The Best Gaming Handhelds of 2025
2025 was a big year for portable gaming devices. Nintendo released the Nintendo Switch 2 , Xbox partnered with Asus to release its first handheld gaming console , Android- and Linux-based retro gaming handhelds saw significant improvements in specs and build quality, and Valve’s incredibly smooth SteamOS operating system began appearing on additional portable gaming PCs beyond the Steam Deck . If you enjoy gaming on the go, you have far more options this year than last.
Luckily, I was able to personally check out this year’s top releases, and I’m here to help you separate what’s truly noteworthy from what can simply be ignored. Spoiler alert: not all the hits are obvious.
For example, don’t expect to see the Xbox Portable console on this list. While it has a comfortable and familiar form factor, the out-of-the-box operating system is too buggy for me to recommend it to anyone but the most dedicated fans, and the hardware doesn’t justify the price. This isn’t the second coming of the PSP—it’s essentially just an ASUS ROG Ally portable gaming PC with an Xbox sticker on it, and when it comes to portable gaming PCs, I think there are better options.
So, without further ado, let’s take a look at the best options. In this eventful year, here are the best portable gaming devices of 2025.