The best handheld console in 2025: Steam Deck, Switch, and more

It’ll probably come as no surprise that we’ve picked the Nintendo Switch OLED as the best handheld console you can pick up in the year 2025. It’s got a library of fantastic games, a surprisingly long-lasting battery life, and a screen that makes Mario pop with color like never before.

While the Switch technically has a smaller library than the Steam Deck, our list of the best Switch games has over 30 entries, proving just how many greats call the console home. Whether it’s The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Bayonetta 3, Xenoblade Chronicles 3, or all manner of exceptional indie titles, the Switch’s success has helped fill its library with plenty of excellent games to play.

The console itself has an excellent, bright, and colorful OLED screen, good ergonomics, and the built-in ability to play on your TV at no extra cost. It’s excellently versatile, packed with great games, and easily the best out there. The only downside, really, is Joy-Con drift, but there are plenty of alternative Switch controllers to solve that issue.

The Switch OLED is versatile and easily the best handheld gaming console out there, as well as being the best Nintendo Switch console if money is no object. You can take it on the go and keep it personal with one of the many great Switch headsets, or put it up on the big screen for a game night with friends. If you can afford it, we’d recommend buying this OLED model over the original Nintendo Switch simply because the screen makes portable gaming beautiful.

Read our Nintendo Switch OLED review.

While the OLED version might outperform the original, there’s still no denying that the original Nintendo Switch is a fantastic console. Sure, you might need to pick up a Micro SD card to install more than a couple of good games, but there’s little difference between this device and the OLED when it comes to performance.

While the Switch Lite is dedicated to handheld play only, the original Switch is more versatile, offering co-op play without even needing to pick up a second controller. However, we still recommend picking up the Switch Pro Controller if you’re looking for pinpoint-precise inputs while playing in docked mode.

The Switch has a fun design, too. The Joy-Cons slot into either side of the screen, and you’re left with a simple piece of kit. The screen is smaller than the OLED version, but if you’re someone who wants to take full advantage of the Nintendo Switch’s ability to be played both on your TV and on the go without breaking the $300 mark, then this is probably the best option for you.

The standard Nintendo Switch comes with 32GB of internal storage capacity, and while this is a little on the lower side, not all gamers are going to have this problem. If you plan on downloading all of the biggest new Switch games, you might find it filling up quite quickly.

Six years into its life, the Switch is still a brilliant hybrid gaming console that you can use at home or out and about. Its huge library of games continues to grow, and it’s well worth the money (even if some older models struggled with Joy-Con drift).

Read our Nintendo Switch review.

The Valve Steam Deck OLED is right up there with the best of the best handheld consoles, with the user-friendly Steam OS, a comfortable design for long play sessions, and plenty of ways to customize your UI. It’s also something of a trendsetter, and we wouldn’t have the Asus ROG Ally, Lenovo Legion Go, or MSI Claw without it. Still, in our opinion, it beats out all of those handheld PC copycats.

With this device, there’s a huge amount of Steam games to choose from, and the 16 GB of onboard RAM is more than enough power for the majority of games out there. Downsides? Some games won’t work straight out of the box and either require a little bit of tweaking on your end or the developer’s end. Fortunately, that’s becoming more of a rarity as the Deck’s popularity grows, but it’s still something to keep in mind.

In terms of design and handling, the Steam Deck OLED has two thumb-sized analog sticks on either side of the 7-inch touchscreen. In your hands, the console feels pretty huge in comparison to the Nintendo Switch Lite, yet it’s still very comfortable to reach all of the controls – including A, B, X, and Y buttons, the triggers on each side, and two trackpads with haptic feedback.

The Steam Deck OLED will be the best handheld games console for you if you want a device with diverse, responsive controls, lots of games, expandable memory, and the option to play handheld as well as docked on a TV with the Steam Deck dock. If you need help there, check out our guide to the best Steam Deck docks.

Read our Steam Deck OLED review for more.

If you’re not working on a budget, the Ayaneo 2 is the best handheld gaming PC on the market that you might never have heard of. The high price is a lot to handle, but for that, you get incredible performance, sleek ergonomics, and a design that lends itself to hours of play.

With performance enough to play any recent AAA video game, from Cyberpunk 2077 to Red Dead Redemption 2, on medium settings for the most part, it’s a true powerhouse. Combine that with its Hall Effect joysticks (so no drift!) and excellent d-pad, this is a truly well-rounded bit of kit.

Still, for such a high price, there are a handful of bugbears. The triggers are a little flimsy, the battery life is only just good enough, and various bugs plagued our own testing time. Still, once we’d ironed all that out, we found little to complain about. It really is as good as it looks.

Read our Ayaneo 2 review.

While the original ASUS ROG Ally was a decent first attempt at a Steam Deck alternative from ASUS, the battery life and fiddly UI didn’t make it as popular as the tech brand might have hoped. All that has changed with the ROG Ally X, though. This second attempt is much improved and is our pick for the best premium handheld console out there, though, as you might expect, it’s pretty pricey.

Still, for that price, you’re getting the best performance out of any console on this list. The AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme is mind-blowing, and the ROG Ally X doesn’t even struggle with AAA titles, never mind indies. Not only is it a wicked performer, but unlike the Steam Deck, its fans don’t make it sound like it’s about to take off while keeping everything cool. It’s also worth mentioning that with 1TB of storage, you’re not going to have to decide on what games you keep installed, as you might with the 256GB or 512GB Steam Deck.

The only significant caveat with the ROG Ally X is that Windows 11 is just a little clunky. Fortunately, this rarely gets in the way, thanks to ASUS’ refined Armoury Crate SE software, which compiles your games from across platforms like Steam, Epic, and Xbox Game Pass in one place. Still, it can be a bit annoying if you’re trying to use it for anything else, especially when the minute on-screen icons don’t always register your taps.

Read our ASUS ROG Ally X review. 

This one is a little more niche, and it’s certainly not for those who are looking for high-end performance. Still, if you’re open to old-school style handheld gaming with a touch of inventive innovation, the Playdate is worth looking at. That is if you can get your hands on one, with the device notoriously difficult to find through online retailers.

This crank has led to many inventive gaming experiences, and the console makers drew in many great indie devs to contribute, like the minds behind Cursed to Golf, Chuhai Labs, Bennet Foddy of Getting Over It fame, or Return of the Obra Dinn creator Lucas Pope.

Sure, it’s an incredibly limited console, but with a roster of devs that good, it’s definitely worth a try. And look how cute and creative it is! To us, it’s one of the best handheld game consoles just for its inventiveness.

Read our Playdate review.

If you like the design of the Switch Lite but find Nintendo software a little restricting, the Ayaneo Air might be the one for you. With Hall Effect joysticks, there are no concerns of that dreaded stick drift here, and there’s an OLED screen and expandable storage to boot. For those with smaller hands, it’s hands-down one of the better options on our list of the best handheld gaming consoles.

The Ayaneo Air does offer less power than other portable consoles on this list, which might occasionally limit the games you can play. The Aya Space operating system could also do with a bit of polish, while if you turn the TDP up, this little thing can get hot.

However, if you want a tiny and powerful portable gaming console, we’d still recommend the Ayaneo 2. And, if you can stomach the price, this device doesn’t have any competition in the ultra-small handheld PC market.

The Analogue Pocket is a dream for retroheads, capable of playing old Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance games with a cartridge input. However, it doesn’t support ROMs, so it might only be worth picking this one up if you’ve got an expansive old-school collection.

It doesn’t stop there, though. If you have an adapter, you can play Sega Game Gear, Neo Geo Pocket/Color, Atari Lynx, and TurboGrafx-16 games, too. All of this is without any emulation, which is exceptional. For the Analogue Pocket, you can expect to pay around $219 (around £190), though there are long waits for delivery. It’s pretty expensive, but I bet it’s worth it to any diehard retro game enthusiast.

Read our Analogue Pocket review.

Available in both the Taito Edition and the Capcom Edition, the Super Pocket is one of the best retro handhelds that primarily emulates arcade versions of iconic games. Both editions come with a wide selection of games pre-installed (12 on the Capcom Edition and 17 on the Taito Edition). They’re also compatible with Evercade cartridges, allowing you to expand your library even further.

The emulation on these little beauties is actually pretty stellar, and the added bonus of being able to tweak difficulty settings, display, and more makes for a pretty user-friendly experience. However, the screen is very small, and not all games look their best as a result. Additionally, the tightly packed buttons can be a bit uncomfortable during long play sessions, and both the D-pad and trigger buttons are not to everyone’s taste.

However, they are still very compact and attractive handheld consoles, available for a very reasonable price, and they make for a great entry point into retro gaming or a fun collector’s item for any retro game enthusiast. They’re cheap, cheerful, and above all, fun, allowing you to carry a whole world of games in your pocket. So, if you can overlook the minor drawbacks, I can wholeheartedly recommend them as an affordable yet niche portable powerhouse. If you want to find out more, check out our Super Pocket review.

If you’re looking for something a little different, or, like me, you grew up as a Nintendo DS kid, the Ayaneo Flip DS is worth checking out. Sure, it might look like an oversized DS Lite, but the hardware in this thing is as capable as any of the alternatives on this list, if not more so, and it’s capable of running everything from Baldur’s Gate 3 to Fallout 76.

Whether you’re looking for an emulation machine or something to play your favorite Steam and Xbox Game Pass games on, this is a solid pick. I’ve got one of these and a Steam Deck, and while the Steam Deck is a little more practical as I’ve got a case for it, something always brings me back to the Flip DS. You don’t see many tech companies taking chances like Ayaneo does, and as I found out while putting together our Ayaneo Flip DS review, taking risks often leads to very rewarding products, both for the brand and us as consumers.

The main issue with the Ayaneo Flip DS is that it is wildly expensive, and the most souped-up version goes all the way up to $1,479. That’s a lot of money for a handheld console, even if you are a fan of the funky form factor. Speaking of funky, the Windows experience can still be a little all over the place, but Ayaneo’s custom gaming UI makes this a bit more usable than other Windows handhelds.

If you’re on a tight budget or looking for something for the little gamer in your life, the Nintendo Switch Lite is a great access point to portable gaming. It’s got all the games from the Nintendo Switch library, and there isn’t any messing around with installing games like you might get with the Steam Deck or Ayaneo Air.

It also comes in a great range of colors (blue, pink, yellow, grey, plus a bunch of special editions) and has decent buttons for such a little thing, making it one of the best handheld gaming consoles on a budget.

The screen is smaller and less sharp than the Switch OLED and others on this list, and you can’t connect the Nintendo Switch Lite to the television. But still, for portable gaming on a budget, this is the way to go. It’s probably the best portable gaming console for kids, too.

Check out our Nintendo Switch Lite review.

The ASUS ROG Ally is an excellent alternative to the Steam Deck if you want an alternative. It’s a powerful, portable gaming PC, and while it is a little more expensive, it’s just as capable of running AAA games and even features Xbox Game Pass compatibility.

The screen is 120Hz, too, which gives it another bump over much of the competition. This means you can play indie games at a silky smooth frame rate wherever you go. Add that to the wider range of compatible PC game stores, and you’re going to have a lovely time.

For example, Xbox Game Pass games don’t work on Steam Deck without a lot of fiddling, whereas the subscription service is compatible with the ROG Ally. If you’ve already got an Xbox, this means you can get a bunch of games at no extra cost on your PC handheld (assuming you’re an Ultimate subscriber). It really is an ace little package.

The real downside is the price of the ROG Ally. The cheapest is $600, compared to the cheapest Steam Deck at $400. However, the specs are quite different between the two, so the price difference isn’t for identical machines. Still, it’s something to keep in mind if you want to dive in.