The Top Portable Gaming Systems For 2024

These days, handheld game consoles are very popular. Although portable gaming has been around since the Game Boy, a wave of increasingly powerful CPUs and the popularity of the Nintendo Switch have led to a deluge of devices that allow you to play a wide variety of games wherever you choose. It might be challenging to choose the finest gaming portable for you, though, as new models appear on the market almost every week. You already know that the Switch is fantastic, but the ideal handheld might be anything from a $700 portable PC to a $100 emulator, depending on what else you want to play. We've evaluated the main candidates, conducted in-depth research on the finest portable gaming consoles, and presented our top selections to assist you in making your decision.

2024's Top Portable Gaming Devices

Deck of Steam

Top portable gaming computer for the majority of

The Steam Deck OLED features a 7.4-inch HDR OLED display with 1,280 x 800 resolution, 1,000 nits peak HDR brightness, and 600 nits SDR brightness. It also has a custom 6nm AMD APU processor, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD storage, and a 50Whr battery. Its dimensions are 11.73 x 4.6 x 1.93 inches, and it weighs 1.41 pounds. It runs on Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 and runs SteamOS.

Dimensions: 11.73 x 4.6 x 1.93 inches; Weight: 1.48 pounds; Wireless: Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.0; OS: SteamOS; Display: 7-inch IPS, 1,280 x 800 resolution, 400 nits brightness, 60Hz; Processor: Custom 7nm AMD APU; RAM: 16GB LPDDR5 5500 MT/s; Storage: 256GB SSD; Battery: 40Whr

Valve's Steam Deck continues to provide the greatest value in the gaming portable market in terms of price, performance, and use because of a late-year update. Also, the original Steam Deck OLED has been completely replaced with the new model. This model, which has a 7.4-inch OLED display with 512GB of storage starting at $549, is brighter, quicker, somewhat larger, and more colorful than the 7-inch IPS panel on the current entry-level model. Every game looks better on an OLED panel by default because of its increased contrast and richer colors, but it also supports HDR, which produces highlights that are noticeably brighter at their peak. Additionally, the maximum refresh rate has increased from 60Hz to 90Hz, which can improve the visual smoothness of many games.

The Steam Deck OLED also lasts longer than previously because of the less power-hungry display, a more efficient AMD APU, and a bigger battery. No portable device can play resource-intensive "AAA" games for an extended period of time, but according to Valve, the new model can play games for three to twelve hours, while the LCD model can only play games for two to eight hours. The chassis seems lighter, and a bigger fan keeps everything quieter and colder. Although the OLED model's higher memory bandwidth may allow it to gain a few additional frames in some games, performance is essentially the same.

ROG Ally from ASUS

The greatest substitute for Windows

7.02-inch IPS display with 1080p resolution, 500 nits brightness, 120Hz, VRR; AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme or AMD Ryzen Z1 processor; 16GB LPDDR5 6400 MT/s RAM; 512GB SSD storage; 40Whr battery; 11.02 x 4.37 x 0.83-1.28 inches dimensions; 1.34 pounds weight; Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2 wireless; Windows 11 operating system

You may get a Windows-based portable instead of the Steam Deck if you're ready to pay more for greater power. Most individuals should be able to utilize the ASUS ROG Ally, which is also a good substitute if you're prepared to give up simplicity of use in exchange for a greater performance ceiling. Consider it to be a more portable laptop for gaming.

Please take note that the model with the $649 AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme APU is the one we expressly suggest. For $150 cheaper, ASUS offers a different model with a less powerful Ryzen Z1 CPU, but there is too much of a power loss. The ROG Ally can play more demanding games at better frame rates and resolutions than the Steam Deck thanks to the Z1 Extreme. We observed frame-rate increases of 15 to 25 percent in AAA titles such as Cyberpunk 2077 and Shadow of the Tomb Raider throughout our study. The Steam Deck's declared maximum power consumption is 15W, but the ROG Ally's Turbo mode increases it to 25W (or 30W when plugged in), allowing the device to squeeze out more frames. Although setting up and correctly tuning AMD's Fluid Motion Frames frame generation technology is far from simple, it may also help some games seem smoother. The Steam Deck can occasionally outperform the ROG Ally at the same TDP, resolution, and graphics settings, so it's not always the quickest portable. However, as time goes on, it will have greater overhead, which is significant if you mostly play graphically intensive games.

The 7-inch LCD screen on the ROG Ally offers a quicker refresh rate of 120Hz and a clearer 1080p resolution than the Steam Deck OLED, but it isn't as colorful or brilliant. The fact that it supports variable refresh rates (VRR), which keeps the image smooth even when a game's frame rate varies, is its most significant feature. In addition to being lighter, smaller, and shorter than the Steam Deck OLED, the ROG Ally has a screen that is comparable in size. However, there is no case included. Additionally, Valve's handheld has more noticeable grips around its back than the Steam Deck, even though its hardware isn't as substantial as that of the latter. This might still make it simpler for people with large hands to grasp.

But the improved performance and crisper display of the ROG Ally come at the cost of battery life. That typically lasts between two and four hours, but with some games and high performance settings, it can run even shorter, which kind of negates the purpose of a "portable" gadget.

The ROG Ally can play games from any gaming client, not just a selection of Steam titles, because it is powered by Windows 11. No further workarounds are needed if you've accumulated libraries on retailers like Epic, GOG, Itch.io, or the Xbox app; you can access them here just like on any other Windows PC. This is a huge benefit for anyone who wish to play Xbox Game Pass titles or Alan Wake 2, which are Epic exclusives.

However, Windows is the primary problem with all Windows handhelds. By transforming its Armoury Crate software into a centralized settings portal and game library, ASUS has gone farther than others, but it's still putting a bandage on an operating system that isn't really meant for this device class (for the time being).

Playing games on a Windows portable may be like playing a crapshoot until they click. Occasionally, the user interface may not adjust to screen size correctly, requiring you to spend several minutes adjusting key bindings and graphics settings. Frequently, you will need to switch between using your fingers and buttons to navigate the operating system. Once, a driver problem prevented the screen from coming on, so I had to hard reset the ROG Ally.

The Retroid Pocket 4 Pro

The best portable game console for under $200

4.7-inch IPS display with 750 x 1,334 resolution, 500 nits brightness, and 60Hz refresh rate; MediaTek Dimensity 1100 processor; 8GB RAM LPDDR4x; 128GB UFS 3.1 storage; 5,000mAh battery; 7.27 x 3.25 x 0.62 inches in size; 0.58 pounds in weight; Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5.2; Android 11 operating system

Retroid Pocket 4 Pro, which costs $199, is a wonderful gaming portable for anyone who wish to replicate earlier systems. It is an Android-based device that can only run PC, PS5, and Xbox games through streaming because it is much less powerful than the Steam Deck or ROG Ally. It is, however, the most competent handheld we have tried for less than $200 if you want something more portable and are prepared to put up with the difficulties of getting emulators to run.

With a MediaTek Dimensity 1100 CPU and 8GB of RAM, the Pocket 4 Pro boasts an integrated fan with three distinct settings that can be turned on to boost performance. This gives you the power to play most games from the Nintendo GameCube and PlayStation 2, two well-known vintage platforms that are hard for portable handhelds to mimic. Not all games ran well; several, notably Star Wars Rogue Squadron II and ESPN NFL 2K5, were too jerky. Adjusting the resolution, renderer, and active cooling settings was necessary to allow many other games to function at their best. It can, however, quadruple the native resolution and play a large number of PS2 and GameCube titles at full speed with some setup. For the price, it's amazing that it can play demanding games like Gran Turismo 4 consistently, especially on lower settings.

Nearly every device we tested, including the PSP, Dreamcast, PS1, N64, and others down on the performance totem pole, performed flawlessly at an upscale of 2-4 times. A few of titles on the infamously difficult Sega Saturn were the sole exclusions. A few titles from subsequent systems, like as the 3DS and Wii, may also be played, but with a more touch-and-go interface. Xbox online streaming and native Android games with controller compatibility, such as Diablo Immortal, functioned well for contemporary games.

The Nintendo Switch Lite and the Pocket 4 Pro have a similar build. Despite having no ergonomic handles, the flat slab's tiny shape and light weight make it easy to carry. (If you require it, however, Retroid offers a comfortable grip add-on for an additional $15.) Despite having a plastic frame, it doesn't seem flimsy or creaking, and the textured finish feels good to the touch. Its buttons all feel correct: The d-pad is strong and accurate, the bumpers are clicky and simple to discern, the analog triggers are big and flared, and the face buttons are smooth and have a decent amount of travel. Although the joysticks have a reasonable amount of tension, they are a touch too low on the device and on the stubby side for current games. Furthermore, they should not experience drifting over time since they make use of magnetic Hall effect sensors. Convenient start, select, home, and back buttons are located beneath them. Additionally, a micro-HDMI connector is provided for TV or monitor connections. The downward-firing speakers function rather well, but it's simple to accidentally cover them with your fingers.

AYN Odin 2

The greatest portable gaming device

The device has a 6-inch IPS display with 1080p resolution, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, 8GB, 12GB, or 16GB LPDDR5x RAM, 128GB, 256GB, or 512GB UFS 4.0 storage, an 8,000mAh battery, and dimensions of 8.86 x 3.86 x 0.67 inches. It weighs 0.93 pounds, and it runs Android 13 operating system.

The AYN Odin 2 is the greatest portable retro gamer available right now if you have extra money to spend on an emulator. With a smoother and more dependable performance, this Android smartphone can play everything the Retroid Pocket 4 Pro can, plus a little bit more. This is mostly because several of the top phones from last year used the same Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 CPU.

With 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, the Odin 2 starts at $299, which is pricey considering that the entry-level Steam Deck costs only $100 more to play PC games. Still, there aren't many other similarly priced, more compact mobile handhelds that perform as well. All PS2 and GameCube games we tested ran on it at two to three times their original resolution, while titles on systems like the PS1, N64, and Dreamcast could usually be played at three to four times their natural resolution. At 2-3x, the majority of 3DS and Wii games will also run well, if at all. With the Sega Saturn, it performs better than most and has a greater selection of Switch games than the Pocket 4 Pro (although if that's a big deal to you, you should simply get a Switch). More difficult systems will still need some adjustments to the settings, but not as much as with less expensive devices–not game by game.

Nevertheless, the Odin 2 is more than simply a piece of powerful hardware. It's not as small as the Pocket 4 Pro, but it weighs a lot less than a portable PC, and its rear has curved handles that make it comfortable to hold—especially while playing more recent games. It has excellent-feeling analog triggers, face buttons, Hall effect joysticks, and a D-pad. The front-facing speakers are a definite improvement over the Pocket 4 Pro, and other great features like a fingerprint scanner, a dedicated return button, a micro-HDMI out connection, and two configurable back buttons are also there. You may also read this: Samsung Z Fold 6 And Z Flip 6 Smartphones

Comparative Pocket

An elegant gadget for retro handheld gaming

This device has a 3.5-inch LCD display with a resolution of 1,600 x 1,440 and a VRR range of 30Hz to 62Hz. It is powered by a 4,300mAh battery and has the following RAM configurations: 3.4MB BRAM, 2x 16MB 16-bit cellular RAM, 64MB 16-bit SDRAM, and 256KB 16-bit asynchronous SRAM. Its dimensions are 5.86 x 3.46 x 0.86 inches, and it weighs 0.61 pounds. It runs on an Analogue OS.

The pinnacle of Game Boys is the Analogue Pocket. Its vertical appearance and compatibility with peripherals like the Game Boy Camera make it feel like a more upscale, modern take on Nintendo's iconic handheld device. However, the Pocket differs from the original in that it has two additional face buttons, two rear triggers, a microSD card, a USB-C connector, and a rechargeable battery with a playback time of six to ten hours. The most notable feature is its stunning 3.5-inch illuminated display, which boasts 615 ppi of sharpness and can be adjusted to resemble an old Game Boy panel with various filter settings. By adding an extra dock, the gadget may also output to a TV.