The best handheld gaming consoles, from the Nintendo Switch to the...

Best handheld gaming consoles 2025: Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck, more

Overview

The Nintendo Switch has dominated the conversation around handheld gaming consoles for several years now thanks to its innovative hybrid design, relatively accessible price point, and monumental, still-growing lineup of games. It's now one of the bestselling consoles of all time, and a new iteration is launching on June 5 — but it's not the only handheld worth buying these days.

After dozens of hours of hands-on testing, our favorite handheld consoles include the glitzy Nintendo Switch OLED, the AI-enhanced MSI Claw 8 AI+, the slick Valve Steam Deck, and the delightfully nostalgic Analogue Pocket, among a few other options. These are unmistakably different systems in terms of their overall designs, features, and/or use cases, but they all excel at making great games playable on a portable level and offer solid specs for the money.

Here's a more intensive breakdown of each console to help you figure out which one's best for you — whether you're hunting for a portable PC setup, sitting on a pile of old Game Boy cartridges, or just desperate to play the latest and greatest games on the best system available.

And don't worry, a review for the Nintendo Switch 2 is on the way.

Our Pick

a white oled nintendo switch displaying its homepage in front of a window

Best Nintendo Switch

The Good & The Bad

Gorgeous, vivid OLED screen
Haptic feedback (HD Rumble)
Gyroscope for aiming
IR motion camera
Bluetooth support
Great speakers
Decent amount of onboard storage
Huge game library
Sturdy adjustable kickstand
Available in three limited-edition variants and two colors

No CPU, resolution, TV output, or battery upgrades from the standard Switch
A little heavy

Our review

Read our full review of the Nintendo Switch OLED.

Who it's for

Ahead of the Nintendo Switch 2 launch, the Nintendo Swith OLED is definitely the best version of the console you can get out there. If you want the best Switch experience possible so far, look no further.

Why we picked this

The 2021 iteration of Nintendo's bestselling multi-use console doesn't reinvent the handheld experience with any earth-shattering upgrades, but it's still a stellar device for solo or group play and arguably the best Switch to date. Its biggest selling point is right there in its name: The Nintendo Switch OLED has a flashy seven-inch OLED touchscreen display with a minuscule bezel, sharp contrast, and a "vibrant palette of colors," said Mashable's former senior games reporter Adam Rosenberg. It excels in handheld mode, where you play with both Joy-Con controllers attached to its sides, and in tabletop mode, where it gets a boost from a wider, sturdier kickstand with an adjustable hinge. (Compared to the standard, non-OLED Switch, this feels more like a "natural extension" of its hybrid design than a "flimsy accessory," to quote Rosenberg again.) Thanks to some onboard speakers with "enhanced audio," it sounds just as good as it looks.

Nintendo further justifies the OLED Switch's $50 price bump from the standard model ($299.99) with double the onboard storage capacity — you get 64GB of space instead of 32GB. You can also expand that storage with a MicroSD card. This console didn't quite deliver on what players really wanted in a successor to the standard version, which was a next-generation "Switch Pro" with more horsepower and 4K graphics. Its screen's resolution still clocks in at 720p, and it still has an output of 1080p when docked in TV mode. It's powered by the same NVIDIA Custom Tegra processor, so you might still run into frame drops in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild's dense Korok Forest. And its battery still lasts 4.5 to nine hours per charge, depending on the game. Functionally, it's the same system we've had for several years — just in a shinier, prettier package.

All of that being said, the OLED Switch remains a fantastic, uniquely versatile console in its own right. You probably don't need it if you bought a standard Switch anytime after 2019 when it got a better battery, but owners of the now-discontinued 2017 launch model could benefit from the upgrade. (At least, until the Nintendo Switch 2 comes out.)

Details

a valve steam deck resting against pillows in front of a window

The Good & The Bad

Plays PC games on a handheld. Need we say more?
Surprisingly powerful, can run relatively demanding games
Steam OS is easy to use
Helpful Deck compatibility notifications for your games
Desktop mode
Those trackpads!

Heavy
Playing games from other launchers is possible, but requires complicated workarounds
Battery life leaves something to be desired
Dock sold separately

Our review

Read our full review of the Valve Steam Deck.

Who it's for

The Steam Deck is unlike any device that has come before it, bringing the traditionally less-accessible PC gaming experience to a streamlined and impressively powerful handheld. If you feel like you have PC gaming FOMO, the Deck might finally fix that.

Why we picked this

Using Steam's built-in OS, the Steam Deck gives you access to the entire Steam Store library (including your own account, if it's already attached to a PC rig). Not every game in there is compatible with the Deck, but Steam kindly labels the ones that can run on it within their storefront — and the selection is enough to keep you busy for a while. From there, you can install games directly onto the device and start playing.

The power of the Steam Deck is remarkable. We had multiple "pinch me" moments as we booted up demanding games like Elden Ring, Uncharted 4: A Thief's End, and God of War and experienced zero performance issues. Even games that aren't "Deck Verified" ran smoothly after we messed around with some graphics settings. (Playing Red Dead Redemption 2 on a handheld was surreal.) We also appreciated the Deck's desktop mode, which basically turns it into a pint-sized computer that you can use for web browsing and more. If you're patient enough, you can even program it to boot up non-Steam launchers like EA Origin and Ubisoft Connect, but it's a complicated process that requires some Linux know-how. It's a downside for those who want an all-encompassing PC experience with no limitations, but there's still so much here to enjoy that it's not a dealbreaker by any means.

The hardware itself is also great, but not without some minor faults. We really enjoyed the Deck's form factor and the layout of its controls, especially the rear-mounted buttons and dual trackpads on each side of its screen. It's comfortable to hold, and reaching each button is never a struggle. The device is on the heavier side, though, and you start to feel that weight after a few hours into play. That is, if you can get a few hours of play — unfortunately, the battery life of the Steam Deck isn't the best. Its quick drain is understandable when you consider how much power is required to run some of these games on a handheld level, but that doesn't make it any less annoying. Thankfully, you can still play it while it's plugged into the included charger.

PC gaming has traditionally been inaccessible to a large swathe of people because of the steep financial investment and need for constant troubleshooting. The Steam Deck is able to democratize it for all players, and to us, that's a gigantic feat.

Details

MSI Claw 8 AI+ on table

The Good & The Bad

Impressive performance, even with more demanding games
Great battery life
Extra-large display
MSI AI Engine is super helpful
Runs relatively cool
MSI software + Windows 11 makes for a great interface

A bit expensive for what you get
Not the most ergonomic design

Who it's for

The MSI Claw 8 AI+ is the newest handheld PC on the block, and comes packed with cool AI-enhanced features that take the legwork out of optimizing your settings within each game you play. If you want a powerful handheld that's convenient and doesn't require too much PC know-how, you'll probably really like this option.

Why we picked this

The ever-growing handheld PC scene gets better with each year that passes, and the MSI Claw 8 AI+ is a fantastic example of that trend. The redesigned portable console introduces new AI-enhanced features that take the guesswork out of settings optimization within the games you play, and it actually works really well in practice. We booted up Cyberpunk 2077 using the MSI AI Engine and didn't have to tweak any settings after launching the game. We experienced only a bit of stuttering during gameplay, but overall, we got smooth framerates and high visual fidelity for a handheld. Less demanding games like Hades II and Blue Prince performed even better, with no noticeable frame drops or sacrifices in quality. The handheld ran nice and cool while playing all three of those titles.

The UX/UI is also great. The Claw has full Windows 11 support, and paired with the MSI Center M interface that houses all of your games and launchers, you have a super convenient duo that covers all the bases. We had the occasional hiccup within Center M, but overall, it was a nice upgrade from the other portable PCs we've tried, which required more work on the backend to get you where you want to go. Other highlights include the impressive three-hour-and-some-change battery life and the massive eight-inch FHD display.

While the display is big and looks decent, we can't help but think it should've included an OLED display at the very least at this price point ($999.99). For reference, the most upgraded Steam Deck OLED is priced at $649, while the version with slightly less space is only $549. It's not a dealbreaker, but it certainly hurts the overall value of the MSI Claw 8 AI+. Also, we're hoping that the next iteration is just a bit more ergonomic — the Claw feels pretty good to hold at first, but once you reach for those macro buttons on the back, you might feel strained (unless you have big hands).

The MSI Claw 8 AI+ is a bit expensive for what you get, but if you're looking for power, convenience, and a long battery life — which many of us are when it comes to portable PCs — it's worth the investment if you can afford it.

Details

a close-up of a man's hands playing "stardew valley" on a gray nintendo switch lite

The Good & The Bad

Super lightweight and comfortable to hold
Bright and colorful screen
Gyroscope for aiming
Bluetooth support
Huge game library
Classic D-pad
Available in five fun colors

Subpar battery life
Limited onboard storage
No IR motion camera, so it doesn't work with a couple Nintendo games (unless you pair it with separate Joy-Con)

Our review

Read our full review of the Nintendo Switch Lite.

Who it's for

If you want to get the Nintendo Switch experience in a smaller package, the Nintendo Switch Lite was made just for you. It has many of the same capabilities as the regular Switch, but it's way easier to take on the go with you.

Why we picked this

Nintendo's smallest, slimmest, and cheapest system is the Switch Lite, a handheld-only console from 2019 that ditches the detachable Joy-Cons for built-in controls. It can't be used for TV or tabletop play, and it lacks any sort of revolutionary specs, but that's not the point here: Its chief purpose is to offer a friendly, approachable portable gaming experience, and it totally delivers.

Our testing included several fun sessions with Hades and Breath of the Wild, and it really is incredible that you can get titles of that caliber on a device that's the size of a small clutch. Plus, you're technically not missing out on any power: It runs on the same NVIDIA CPU as Nintendo's other Switches, and its LCD touchscreen (while not OLED-pretty) is plenty bright and colorful. You won't have access to the entire Nintendo library from the get-go, mind you. Some games are incompatible with the Switch Lite out of the box because it doesn't natively support HD Rumble and IR motion controls. The good news is that it's only a handful of titles, and the problem is easily remedied by pairing the console with a separate Joy-Con.

The other thing about the Switch Lite that blew us away in our testing was its feather-light build: This thing weighs just over half a pound. (For comparison's sake, the standard Switch weighs 0.88 pounds — it doesn't seem like much, but it makes Senior Shopping Reporter Haley Henschel's hands get cramped and numb after an hour or so.) It's extremely comfortable to hold for long periods of time, with a familiar layout that features a traditional D-pad instead of a four-button setup like the other Switches. We'd play the Switch Lite all day if it let us — its battery sadly maxed out around four to five hours in our testing. If you're going to take it with you on an extended bus ride or flight, make sure you juice it up beforehand. Finally, the Switch Lite's onboard storage is capped at 32GB, just like the standard model, so you'll definitely need to buy a separate microSD card if you want to load it with more than a couple of games. But as with all of its shortcomings, the Switch Lite's exceedingly reasonable $200 price point makes this easy to swallow.

Details

Asus ROG Ally

The Good & The Bad

Much more lightweight than the Steam Deck
Powerful processor
Compatible with multiple game launchers and storefronts
Smooth performance overall
Really nice display

Very short battery life
Back button position is a bit "off"
No carrying case included

Who it's for

If you're turned off by the Steam Deck's limited access to different game launchers, the Asus ROG Ally addresses that issue by being a fully functional, portable PC that can work seamlessly with your app(s) of choice. No Linux know-how needed.

Why we picked this

The Steam Deck is no longer the only one of its kind on the market. Enter the Asus ROG Ally, the first true competitor to Valve's flagship handheld gaming PC.

Unlike the Deck, the Ally is a Windows-11-based handheld, which is already a big advantage over the former option, as it provides a layer of accessibility not found on the Steam Deck. The Deck is beholden to using Steam's proprietary client and storefront to run games (that is, unless you know how to work some Linux magic to get other apps working), while the Ally is compatible with all of your favorite launchers. That means the entirety of your library should be available to you, whether you've purchased your games on Epic, Xbox Game Pass, EA Origin, or someplace else (including Steam) — no fancy workarounds required.

Another aspect that the Ally holds over the Deck is overall processing power. The handheld is equipped with an AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme processor and an AMD Radeon graphics card, which is a really impressive combo for a portable console, and renders it capable of running some relatively demanding games with smooth performance. It stayed pretty quiet and never overheated during play, either. While we did run into a few hiccups during testing, we were generally able to run more games