Video games might be the most fun when you’re sitting on your couch in front of a big TV or in a comfortable chair at your desk. But the best place to play a game can also be wherever you are. If you want the freedom to step away from your TV or desk, we recommend a handheld gaming console.
Small, portable, and powerful, gaming handhelds are easy to throw in a bag and pull out on a train, on a plane, or even just out in the world, so you can play games without a bulky laptop and a separate mouse or gamepad.
We’ve spent more than a year researching almost a dozen gaming handhelds. After spending hundreds of hours testing the best available options, we’ve concluded that the Steam Deck LCD is the best handheld console for most people. For a little more money, you can upgrade to the OLED version and its beautiful display. If you want the best portable PC-gaming experience available, the Asus ROG Ally X is worth the extra money.
Top pick
The LCD version of the Steam Deck isn’t the most powerful PC-based gaming handheld, but it offers the best interface, reliable performance, and fantastic battery life for a great price, all of which make it an excellent console for beginners.
The original Steam Deck kicked off the current wave of handheld gaming consoles, and it’s still the one that most people should buy. The SteamOS user interface still offers the most intuitive and most reliable way to navigate your settings and games, even if you own hundreds, and the controls are great for interacting with almost any kind of PC game. Plus, the Steam Deck has excellent battery life. But for more demanding titles, its older hardware is starting to show its age, and 256 GB of storage may not be enough for you to install more than a couple of the most popular PC releases.
Upgrade pick
If you love your Steam Deck and want a better screen, or if contrast and more storage are important to you, the OLED version of the Steam Deck is a solid upgrade option.
The Steam Deck OLED version is essentially the same hardware as the original Steam Deck, save for a striking OLED screen. It also offers double the storage of the original Steam Deck, Wi-Fi 6E support, and a slightly larger battery. However, the battery life isn’t noticeably different from that of the original Steam Deck, and games perform the same.
Best for
The ROG Ally X performs better in games than any other handheld we’ve tested, the battery life is great, and it works with Xbox Game Pass and every other PC gaming service—but it’s expensive.
Asus’s ROG Ally X can handle just about every game with reliable frame rates, and thanks to its huge battery, it can last for hours away from an outlet. It’s a Windows PC, so it supports Game Pass and every other PC gaming service, including Blizzard’s launcher, the Epic Game Store, and Ubisoft Connect. But it’s the most expensive handheld gaming console we’ve tested, and though its software is the best Windows-based handheld interface available, Armoury Crate is still not quite as stable or reliable as SteamOS.
Best for
The Switch is a durable, reliable handheld console with a huge library of games that are great for all ages—especially for younger kids. Plus, you can play with multiple people when it’s connected to a TV.
The Nintendo Switch offers a portable way to play an absolutely amazing collection of games, many of them exclusive. Plus, it’s much cheaper than our other picks, and it’s less at risk of being damaged by younger kids. But this handheld, originally released in 2017, is showing its age, and it can play only software officially licensed by Nintendo.
