , Twitter , and Instagram .
1. Nintendo Switch
The Nintendo Switch is the famous game company's latest handheld, but it comes with a twist. The Switch can be connected to a TV via a dock that comes with the system, so it's a hybrid between a portable system and traditional home console. I've been a Switch owner since day one, and I've been impressed at how well that dual functionality works.
I'm not the only one, the handheld has been a runaway success since launch, which has inspired developers to fill its library with a ton of great games. Sure, there are Nintendo staples like Mario , Zelda , and Pokémon , but they're joined by third-party titles like Dark Souls: Remastered , Minecraft , and The Witcher 3 .
The Nintendo Switch comes with 32gb of internal storage which is enough to hold a dozen or so games — how many games it can hold depends on their size — but speaking from experience, you'll want more space. I recommend a 256gb MicroSD card, which has definitely eased my storage anxiety.
The Switch's hybrid nature is great, but the system is much larger than a traditional handheld gaming system when its two controllers (they're called Joy-Con) are attached to its sides.
The Joy-Con controllers are detachable, and the Switch has a kickstand, so you can mitigate hand and arm fatigue by propping it up on a table and playing with one controller on each hand. Nintendo also ships a more traditional gaming controller called the Pro Controller, which I can't recommend highly enough.
Size is a bit of an issue, but the Switch does let you play full-sized console games on a 6.1-inch 720p screen. It's by far the most powerful mainstream handheld game console ever released. But, with great power comes so-so battery life. The Switch can last up to five hours per charge depending on your screen brightness, and which game you're playing. Complex, better-looking games will tax the system more, so you'll get less playtime.
To combat this, you can hook the Switch up to a modern portable battery pack, which can recharge the system while you're on the go, so you won't have to wait to plug it into an outlet.
PROS: Impressive game library, 720p screen, most powerful mainstream handheld system out there, upgradable storage.
CONS: So-so battery life, large size.
Nintendo Switch
2. New Nintendo 3DS XL
The "New" Nintendo 3DS is Nintendo's most recent handheld-only game console, and it's still a great choice for playing games while you're on the move.
Like the DS before it, the "New" Nintendo 3DS' main feature is its dual screen design, which features a 4.88 inch display on top, and a 4.18 inch touch display on the bottom. Its namesake comes from that top screen, which can be adjusted to create a stereoscopic 3D image (two separate images are sent out from the screen to each of your eyes). This effect can be turned off.
This design has allowed developers to come up with novel approaches to their games, like giving you quick access to a map and inventory on the bottom screen, while the action takes place up top. I've owned a 3DS since 2011, and can confirm this system works well, although the 3D can be hit or miss depending on how you hold the system.
In terms of sheer volume, the 3DS' library is untouchable. Not only can it play games designed for the system, it's backwards compatible with the entire original DS library. That means you have 16 years worth of games available to you, from Super Mario 3D Land , to Call of Duty , to Dragon Quest VIII — a game that was previously a PlayStation 2 exclusive. You can pick up your games on physical game cards or digitally.
If you plan on having a digital library, prepare to buy a MicroSD card. The 3DS has no internal storage, and ships with a 4gb card. 3DS games are smaller than Nintendo Switch games, but you'll want at least 64gb of space to be comfortable.
Because the 3DS was designed exclusively with portability in mind, its size and battery life were clearly prioritized. The system itself is small enough to fit in a pocket, bag, or purse, and can last for up to seven hours per charge. That's enough to get you through a cross country or cross continental trip.
The only place the 3DS suffers is its low-resolution display, which hasn't aged particularly well. It doesn't look bad by any means, but most of us gave gotten spoiled by the crisp, high resolution displays on our phones, computers, or tablets.
PROS: Incredible game library, great battery life.
CONS: Low resolution display, very little internal storage.
New Nintendo 3DS XL
3. PlayStation Vita
It may be getting discontinued, but that's no reason to skip out on the PlayStation Vita, which is one of the best-reviewed gaming consoles from both critics and fans alike.
The Vita was designed to be a handheld version of Sony's then-current PlayStation 3. Most of its biggest exclusive franchises including Uncharted and God Of War had Vita versions. These games are expensive physically, but you can get them digitally through the PlayStation Store. In addition to Vita games, the system can play digital versions of PSP (PlayStation Portable) and PS1 (PlayStation One) titles.
Unfortunately, Sony decided to require a proprietary memory card if you want to store your digital game library. We recommend getting a 32gb card, which is still available. That poor design choice stands out because the Vita is otherwise a great portable gaming machine. Its slim, sleek design, has held up well, and its high-resolution LCD display is still world class. It even gets six hours of battery life per charge, which is competitive with modern handheld systems.
PROS: Sleek design, high resolution screen.
CONS: Physical games are difficult to find, its proprietary memory cards are expensive.
